Fictional and Mythical Characters

Uther Pendragon

Uther (if he was indeed a real person) was possibly a 5th-century chieftain like Urien and there are other "Arthurian" sites in Cumbria – for example King Arthur's Round Table, near Penrith – to make it plausible that he and Arthur were active in Eden in the dark ages and that many of the Arthurian stories in Eden have Celtic origins. According to these legends Uther, who was King Arthurs father, built Pendragon Castle which is one of the Towers of Eden , and according to another local legend, he and many of his men died here when the Saxons poisoned the well. Apparently, Uther tried to divert the Eden River to make a moat around the castle but failed, with a local wise man saying

“Let Uther Pendragon do what he can, Eden will run where Eden ran.”

In the world of the Towers of Eden, Uther was one of the Dark Age Champions of Eden and was given the Tower of Earth as a refuge by the spectral ladies at a difficult time. He subsequently emerged and conceived Arthur but his ambition got the better of him and he was poisoned by treason after rejecting the advice of Merlin and the spectral ladies. His mantle and legacy were later taken up by his son Arthur who, like the Shepherd Lord many centuries later, was brought up in disguise in the hidden places of Eden.

Uther Pendragon’s name lives on in his castle in Mallerstang in the Eden Valley, although most of the structure which remains is medieval.

Taliesin

Taliesin was a famous dark age Bard whose work has possibly survived in a Middle Welsh manuscript, the Book of Taliesin, and who is believed to have sung at the courts of at least three Celtic dark age kings. Taliesin means "shining brow" in Welsh.

Experts say that eleven of the medieval poems ascribed to Taliesin possibly originate as early as the sixth century, and may have been composed by a historical Taliesin bard. Much of these praise King Urien of Rheged and his son Owain, although other poems indicate that Taliesin also served as court bard to King Brochfael of Powys and his successor, either before or during his time at Urien's court. Taliesin was adopted and celebrated by medieval Welsh monks who may have used him to link the worlds of Celtic christian literature and the later court poets.

According to legend Taliesin was adopted as a child by Elffin, the son of Gwyddno Garanhir, and prophesied the death of Maelgwn Gwynedd from the Yellow Plague. In later stories he became a mythic hero, companion of Bran the Blessed and King Arthur.

Eden was referred to affectionately as the heartland of Rheged in the praise poems of Taliesin and so it is likely that the real Taliesin did actually spend time in Eden and knew the Celtic Kingdom of Rheged well.

In the World of the Towers of Eden Taliesin is one of the Champions of Eden who supported King Urien and learned from the spectral ladies. The ladies would have enhanced his gifts of poetry and song and given him the “shining brow” and legendary talents for which he is now known down the ages. At least in this case out of all the dark age figures, there is some historical evidence to support the connection.

The Book of Taliesin is quoted in The Towers of Eden and is on the reading list for all Towers of Eden readers.

Merlin

Merlin is the mythical wizard and bard who plays a major part in Arthurian legends and is based on an amalgamation of historical and legendary figures. He was introduced into Arthurian legend Geoffrey of Monmouth in 12th Century and has been developed ever since.

Geoffrey’s Merlin seems to have been based on earlier Welsh tales of Myrddin and subsequent storytellers expanded on the original character to create one of the most important figures in the imagination and literature of the Middle Ages and the fantasy world. Merlin's traditional biography casts him as a fiercely independent hybrid, born of a mortal woman and an incubus, from whom he inherits his supernatural powers and abilities. His most notable abilities commonly include prophecy and shapeshifting. Merlin matures to be a wise and benevolent sage and engineers the birth of Arthur through magic and intrigue. Later stories have Merlin as an advisor and mentor to the young king until he disappears from the tale, leaving behind a series of prophecies. Other tales tell of Merlin being bewitched and imprisoned by his lover, the Lady of the Lake.

The source of Arthurian Merlin seems to be the bard Myrddin Wyllt ("Myrddin the Wild”), who is speaker of several poems in The Black Book of Carmarthen and The Red Book of Hergest. Myrddin Wyllt was apparently born around 540 CE and is said to have gone mad after the Battle of Arfderydd which, according to the Annales Cambriae, took place in 573. Myrddin fled into the forest, lived with the beasts and received the gift of prophecy.

The Battle of Arfderydd is thought to have taken place in Eden at Liddel Strength, which places Merlin firmly in Eden. In the world of The Towers of Eden, the bard Myrddin went mad and stumbled into the lakes and hills of the Caledonian forest (Eden) where he was found and healed by the spectral ladies. He developed a very a close relationship with them and one of them perhaps, “a Lady of the Lakes” fell in love with him. It is said he also raised Arthur here in secret. Maybe Merlin came too close to the secret of Eden and lies in Deep Time together with the Spectral Ladies – the only man to have made the transition.

King Urien of Rheged

Urien of Rheged was a powerful sixth-century warrior who was, according the Historia Brittonum (written c. 829-30 AD) one of the most powerful Celtic leaders in dark age Britain. Urien was able to contain the Anglo-Saxons in northern Britain while leading an alliance with three other Celtic kings.

There is evidence for his existence both in the Historia Brittonum and in eight poems in Middle Welsh dedicated to him which survived. These poems may reflect earlier material, and one of them is explicitly attributed to the famed bard Taliesin who seems to have had a strong association with King Urien. This poem doesn’t tell us much about Urien’s life but may be significant because if it originates in the sixth century it would be amongst the earliest European literature. Urien and his family feature heavily elsewhere in other medieval literature from Wales as the heroes of a lost age.

Urien was celebrated as a ferocious warrior and King fighting all who opposed him whether Picts, Anglo-Saxons or Britons . In legend he became the Arthurian figure of King Urien who held the north for King Arthur and his son became the knight Ywain.

In the world of The Towers of Eden King Urien was a Celtic guardian of Eden appointed by the spectral ladies to build a strong buffer kingdom around Eden. He lost his life when, like many others, his ambition led him to try and expand his power beyond Eden and he crossed the Pennines beyond the protection of the Ladies.

The Spectral Ladies

The Spectral Ladies are the mythical keepers of the Secret Power of Eden, which flickers in and out of Deep Time. Once normal women, the Spectral Ladies of Eden have been the embodiment of the wonderful force which is secretly hidden within the fells and lakes of Eden.

Eventually there were twelve Spectral Ladies each of whom had their own story and also their own skills and perception, although they were often confused with each other as they looked similar following their communion with the secret they guarded.

The Spectral Ladies spread throughout Eden, sometimes gathering together but sometimes living alone. Over the years they become absorbed into many of the legends about this magic land, from the mysterious stone circle of Long Meg and her daughters, one of their meeting places, to the tales of the Lady of the Lake and the enchantresses of Arthurian legend.

Eventually the death of two of the ladies at the hands of witch-hunting fanatiques led the spectral ladies to seal themselves and their secret and withdraw back into Deep Time. They last appeared to Lady Anne and have not been seen in Eden for hundreds of years, although it is said that they still guard the Secret of Eden and may one day open it again.

There were many legends, stories and events in which the Spectral Ladies were involved and each of them has many tales to tell. Perhaps some of these tales will be told and more revealed in the future as the world of the Towers of Eden is explored by a new generation of adventurer.