During the early 16th century while England became the dominant power in Great Britain, a black hole in history existed sucking in every culture, belief, social custom, religion, and people, creating one massive whirlwind known as the Renaissance. But behind the simple peasantry life in the towns, and the battles ensuing beyond the castle walls, other forces were making their prominence known for the future of Wales and Ireland. A preordained destiny prophesied by an ancient religion and legends were testing the people’s faith as the countries were being catapulted into the future. What if Ireland was the throne of England and not Wales? What if the last King of Wales was part of a legend and was guided by an ancient prophet? What if the King’s battle horse was actually sent from the divine powers to guide the country into the future? This story could be any one of the many stories during the violent transition of this period.
Provocative questions as they are, the answers lay in D.A. Karr’s new historical fiction novel, “The Legend of Pendyne: The King, The Boy, The Horse, and the Legend”. Intrigue, mystery, and a bold approach to legends and beliefs from the 16th century create a portal through which the reader witnesses a brilliant and imaginative story about an old knight who hid the truth about his name and heritage. Burdened by guilt and shame, he sets out on a quest to bring home the last battle horse which was stolen to salvage his honor and fulfill an old legend. Guided by the ancient prophets, a boy and the old knight defend their faith as they become a part of the future of Ireland and Wales in a place of violent transition.
Blending ambiance and social justice, Karr dives into the subject of the returning soldier from war as well as justice as it were. With little social support and no recognition, a knight or warrior was supposed to return to peasantry life, forgetting the effects of war and death or the guilt and horror engulfed him. Karr gives a courtier tribute to the men who returned to their villages and town, inviting us to walk the cobblestone streets and grassy fields of England, Wales, and Ireland reliving that era in search of internal peace.
We still insist upon painting an idealized picture of rural life and knights in 16th century England, Wales, and Ireland, however, it was not all chivalry and festivals. War was proliferating in that time leading to invasion, migration, and merging of cultures. While Wales and Ireland has undeniably been altered horrendously by the English Monarchy over the past 400 years, the most profound impact of the Renaissance era has been in rural Ireland and Wales. Areas previously isolated by deprivation and neglect were transformed into a social and economic Mecca for trade which caused proliferate growth and inventions. One of the questions Karr addresses to the reader in her novel is: what, then, happens to the culture when it is changed so drastically?
The past and present collide as Albert and the boy return back to Wales with Pendyne aboard an English war ship. The boy has become a man, and Albert has let go of his grief. His duty is finished. However, the story is not finished. We see an old man that has out lived his usefulness and an outcast boy thrown into a corner out of the way of the military and England. Albert finds himself at odds with his duty, his country, and the powers of the ancients. Although Wales and Ireland have become part of the English Monarchy, and there is a semblance of peace, war is underneath all that is and will be. |
