Character Autobiography on Gwyn From

Character Autobiography on Gwyn From Welsh Legend

Welsh Legend

I am the only one to live and tell the story of the city that has now completely disappeared under the cruel waters of the sea. Years ago, I lived in the kingdom of the great Gwyddno Garanhir. Our country was beautiful and prosperous, with green lands and merry people. The land was however walled in by the sea from all sides, and the great walls had to be guarded at all times to make sure there are no holes through which the water could burst in. But this was no worry to us, as, when there was danger, the watchmen only had to ring the bells for the people to gather and give help.

That night I was alone in the watchtower. There was a great revelry at the palace and all the people in the village had been invited. Even from the tower I could hear the loud sound of merry making that came from the great hall of the castle. There was music and dancing and the all the people were enjoying themselves as they knew best. I could smell the roasted meats and the spices from my watch tower, as they traveled with the brisk wind. As the night grew darker and darker however, it all became quieter and quieter until there was a dead stillness in the air. I was pacing up and down the margin of the wall, scrutinizing the darkness. I was restless and nervous, as there was something ominous in the dull night air and in the unnatural silence that blanketed everything. Soon, I began to wander why there was no one yet to release me from my watch and take my place. The time seemed to move onward lazily and I began to fret more and more. Without my notice, the moon and the stars had hidden their faces into the dark clouds above. The wind had begun to blow again with renewed force and I could see there was a terrible storm approaching. I hoped that the people in the village would see there was a storm coming and would come to offer their help. But looking around me, I felt as if the whole land were dead or suffused in a heavy sleep. The walls began to tear with holes that grew bigger and the water burst in through the creases.

There was no more time to waste, and seizing the thick rope, I rang the bell to call the people to my help. The loud clang however received no answer and the land continued to be unnaturally still, only shaken by the great storm. There was nothing I could do against the waves on my own, so I had to descend into the village and call the people myself. As I ran through the streets, I met no one on my way and found only a few dogs barking and howling because of the danger they sensed in the storm. The wind was now so strong that it threw things in my way, making it even harder for me to walk. I could see the big door of the hall wide open and when I finally got there I found all the people sound asleep on the floor. I first saw the prince and approached him fast. I shook him and tried to awaken him, but he seemed immersed in a deadly sleep. The heaviness of the food and drink was on the minds of all the people and I could find no means to bring them back to their senses. Running through the hall, I saw that the great princess was not there, as she hadn't taken part in the revelry with the others. The storm outside was getting louder and I knew that I could only save myself from drowning and that the rest of the people will perish in their sleep. It gladdened me that maybe I could find the princess and take her with me, but it ached my heart to see the whole land destroyed. As I rushed in the tower room, I found the princess asleep like the rest and for a moment I was even more dismayed. But when I shook her, she came to her senses quickly, as she hadn't been seized by that terrible heaviness, like the others. Together we fled outside just as the water was rushing through the door and the windows of the hall, sweeping everything in its way. We got away from the city, but when we were safe in the hill overlooking the land we stood and looked back to where the kingdom has been. All the people had undoubtedly perished as the waves were now swaying high above the land. Our kingdom had been completely sunken and already no trace of its existence could be heard. Only, as I stood there looking it seemed to me that I could hear a chime coming from under the sweeping waves, like a death toll.