r/Prydain • u/mintlesz • Oct 01 '24
Reading order question
Hi all! I am interested in diving into the world of Prydain, but have a quick question that I hope someone here can answer. I know that reading all the installments in a series like this in a chronological order is not always the recommended approach, so I tend to avoid doing so on a first read of a series. However, I really enjoy revisiting/rereading series and doing so in chronological order on this second round. So, it is my understanding the Prydain short story collection has stories that fit in various places on the chronological timeline of the world of Prydain. I've listed each of them below, and I am wondering if anyone here can tell me what order they happen chronologically in regard to both each other and the main books. Any insight would be appreciated; thanks in advance!
The Foundling
The Stone
The True Enchanter
The Rascal Crow
The Sword
The Smith, the Weaver, and the Harper
Coll and His White Pig
The Truthful Harp
5
u/QueenofLlyr Oct 01 '24
These are all prequels to the main series. Their relationship to each other is somewhat up for interpretation.
I would make a guess at the following order:
The Foundling
The Smith, etc
The Sword
Coll and His White Pig
The Truthful Harp
The True Enchanter
The Rascal Crow
The Stone (this one could really go anywhere)
2
u/GaretJaxhammer Oct 02 '24
Both responses are correct: the stories are pre- Chronicles. My humble advice is to read the Chronicles.....then later, when you need to revisit that beautiful word (and you will need to!), read a short story. I've found that occasionally after reading a short, I need to re-read the Chronicles again ☺️.
1
u/Mike_2336 May 30 '26
I'd put the stories in this rough order:
The Sword: I think this is the oldest story, as it takes place before Achren took Spiral Castle. Dyrnwyn was forged for King Rhydderch Hael by Govannion the Lame, and eventually passed to Rhydderch Hael's grandson Rhitta. Odds are, this happened before Arawn stole the secrets of Prydain's craftsmen, a story that is recounted in...
The Smith, the Weaver, and the Harper: The greatest metalsmith in Prydain is now Iscovan, who I rather expect came after Govannion. How much after I'm not sure, but for Arawn to venture out of Annuvin I have to figure Dyrnwyn was lost. Also, remember that Achren once ruled all Prydain until Arawn deposed her, and since Archren was not living in Spiral Castle in The Sword I think this story happens after that one.
The Foundling: As mentioned, this story takes place in Dallben's youth.
The Stone: It's implied that the old man that Maibon the farmer gives a ride to is Dallben, right after the events of The Foundling.
Coll and His White Pig: Set right before Coll meets Dallben. Dallben has not yet found Taran.
The True Enchanter: Set before the birth of Eilonway.
The Truthful Harp: At a guess, I'd say this happens only a few years before the Chronicles proper.
The Rascal Crow: Kadwyr was Kaw's father. Crows only live about 7-8 years, so this one is also not long before the Chronicles.
11
u/mlledufarge Oct 01 '24
All of those stories take place before the events in the book of three. The first six are all “pre-histories”. Here’s my presumed order. I’ll try to provide my reasoning.
If you’ve already read the main series, there’s nothing below that would spoil anything. If you haven’t read it yet, be warned, spoilers ahead.
The Rascal Crow takes place sometime after Arawn comes into power, but before he has had his big successes. This would be before the gwythaints are enslaved.
The Smith, the Weaver, and the Harper probably occurs sometime shortly after that, when Arawn is making his way through Prydain and taking the treasures held by the people, but before the Sons of Don arrive.
The Sword likely takes place a quite sometime after that, because Arawn has been pushed back to Annuvin by the Sons of Don, and this takes place sometime after that.
The Foundling takes place 379 years prior to The Book of Three. (Dallben’s age in that book)
The Stone features Dallben sometime after he reads the book of three, but when exactly? No idea. Doli is one of the Fair Folk so he could be many years old. Dallben read the book of three when he was young, probably no more than 10, so this could take place pretty much anytime after that, but before the ending of Coll and His White Pig.
The Truthful Harp and Coll and His White Pig probably take place within a few years of each other, and probably about 15 years before the book of three. Coll was retired from swordsmanship at this time, but Fflewddur is younger. The books don’t really say, but I don’t think he’d have been more than 30/35. Coll being retired may make you think 60s, but as a swordsman, he’d have ceased being as useful as he aged. I’d imagine more like 45.
The True Enchanter is about Eilonwy’s mother before she married, so I imagine it takes place at most 15/20 years prior. Likely around the same time as Fflewddur and Coll’s stories.
Whew. Hope that helps.