The story of Culhwch and Olwen, by Catherine Fisher is a retelling of a Welsh myth, taken from the Mabinogion, a medieval Welsh manuscript.It tells the tale of Culhwch, the son of Goleuddydd and Lord Cilydd. Culhwch’s mother dies whilst giving birth to him and after many long years his father remarries a woman named Tywyllwch, meaning ‘darkness’. She curses Culhwch, saying he will never marry anyone unless he marries Olwen, the daughter of the fierce, cruel giant, Ysbaddaden. When Culhwch meets the beautiful, dignified Olwen, he does indeed fall in love with her, but to marry her, the giant Ysbaddaden sets Culhwch a series of seemingly impossible tasks – because should Olwen ever marry, the giant knows he will die.Culhwch’s father advises him to seek out his cousin, King Arthur, who agrees, along with his adopted brothers, bards, druids, magicians, huntsmen, men with special powers, like Gwrhyr All-Tongues (who can speak every language, including those of animals and birds) and warriors, to help Culhwch fulfil his quest. They even manage to complete one task on the way home from the giant’s fortress.But not all tasks are so easy. They face monsters and witches, must retrieve magical items, enchanted animals, nine jars of flax seed blown to the wind, enter the Valley of Grief in the Uplands of Hell, travel to Ireland and fight impossible foe. Their final task before returning to Ysbaddaden is to face the evil boar Twrch Trwyth, who was once a king but was transformed into a boar because of his evil deeds. With his razor-sharp teeth, bristles of poison, breath of acid and dead eyes, he was the most formidable of enemies and the most difficult to defeat.Catherine Fisher has written a beautiful story weaving adventure, love, and ancient folklore. It is epic and sweeping, and from the first page you are drawn into this mystical, Welsh world. Her writing is lyrical and offers atmosphere and drama with every new chapter. The story is not only about love but about bravery, friendship and putting your trust in others. It’s a wonderful introduction to tales from the Mabinogion for both children and adults. Finally, the Illustrations are perfect and made to be coloured in!
