The Roots of the Mountains · Chapter
They Talk of Divers Matters in the Hall explained
In the hall, Face-of-god (Gold-mane) is greeted by the Bride and others, including Stone-face.
What happens
In the hall, Face-of-god (Gold-mane) is greeted by the Bride and others, including Stone-face. During the feast, Iron-face teases his son about hunting, and Face-of-god confesses a restless longing for the wood, though he affirms his love for the Dale. Stone-face warns of the dangers of the wildwood, and Redesman sings a song. The chapter explores Face-of-god's inner conflict between domestic contentment and the call of the unknown.
Themes in this chapter
Heroic Journey and Self-Discovery
Face-of-god's inner conflict between the safety of the Dale and the call of the wildwood embodies the early stirrings of a heroic journey.
Community and Kinship
The feast, the shared drinking of healths, and the familial bonds among Iron-face, Stone-face, Face-of-god, and the Bride highlight the importance of kinship and community.
Nature and the Wilderness
The wood is portrayed as both a source of longing and a place of danger, with Stone-face recounting its supernatural and mortal threats.
Characters to notice
- Face-of-god
Also called Gold-mane; he is restless, confessing a longing for the wood despite his love for the Dale and the Bride.
- The Bride
Kisses Face-of-god and sits by him; she grows anxious as he speaks of his wandering desires.
- Stone-face
Foster-father of Iron-face and his sons; warns Face-of-god about the perils of the wildwood from his own bitter experience.
- Iron-face
The Alderman; teases his son but offers him the chance to travel west to the cities.
- Redesman
A minstrel who drinks a health to Face-of-god and the Bride, then sings a song to lighten the mood.
Key passages
“Scarce are the wood-deer grown, kinsman, when I must needs eat sheep's flesh on a Thursday, though my son has lain abroad in the woods all night to hunt for me.”
Iron-face jokingly complains that deer are so scarce he has to eat mutton, even though his son spent the night hunting.
Iron-face teases Face-of-god about his unsuccessful hunt.
“Narrow is the Dale and the World is wide; I would it were dawn and daylight, that I might be afoot again.”
Face-of-god feels confined by the Dale and yearns to explore the wider world.
Expresses Face-of-god's restless desire for adventure.
“Therein are Kobbolds, and Wights that love not men, things unto whom the grief of men is as the sound of the fiddle-bow unto us.”
Stone-face warns that the wood contains malevolent spirits who delight in human suffering.
Stone-face's warning about the supernatural dangers of the wildwood.