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Nocturne

City of Ys - Casta Lace

City of Ys - Casta Lace

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City of Ys is a deep, dark blue semi-solid colourway. I named it after a mythical city from the Breton folklore.

Ys, also spelled Is or Kêr-Is in Breton, and Ville d'Ys in French, is a mythical city on the coast of Brittany that was swallowed up by the ocean. 

As the legend goes, King Gradlon (Gralon in Breton) ruled in Ys, a city built on land reclaimed from the sea, sometimes described as rich in commerce and the arts, with Gradlon's palace being made of marble, cedar and gold. To protect Ys, a dike was built with a gate that was opened for ships during low tide. The king held the one key that opened the gate. Most versions of the legend present Gradlon as a pious man, and his daughter, Princess Dahut, as wayward. Dahut is often presented as frivolous and an unrepentant sinner, or, sometimes, as a sorceress.

In most variations, Dahut steals the keys from her father while he sleeps, either to allow her lover inside for a banquet or after being persuaded to do so by her flattering lover. She opens the gates of the dikes, either in a wine-induced folly or by mistake, believing she is opening the city gates.

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