Inspirations

Arawn

    In The Rebel Seer, the Welsh God of the Dead resurfaces. His name is Arawn and while he exists in mythology and is talked about in The Mabinogion – a collection of early Welsh folklore – my Arawn is obviously a product of my imagination. But I thought I would talk a little about where he comes from and what he’s known for. In the Thieves series, Arawn is known for his girlfriend, the Lady of the Lake herself, Nimue aka Vivian. But my Nim does not go by Viv. Arawn is also known for nearly killing Danny by accident in Steal the Sun. 

    He's coming back a little different, a bit more his heroic self, in The Rebel Seer. 

    A couple of things to know about Arawn. He oversees what many call the Welsh version of Hell. It’s called Anwnn. When Christians took over the land and became the main inhabitants as they often do they took the stories and put their own spin on it hence the misunderstanding about what the underworld meant to the Welsh of that day. Anwnn was a beautiful place. Described as a place of eternal happiness where no one is hungry and disease holds no sway. So a little like heaven. 

    Annwn itself is described in a couple of ways. In some lore, Annwn is a cauldron. In others it’s an underwater city off the coast of Wales. In some legends a person can only get there with a personal invite from Arawn himself. 

    The Cloak of Invisibility which Myrddin gives to Daniel in Steal the Night, is associated with Arawn along with the Cauldron of Rebirth. The Cauldron can bring back the dead and cook food for whole armies. What it won’t do? Cook food for anyone it considers lazy. Arawn is known for his Cŵn Annwn, otherwise known as Welsh hellhounds. You know I love to write a canine companion. They are said to have white fur and red ears, and they guide souls to the underworld. Of course in Rebel Seer, they also really want treats and belly rubs. 

   I had a great time revisiting Arawn and getting to see him in his element. And his connection to Shy – but that’s a spoiler. 

   We’ll see much more from Arawn in coming Thieves books. I hope this gives you a little glimpse into the basic lore that I formed the Thieves series around. 

Related books:

The Rebel Seer

Steal the Night

Steal the Sun