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Post by Andorinha on Apr 18, 2008 13:53:11 GMT -6
Hmmm, Gurgi...
I have not yet found a similar creature in the Welsh Myths, I'm wondering if he is an "independent" invention of Alexander's; in some ways based on JRRT's Smeagol, the cleaned up, possibly repentant side of Gollum? Gurgi seems to be a "gangrel" creature, like Gollum, but in personality, Gurgi seems to be quite a decent sort from his core outwards, not troubled/ conflicted like Smeagol/ Gollum -- but still, there are also similarities in speech patterns?
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Post by Fredeghar Wayfarer on Apr 18, 2008 18:12:29 GMT -6
A risque scene in a Disney movie!!! Black Cauldron was an experiment for Disney in trying to target an older teen audience. So it was fairly dark and violent and had that slightly off-color moment with Fflewddur. It's nothing too extreme. Actually, it's kind of similar to a scene I used in the first chapter of my Sir Pixis story (so there's a hint for ya if you can remember ). Andorinha, I would love to know the origins of Gurgi. My guess is that he was inspired by the woodwoses, the legendary European wild men that Tolkien based his Druedain on. There is also a small hairy faerie creature in Scottish and Irish legend called a grogoch. They try to be helpful but usually end up making a mess of things. That sounds a bit like Gurgi as well.
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Post by Stormrider on May 2, 2008 20:22:51 GMT -6
I have read the first four books in the story and have to go out to B&N to get the final book--they were out of stock on it when I purchased the other four. Hopefully, it will be there tomorrow.
Desi and I watched the Disney Black Cauldron cartoon. It combines the first two books and leaves out a lot of people and changes a few things. But it seems to work and condense everything into one short cartoon. It kept the grandsons entertained and they did not get bored at all during the whole cartoon. I see what you mean about Fflewddur and the Crones. Very funny.
The kids enjoyed the game at the end on the DVD. They played both the West Path and the East Path. My oldest grandson is very particular about being correct with his answers and he won, of course. He got the Black Cauldron before the Horned King got it. The second game we deliberately answered four questions wrong to see what would happen. The Horned King got the Black Cauldron this time and we had to try again! But it was fun.
There was also a cute older Disney cartoon with Donald Duck, Huey, Dewey, and Louie, and a witch going Trick or Treating. Mean old Uncle Donald didn't give out treats, he put firecrackers in his nephews' bags and blew them up. The witch helped the kids get treats from their mean uncle.
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Post by Andorinha on May 6, 2008 8:05:53 GMT -6
Just found my old copies of Alexander, think I'll start a re-read!
Stormrider: Hmmm, is this "Black Cauldron" a video game or a movie? Never heard of it before.
Fredegar: RE: "Andorinha, I would love to know the origins of Gurgi. My guess is that he was inspired by the woodwoses, the legendary European wild men that Tolkien based his Druedain on."
Ah, more research needed, wondering now if the celtic branches had "woses," or if they were nordic inspiration? LOL, every culture seems to have some sort of "wildman" of the woods, even the ourangatang!
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Post by Desi Baggins on May 6, 2008 8:36:19 GMT -6
Andorinha, The Black Cauldron is a DVD movie, but one of the extras on it is a game.
I really can't wait to read the story cuz after seeing the movie again I want to see how the book tells it! I have to finish the Artemus Fowl series first though!
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Post by Andorinha on May 6, 2008 9:59:33 GMT -6
Thanks, Desi!!!
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Post by Fredeghar Wayfarer on May 6, 2008 22:27:55 GMT -6
Glad you got to compare the movie and books, Storm. It's been a long time since I saw the movie but I remember not caring much for it. I grew up with the books so the condensing and changes bothered me.
It seemed odd that Arawn, the main villain, didn't even rate a mention. I guess the Horned King is more visually interesting. I can understand the decision but it's a bit like making a Lord of the Rings movie with only the Witch-King and no mention of Sauron.
I hated Disney's take on the Fair Folk. They went with the tiny, cutesy Victorian-style fairies, which wasn't at all what Alexander created. His Fair Folk are small but not insect-size and not all of the winged variety. Doli was supposed to be a dwarf, not a fairy!
Let's see, what did I like? The leads (Taran, Eilonwy, Fflewddur, Gurgi) were all handled well. The Cauldron-Born are suitably creepy and the Gwythaints looked impressive. The Horned King does make a good villain. It's not a terrible movie but I was left wanting more.
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Post by Stormrider on May 7, 2008 6:38:56 GMT -6
Considering that Disney was making only the Black Cauldron portion of the Prydain Chronicles, I guess they had to cut out all the other characters that appear in the rest of the books since they weren't all that important to what Disney was condensing it down to.
The Gwythaints were more dragonlike in the movie. I pictured them more birdlike and not as huge! Yes, the Fair Folk were more fairy than dwarf. I kept telling everyone they weren't that small! Although the scene where the Fair Folk rise up and flutter around the main characters was very nice the way Disney did it. I didn't picture Fflewddur as old as he was in the cartoon and he has yellow hair not white!
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Post by Stormrider on May 16, 2008 6:07:33 GMT -6
I have finished the Chronicles of Prydain and now I know all about Taran! It seemed to be a good account of where he came from and justified his path of finding himself. The story is similar to Lord of the Rings in the end when everyone says farewell!
I also was given a book from one of the girls on our equestrian drill team Hood written by Stephen R. Lawhead. It is another Robin Hood tale but it is not written as an English tale with the Sheriff of Nottingham nor in the English forests. It is set in 1066 during the time of the Norman invasion and is more about the Welsh people and Wales. There are a lot of Celtic names in it and this story references "Caer Cadarn", commots, and a stag hound named Gwrgi! I was really surprised when I saw these names after reading Prydain. The back of this book gives more history reference on the setting and people and times but I just scanned it and will read it AFTER I finish the book. I am only on page 38 so I haven't gotten very far.
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Post by Andorinha on May 16, 2008 9:06:32 GMT -6
Kool stuff, Stormrider!
Does Lawhead give you an actual source for Gwrgi? I wonder if he is basing his story elements on Alexander, or if there is a common source of genuine Welsh folklore behind both Lawhead and Alexander concerning the Gurgi phenomenon?
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Post by Stormrider on May 17, 2008 11:03:25 GMT -6
Lawhead does not give any history for the name Gwurgi just a short history on the times at the back of the book. I looked up Gurgi and came across this in Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gurgi
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Post by Andorinha on May 18, 2008 23:44:07 GMT -6
Thanks for the research effort, Stormrider. Between you and Fredegar, I'm getting more out of poor old Gurgi than I ever suspected he contained!
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