The Roots of the Mountains

Plot summary

The story is set in the fictional Burgdale, a small Germanic settlement in a valley at the foot of a mountain range, and the neighbouring woodlands, pastures and dales. The area is inhabited by the interdependent Dalemen, who are weavers, smiths, and traders, the Woodlanders, who are hunters and carpenters, and the Shepherds. Their society is challenged by disruptions from the outside world in the form of the Sons of the Wolf, the descendants of the Wolfings from the previous novel, and the invading Dusky Men (the Huns). The Sons of the Wolf, driven from their original country by the Dusky Men, continue to resist the invaders as a frontier force guarding their new home. The somewhat troubled integration of the Sons of the Wolf into the society they are protecting is told in the story of five lovers representing both peoples, four of whom eventually marry.

Morris projected a sequel to The Roots of the Mountains to be called The Story of Desiderius, although it was never completed.

Editions

The Roots of the Mountains has seen republication several times since Morris's death. In 1979, Newcastle Publishing Company included it in the company's Forgotten Fantasy Library series with an illustrated cover by Riley K. Smith and an advertised introduction by Richard Mathews (although the edition itself notes that "it did not reach us in time to make the printing deadline".

2024 saw a new edition from publishing house Hyldyr featuring an introduction from J. R. R. Tolkien's great-grand daughter Ruth Tolkien, the introduction of an illustrated map of Burgdale by Sylvia and Tristan Eden, and commentary from folklorist Joseph S. Hopkins on Morris's inspiration from the ancient Germanic record. This edition splits the book into two volumes and features excerpts from some of the influences Morris draws from in The Roots of the Mountains, such as Getica by Jordanes.

Influence

J. R. R. Tolkien identified the novel as an influence on his epic fantasy The Lord of the Rings in a 1960 letter, stating that "The Dead Marshes and the approaches to the Morannon owe something to northern France after the Battle of the Somme. They owe more to William Morris and his Huns and Romans, as in The House of the Wolfings or The Roots of the Mountains." Scholars have remarked many other parallels, such as races of beings including elves, dwarfs, trolls, and wights used by both Morris and Tolkien, as well as archaic diction, plot elements, and landscape descriptions. Tolkien may have modelled his orcs that can be slaughtered without compunction on Morris's "Dusky Men".

References

Sources

References

1. [[L. Sprague de Camp. de Camp, L. Sprague]], ''[[Literary Swordsmen and Sorcerers. Literary Swordsmen and Sorcerers: The Makers of Heroic Fantasy]]'', [[Arkham House]], 1976, p. 40 {{ISBN. 0-87054-076-9
2. LeMire, Eugene D., ''A Bibliography of William Morris'', New Castle, Delaware: Oak Knoll Press, 2006.
3. Seaman, Graham, [http://www.marxists.org/archive/morris/works/1889/roots/index.htm "William Morris: ''The Roots of the Mountains'' - Introduction," 16 April 2003.]
4. de Camp, L. Sprague, ''Literary Swordsmen and Sorcerers: The Makers of Heroic Fantasy'', Arkham House, 1976, pp. 42-45 {{ISBN. 0-87054-076-9
5. Morris, William. 1979. ''The Roots of the Mountains''. Newcastle Publishing Company.
6. Morris, William. 2024. ''[https://www.hyldyr.com/the-roots-of-the-mountains-part-i The Roots of the Mountains]'', part I. Hyldyr. ISBN 978-1-966041-04-7 & Morris, William 2024. ''[https://www.hyldyr.com/the-roots-of-the-mountains-part-ii The Roots of the Mountains]'', part II. Hyldyr. ISBN 978-1-966041-05-4
7. {{harvnb. Carpenter. 2023
8. Massey, Kelvin Lee. (2007). "The Roots of Middle-Earth: William Morris's Influence upon J. R. R. Tolkien". [[University of Tennessee]] (PhD thesis).