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The Valkyrie's Vigil, by Edward Robert Hughes [19th cent.] (Public Domain Image)

The House of the Wolfings

by William Morris

[1889]


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This is one of William Morris' fantasy books, set in the world of the ancient Germanic Gothic tribes. J.R.R. Tolkien acknowledged the literary influence of this book, as well as The Roots of the Mountains, published in the same year. In this book, Morris' Goths live in a land called the Mark on a river in the forest of Mirkwood, in ancent Germany. They worship the Germanic gods Tyr and Odin by horse-sacrifice. Morris' Goths have shamans who can see the future. They repel an invasion by the Romans, led by a war leader with a mysterious piece of cursed dwarf-forged armor.


Title Page
Contents
Chapter I—The Dwellings of Mid-Mark
Chapter II—The Flitting of the War-Arrow
Chapter III—Thiodolf Talketh with the Wood-Sun
Chapter Iv—The House Fareth to the War
Chapter V—Concerning the Hall-Sun
Chapter VI—They Talk on the Way to the Folk-Thing
Chapter VII—They Gather to the Folk-Mote
Chapter VIII—The Folk-Mote of the Markmen
Chapter IX—The Ancient Man of the Daylings
Chapter X—That Carline Cometh to the Roof of the Wolfings
Chapter XI—The Hall-Sun Speaketh
Chapter XII—Tidings of the Battle in Mirkwood
Chapter XIII—The Hall-Sun Saith Another Word
Chapter XIV—The Hall-Sun is Careful Concerning the Passes of the Wood
Chapter XV—They Hear Tell of the Battle on the Ridge
Chapter XVI—How the Dwarf-Wrought Hauberk Was Brought Away From the Hall of the Daylings
Chapter XVII—The Wood-Sun Speaketh With Thiodolf
Chapter XVIII—Tidings Brought to the Wain-Burg
Chapter XIX—Those Messengers Come to Thiodolf
Chapter XX—Otter and His Folk Come into Mid-Mark
Chapter XXI—They Bicker About the Ford
Chapter XXII—Otter Falls on Against his Will
Chapter XXIII—Thiodolf Meeteth the Romans in the Wolfing Meadow
Chapter XXIV—The Goths are Overthrown by the Romans
Chapter XXV—The Host of the Markmen Cometh into the Wild-Wood
Chapter XXVI—Thiodolf Talketh with the Wood-Sun
Chapter XXVII—They Wend to the Morning Battle
Chapter XXVIII—Of the Storm of Dawning
Chapter XXI—Of Thiodolf's Storm
Chapter XXX—Thiodolf is Borne out of the Hall and Otter is Laid Beside Him
Chapter XXXI—Old Asmund Speaketh Over the War-Dukes: the Dead are Laid in Mound