The Island of the Mighty

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The Island of the Mighty
Fantasy
PublisherBallantine Books
Publication date
1936
Media typePrint (hardback)
Preceded byThe Song of Rhiannon 

The Island of the Mighty is a

Overlook Press
as the omnibus The Mabinogion Tetralogy in 2002. The novel has also been published in translation in several European languages.

The novel is a retelling of the story of the Fourth Branch of the Mabinogion, Math Fab Mathonwy (Math, son of Mathonwy), and hence is chronologically last in Walton's Mabinogion novels, though published first. The three other novels in the series are The Children of Llyr (1971), The Song of Rhiannon (1972), and Prince of Annwn (1974).

Plot summary

Math, son of Mathonwy, whose feet must be held by a virgin at all times except while he is at war. Math's nephew Gilfaethwy is in love with Goewin, the current footholder, and Gilfaethwy's brother Gwydion tricks Math into going to war against Pryderi so Gilfaethwy can have access to her. Gwydion kills Pryderi, Prince of Dyfed
, in single combat, and Gilfaethwy rapes Goewin. Math marries Goewin in compensation for her rape, and banishes Gwydion and Gilfaethwy, transforming them into a breeding pair of deer, then pigs, then wolves. After three years they are restored to human form and return.

Math needs a new footholder, and Gwydion suggests his sister,

Goronwy
, and they plot to kill Llew. Blodewedd tricks Llew into revealing the means by which he can be killed, but when Goronwy attempts to do the deed, Llew escapes, though wounded, transformed into an eagle.

Gwydion finds Llew and transforms him back into human form, and turns Blodeuwedd into an owl (Blodeuwedd, literally "Flower Face," means "Owl"). Goronwy offers to compensate Llew, but Llew insists on returning the blow that was struck against him. He kills Goronwy with his spear, which is thrown so hard it pierces him through the stone he is hiding behind.

External links
Preceded by The Mabinogion Tetralogy
The Island of the Mighty 		Succeeded by
none
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