In his creation of modern fantasy out of ancient myths in the Mabinogion, Alexander is writing in the tradition of Kenneth Morris and Evangeline Walton. Unlike them, however, he uses the myths as a jumping off point for his own original story. The Arthurian tradition is also an influence in the episode involving Taran's discovery of an enchanted sword. Probably the most significant precedent is J. R. R. Tolkien, whose Lord of the Rings contains some of the same features as the Prydain Chronicles. The ominous winged gwythaints, for example, resemble the ring wraiths in Tolkien's saga of Middle Earth, and some of the characters, such as the woodsy Gurgi and the king of the Fair Folk resemble the ents and the elves. A somewhat less specific precedent can be found in the Narnia Chronicles of C. S. Lewis, which also feature youthful protagonists who find...