The Roots of the Mountains

Part II of II

William Morris

Photograph of Part I and II of "The Roots of the Mountains" as published by Hyldyr

The history-inspired roots of fantasy fiction, including the works of J. R. R. Tolkien & beyond

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One of the most influential novels ever written but today quite obscure and rarely in print, English polymath William Morris’s The Roots of the Mountains may well be the first true modern fantasy fiction novel. Steeped in the plight of a group of pagan Goths who dwell in a lush dale, this sprawling tale follows the experiences of the novel’s hero, Face-of-god, who encounters a group of mysterious warriors deep in the mountain wilderness. What they tell him changes his world — and that of everyone else he knows and loves. Inspired by historic accounts of the Goths and Huns, and reflecting Morris’s own interests in topics like nature, art, and Marxism, The Roots of the Mountains deeply influenced many works that followed it, including the novels of J. R. R. Tolkien and innumerable subsequent popular fantasy fiction properties, from video games to films. This edition also features excerpts from Jordanes’s Getica, a major influence on The Roots of the Mountains.

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