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Fflewddur x Harp is the cargo ship between Fflewddur Fflam and his harp from The Chronicles of Prydain fandom.
Canon[]
Novels[]
Fflewddur received his harp from Taliesin, the chief bard of Prydain, as told in the short story The Truthful Harp. Fflewddur had stood for examination to become a bard, but performed dismally. Taking pity on Fflewddur, Taliesin had the harp brought forth from the Council of Bards’ stores. Fflewddur was immediately enchanted with him new instrument, which was both beautiful in appearance and played beautiful melodies with little effort on his part. He was immensely grateful to Taliesin, but the chief bard rather suspected that Fflewddur might soon have cause to lament receiving the gift.
Initially as happy as though he had indeed been confirmed as a bard, Fflewddur played his new instrument and sang as he rode towards his home. His first warning that carrying the harp would not be all bliss came when he kindly gave his cloak to a poorly clad elderly man. When Fflewddur tried to shrug off his own resulting discomfort with a show of bravado, one of the harp’s strings snapped. Blaming this on the weather, Fflewddur knotted the string back together and continued on his way, playing as he went in an effort to keep himself warm.
Fflewddur‘s next “disagreement” with his harp came after he rescued a young girl from drowning in a river. At the gratitude of her parents, Fflewddur attempted to downplay the ordeal, only for two harp strings to snap in response. Blaming this on his time in the river, Fflewddur traveled onwards and arrived at a castle. The lord of the stronghold found Fflewddur‘s music little to his liking and assaulted the would-be bard. Fflewddur did his best to safeguard his harp during the incident, making boasts of warning that resulted in the breaking of several strings.
This altercation would lead to the first instance of what would become a recurring pattern in which Fflewddur would declare that individuals who reacted to him in this fashion “have no ear for music.” When the lord passes by on a hunt and threatens another beating, Fflewddur keeps his peace for the sake of his harp. However, he would come to the aid of the ungracious lord upon finding him set upon by bandits. Fflewddur would respond coldly to the contrite lord’s gratitude, but the harp reacted violently and three of its strings broke when Fflewddur claimed he would not have intervened had he been aware of whom he was aiding.
Finally starting to see a trend, though not yet recognizing the cause, Fflewddur returned to see Taliesin. As he spoke of his journeyings, his exaggerations caused the harp to react yet again. It was in this moment that Fflewddur realized that the harp had all along reacted to him stretching the truth. Having discussed the matter with Taliesin, Fflewddur declared that he was done with such exaggerations, but recanted when the harp acted as though every string was prepared to snap. When Fflewddur made a more modest declaration of future truthfulness, only one small string broke in response.
Fflewddur, upon first meeting Taran and Eilonwy, introduces himself as “a bard of the harp.” While settling down for the night sometime later, he takes care to place his harp somewhere safe. The harp later breaks a string when Fflewddur claims to understand the inscription on the sword Dyrnwyn. At this point, Fflewddur is forced to admit that, strictly speaking, he’s not a real bard.
As Fflewddur is sharing his history with his new companions, two harp strings snap when he exaggerates the size of his kingdom, and another when he claims to have done well in his bard examinations. He then speaks of his receiving the harp, and how he values it in spite of the strings’ tendency to break. Fflewddur also admits to noticing that it happens when he exaggerates or outright lies. While he also notes that he’s tried to be more truthful, it has proven difficult.
Eilonwy, angered by Taran’s suggestion that Fflewddur take her back to her kinsmen, threatens to smash the harp over the bard’s head. Visibly alarmed, Fflewddur tightens his grip on the instrument. Later, when he boasts of having fought through many warriors at once, the harp strains all of its strings and six of them snap in response. Fflewddur is thus forced yet again to mend them.
Fflewddur carries his harp on his back as he travels, and one straining string later forces him to admit that he knows nothing of foraging for food. While crossing the river Ystrad, Fflewddur holds his harp over his head. The harp snaps one of its thicker strings when Fflewddur states that he would have been willing to kill Gurgi at the wounded creature’s asking. Several strings later break when Fflewddur falsely claims to remember all the directions the companions received from Medwyn.
As Fflewddur is repairing the harp later, Eilonwy questions the fact that he’s not played it in all their acquaintance. Pointing out the rather dire straits that they’ve been in, Fflewddur nonetheless agrees to play, though he is obviously embarrassed as well as pleased. When he plays, the song is melancholy and not at all the tune Fflewddur had intended, prompting him to note that the harp seems to play without his input. He wonders whether this may have been partly why Taliesin gifted it to him, given his poor exam performance, but asserts that he is grateful for the gift.
When the companions are drawn into the underground city of the Fair Folk, Taran finds Fflewddur‘s harp, and the noise of it allows Fflewddur to find the rest of the group. Later, after hearing a group of the Fair Folk sing, Fflewddur fiddles with the harp in apparent consideration of how he might imitate the music. The group’s Fair Folk guide, Doli, at one point describes Fflewddur as “A yellow-haired idiot with a harp.” Despite this rudeness, Fflewddur later encourages Doli in his futile attempts to turn himself invisible. However, the harp protests with a broken string when Fflewddur goes so far as to claim that Doli’s efforts are actually working.
Much later, when the companions are reunited after the battle with the Horned King, Fflewddur launches into an enthusiastic recounting of his heroics. Taran is surprised when the harp shows no sign of snapping any strings during the narrative. It is only when Fflewddur claims to have felt no fear that the harp protests, and the bard admits to having been “Terrified.” Fflewddur’s heroics are later rewarded with the gift of an unbreakable harp string.
Coll mentions that Fflewddur is on his way to welcome Eilonwy home with his harp in tow. Later, after Fflewddur describes Arawn’s disguising himself as Taran and claims that he was able to recognize errors, a string breaks with a sharp report. Fflewddur bemoans this tendency as usual, before admitting that he was fully taken in by the ruse. Sometime later, Fflewddur offers to play the harp in order to help calm an agitated Hen Wen.
The harp breaks a string when Fflewddur expresses the hope than they encounter Huntsmen of Annuvin, and the chastened bard admits that he has no such desire. Fflewddur also promises to play his harp for Llyan, and is forced to do so to calm her obvious ire at meeting her old master Glew. Later, Fflewddur again plays the harp to calm Llyan, this time after she becomes overly playful. As he afterwards discusses an off-putting situation with Eilonwy, the harp snaps a string to reveal that Fflewddur is more concerned than he lets on. He later decides to investigate matters, hastily adding that he’s trying to reassure himself as well as Eilonwy in order to prevent the harp from reacting again.
Returning, Fflewddur reports playing for a party of warriors to the point that he feared for his fingers. As he and his companions prepare for a mission to rescue Taran, Fflewddur is forced to admit-by the harp’s ominous straining-that his involvement in such operations previously has been limited to planning. Upon reuniting with his friends after a prolonged separation, Fflewddur doesn’t take long to bring out his harp and begin playing. When the group visits Caer Dathyl, they meet with Taliesin and Fflewddur happily tells the others of how Taliesin gifted him with his harp. Taliesin admits to being fully aware of the harp’s tendencies and expresses that he has felt some guilt over bestowing it upon Fflewddur.
Proving Taliesin’s point, Fflewddur denies experiencing any difficulties, but comes clean after two strings snap. Fflewddur admits ruefully that he has become more truthful in response to the harp’s behavior, but notes that the change has been a positive one. In recognition of his patience, Taliesin offers Fflewddur his choice of several other harps. However, after examining each of them, Fflewddur finds that he is unwilling to part with his old instrument. After Caer Dathyl falls, Fflewddur lends the instrument to Taliesin as the chief bard laments those who fell in the battle.
During an uneasy vigil, Fflewddur rests one hand on the harp and the other on Llyan’s head. Upon encountering their old foe Achren, Fflewddur confesses to being afraid of her still when the harp reacts to his claims of unconcern. As he and his companions are caught in a deadly snowstorm with no fuel for a fire, Fflewddur pulls the harp from his back. He spends a brief moment handling the harp with obvious fondness. But then, for the sake of his life and those of his companions, he breaks it over his knee and urges Doli to set fire to the remains.
Taran is aghast at Fflewddur’s sacrifice, believing that his offering will only prolong the companions’ death. However, the harp fuels a fire of surprising warmth, brightness, and endurance. Eilonwy, revived by the warmth, is saddened to see what Fflewddur has done as well. In his typical fashion, Fflewddur tries to dismiss the matter lightly, claiming not only to have disliked the harp but to believe that he truly was never going to be a bard. One last time, the harp responds by breaking many strings at once, and Fflewddur tries to blame his tears on nonexistent smoke.
As the harp burns, it gives forth a final concert as though releasing every song ever performed upon it. The music and the fire last throughout the storm. When the other companions leave, Fflewddur stops to examine the ashes. From them he withdraws the unbreakable string gifted to him by Gwydion, the only component of the instrument to survive the blaze, shining as though made of gold. Though gone, the harp’s influence continues to be felt, with Fflewddur continuing to look over his shoulder in instances of exaggeration as though expecting the harp’s protests. Later, Taliesin praises Fflewddur for his willingness to give up his most beloved possession for his friends, and declares that doing so has at last proven him ready to truly become a bard.
As he makes his final parting from Taran, Fflewddur gifts him the sole remaining string from the harp. Typically, Fflewddur trues to dismiss any feelings of fondness for his lost instrument. Sensing how the harp itself would react, however, Fflewddur confesses that he is going to miss his old instrument.Film[]
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Fanon[]
This section is in need of major improvement. Please help improve this article by editing it.
Fflewddur‘s harp is far and away his most prized -and most vexing-possession throughout The Chronicles of Prydain. He is rarely without the instrument, and alternately expresses fear for its safety and relief when it proves to be unharmed. The interactions between Fflewddur and the harp are usually portrayed as comedic, but the bard obviously treasured his instrument despite the grief it occasionally brought him. Ultimately, Fflewddur was able to recognize it as an object worth less than the lives of himself and his friends, but that did not diminish his fondness for it.
There are no works on AO3 tagged for the cargo ship, but there is one in Fflewddur appears prominently with his harp.
Fandom[]
- FAN FICTION
- Harp and Soup fan work on AO3.
Trivia[]
- Lloyd Alexander, writer of The Chronicles of Prydain, made some attempts as a musician and owned a harp with broken strings that he kept on his mantel.
- Lloyd Alexander made a point of identifying Fflewddur’s harp as being of an Irish design rather than Welsh, despite the fact that The Chronicles of Prydain drew much of their inspiration from Welsh mythology.