Description
The Marshes, themselves are similar to marshes encountered today, although Alexander imbues them with a menacing and foreboding air. They are a vast "dreadful, smelly, ugly-looking fens." Great ropes of fog rise from the ground. Thorny furze and meager clumps of trees dot the edges of the marsh. The sky seems permanently gray and cloudy. There are many pools of stagnant water, grasses, reeds, and bogs. A strong stench of decay fills the air. The Marshes are bursting with life, with marsh birds, ducks, frogs, mice, and insects whose wings cause a "ceaseless thrumming and groaning" in the air. As the companions travel through the marshes, they also see bodies of drowned travelers stuck in the bogs.
The Marshes are located in the extreme southwest corner of Prydain. Alexander found the name "Morva" in the Welsh literary piece, the Mabinogion, although there it is a field. He thought the sound and alliteration were particularly appealing.
Read more about this topic: Marshes Of Morva
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