SUMMARY of CIRCLE OF STONES

SUMMARY of CIRCLE OF STONES

Between the time the Vikings first came to the North American continent and Columbus came close to America interesting things were happening in the British Isles. In twelfth century Wales the prince of the northern province, Gwynedd, has invited a young Irish lass to be a handmaiden for his sickly wife. The lass was called Brenda. Her name and her children’s names are in the historical records and family documents of Prince Owain of Gwynedd. This is a time when the Old Religionists, druids, and new religionists, Christians vie for the spiritual attention of the people and to be advisors to the kings, princes and lords of the various provinces. Brenda is a friend of both, but later embraces the beliefs of the people who believe in the brotherhood of all men and have accumulated a vast resource of available knowledge. They have worked out a plan for memorizing this knowledge. If written, the new religionists will and have destroyed all they can. Also, several of Owain’s older sons, by his wife and various mistresses are beginning to assert their ambitions for power in England and in Wales.

Then three sons of Owain are born on the same day of different mothers. Owain’s wife’s child is stillborn. Owain succumbs to an old prophesy that he will have three sons, born at the same time and in order to prevent jealousy and greed among the three boys two of them must be killed. He is afraid not having a child to care for his wife will become more ill, so he has a plan to give Brenda’s child to his wife. Brenda arranges for Christiannt (his cousin) to give her child to his wife. She tells one of the castle bards to tell Owain that her child drowned in his bath water and she is devastated with grief. She flees to Ireland to live with a band of druids near Dubh Linn. She is found by Owain’s retainers and brought back to Gwynedd, but she leaves her infant son in Ireland.

Years later mother and son are reunited in Gwynedd when Madoc is sent to a band of Welsh druids to study what is known about navigating the seas and astronomy. Madoc becomes a trusted subject of his father – who does not know the truth about Madoc’s true identity. The son who lived, Dafydd, is the wild one, perhaps a bit deranged and so friendly with the English King, Henry the Second that he marries his sister, Emma Plantagenet and determined to succeed his father to the leadership of the people in Gwynedd. Prince Owain must fight his own son to continue ruling his land and people, while the English are having plans for taking over Wales.

Madoc is chosen by Owain to go to France and deliver a message to the king persuading him to bring an army to assist the Welsh against English. When he returns he marries one of the castles handmaidens, named Annesta. Owain is killed by his son, Dafydd and there is chaos in Gwynedd. Brenda, and several other women, including Madoc’s wife who has recently given birth to a daughter, flee to Degannwy where they hope to board Madoc’s ship the Gwennan Gorn and be taken to a place of safety in Ireland.

Things are not as safe as everyone had hoped. It is out of this pandemonium that Madoc manages to repair several ships, see Archbishop Becket and be given coins so that he can buy or hire more ships so that he has a fleet of ten. More than two hundred men, mostly druids all males, plus cows, horses and supplies must last for about a month of sailing to find an unproved land that will offer these men peace and security.

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