The King of Elfland’s Daughter · Chapter
VI: The Rune of the Elf King explained
The Elf King, standing on his high balcony, sees his daughter Lirazel has passed into the mortal world.
What happens
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.
Themes in this chapter
Longing and Loss
The Elf King's profound grief and yearning for his daughter as she faces mortal decay and separation from Elfland.
Mortal vs. Immortal
The contrast between Lirazel's immortal nature and the mortal doom she now faces, and the Elf King's sorrow over the fragility of mortal life.
Time and Change
The disruption of Elfland's timeless calm by Alveric's intrusion and the Elf King's actions, illustrating the tension between eternal stillness and the passage of time.
Characters to notice
- The Elf King
Stands sorrowful on his balcony, weeps for Lirazel, writes the rune, revives his guard, and dispatches the troll.
- Lirazel
Has passed into the mortal world; the Elf King mourns her fate and seeks to bring her back with the rune.
- Alveric
His passage through Elfland troubled the wood and slew the four knights of the guard.
Key passages
“He had lifted his head to chant the rune that should hold his daughter in Elfland, and in that moment had seen her pass the murky barrier; which on this side, facing toward Elfland, is all lustrous with twilight, and on that side, facing towards the fields we know, is smoky and angry and dull.”
He had raised his head to sing the spell that would keep his daughter in Elfland, but at that instant saw her cross the dim boundary—on the Elfland side glowing with twilight, on the mortal side murky and harsh.
Describes the moment the Elf King sees Lirazel leave Elfland.
“He knew that there hung over her now the doom of all mortal things. He thought of her perishing soon, as mortal things must; to be buried amongst the rocks of a land that scorned Elfland and that held its most treasured myths to be of little account.”
He understood that she was now subject to the fate of all mortals: she would soon die and be buried in a land that despised Elfland and its cherished legends.
The Elf King's realization of Lirazel's mortality and the harshness of the mortal world.
“Then the King turned and left his balcony and went in great haste down his brazen steps. He came clanging to the ivory doors that shut the tower below, and through them came to the throne-room of which only song may tell.”
The King then hurried down his brass steps, passed through the ivory doors, and entered the throne-room that can only be described in song.
The King's urgent descent to prepare the rune.
“And there he took a parchment out of a coffer and a plume from some fabulous wing, and dipping the plume into no earthly ink, wrote out a rune on the parchment.”
He took parchment from a chest and a feather from a mythical bird, dipped it in otherworldly ink, and wrote a magical rune.
The creation of the rune that will summon Lirazel back.
“Then raising two fingers he made the minor enchantment whereby he summoned his guard. And no guard came.”
He raised two fingers and cast a minor spell to call his guard, but no one arrived.
The Elf King's failed attempt to summon his guard.
“And the Elf King now had only one rune left that was mightier than any magic we know.”
The Elf King now possessed just one remaining rune more powerful than any magic known to humans.
The depletion of the King's most powerful runes.
