Gurgi
Encyclopedia
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.
and beast
, having long arms, covered with fur and leaves, and ever hungry but really "just a sort of a, kind of a thing". His manner of speech is filled with rhymed pairs of words ("munchings and crunchings", "wackings and smackings", "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".
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 loyally follows Taran on what might be the most important quest of his life, the search for his true identity (who his parents were, etc.), 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.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
in The Chronicles of Prydain
The Chronicles of Prydain
The Chronicles of Prydain is a five-volume series of children's fantasy novels by author Lloyd Alexander...
, the series of fantasy
Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
novels by Lloyd Alexander
Lloyd Alexander
Lloyd Chudley Alexander was a widely influential American author of more than forty books, mostly fantasy novels for children and adolescents, as well as several adult books...
. Gurgi is the hero
Hero
A hero , in Greek mythology and folklore, was originally a demigod, their cult being one of the most distinctive features of ancient Greek religion...
Taran
Taran (character)
Taran is a fictional character in The Chronicles of Prydain series, as well as in the film and game named after the second novel, The Black Cauldron.-Profile:...
's faithful companion, appearing in all five books.
Profile
He is described as being some sort of cross between manHuman
Humans are the only living species in the Homo genus...
and beast
Animal
Animals are a major group of multicellular, eukaryotic organisms of the kingdom Animalia or Metazoa. Their body plan eventually becomes fixed as they develop, although some undergo a process of metamorphosis later on in their life. Most animals are motile, meaning they can move spontaneously and...
, having long arms, covered with fur and leaves, and ever hungry but really "just a sort of a, kind of a thing". His manner of speech is filled with rhymed pairs of words ("munchings and crunchings", "wackings and smackings", "sneakings and peekings"), and redundant phrases ("see with lookings!"); he refers to himself in the third person
Grammatical person
Grammatical person, in linguistics, is deictic reference to a participant in an event; such as the speaker, the addressee, or others. Grammatical person typically defines a language's set of personal pronouns...
. Gurgi is humble and loyal toward his human companions, at first submitting even to Taran
Taran (character)
Taran is a fictional character in The Chronicles of Prydain series, as well as in the film and game named after the second novel, The Black Cauldron.-Profile:...
as a "noble lord".
Appearances
Gurgi is one of the few characters to appear in all five books of the series, the others being Taran, Fflewddur, Dallben and Coll.In The Book of Three
The Book of Three (novel)
The Book of Three is the first of Lloyd Alexander's five-part novel series The Chronicles of Prydain . Inspired by Welsh mythology, it follows the adventures of Taran, a boy in the care of the enchanter Dallben, as he enters manhood while fighting the forces of the evil Arawn Death-Lord...
Taran first meets Gurgi in his quest to locate Hen-Wen, the Oracular Pig
Pig
A pig is any of the animals in the genus Sus, within the Suidae family of even-toed ungulates. Pigs include the domestic pig, its ancestor the wild boar, and several other wild relatives...
. 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
The Black Cauldron (novel)
The Black Cauldron is a 1965 fantasy novel, the second book in Lloyd Alexander's five-part novel series The Chronicles of Prydain . The story centers on the adventures of Taran, an Assistant Pig-Keeper in the magical land of Prydain, as he joins in a quest to capture the eponymous vessel, a...
, Gurgi, along with Princess Eilonwy
Princess Eilonwy
Princess Eilonwy is a fictional character in Lloyd Alexander's The Chronicles of Prydain and wife of High King Taran in the Chronicles of Prydain and also appears in Disney's 1985 animated film The Black Cauldron...
, 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
The Castle of Llyr
The Castle of Llyr is the third volume in the children's fantasy series Chronicles of Prydain by Lloyd Alexander, first published in 1966.Taran continues his adventures and encounters new friends and old enemies.- Plot :...
, 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
Taran Wanderer
Taran Wanderer is the fourth book in the Chronicles of Prydain series by Lloyd Alexander. It tells of Taran's search for his lineage through which he encounters many different people who each help to shape Taran as he learns about who he truly is. It is the only book in the series in which...
, Gurgi loyally follows Taran on what might be the most important quest of his life, the search for his true identity (who his parents were, etc.), and proves to be a true friend.
In The High King
The High King
The High King is the last book in the Chronicles of Prydain fantasy series of books by Lloyd Alexander. It was awarded the Newbery Medal for excellence in American children's literature in 1969.-Plot overview:...
, Gurgi's bravery is proven from beginning to end and when all is said and done, he must make the hardest choice of all.
Additional information
- The name Gurgi may be a variation on Gruagach (see PúcaPúcaThe Púca is a creature of Celtic folklore, notably in Ireland, the West of Scotland, and Wales. It is one of the myriad fairy folk, and, like many fairy folk, is both respected and feared by those who believe in it....
). See also Gwrgi (disambiguation)Gwrgi (disambiguation)Gwrgi, brother of Peredur, is a figure of medieval British legend.Gwrgi may also refer to:*Gwrgi Severi, a huntsman mentioned in Culhwch ac Olwen who helps King Arthur track the boar Twrch Trwyth...
. - In DisneyWalt Disney PicturesWalt Disney Pictures is an American film studio owned by The Walt Disney Company. Walt Disney Pictures and Television, a subsidiary of the Walt Disney Studios and the main production company for live-action feature films within the Walt Disney Motion Pictures Group, based at the Walt Disney...
's animated version of The Black CauldronThe Black Cauldron (film)The Black Cauldron is a 1985 American animated fantasy film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and originally released to theatres on July 24, 1985...
, Gurgi is portrayed as a small badgerBadgerBadgers are short-legged omnivores in the weasel family, Mustelidae. There are nine species of badger, in three subfamilies : Melinae , Mellivorinae , and Taxideinae...
or dogDogThe domestic dog is a domesticated form of the gray wolf, a member of the Canidae family of the order Carnivora. The term is used for both feral and pet varieties. The dog may have been the first animal to be domesticated, and has been the most widely kept working, hunting, and companion animal in...
-like creature, whose speech distortions somewhat resemble those of Donald DuckDonald DuckDonald Fauntleroy Duck is a cartoon character created in 1934 at Walt Disney Productions and licensed by The Walt Disney Company. Donald is an anthropomorphic white duck with a yellow-orange bill, legs, and feet. He typically wears a sailor suit with a cap and a black or red bow tie. Donald is most...
or GollumGollumGollum is a fictional character from J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium. He was introduced in the author's fantasy novel The Hobbit, and became an important supporting character in its sequel, The Lord of the Rings....
/ Smeagol. The voice was provided by actor/impressionist John BynerJohn BynerJohn Byner is an American actor, comedian, and impressionist who has had a lengthy television and movie career. His voice work includes the cartoon series The Ant and the Aardvark, in which the title characters are voiced by Byner's impressions of Dean Martin and Jackie Mason,...
. The Disney version of Gurgi also appeared as one of the guests in House of Mouse. - 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," (or "a Gurgi"), though they were corrected that Gurgi is his name.
- The cover on one edition of The Black Cauldron shows Gurgi looking like a raggedy 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 primatePrimateA primate is a mammal of the order Primates , which contains prosimians and simians. Primates arose from ancestors that lived in the trees of tropical forests; many primate characteristics represent adaptations to life in this challenging three-dimensional environment...
, given his affinity with animals and his agility. - Gurgi possesses a magical walletWalletA wallet, or billfold, is a small, flat case that is used to carry personal items such as cash, credit cards, identification documents , photographs, business cards and other paper or laminated cards...
, a gift from Prince GwydionGwydionGwydion fab Dôn is a magician, hero and trickster of Welsh mythology, appearing most prominently in the Fourth Branch of the Mabinogi, which focuses largely on his relationship with his young nephew, Lleu Llaw Gyffes...
, which provides an indefinite supply of nourishing, though somewhat tasteless and dry food. - While his mount has no name per se, he is often seen riding a shaggy ponyPonyA pony is a small horse . Depending on context, a pony may be a horse that is under an approximate or exact height at the withers, or a small horse with a specific conformation and temperament. There are many different breeds...
. - There used to be a restaurant in Walt Disney World's Magic KingdomMagic KingdomMagic Kingdom Park is one of four theme parks at the Walt Disney World Resort located near Orlando, Florida. The first park built at the resort, Magic Kingdom opened Oct. 1, 1971. Designed and built by WED Enterprises, the park's layout and attractions are similar to Disneyland in Anaheim, California...
named after Gurgi, Gurgi's Munchies and Crunchies, in Fantasyland. It closed in 1993. http://www.islandnet.com/~kpolsson/wdworld/wdw1990.htm 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 in 2006. - The Disney version of Gurgi also appeared at the Walt Disney Parks and ResortsWalt Disney Parks and ResortsWalt Disney Parks and Resorts is the segment of The Walt Disney Company that conceives, builds, and manages the company's theme parks and holiday resorts, as well as a variety of additional family-oriented leisure enterprises...
as a meetable character.