he was "always interested in mythology." Alexander later described his experiences in Wales as "part of the raw material for the Prydain books." The magical land Prydain's geography is loosely based on Wales. Ynys Môn, the Welsh name for the Isle of Anglesey, became the Isle of Mona. The stories draw on themes, ideas, and culture inspired by Welsh folklore, particularly the stories collected in the Mabinogion. According to Alexander, nearly all of the proper names in Prydain are from Welsh myth or history, with the exceptions of Eilonwy and Taran. The author's note in the first novel, The Book of Three, points out the Prydain stories and characters are his own and not simply retellings of old folklore, adding that students of Welsh culture should be prepared to see familiar names such as Arawn and Gwydion attached to characters who act very differently from their mythological namesakes. In the author's note for The Castle of Lyr, Alexander said The Prydain Chronicles are meant to communicate "the feeling, not the fact, of the land of Wales and its legends." In the author's note for The High King, Alexander said of the series, "While it grew from Welsh legend, it has broadened into my attempt to make a land of fantasy relevant to the world of reality." Originally, Alexander planned to write only one or two Prydain novels, "three at the very most." At one point, the plan was for a trilogy of books that would be entitled The Battle of the Trees, The Lion with the Steady Hand, and Little Gwion. By 1965, a four novel series was planned with new titles. The first novel, The Book of Three, was released by Holt and Company in 1964, followed by The Black Cauldron in 1965, and The Castle of Lyr in 1966. Originally, the fourth novel was meant to be titled The High King of Prydain. But as Alexander finished The Castle of Lyr, an editor remarked that it felt as if some material was missing between the third and fourth volumes. To act as a bridge between the two and show more of Taran's journey to maturity, Alexander started writing a new novel Taran Wanderer, finishing it one month after The Castle of Llyr was published in 1966. The new book Taran Wanderer was published in 1967. The next novel, entitled The High King, was published in 1968, concluding the