# A Chapter on Unicorn-Hunting explained — The King of Elfland’s Daughter

> Chapter companion for The King of Elfland’s Daughter by Lord Dunsany.

## What happens

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.

## Themes in this chapter

### Magic vs. Reality

The trolls and unicorns from Elfland interact with the earthly village of Erl, highlighting the contrast between magical and mundane worlds.

### Quest and Wandering

Orion's hunts for unicorns at the border of Elfland represent a quest for magical quarry.

### Time and Change

The trolls begin to feel the weight of time on Earth, and the parliament rejoices in the change that magic has brought to Erl.

## Character check-ins

### Orion

Leads the unicorn hunts with his hounds and trolls, successfully hunting one unicorn but failing on a moonless night.

### Lurulu

Commands the trolls, uses his whip to enforce respect for Orion, and later ponders the problem of hunting unicorns in darkness.

### Narl

Hosts the parliament of Erl in his forge and speaks of the village's satisfaction with their magic lord.

### Gazic

A vendor of beeves who briefly questions the influx of magic into Erl, but is silenced by the others.

### Oth

Scorns Gazic's doubts about magic during the parliament.

### Threl

Joins Oth in scorning Gazic's reservations about magic.

## Key lines

> And the villagers found the impudent ways of the bare brown nimble trolls no funnier, no more meet for derision, than the trolls found the grave high hats, the curious clothes, and the solemn air of the villagers.

The villagers and trolls found each other equally ridiculous.

_Illustrates the mutual incomprehension between Earth and Elfland._

> And, when jackdaws on the highest towers of Erl saw the rim of the sun all red above frosted fields, Orion came back from the downs with his hounds and his trolls, carrying as fine a head as a unicorn-hunter could wish.

Orion returned at dawn with a magnificent unicorn head after a successful hunt.

_Describes the successful first unicorn hunt._

> The question that Lurulu pondered far into the night was how to hunt unicorns with dogs in the darkness.

Lurulu spent the night thinking about how to hunt unicorns in the dark.

_Highlights Lurulu's problem-solving after the failed hunt._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_king_of_elfland_s_daughter_se/chapters/xxviii-a-chapter-on-unicorn-hunting
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_king_of_elfland_s_daughter_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_king_of_elfland_s_daughter_se/chapters