Arawn Death-Lord
Arawn Death-Lord is a male literary character who features in The Chronicles of Prydain.
Contents |
Biography
Arawn Death-Lord was originally a mortal man until he became the consort of Achren, the Queen of Prydain. After learning her powers of enchantment he betrayed her, usurping The Iron Crown of Annuvin and taking the title of Death-Lord for himself. Arawn would have gone on to conquer all of Prydain had not the Sons of Don arrived from the Summer Country to oppose him. Achren became a servant beneath Arawn, but ever after she secretly plotted his downfall.
Arawn was the cause of much suffering throughout Prydain. He traveled across the land, disguised through arcane magic, attempting to steal the enchanted tools and recorded knowledge of Prydain's artisans and laborers. The only man able to thwart Arawn in this effort was Menwy the Bard, who perceived Arawn's true face and defied him, letting the Death-Lord shatter Menwy's harp rather than see it lost to the Death-Lord. Instead of using the stolen tools and secrets for himself -- perhaps because he disdained their mundane practicality -- Arawn kept them locked in his treasure house in Annuvin, where the implements and learning would benefit no one.
Arawn raised a powerful war leader, the evil Horned King, to amass an army of traitor lords with which to topple Caer Dathyl, the mightiest city in Prydain and home to the Sons of Don. Had Caer Dathyl been destroyed, Arawn might have been able to enslave Prydain. However, with the help of Taran of Caer Dallben and Princess Eilonwy, Prince Gwydion Son of Don destroyed the Horned King, and the army of traitorous rebels scattered back to their dens.
Overview
Personality and attributes
Arawn showed an obsessive lust for power, repeatedly seeking total domination of Prydain, despite already ruling over a wealthy kingdom. In addition to being a ruthless tyrant, Arawn was a cunning trickster, just as willing to use mendacity and deception to defeat his enemies as military force. Arawn was obviously highly intelligent, as he was aware that Magg and Pryderi conspired to overthrow him, and took steps to ensure that their plans would result in their deaths. When he was mocked by Menwy the Bard, Arawn shattered Menwy's magical harp in a rage.
In addition to his powers, Arawn possessed an extremely cunning, Machiavellian intellect. This is evidenced by his overthrowing of his powerful former mentor, Achren, and his convoluted plans over the course of the stories.
Despite his terrifying demeanor, Arawn seemed to have a cowardly side, rarely leaving the safety of his fortress or engaging any of the protagonists in direct combat. He preferred to slink unnoticed in the guise of other persons or creatures.
Powers and abilities
Arawn's malignant influence had more direct effects as well. He captured the Gwythaints and enslaved them with his power, changing them from relatively gentle birds into terrifying spies, the Eyes of Annuvin. He also gained the Black Cauldron from three witches name Orddu, Orwen and Orgoch, corrupting it into the instrument that would create his Cauldron-Born warriors. Mortal men who joined with him became the Huntsmen of Annuvin, as fearsome as the Cauldron-Born in their own right. Arawn's powers and the ramifications of them, proved seductive to many prominent leaders, including his champion the Horned King, King Morgant, Magg, and King Pryderi.
Notes
- Arawn Death-Lord was created by Lloyd Alexander where he featured in the setting of the The Chronicles of Prydain universe.
- The character was the main antagonist of the series and was based on the god of death in Welsh mythology of the same name.
In other media
Films
Appearances
- The Chronicles of Prydain:
External Links
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