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Influences
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heres a short story by Lord Dunsany from his book Time and the Gods, published in 1906. this is fantasy literature at its best...
THE CAVE OF KAI
The pomp of crowning was ended, the rejoicings had died away, and
Khanazar, the new King, sat in the seat of the Kings of Averon to do
his work upon the destinies of men. His uncle, Khanazar the Lone, had
died, and he had come from a far castle to the south, with a great
procession, to Ilaun, the citadel of Averon; and there they had crowned
him King of Averon and of the mountains, and Lord, if there be aught
beyond those mountains, of all such lands as are. But now the pomp of
the crowning was gone away and Khanazar sat afar off from his home, a
very mighty King.
Then the King grew weary of the destinies of Averon and weary of the
making of commands. So Khanazar sent heralds through all cities saying:
"Hear! The will of the King! Hear! The will of the King of Averon and
of the mountains and Lord, if there be aught beyond those mountains, of
all such lands as are. Let there come together to Ilaun all such as
have an art in secret matters. Hear!"
And there gathered together to Ilaun the wise men of all the degrees of
magic, even to the seventh, who had made spells before Khanazar the
Lone; and they came before the new King in his palace placing their
hands upon his feet. Then said the King to the magicians:
"I have a need."
And they answered:
"The earth touches the feet of the King in token of submission."
But the King answered:
"My need is not of the earth; but I would find certain of the hours
that have been, and sundry days that were."
And all the wise folks were silent, till there spake out mournfully the
wisest of them all, who made spells in the seventh degree, saying:
"The days that were, and the hours, have winged their way to Mount
Agdora's summit, and there, dipping, have passed away from sight, not
ever to return, for haply they have not heard the King's command."
Of these wise folks are many things chronicled. Moreover, it is set in
writing of the scribes how they had audience of King Khanazar and of
the words they spake, but of their further deeds there is no legend.
But it is told how the King sent men to run and pass through all the
cities till they should find one that was wiser even than the magicians
that had made spells before Khanazar the Lone. Far up the mountains
that limit Averon they found Syrahn, the prophet, among the goats, who
was of none of the degrees of magic, and who had cast no spells before
the former King. Him they brought to Khanazar, and the King said unto
him:
"I have a need."
And Syrahn answered:
"Thou art a man."
And the King said:
"Where lie the days that were and certain hours?"
And Syrahn answered:
"These things lie in a cave afar from here, and over the cave stands
sentinel one Kai, and this cave Kai hath guarded from the gods and men
since ever the Beginning was made. It may be that he shall let Khanazar
pass by."
Then the King gathered elephants and camels that carried burdens of
gold, and trusty servants that carried precious gems, and gathered an
army to go before him and an army to follow behind, and sent out
horsemen to warn the dwellers of the plains that the King of Averon was
afoot.
And he bade Syrahn to lead to that place where the days of old lie hid
and all forgotten hours.
Across the plain and up Mount Agdora, and dipping beyond its summit
went Khanazar the King, and his two armies who followed Syrahn. Eight
times the purple tent with golden border had been pitched for the King
of Averon, and eight times it had been struck ere the King and the
King's armies came to a dark cave in a valley dark, where Kai stood
guard over the days that were. And the face of Kai was as a warrior
that vanquisheth cities and burdeneth himself not with captives, and
his form was as the forms of gods, but his eyes were the eyes of
beasts; before whom came the King of Averon with elephants and camels
bearing burdens of gold, and trusty servants carrying precious gems.
Then said the King:
"Yonder behold my gifts. Give back to me my yesterday with its waving
banners, my yesterday with its music and blue sky and all its cheering
crowds that made me King, the yesterday that sailed with gleaming wings
over my Averon."
And Kai answered, pointing to his cave:
"Thither, dishonoured and forgot, thy yesterday slunk away. And who
amid the dusty heap of the forgotten days shall grovel to find thy
yesterday?"
Then answered the King of Averon and of the mountains and Lord, if
there be aught beyond them, of all such lands as are:
"I will go down on my knees in yon dark cave and search with my hands
amid the dust, if so I may find my yesterday again and certain hours
that are gone."
And the King pointed to his piles of gold that stood where elephants
were met together, and beyond them to the scornful camels. And Kai
answered:
"The gods have offered me the gleaming worlds and all as far as the
Rim, and whatever lies beyond it as far as the gods may see--and thou
comest to me with elephants and camels."
Then said the King:
"Across the orchards of my home there hath passed one hour whereof thou
knowest well, and I pray to thee, who wilt take no gifts borne upon
elephants or camels, to give me of thy mercy one second back, one grain
of dust that clings to that hour in the heap that lies within thy
cave."
And, at the word mercy, Kai laughed. And the King turned his armies to
the east. Therefore the armies returned to Averon and the heralds
before them cried:
"Here cometh Khanazar, King of Averon and of the mountains and Lord, if
there be aught beyond those mountains, of all such lands as are."
And the King said to them:
"Say rather that here comes one greatly wearied who, having
accomplished nought, returneth from a quest forlorn."
So the King came again to Averon.
But it is told how there came into Ilaun one evening as the sun was
setting a harper with a golden harp desiring audience of the King.
And it is told how men led him to Khanazar, who sat frowning alone upon
his throne, to whom said the harper:
"I have a golden harp; and to its strings have clung like dust some
seconds out of the forgotten hours and little happenings of the days
that were."
And Khanazar looked up and the harper touched the strings, and the old
forgotten things were stirring again, and there arose a sound of songs
that had passed away and long since voices. Then when the harper saw
that Khanazar looked not angrily upon him his fingers tramped over the
chords as the gods tramp down the sky, and out of the golden harp arose
a haze of memories; and the King leaning forward and staring before him
saw in the haze no more his palace walls, but saw a valley with a
stream that wandered through it, and woods upon either hill, and an old
castle standing lonely to the south. And the harper, seeing a strange
look upon the face of Khanazar, said:
"Is the King pleased who lords it over Averon and the mountains, and,
if there be aught beyond them, over all such lands as are?"
And the King said:--
"Seeing that I am a child again in a valley to the south, how may I say
what may be the will of the great King?"
When the stars shone high over Ilaun and still the King sat staring
straight before him, all the courtiers drew away from the great palace,
save one that stayed and kept one taper burning, and with them went the
harper.
And when the dawn came up through silent archways into the marble
palace, making the taper pale, the King still stared before him, and
still he sat there when the stars shone again clearly and high above
Ilaun.
But on the second morning the King arose and sent for the harper and
said to him:--
"I am King again, and thou that hast a skill to stay the hours and mayest
may bring again to men their forgotten days, thou shalt stand sentinel
over my great to-morrow; and when I go forth to conquer Ziman-ho and
make my armies mighty thou shalt stand between that morrow and the cave of Kai, and haply some deed of mine and the battling of my armies shall cling to thy golden harp and not go down dishonoured into the cave. For my to-morrow, who with such resounding stride goes trampling through my dreams, is far too kingly to herd with forgotten days in the dust of
things that were. But on some future day, when Kings are dead and all
their deeds forgotten, some harper of that time shall come and from those
golden strings awake those deeds that echo in my dreams, till my to-morrow shall stride forth among the lesser days and tell the years that Khanazar was a King."
And answered the harper:
"I will stand sentinel over thy great to-morrow, and when thou goest
forth to conquer Ziman-ho and make thine armies mighty I will stand
between thy morrow and the cave of Kai, till thy deeds and the battling
of thine armies shall cling to my golden harp and not go down
dishonoured into the cave. So that when Kings are dead and all their
deeds forgotten the harpers of the future time shall awake from these
golden chords those deeds of thine. This will I do."
Men of these days, that be skilled upon the harp, tell still of
Khanazar, how that he was King of Averon and of the mountains, and
claimed lordship of certain lands beyond, and how he went with armies
against Ziman-ho and fought great battles, and in the last gained
victory and was slain. But Kai, as he waited with his claws to gather
in the last days of Khanazar that they might loom enormous in his cave,
still found them not, and only gathered in some meaner deeds and the
days and hours of lesser men, and was vexed by the shadow of a harper
that stood between him and the world.
THE CAVE OF KAI
The pomp of crowning was ended, the rejoicings had died away, and
Khanazar, the new King, sat in the seat of the Kings of Averon to do
his work upon the destinies of men. His uncle, Khanazar the Lone, had
died, and he had come from a far castle to the south, with a great
procession, to Ilaun, the citadel of Averon; and there they had crowned
him King of Averon and of the mountains, and Lord, if there be aught
beyond those mountains, of all such lands as are. But now the pomp of
the crowning was gone away and Khanazar sat afar off from his home, a
very mighty King.
Then the King grew weary of the destinies of Averon and weary of the
making of commands. So Khanazar sent heralds through all cities saying:
"Hear! The will of the King! Hear! The will of the King of Averon and
of the mountains and Lord, if there be aught beyond those mountains, of
all such lands as are. Let there come together to Ilaun all such as
have an art in secret matters. Hear!"
And there gathered together to Ilaun the wise men of all the degrees of
magic, even to the seventh, who had made spells before Khanazar the
Lone; and they came before the new King in his palace placing their
hands upon his feet. Then said the King to the magicians:
"I have a need."
And they answered:
"The earth touches the feet of the King in token of submission."
But the King answered:
"My need is not of the earth; but I would find certain of the hours
that have been, and sundry days that were."
And all the wise folks were silent, till there spake out mournfully the
wisest of them all, who made spells in the seventh degree, saying:
"The days that were, and the hours, have winged their way to Mount
Agdora's summit, and there, dipping, have passed away from sight, not
ever to return, for haply they have not heard the King's command."
Of these wise folks are many things chronicled. Moreover, it is set in
writing of the scribes how they had audience of King Khanazar and of
the words they spake, but of their further deeds there is no legend.
But it is told how the King sent men to run and pass through all the
cities till they should find one that was wiser even than the magicians
that had made spells before Khanazar the Lone. Far up the mountains
that limit Averon they found Syrahn, the prophet, among the goats, who
was of none of the degrees of magic, and who had cast no spells before
the former King. Him they brought to Khanazar, and the King said unto
him:
"I have a need."
And Syrahn answered:
"Thou art a man."
And the King said:
"Where lie the days that were and certain hours?"
And Syrahn answered:
"These things lie in a cave afar from here, and over the cave stands
sentinel one Kai, and this cave Kai hath guarded from the gods and men
since ever the Beginning was made. It may be that he shall let Khanazar
pass by."
Then the King gathered elephants and camels that carried burdens of
gold, and trusty servants that carried precious gems, and gathered an
army to go before him and an army to follow behind, and sent out
horsemen to warn the dwellers of the plains that the King of Averon was
afoot.
And he bade Syrahn to lead to that place where the days of old lie hid
and all forgotten hours.
Across the plain and up Mount Agdora, and dipping beyond its summit
went Khanazar the King, and his two armies who followed Syrahn. Eight
times the purple tent with golden border had been pitched for the King
of Averon, and eight times it had been struck ere the King and the
King's armies came to a dark cave in a valley dark, where Kai stood
guard over the days that were. And the face of Kai was as a warrior
that vanquisheth cities and burdeneth himself not with captives, and
his form was as the forms of gods, but his eyes were the eyes of
beasts; before whom came the King of Averon with elephants and camels
bearing burdens of gold, and trusty servants carrying precious gems.
Then said the King:
"Yonder behold my gifts. Give back to me my yesterday with its waving
banners, my yesterday with its music and blue sky and all its cheering
crowds that made me King, the yesterday that sailed with gleaming wings
over my Averon."
And Kai answered, pointing to his cave:
"Thither, dishonoured and forgot, thy yesterday slunk away. And who
amid the dusty heap of the forgotten days shall grovel to find thy
yesterday?"
Then answered the King of Averon and of the mountains and Lord, if
there be aught beyond them, of all such lands as are:
"I will go down on my knees in yon dark cave and search with my hands
amid the dust, if so I may find my yesterday again and certain hours
that are gone."
And the King pointed to his piles of gold that stood where elephants
were met together, and beyond them to the scornful camels. And Kai
answered:
"The gods have offered me the gleaming worlds and all as far as the
Rim, and whatever lies beyond it as far as the gods may see--and thou
comest to me with elephants and camels."
Then said the King:
"Across the orchards of my home there hath passed one hour whereof thou
knowest well, and I pray to thee, who wilt take no gifts borne upon
elephants or camels, to give me of thy mercy one second back, one grain
of dust that clings to that hour in the heap that lies within thy
cave."
And, at the word mercy, Kai laughed. And the King turned his armies to
the east. Therefore the armies returned to Averon and the heralds
before them cried:
"Here cometh Khanazar, King of Averon and of the mountains and Lord, if
there be aught beyond those mountains, of all such lands as are."
And the King said to them:
"Say rather that here comes one greatly wearied who, having
accomplished nought, returneth from a quest forlorn."
So the King came again to Averon.
But it is told how there came into Ilaun one evening as the sun was
setting a harper with a golden harp desiring audience of the King.
And it is told how men led him to Khanazar, who sat frowning alone upon
his throne, to whom said the harper:
"I have a golden harp; and to its strings have clung like dust some
seconds out of the forgotten hours and little happenings of the days
that were."
And Khanazar looked up and the harper touched the strings, and the old
forgotten things were stirring again, and there arose a sound of songs
that had passed away and long since voices. Then when the harper saw
that Khanazar looked not angrily upon him his fingers tramped over the
chords as the gods tramp down the sky, and out of the golden harp arose
a haze of memories; and the King leaning forward and staring before him
saw in the haze no more his palace walls, but saw a valley with a
stream that wandered through it, and woods upon either hill, and an old
castle standing lonely to the south. And the harper, seeing a strange
look upon the face of Khanazar, said:
"Is the King pleased who lords it over Averon and the mountains, and,
if there be aught beyond them, over all such lands as are?"
And the King said:--
"Seeing that I am a child again in a valley to the south, how may I say
what may be the will of the great King?"
When the stars shone high over Ilaun and still the King sat staring
straight before him, all the courtiers drew away from the great palace,
save one that stayed and kept one taper burning, and with them went the
harper.
And when the dawn came up through silent archways into the marble
palace, making the taper pale, the King still stared before him, and
still he sat there when the stars shone again clearly and high above
Ilaun.
But on the second morning the King arose and sent for the harper and
said to him:--
"I am King again, and thou that hast a skill to stay the hours and mayest
may bring again to men their forgotten days, thou shalt stand sentinel
over my great to-morrow; and when I go forth to conquer Ziman-ho and
make my armies mighty thou shalt stand between that morrow and the cave of Kai, and haply some deed of mine and the battling of my armies shall cling to thy golden harp and not go down dishonoured into the cave. For my to-morrow, who with such resounding stride goes trampling through my dreams, is far too kingly to herd with forgotten days in the dust of
things that were. But on some future day, when Kings are dead and all
their deeds forgotten, some harper of that time shall come and from those
golden strings awake those deeds that echo in my dreams, till my to-morrow shall stride forth among the lesser days and tell the years that Khanazar was a King."
And answered the harper:
"I will stand sentinel over thy great to-morrow, and when thou goest
forth to conquer Ziman-ho and make thine armies mighty I will stand
between thy morrow and the cave of Kai, till thy deeds and the battling
of thine armies shall cling to my golden harp and not go down
dishonoured into the cave. So that when Kings are dead and all their
deeds forgotten the harpers of the future time shall awake from these
golden chords those deeds of thine. This will I do."
Men of these days, that be skilled upon the harp, tell still of
Khanazar, how that he was King of Averon and of the mountains, and
claimed lordship of certain lands beyond, and how he went with armies
against Ziman-ho and fought great battles, and in the last gained
victory and was slain. But Kai, as he waited with his claws to gather
in the last days of Khanazar that they might loom enormous in his cave,
still found them not, and only gathered in some meaner deeds and the
days and hours of lesser men, and was vexed by the shadow of a harper
that stood between him and the world.
Alfred Lord Tennyson
The Splendor Falls
The splendor falls on castle walls
And snowy summits old in story:
The long light shakes across the lakes
And the wild cataract leaps in glory.
Blow, bugle, blow, set the wild echoes flying,
Blow, bugle; answer, echoes dying, dying, dying.
O hark, O hear! how thin and clear,
And thinner, clearer, farther going!
O sweet and far from cliff and scar
The horns of Elfland faintly blowing!
Blow, let us hear the purple glens replying,
Blow, bugle; answer, echoes dying, dying, dying.
O love they die in yon rich sky,
They faint on hill or field, or river:
Our echoes roll from soul to soul,
And grow forever and forever.
Blow, bugle, blow, set the wild echoes flying,
And answer, echoes, answer, dying, dying, dying.
The Splendor Falls
The splendor falls on castle walls
And snowy summits old in story:
The long light shakes across the lakes
And the wild cataract leaps in glory.
Blow, bugle, blow, set the wild echoes flying,
Blow, bugle; answer, echoes dying, dying, dying.
O hark, O hear! how thin and clear,
And thinner, clearer, farther going!
O sweet and far from cliff and scar
The horns of Elfland faintly blowing!
Blow, let us hear the purple glens replying,
Blow, bugle; answer, echoes dying, dying, dying.
O love they die in yon rich sky,
They faint on hill or field, or river:
Our echoes roll from soul to soul,
And grow forever and forever.
Blow, bugle, blow, set the wild echoes flying,
And answer, echoes, answer, dying, dying, dying.
are you serious? the images on here are tame compared to what is in the popular media today. here you go...
