The King of Elfland’s Daughter · Chapter
XXIX: The Luring of the People of the Marshes explained
A traveller in solemn black attire ventures into the marshes southeast of Erl, where the border with Elfland is thin.
What happens
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.
Themes in this chapter
Magic vs. Reality
The marsh serves as a liminal space where Earth and Elfland meet, and the will-o'-the-wisps embody magical enticement against the solid, mundane world.
Trickery and Deception
Lurulu, a troll, outwits the will-o'-the-wisps by luring them to dry land, reversing their usual predatory role.
Characters to notice
- Lurulu
Disguised as a solemn traveller, Lurulu tricks the will-o'-the-wisps into following him to dry land and enlists their aid in hunting unicorns.
Key passages
“And then the traveller spoke. Without rising or turning his head he spoke where he sat. 'People of the marshes,' he said, 'do you love unicorns?'”
The traveller, still seated, asks the will-o'-the-wisps if they have any affection for unicorns.
This question is the pivotal moment where Lurulu begins to enlist the will-o'-the-wisps for his hunt.
“And the people of the marshes saw that it was a troll that had tricked them.”
The will-o'-the-wisps realized the traveller was actually a troll who had deceived them.
Lurulu reveals his true form, confirming the trick.