The King of Elfland’s Daughter · Chapters
Chapters explained
Chapter companions for The King of Elfland’s Daughter by Lord Dunsany.
Chapter 1
Dedication
The chapter is a brief dedication of the book to Lady Dunsany.
Chapter 2
The King of Elfland’s Daughter
The Parliament of Erl requests a magic lord to rule over them, leading to Alveric being sent to wed the Elf King's daughter. Alveric obtains a magical sword, journeys to Elfland, and meets Lirazel on the elfin lawns. They return to Earth, but the Elf King writes a rune that forces Lirazel back to Elfland. Alveric searches for Elfland after it ebbs away, while their son Orion grows up and hunts mythical creatures. After years of wandering, Alveric returns to Erl, and the Elf King retreats Elfland further from Earth.
Chapter 3
I: The Plan of the Parliament of Erl
The Parliament of Erl requests a magic lord to rule them, and the old lord commands his son Alveric to journey to Elfland and wed the Elf King's daughter, Lirazel. Alveric seeks the aid of a local witch, who forges a magical sword from thunderbolts to protect him on his quest.
Chapter 4
II: Alveric Comes in Sight of the Elfin Mountains
Alveric awakens joyfully, remembering his magical sword, and decides to obey his father's command without delay. He sets out from the Vale of Erl, carrying the sword and minimal provisions. Traveling eastward, he sees the pale-blue mountains of Faery at evening, which remain unchanged by earthly light. He stops at a leatherworker's cottage to obtain a scabbard, then crosses the frontier of twilight into Elfland. There, he beholds the shimmering landscape, the silver spires of the palace, and a realm where colors are deeper, barriers between beings are down, and even trees seem aware of his presence. He strides onward toward the enchanted wood, ignoring warnings from the creatures around him.
Chapter 5
III: The Magical Sword Meets Some of the Swords of Elfland
Alveric ventures deep into Elfland and approaches the capital palace. He first faces enchanted ivy that attacks him from the pine trees, using his father's sword to defend himself. When the trees themselves begin to move and encircle him, he draws the magical sword, which disenchants the ivy and trees. He then encounters the Princess Lirazel on the elfin lawns, and they speak of Earth and the Vale of Erl. Four elvish knights of the guard appear, bound by an oath to prevent any man from speaking with the princess. Alveric fights them, first with his father's sword (which is knocked away), then with the magical sword. He defeats three knights, and the last, strengthened by the Elf King's earliest magic, is slain in a fierce battle. Lirazel urges Alveric to flee to the fields of Earth before her father uses his three master runes.
Chapter 6
IV: Alveric Comes Back to Earth After Many Years
Alveric returns from Elfland with Lirazel, discovering that ten years have passed on Earth. They are wed by the Freer using a rite for mermaids, as Lirazel is from beyond salvation. They flee the Elf King's rune and cross the frontier, and Lirazel delights in the familiar fields of Earth. They arrive at the Castle of Erl, where all has changed.
Chapter 7
V: The Wisdom of the Parliament of Erl
The Parliament of Erl rejoices in their decision to seek a magic lord, celebrating the birth of Alveric and Lirazel's son. Alveric hires the witch Ziroonderel as the child's nurse, and she brings magical care. Lirazel struggles with earthly life, and Alveric realizes the vast differences between them, fearing for their future.
Chapter 8
VI: The Rune of the Elf King
The Elf King, standing on his high balcony, sees his daughter Lirazel has passed into the mortal world. Grieving over her inevitable mortality and the doom of all mortal things, he weeps, causing all Elfland to shiver. He then writes a rune on parchment to summon her back, but finds his guard slain by Alveric's magic. Using one of his three most powerful runes, he revives the eldest knight, then sends a troll to deliver the rune to Lirazel in the fields of men.
Chapter 9
VII: The Coming of the Troll
A troll from Elfland crosses the twilight frontier into the fields of Earth, carrying a rune from the Elf King for Princess Lirazel. He encounters a hare and a fox, narrowly escapes a dog, and eventually arrives at the town of Erl, where he meets a child who declines his invitation to Elfland because of her mother's jam roll.
Chapter 10
The Arrival of the Rune
Lirazel receives the Elf King's rune but locks it away unread, fearing its power. She and Alveric name their son Orion after the constellation. Lirazel struggles to adapt to human customs, particularly regarding worship, and is found praying to the stars' reflections in a pool, causing tension with Alveric. The chapter ends with the rune still locked in its casket.
Chapter 11
IX: Lirazel Blows Away
Lirazel struggles to adapt to human customs and worship, leading to a rift with Alveric. In a desperate attempt to learn, she prays to flat stones, which Alveric condemns as heathenism. Heartbroken, she retrieves the Elf King's rune, reads it, and is overwhelmed by fancies from Elfland. She becomes ethereal and is carried away by a wind, leaving Earth behind.
Chapter 12
X: The Ebbing of Elfland
Alveric, frantic after Lirazel's disappearance, searches all night and seeks the witch Ziroonderel, who cryptically tells him she has gone 'the way of the leaves.' He follows the last leaves southeast toward Elfland, but finds the Elfin Mountains have vanished. Visiting the old leather-worker, he learns that many years have passed. Crossing the former border, he discovers a desolate, disenchanted plain littered with lost memories and childhood toys, realizing Elfland has ebbed away. Despite waving his magical sword, he cannot bring it back, and ultimately accepts that he has lost Elfland.
Chapter 13
XI: The Deep of the Woods
Orion, growing restless, begins to question Ziroonderel about his mother's disappearance. She tells him she has gone to the woods, sparking in him a deep longing to explore. He seeks out the hunters Oth and Threl, who tell him tales of the forest. Despite Ziroonderel's attempts to soothe him with magic, Orion's yearning grows, and eventually she allows him to go to the woods with Oth. He experiences the mystery and solemn beauty of the forest, and later visits Threl, who shares fables of the woods. Orion becomes increasingly drawn to the wild, finding companionship in the trees and a growing love for the forest.
Chapter 14
The Unenchanted Plain
Alveric, having lost Elfland, returns to the leather-worker's cottage and then ventures eastward across a barren, rocky plain in search of the vanished land. Despite his hope and determination, he finds only desolation and no sign of Elfland.
Chapter 15
The Reticence of the Leather-Worker
Alveric returns from his failed journey to find Elfland, having turned back after ten days when his provisions ran low and the Elfin Mountains remained unseen. He makes his way back to the cottage of the leather-worker, who shelters him but refuses to acknowledge Elfland or the desolate lands to the east. After resting, Alveric returns to Erl and encounters his son Orion and the witch Ziroonderel in the woods. He tells Orion that his mother is in Elfland, but Orion claims he still hears the horns of Elfland every evening. Alveric, undeterred, begins planning a new route north to find the frontier of Elfland.
Chapter 16
XIV: The Quest for the Elfin Mountains
Winter grips Erl as Alveric assembles a small, eccentric band of men—a lovesick lad, a shepherd, a dreamer, a moonstruck man, and a witless horse-tender—to search for the ebbed frontier of Elfland. He entrusts Orion to the witch Ziroonderel's care, and Orion reveals his desire to hunt not only stags but 'magic things.' Alveric's company rides northward, camping beyond the last houses of men, and Alveric resolves to follow every horizon until he finds a place where Elfland has not receded.
Chapter 17
XV: The Retreat of the Elf King
Lirazel returns to Elfland, carried by the rune of the Elf King, and is joyfully reunited with her father. The Elf King senses Alveric approaching with his magical sword and chants a spell to retreat Elfland further from Earth, causing the entire realm to drift away. A deep calm settles over Elfland, and ten years pass on Earth.
Chapter 18
XVI: Orion Hunts the Stag
Ten years pass as Orion grows into a skilled hunter, learning the ways of the woods and downs. He forms a pack of hounds and finally hunts down a great stag, killing it at sunset. The chapter also marks the return of Vand, one of Alveric's followers, who brings news of Alveric's disappearance, leading the people of Erl to accept Orion as their new lord.
Chapter 19
XVII: The Unicorn Comes in the Starlight
Winter has come to Erl, and Orion hunts daily with his hounds, reading the stories of the night in the snow. Meanwhile, the parliament of Erl meets secretly in Narl's forge, lamenting that Alveric is gone and that Orion shows no magic, only skill in hunting. They argue over whether Orion might be the magic lord they once hoped for, but Oth quotes an ancient prophecy from a chronicle, and the parliament falls silent. As they disperse in the starlight, a few men see a weary white unicorn fleeing across the downs, pursued by Orion's hounds.
Chapter 20
The Grey Tent in the Evening
Alveric and his dwindling company continue their quest for Elfland, wandering along the edge of the known fields for over eleven years. Vand and Rannok abandon the group, leaving Alveric, Niv, Zend, and Thyl united in hope. The Elf King, sensing the threat of Alveric's sword, withdraws Elfland's borders far to the north, then allows them to creep back near the fields we know. Meanwhile, Orion, hearing elvish horns, cuts off a unicorn from Elfland, driving it across the valley of Erl.
Chapter 21
XIX: Twelve Old Men Without Magic
The parliament of Erl debates whether Orion truly hunted a unicorn, ultimately voting that it did not happen, leaving the twelve old men despondent and without magic. Meanwhile, Orion successfully hunts and kills a unicorn with his hounds near the border of Elfland.
Chapter 22
XX: A Historical Fact
Orion returns to Erl with the head of the unicorn he has slain, and the parliament of Erl celebrates this magical victory. The Freer arrives and curses unicorns and all magical things, but the men of Erl refuse to renounce magic and instead shout 'Magic' in defiance.
Chapter 23
On the Verge of Earth
Orion, standing at the twilight barrier between Earth and Elfland, feels the pull of his magical heritage and longs to cross into the ageless land where his mother dwells. However, his hounds call him back to the earthly life of the hunt, and he returns home. The next day he returns to the same spot with his hounds, hoping to hunt unicorns, but none appear, and the boundary's enchantment again tempts him toward Elfland.
Chapter 24
XXII: Orion Appoints a Whip
Orion, now nearly twelve, encounters the troll Lurulu at the boundary between Earth and Elfland. He appoints Lurulu as his whipper-in for hunting unicorns, but when he tries to recruit human lads from Erl, their parents' fear of the magical boundary prevents them from allowing their sons to join. Orion continues to hunt alone until spring, when Lurulu, observing time's passage from a loft, laughs at the contrast between Earth's constant change and Elfland's timeless calm.
Chapter 25
XXIII: Lurulu Watches the Restlessness of Earth
Lurulu, feeling lonely in the hayloft, jumps to the pigeon-loft and observes the constant movement and change of Earth—shadows shifting, pigeons coming and going, birds and animals active—contrasting it with the deep calm of Elfland. He tries to befriend the pigeons but learns they prefer stillness, and he listens to their cooing, sensing they are trying to lull Earth's restlessness. The chapter highlights Lurulu's growing awareness of time and change on Earth.
Chapter 26
XXIV: Lurulu Speaks of Earth and the Ways of Men
Lurulu returns to Elfland to recruit trolls for Orion's pack, using tales of Earth's wonders and the promise of hunting unicorns to overcome their fears of time and Heaven.
Chapter 27
XXV: Lirazel Remembers the Fields We Know
Lirazel, sitting on her father's knee in Elfland, sighs for Earth and her son Orion, causing a ripple of sorrow through the magical land. The Elf King, sensing her discontent, conjures a dawn melody to enchant her, but she still longs for earthly fields. He then commands all Elfland to dance in a grand, magical celebration, yet Lirazel remains torn. As she is about to declare Elfland her home forever, the horn of a tired hunter sounds from Earth's border.
Chapter 28
The Horn of Alveric
Alveric, after twelve years of fruitless searching for Elfland, encounters the witch Ziroonderel sweeping the world's edge. She reveals that the Elf King retreats from any magic that equals his own, and provides Alveric with a false weight to disenchant his sword and a poem to re-enchant it once across the frontier. Alveric disenchants his sword secretly, then marches with Niv and Zend to the twilight barrier. He sounds his horn and steps into Elfland, but Niv and Zend, jealous and fearful, drag him back. Though Alveric fails to enter, his horn's note reaches Lirazel in Elfland.
Chapter 29
The Return of Lurulu
Spring passes into summer and autumn as Orion waits for the return of Lurulu. Finally, Lurulu and a band of trolls cross the border from Elfland into Earth, capering and laughing. They travel through the fields and downs to Erl, observing the Evening Star, an owl, and the moon, and are moved to mockery by the solemn song of the Freer. They descend into the village, climb into the pigeon-loft, and sleep. In the morning, they peer over the kennel palings, causing the hounds to bark, and the folk of Erl declare that magic has come.
Chapter 30
A Chapter on Unicorn-Hunting
Orion, with the trolls and hounds, goes unicorn hunting at the border of Elfland. The first hunt succeeds, but the second fails due to the trolls' unfamiliarity with Earth's moonless nights. Meanwhile, the parliament of Erl meets in Narl's forge, rejoicing that their lord is now magical, though Gazic briefly voices caution. Lurulu ponders how to hunt unicorns in darkness.
Chapter 31
XXIX: The Luring of the People of the Marshes
A traveller in solemn black attire ventures into the marshes southeast of Erl, where the border with Elfland is thin. The will-o'-the-wisps, or people of the marshes, attempt to lure him to his doom, but he cunningly leads them instead onto dry land. Revealing himself as the troll Lurulu, he proposes they hunt unicorns together, and the will-o'-the-wisps agree to help, following him back to Erl.
Chapter 32
XXX: The Coming of Too Much Magic
The village of Erl is overwhelmed by an influx of magic, with trolls, will-o'-the-wisps, and other elfin creatures filling the streets and unsettling the inhabitants. Orion, the new lord, becomes increasingly drawn to Elfland, neglecting earthly duties. The parliament of Erl, fearing the excess of magic, decides to seek help from the witch Ziroonderel, asking for a spell to counter the magic. Ziroonderel refuses, defending magic as Earth's essential treasure, and the parliament flees in terror as night falls.
Chapter 33
XXXI: The Cursing of Elfin Things
The Freer of Erl stands outside his holy place and pronounces a solemn curse upon all elfin and magical beings, including trolls, goblins, will-o'-the-wisps, and all things that come from Elfland. The twelve old men of the parliament witness this, while Orion, lost in elfin thoughts, passes through the village with his hounds toward Elfland. The curse creates a circle of darkness around the Freer, pushing back the supernatural lights and creatures, but beyond it the will-o'-the-wisps and other fabled beings continue their revelry, drawn by Orion's longing for his mother and the call of Elfland.
Chapter 34
XXXII: Lirazel Yearns for Earth
Lirazel, kneeling before her father's throne in the hall built of moonlight and dreams, beseeches him for a rune that will bring Alveric and Orion to Elfland, along with a piece of Earth. The Elf King explains that only one rune, the last and most potent of his powers, can cross the frontier, but he refuses to use it, fearing the future without it. Lirazel weeps, and her sorrow trembles through Elfland, but the King remains resolute, prioritizing the realm's safety over her earthly longing.
Chapter 35
The Shining Line
Alveric, now alone of his small company, is held back from Elfland by the mad Niv and Zend, who jealously guard him from reaching its wonders. They return toward Erl, with Niv leading as if commanding an invisible army. Alveric, hopeless and resigned, lives only in memories of Lirazel and Orion. They meet the shepherd Vand, who dismisses Elfland as a dream. Then a shimmering, magical line appears over the downs, turning a sheep to gold and erasing it, and Niv hurriedly drags Alveric away toward Erl.
Chapter 36
XXXIV: The Last Great Rune
Elfland approaches Erl, bringing with it a tide of starlight and lost memories. The villagers experience a profound nostalgia as the magical border sweeps over the land. Lirazel returns to meet Orion and Alveric in a garden of roses, where time and season are reversed. Ziroonderel witnesses the reunion. The Freer's holy ground remains an island of Earth amid the enchantment. The Parliament of Erl, having summoned magic, now faces its consequences as trolls and will-o'-the-wisps fill the streets.
