# The Return of the Exiles explained — Fifty-One Tales

> Chapter companion for Fifty-One Tales by Lord Dunsany.

## 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.

## Character check-ins

### 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 lines

> “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The one-eyed man mourns that human sacrifices have been replaced by animal offerings.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._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/fifty_one_tales_se/chapters/the-return-of-the-exiles
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/fifty_one_tales_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/fifty_one_tales_se/chapters