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Entries on this page (click one to jump to it): Bards. The bards of Prydain are a group of singers and storytellers who wander and perform their talents for kings and lords. Generally, people receive them well, but once in awhile a bard is unwelcome, as Fflewddur Fflam discovers in Spiral Castle. They have an ancient lore they have to learn before being accepted as official bards by Taliesin the Chief Bard and the Council of Bards. They have to learn things such as runes, charms, and ancient languages. Bards were very important in Welsh myths; in fact, they were the ones who memorized and passed down the tales until they were finally written down. Sometimes the bards learned the main themes and sections of the stories and then made up the rest, which is why parts of the bardic tales sometimes don't match or make sense. Bards learned and recited verse and incantations, interpreted riddles, and held the gift of prophecy. Their works could cause others good or bad fortune. They had much more power in Welsh tradition than Alexander gave them in Prydain, where they seem to be little more than educated musicians. In the story "Math Son of Mathonwy," Gwydyon and Gilvaethwy posed as bards to get into Pryderi's castle since bards were welcome everywhere. He also sent word to his sister that he and his nephew were bards so she would let them into her castle, and she replied with the words, "Greetings to them, let them enter" [2, p. 109]. Belin, King of the Sun. Dallben teaches Taran that Belin was the consort (husband) of the Lady Don. Their descendants sailed from the Summer Country to Prydain to protect it against Arawn. Don is mentioned much more in the Chronicles of Prydain than Belin (unless one includes Fflewddur Fflam's frequent exclamations of "Great Belin!"). Belin was the English or British god of the sun, which was Alexander's inspiration for the King of the Sun in The Book of Three [8]. However, it is not apparent whether Alexander's Belin was a god or simply a mortal king.
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