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Fantasy Commentator, v. 1, issue 4, December 1944

Page 56

56
FANTASY COMMENTATOR

tribe between a missionary and a native witch-doctor. How a last will and testament which has been tatooed on a girl's back is admitted to probate in English courts is interestingly told in Mr. Meeson's Will (1888). Mystical adventures in a great and ancient South American kingdom are capably related in The Virgin of the Sun (1922), and Montezuma's Daughter (1893) is another novel in which Haggard utilizes the same continental locale.

Somewhat fantastic, but more memorable for its thrilling historical adventures in the days of medieval England is Red Eve (1911), while in Lysbeth (1901) the author tells of the cruel Spanish in Holland. And in Swallow (1899) Haggard depicts phases of the Great Boer Trek of the last century. Pseudo-historical material is the basis for Eric Brighteyes (1891), a tale of the Norseland, and also of the court of Theodora, empress of the Byzantine Empire. The Lady of Blessholme (1909) is a novel of the days of Henry VIII; it displays the usual interesting crises characteristic of the author---in one case the heroine is tied to the stake and about to be burnt as a witch, being rescued in the last nick of time. Occasionally Haggard's situations are reminiscent of the blood and thunder "pulp" varieties, but nearly always his deft handling of them triumphs over their obviousness.

With Heart of the World (1895) Haggard returns to his "lost people" motif, this time describing a fantastic city built entirely beneath a lake. One of his earliest ventures, Cleopatra (1889), is a tremendous novel that tells of an attempt to dethrone Cleopatra and set in her place the last rightful ruling pharaoh of Egypt. Nada the Lily (1892) is unique in that it is peopled entirely by natives, no white man appearing as a character; and Black Heart and White Heart (1900) relates of the final triumph of justice over native persecution. Highly entertaining also is Elissa (1900), in which appears the ancient colony of Soloman, which produced the gold of Ophir. The Yellow God (1908) is another story of a lost people; herein a wicked queen has her lovers mummified and set up in a hall---after she tires of them---and there she is wont to muse and wander, reminiscing of olden times. This particular theme is so similar to the one in Pierre Benoit's Atlantida (1920) that it is hard to rule out the suspicion that Benoit borrowed it from Haggard. Two less memorable books are Pearl Maiden which bears the subtitle "A Tale of the Fall of Jerusalem" (1903) and Mary of Marion Isle (1929), which relates the fate of two castaways on a bleak island. 

The Witch's Head (1885) deals with the evil influence of a severed head of an African witch; it is not equal to the usual high Haggard standard. A terrible native revenge is told of in Miawa's Revenge (1888), wherein the reader is once more conducted to the dark continent. This is also the locale of The Spring of the Lion (1899) and of Benita: an African Romance (1906). And hidden treasure appears in the pages of The Spirit of Bambatse (1906). Other Haggard tales of Africa are The Mahatma and the Hare: a dream story (1911) and The Missionary and the Witch-Doctor (1920); the latter title is the author's rarest book, since only twelve copies of it were ever printed (for copyright purposes).

And in conclusion two very fine tales remain: The Ghost Kings (1908), a book that appeared in this country under the title The Lady of the Heavens; and The World's Desire (1890). The former novel, in the compounding of whose plot Haggard was aided by Kipling, tells of a strange land where wizards and witches live, each sitting beneath his own tree. As long as the tree thrives, so does the adept; but if it falls he dies. This tale is interest-sustaining throughout. The second title Haggard wrote in collaboration with Andrew Lang; it is packed from cover to cover with magic and fantasy, and is a great romance of ancient Egypt and Helen of Troy.

Finally, for those who would know more about the author himself, there is his autobiography, The Days of My Life (1926). Besides being a good account of Haggard the man this volume contains many interesting photographs; it is undoubtedly a worthwhile addition to any fantasy addict's bookshelf.

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56 FANTASY COMMENTATOR tribe between a missionary and a native witch-doctor. How a last will and testament which has been tatooed on a girl's back is admitted to probate in English courts is interestingly told in Mr. Meeson's Will (1888). Mystical adventures in a great and ancient South American kingdom are capably related in The Virgin of the Sun (1922), and Montezuma's Daughter (1893) is another novel in which Haggard utilizes the same continental locale. Somewhat fantastic, but more memorable for its thrilling historical adventures in the days of medieval England is Red Eve (1911), while in Lysbeth (1901) the author tells of the cruel Spanish in Holland. And in Swallow (1899) Haggard depicts phases of the Great Boer Trek of the last century. Pseudo-historical material is the basis for Eric Brighteyes (1891), a tale of the Norseland, and also of the court of Theodora, empress of the Byzantine Empire. The Lady of Blessholme (1909) is a novel of the days of Henry VIII; it displays the usual interesting crises characteristic of the author---in one case the heroine is tied to the stake and about to be burnt as a witch, being rescued in the last nick of time. Occasionally Haggard's situations are reminiscent of the blood and thunder "pulp" varieties, but nearly always his deft handling of them triumphs over their obviousness. With Heart of the World (1895) Haggard returns to his "lost people" motif, this time describing a fantastic city built entirely beneath a lake. One of his earliest ventures, Cleopatra (1889), is a tremendous novel that tells of an attempt to dethrone Cleopatra and set in her place the last rightful ruling pharaoh of Egypt. Nada the Lily (1892) is unique in that it is peopled entirely by natives, no white man appearing as a character; and Black Heart and White Heart (1900) relates of the final triumph of justice over native persecution. Highly entertaining also is Elissa (1900), in which appears the ancient colony of Soloman, which produced the gold of Ophir. The Yellow God (1908) is another story of a lost people; herein a wicked queen has her lovers mummified and set up in a hall---after she tires of them---and there she is wont to muse and wander, reminiscing of olden times. This particular theme is so similar to the one in Pierre Benoit's Atlantida (1920) that it is hard to rule out the suspicion that Benoit borrowed it from Haggard. Two less memorable books are Pearl Maiden which bears the subtitle "A Tale of the Fall of Jerusalem" (1903) and Mary of Marion Isle (1929), which relates the fate of two castaways on a bleak island. The Witch's Head (1885) deals with the evil influence of a severed head of an African witch; it is not equal to the usual high Haggard standard. A terrible native revenge is told of in Miawa's Revenge (1888), wherein the reader is once more conducted to the dark continent. This is also the locale of The Spring of the Lion (1899) and of Benita: an African Romance (1906). And hidden treasure appears in the pages of The Spirit of Bambatse (1906). Other Haggard tales of Africa are The Mahatma and the Hare: a dream story (1911) and The Missionary and the Witch-Doctor (1920); the latter title is the author's rarest book, since only twelve copies of it were ever printed (for copyright purposes). And in conclusion two very fine tales remain: The Ghost Kings (1908), a book that appeared in this country under the title The Lady of the Heavens; and The World's Desire (1890). The former novel, in the compounding of whose plot Haggard was aided by Kipling, tells of a strange land where wizards and witches live, each sitting beneath his own tree. As long as the tree thrives, so does the adept; but if it falls he dies. This tale is interest-sustaining throughout. The second title Haggard wrote in collaboration with Andrew Lang; it is packed from cover to cover with magic and fantasy, and is a great romance of ancient Egypt and Helen of Troy. Finally, for those who would know more about the author himself, there is his autobiography, The Days of My Life (1926). Besides being a good account of Haggard the man this volume contains many interesting photographs; it is undoubtedly a worthwhile addition to any fantasy addict's bookshelf.