Isle of Mona

The Isle of Mona is the original name of the Isle of Anglesey, and is also the name of a fictional island off the western coast of Prydain in Lloyd Alexander's The Chronicles of Prydain series. The fictional island is loosely patterened after the real Isle of Mona, now called the Isle of Anglesey, the ancient Druid stronghold located off the northwest coast of Wales which was destroyed by the Roman General Suetonius Paulinus around 65 CE. The fictionalized Isle of Mona is most prominently featured in the Alexander's third novel, "The Castle of Llyr."

In the novel

The Isle of Mona is the setting for "The Castle of Llyr". The Isle of Mona is the realm of the House of Rhuddlum, ruled by King Rhuddlum and Queen Teleria. The capital and royal palace are located in Dinas Rhydant, a coastal city surrounding the island's main port, Mona Haven.

Eilonwy is sent to Dinas Rhydant to be schooled in the ways of being a lady and a princess. Soon after arriving, Eilonwy (who by title is the Princess of Llyr) is kidnapped by Achren and taken to the ruins of Eilonwy's ancestral home, Caer Colur. Taran and the companions, accompanied by the feckless Prince Rhun, search the island to find the princess.

Later, in the fifth novel, "The High King," it is learned that King Rhuddlum has died. The kingdom is inherited by his son, Prince Rhun. When Rhun in turn dies, Taran vows to finish Rhun's pet project of a seawall.

Geography of the island

As with the real Isle of Anglesey, Mona is cut off from the mainland by a channel. The capital Dynas Rhydant is in a port. There is an unfinished seawall in the harbor. Forests cover most of the island, and there is at least one river (the River Alaw) which plays a part in the story. The companions also discover a very large cavern in which they have an adventure.

Before Eilonwy was born, Mona was the kingdom of the House of Llyr and the site of its stronghold Caer Colur. Separated from Mona by a flood, the ruins of Caer Colur were then located on a small island just offshore. This site seems to have been abandoned when the House of Llyr fell; however, it only seems to have happened fifteen years before the setting of the novel. Apparently, the sea air and tides helped accelerate the deterioration of Caer Colur.