Gurgi

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Gurgi is a fictional character in The Chronicles of Prydain, the series of fantasy novels by Lloyd Alexander. Gurgi is the hero Taran's faithful companion, appearing in all five books.

[edit] Profile

Exactly what Gurgi is supposed to be is never clearly stated. He is described as being some sort of cross between man and animal (although lacking the intelligence of one and the wisdom of the other, respectively), having long arms, covered with fur and leaves, and ever hungry. His manner of speech is filled with rhymed pairs of words ("crunchings and munchings", "boatings and floatings", "sneakings and peekings"), and redundant phrases ("see with lookings!"); he refers to himself in the third person. Gurgi is humble and loyal toward his human companions, at first submitting even to Taran as a "noble lord".

Gurgi's name is based on the Welsh name Gwrgi; one prominent Gwrgi was the brother of Peredur and the son of Eliffer Gosgorddfawr, who died fighting the Angles, according to the Welsh Triads. Gwrgi and Peredur were also at the at the Battle of Arderydd where they were allies of Riderch of Strathclyde and, possibly, Dunaut Bwr of the northern Pennines. Here they met a force of 2,100 men under Gwenddoleu, son of Ceido, and thoroughly routed and crushed him. Legend has it that Gwenddoleu's bard was Myrddin (Merlin) who went mad at the battle and ran into the Caledonian forests. However, Alexander's portrayal of Gurgi is much more similar to traditional depictions of the Woodwose or Wildman of the Woods.

[edit] Appearances

In The Book of Three Taran first meets Gurgi in his quest to locate Hen-Wen, the Oracular Pig. At first Taran is disdainful of Gurgi, believing him to be more of a nuisance than anything else. By the end of the book he learns the value of true companionship.

In The Black Cauldron, Gurgi, along with Princess Eilonwy, sneakily follows the Companions to the Black Gate of Annuvin. Gurgi would accompany the Companions to the Marshes of Morva and eventually be the one to find the Black Cauldron.

In The Castle of Llyr, Gurgi accompanies Taran in escorting the Princess Eilonwy to the Isle of Mona and faces all sorts of dangers when the she is kidnapped by a foe long thought dead.

In Taran Wanderer, Gurgi follows Taran on what might be the most important quest of his life, and proves to be a true friend.

In The High King, Gurgi's bravery is proven from beginning to end and when all is said and done, he must make the hardest choice of all.

[edit] Additional information

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• The name Gurgi may be a variation on Gruagach (see Púca).
• In Disney's animated version of The Black Cauldron, Gurgi is portrayed as a small badger-like creature, whose speech distortions somewhat resemble those of Donald Duck. The voice was provided by actor/impressionist John Byner.
• Some speculate that Gurgi may in fact be one of a species of creatures; Orgoch, Orddu and Orwen have referred to him as "the Gurgi," though they were corrected that Gurgi is his name.^{[citation needed]}
• The cover on one edition of The Black Cauldron shows Gurgi looking like a reggedy humanoid with bushy hair and thin limbs, almost like a starving vagrant.
• Prydain enthusiasts tend to agree that Gurgi is probably some sort of primitive primate, given his affinity with animals and his agility.^{[citation needed]}
• Gurgi possesses a magical wallet, a gift from Prince Gwydion, which provides an indefinite supply of nourishing, somewhat tasteless and dry food.
• While his mount has no name per se, he is often seen riding a shaggy pony.
• There used to be a restaurant in Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom named after Gurgi, Gurgi's Munchies and Crunchies, in Fantasyland. It closed in 1993. [1] To this date it has been one of only two vendor/attraction with a Black Cauldron theme at any Disney theme park. The other was an attraction; "Cinderella Castle Mystery Tour" at Tokyo Disneyland, which has also since closed.