The Owl Service (Magill’s Guide to Science Fiction and Fantasy Literature)
At a glance:
- Author: Alan Garner
- First Published: 1967
- Type of Work: Novel
- Type of Plot: Fantasy—inner space
- Time of Work: The 1960’s
- Setting: North Wales
- Genres: Long fiction, Fantasy
- Subjects: 1960’s, Family or family life, Mythology or myths, Class conflict, Teenagers, Supernatural, Betrayal, Fear, Legends, Mysteries, Occultism or the occult, Wales or Welsh people, Owls
- Locales: Wales
The Plot
At the heart of this story is an old Welsh legend from the fourth branch of Mabinogion. The legend is that of Blodeuwedd, the woman of flowers whom Gwydion the magician created for Lleu Llaw Gyffes, after his mother, Arianrhod, decreed that he would not wed a mortal woman. Blodeuwedd fell in love with Gronw Pebyr and plotted with him to kill Lleu. Lleu was turned into an eagle and later rescued by Gwydion, but Blodeuwedd, as a punishment, became an owl. Alan Garner takes up the idea of this eternal triangle and translates it to modern Wales.
The story opens by...
[The entire page is 986 words long]
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