The Book of the Western Veil

Elwyn Davies
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  • Fiction
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A Welsh Mythology Saga in Story and Song The great dragon will return. In the youth of the world, when God called for builders to shape a home for His children, he answered first. These hills rose at his command. He labored long, thinking all was for his own kind. But the vineyard was always intended for the children of Adam. For fragile creatures who would receive what the mightiest of beasts could not possess. In that betrayal, his purpose turned to poison, and now he returns to unmake his creation. For a thousand generations a guardian kept watch where rain drives against ancient stone and mist clings to the valleys of Wales. Warmth gathered around fires in the dark months. Laws held without witness. Mercies shown that carried no glory. He watched, guarded, and taught his people the dream of Cymru, but he was blind to what grew beneath his watch. In winter's depth, a prince stood between two paths and chose the one that led to his grave. Then all that had been forged in secret was made plain. The Unmaker returns. All that was born in shadow now faces the flame. This is The Book of the Western Veil. What You'll Hear This epic saga combines stories from the Mabinogion, Welsh history, and tales from the mountains and valleys of Cymru. Each episode brings you: Fireside Tales - The oral histories passed down through generations. Cautionary stories that explain how Welsh customs, laws, and sayings came to be. Tales of stubborn goat kings, shadow traders who became keepers, and the thin boundary between the mortal realm and Annwn, the Welsh otherworld. Chronicles - The great events that shaped Wales. Historical moments reimagined through the lens of myth, where Roman roads follow ancient pathways, and the choices of princes echo through centuries. Second Dawn: The Musical of the Mabinogion - The legendary tales of the Mabinogion brought to life through story and song, where the ancient myths of Wales meet soaring musical theatre. A warning runs through the bones of the mountains. By the next moon, Brenin Fawr will cross the Western Veil.

  1. Episode 1

    The Last Prince: Prologue. The Battle of Moel-y-don

    The Prologue of The Last Prince begins in the middle of the Battle of Moel-y-don. An English army commanded by Luke de Tany has crossed from Anglesey over a temporary bridge of boats, bringing armoured infantry and horsemen into Gwynedd. The Welsh are fighting uphill from the mainland shore, with the English pressing against their shield wall. Gwion, an experienced captain who has served Prince Llywelyn ap Gruffudd for forty summers, struggles to hold the line while his oldest friend, Meurig, is gravely wounded by an English spear. As the Welsh withdraw to a prepared defensive position, a storm builds over the Menai Strait. Strong winds, heavy rain and dangerous currents begin to destabilise the English bridge. Horses panic, soldiers become trapped on the crossing, and the English advance loses momentum. Gwion recognises the opportunity and leads a Welsh counterattack. Llywelyn's mounted men strike the English flank, turning the battle into a rout. The Welsh sing Hiraeth as the English attempt to retreat across the failing bridge. De Tany's horse falls into the water, taking its rider with it. Amid the victory, Gwion searches for his wounded friend. Meurig, the prince's smith, asks him to care for his seventeen-year-old son, Dulon. Before dying, he also reveals that Gwion's sword bears a symbol whose true meaning is known to very few. The Prologue ends with Gwion beside Meurig's body, promising to treat Dulon as his own. Main characters: Gwion: Welsh veteran captain, in his fifties, with forty summers in Llywelyn's household guard. The Prologue's viewpoint character.Meurig: The prince's smith, Gwion's oldest friend and father of Dulon ap Meurig.Llywelyn ap Gruffudd: Prince of Wales and commander of the Welsh forces.Luke de Tany: English commander whose troops cross the Menai Strait from Anglesey.Rhodri: A younger Welsh spearman who fights beside Gwion during the battle.Dulon ap Meurig: Seventeen-year-old son of Meurig. He does not appear directly in the Prologue but becomes the novel's principal protagonist. Important themes: Welsh resistance, loyalty, friendship, sacrifice, the preservation of Welsh identity, hiraeth, and the inheritance of older traditions. Mythological connection: The three interwoven leaves on Gwion's sword conceal a meaning beyond their Christian interpretation as a symbol of the Trinity. Meurig's knowledge of that meaning connects the historical narrative to the deeper mythology of Book of the Western Veil. Important context: The Last Prince is a standalone historical novel and part of the wider Book of the Western Veil saga. The Prologue depicts a Welsh victory, not Llywelyn's final battle. His death occurs several weeks later, in December 1282, near Builth.

  2. Episode 2

    The Last Prince: Chapter One. The Wolf at the Ford

    The Last Prince | Chapter One — Wolf at the Ford December 1282. A month after the Welsh victory at Menai, Llywelyn ap Gruffudd rides south towards Buallt Castle, seeking the support of the Marcher lords. Among his household guard is Dulon ap Meurig, a seventeen-year-old trapper who has recently lost his father. Under the care of Gwion, a veteran captain and old family friend, Dulon is still finding his place among the prince's men. As they follow the River Wye, Gwion tells him of Caer Fawr, the ancient capital of the Cymroth, and a Welsh history reaching back to the scattering of Babel. The English are quarrying stone beneath the old ruins, while the castle they are building across the river awaits the prince's arrival. But before Llywelyn's company can reach the ford, a black wolf emerges from the winter snow. Its appearance brings the column to a halt, and Dulon is called forward with his bow. Wolf at the Ford is Chapter One of The Last Prince, a standalone historical novel by Elwyn Davies, set within Book of the Western Veil. Discover more about the novel and preorder at https://www.bookofthewesternveil.com/.

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About

A Welsh Mythology Saga in Story and Song The great dragon will return. In the youth of the world, when God called for builders to shape a home for His children, he answered first. These hills rose at his command. He labored long, thinking all was for his own kind. But the vineyard was always intended for the children of Adam. For fragile creatures who would receive what the mightiest of beasts could not possess. In that betrayal, his purpose turned to poison, and now he returns to unmake his creation. For a thousand generations a guardian kept watch where rain drives against ancient stone and mist clings to the valleys of Wales. Warmth gathered around fires in the dark months. Laws held without witness. Mercies shown that carried no glory. He watched, guarded, and taught his people the dream of Cymru, but he was blind to what grew beneath his watch. In winter's depth, a prince stood between two paths and chose the one that led to his grave. Then all that had been forged in secret was made plain. The Unmaker returns. All that was born in shadow now faces the flame. This is The Book of the Western Veil. What You'll Hear This epic saga combines stories from the Mabinogion, Welsh history, and tales from the mountains and valleys of Cymru. Each episode brings you: Fireside Tales - The oral histories passed down through generations. Cautionary stories that explain how Welsh customs, laws, and sayings came to be. Tales of stubborn goat kings, shadow traders who became keepers, and the thin boundary between the mortal realm and Annwn, the Welsh otherworld. Chronicles - The great events that shaped Wales. Historical moments reimagined through the lens of myth, where Roman roads follow ancient pathways, and the choices of princes echo through centuries. Second Dawn: The Musical of the Mabinogion - The legendary tales of the Mabinogion brought to life through story and song, where the ancient myths of Wales meet soaring musical theatre. A warning runs through the bones of the mountains. By the next moon, Brenin Fawr will cross the Western Veil.

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