Fifty-One Tales · Chapter
The Return of the Exiles explained
The narrator encounters two old, servile men—one with a hammer, one with a spear—who ask the way to Stonehenge.
What happens
The narrator encounters two old, servile men—one with a hammer, one with a spear—who ask the way to Stonehenge. At the stone circle, a group of twenty men await, and the two old men are revealed as ancient figures who once received human sacrifices. They lament the change to a goat sacrifice, and the narrator, feeling uneasy, departs as they apologize for returning after three thousand years.
Themes in this chapter
Time and Mortality
The return of ancient figures after three thousand years highlights the passage of time and the mortality of old gods and rituals.
Nature vs. Civilization
The contrast between the old, nature-bound laborers and the modern motorists with 'mixed and doubtful nationalities' underscores the tension between primal traditions and industrial society.
Characters to notice
- Unknown
The narrator encounters two strange old men and later witnesses a ritual at Stonehenge, leaving when the situation becomes unsettling.
- Pan
The one-eyed man with a spear is implied to be Pan, lamenting the loss of human sacrifice and the passing of ancient rites.
- Furrow-Maker
The old man with a hammer is implied to be the Furrow-Maker, a figure associated with ancient agricultural or sacrificial traditions.
Key passages
““It used to be men,” he lamented. “It used to be men.””
The one-eyed man mourns that human sacrifices have been replaced by animal offerings.
This lament underscores the theme of lost ancient traditions and the diminished power of old gods.
““But after all these years,” I heard him crying, “After all these years. …” And the one with the spear said: “Yes, after three thousand years. …””
The old men apologize for returning after millennia, emphasizing the vast span of time since their last presence.
This repetition highlights the theme of time and the longing for a forgotten past.