Echoes of Pengwern and Welsh history have inspired an author from Tre Taliesin to write a novel.
Ysbryd Sabrina (The Spirit of Sabrina) by Martin Davis has been published by Y Lolfa.
The mystery weaves the disappearance of a teenager with history and fable, and the action is set on the banks of the River Severn, the river of the goddess Sabrina.
“I wanted to include elements of Welsh history to create a specific feeling or mood,” Martin said.
“Ysbryd Sabrina includes touches of the past. The symbolism of Canu Heledd (The Song of Heledd, a narrative known as englynion, from the ninth or 10th century) is very powerful and as an author I wanted to get to grips with it, but it was necessary to be fairly subtle, so as not to ruin it.”
The book is dedicated to the ghosts of Pengwern.
Pengwern was one of three main courts of Medieval Wales and it is believed that its location was on the eastern border of modern-day Powys, close to Shrewsbury.
Pengwern and Canu Heledd are linked as the verses tell of Heledd’s lament – she was the only one of her family to survive the battle at Pengwern, the court of her brother Cynddylan, Prince of Wales. He, along with her other brothers and sisters, was killed during the battle.
Martin added: “I’m very familiar with Shrewsbury town. It is a beautiful place and the higgledy-piggledy nature of its streets offers a good location for a mystery novel, and its importance to Welsh history down the ages was quite a temptation to me as an author.
“The border between Wales and England is full of spirits, not least Shrewsbury, Pengwern’s alleged site. I have enjoyed walking Offa’s Dyke over the years and there are ‘ghosts’ around every corner.”
The book was inspired by an incident similar to the one described at the beginning of the novel.
“Modern-day Shrewsbury gave me a chance to include characters and events which are perhaps a little unusual in Welsh-language novels. I research every novel I write and as I look back over the research for Ysbryd Sabrina I can see subjects such as the Hengerdd and Offa’s Dyke of course, but also the history of Latvia and Venezuela, new age travellers and immigrants and refugees, amongst other things. A varied patchwork – just like Shrewsbury today!”
Ysbryd Sabrina is the story of Hayley, the search for her missing brother and her place in the world.
Her quest takes her to dark places and the company of odd characters. As more of her brother’s history comes to light, Hayley has big choices to make that will affect her future.
Ysbryd Sabrina is available now (£8.99, Y Lolfa).