The Roots of the Mountains Vol. 2

The Roots of the Mountains (Part II)

William Morris

Review by Kiran Fane

The sun will not tarry; now changeth the light,

Fail the colours that marry the Day to the Night.

Timeless is one way to describe The Roots of the Mountains, but there was a time when elements of this story existed on earth. There are messages to draw from such tales, from love to simple safety and protection, as well when defense is a necessary action in life. In the modern age, I believe this book is worth a read by everyone, as it leaves one with a strong feeling about the importance of community and a clear representation of what makes an enemy and what makes a hero. 

In the second volume, the prose remains the same as the first, that is to say, beautiful. The second volume contains more of William Morris’ poetry, and reads much more quickly than the first. The chapter lengths shorten drastically throughout the climax. In the first volume of The Roots of the Mountains, many chapters are near to, or exceed, six thousand words, though after the previously mentioned climax, those chapters come down to mere hundreds. I prefer this variation in writing, as it is representative of good story-telling. William Morris knows, a chapter only demands what the scene does. Perhaps some people may not find this to their taste, and that is fine. The reader with more modern sensibilities would then be happy to know these longer chapters are broken up with poetry and engaging storylines! The chapters are all episodic in their own right and I find it nice to go back and read individual chapters after knowing the story.

As a writer myself I can notice what is technically correct, but as a reader I can feel the weight of wonderfully chosen words. Like the chapters, some sentences are quite long, full paragraphs by themselves. Others are short, yet perfectly quotable. The length of time it takes to read those lines is not in letters, but in one’s thought over the amount of total quotable sentences.

Both volumes provide a comfort read that would be indescribable if it were not done so well already by William Morris. From feastsing halls to rolling vales, each word creates wonderful visual depictions in the mind’s eye that are, these days, more often than not, muted and grey in comparison. Each focal point has more definition than one may expect, even in the blurry backgrounds. The settings often feel like they have their own part to play, though it does not feel akin to a character; the scenes are seamless vessels for their souls and carry the premise of the story, and the symbolism of unity.

Throughout all of The Roots of the Mountains, we follow Goldmane. But, more in volume two, we see close moments of other characters too. In both the sweet and sharp moments this story is made to feel immortal through these rich interactions. As not to spoil the ending, I will simply say it is a satisfying one. Dallach and The Runaways could have easily been left and forgotten as a loose end as, to some they may seem less important to the main storyline, but I would argue against this view. I feel that, with how they represent those who were sacked by Attila and made thralls, it is very important how it worked out for the Runaways. I can not say if the ending is obvious, as I read this for the first time many years ago now, though shock value is not required to make it quality. 

There is adequate tension while uncertainty weighs on the livelihoods of characters during the battle with the Dusky Men. It is hard to say, and know, but I think there is some level of foreshadowing within Morris’ poems. So keep an eye out for it.

The Roots of the Mountains in relation to Getica and other parallels 

Hyldyr’s second volume of The Roots of the Mountains includes a summation of historical accounts by Jordanes relating to the Goths and Huns, known as Getica. This addition highlights some of the real-world histories which William Morris drew from in the crafting of his tales. In our present age, it has become far too common to see an author “take inspiration” from people and places not their own without due diligence. Morris’ works do not fall victim to this modern weakness. His fantastical tales give one the impression that he wished not merely to take from the old stories, but to carry them forward and create reawakened interest in his own fascinations. Any writer interested in the proper way to transform history into myth need look no further than The Roots of the Mountains. 

In my part one review of The Roots of the Mountains, I mention the relation between the kinfolk (Goths) to god-kin, which is present throughout symbolism and passing statements. It brings to mind the Viking age with its personification of gods, of course. But also even back to the Bronze age with a more impersonal sun-god. My mentions may not be wholly accurate or part-misinterpretations but I have collected some insight on this subject in researching for one of my own books with Germanic folktales. Tacitus said that they had a god brought from earth, Tuisto, and his children were these god-kin, the Germanic tribes. Another related aspect of note is the kinfolk’s ‘earth god’ they worship on more than one occasion in The Roots of the Mountains could be correlated to the cult of Zamolxis. While ‘Goth’ is not typically attributed to the word ‘god’, one example was an epic expression that was naturally confused by its linguistic similarity, comparing ‘The Gothic people’ to the ‘People of Gods’. A definition came in Fornmanna Sögur,: “These countries were then called Godlands…” and Snorri’s,: “Gotheimar in south Russia became Goðheimar—‘the home of the gods…’” Beyond those examples, there are countless other old stories and poems which house ideas that surely inspired William Morris such as The Lay of Angantyr and the Widsith. Widsith's similarity being notable for me in how Morris structures some of his lengthy sentences, when he will speak about what certain folk have in resources, to their wares and textiles. Ermanaric, mentioned in Getica, could have also given Morris some inspiration for Goldmane, being like the "Gothic Alexander" and a "troth-breaker".

Perhaps William Morris first gleaned his ideas from mere words, or from the true essence of the old writings in which the divine sentiments predominated. This too could be merely a trait of amplification to character importance. Linguistic ‘roots’ aside, much of the generally known culture is precisely related to the Goths and Getae, and this is most what Morris drew from Jordanes’ Getica. 

The history from which Morris based The Dusky Men, being the Huns, was largely negative in regards to the Goths. While historically the Huns were not one to document their own history, we are left with very little positive results of who they were and hear more from the victims of their expansions. The history, as we know it, is retold well by Morris, amplifying these negative traits and making the Dusky Men thoroughly unlikable in the form of a foe. There is a similar story structure in Getica to Morris’, though there too is creative and poetic deviation. Those things could be the extent of Morris’ parallels, though I believe there is more complexity not fully grasped by me with what little I know of the subject, and also because he was well known to interact closely with scholars. Even after my re-reads of The Roots of the Mountains, the depths of his fantastical worlds still offer rich tapestries of wonder and speculation.