# Face-of-God Looketh on the Dusky Men explained — The Roots of the Mountains

> Chapter companion for The Roots of the Mountains by William Morris.

## What happens

Face-of-god awakens in Shadowy Vale and prepares to return home with Wood-wise and Bow-may as his escorts. Sun-beam accompanies them partway, sharing a tender farewell and visions of a peaceful future together. Their journey is interrupted by an ambush from behind the Rocks of the Elders, where arrows fly and Bow-may and Wood-wise respond with bow and war-cry.

## Themes in this chapter

### Love and Sacrifice

Sun-beam and Face-of-god exchange vows of future peace and unity, yet both accept the present necessity of war and separation.

### War and Liberation

The ambush at the Rocks of the Elders underscores the constant threat of violence and the warriors' readiness to fight for their people's freedom.

### Nature and the Wilderness

The Shivering Flood, the rocky pass, and the heath are vividly described, grounding the characters' emotions and actions in the wild landscape.

## Character check-ins

### Face-of-god

Awakens, bathes in the Shivering Flood, arms for the road, and shares a heartfelt farewell with Sun-beam before the ambush.

### Sun-beam

Brings milk to Face-of-god, walks with him through the outgate, speaks of peaceful times, and is forced to the ground during the ambush.

### Bow-may

Clad in war-gear, escorts Face-of-god, spots the ambush, looses a shaft, and cries a warning.

### Wood-wise

Wakes Face-of-god, leads him to the bath, escorts him, bends his bow, and gives a wolf-like war-cry during the attack.

## Key lines

> This then is the new day I spoke of, and lo! it bringeth our sundering with it; yet shall it be no longer than a day when all is said, and new days shall follow after.

Sun-beam acknowledges that this new day forces them apart, but assures Face-of-god that the separation will be brief and better days lie ahead.

_Sun-beam's farewell speech emphasizes hope and the promise of reunion._

> When I drive the herds it shall be at the neighbours' bidding whereso they will; not necks of men shall I smite, but the stalks of the tall wheat, and the boles of the timber-trees which the woodreeve hath marked for felling; the stilts of the plough rather than the hilts of the sword shall harden my hands; my shafts shall be for the deer, and my spears for the wood-boar, till war and sorrow fall upon us, and I fight for the ceasing of war and trouble.

Face-of-god describes his vision of a peaceful life as a farmer and hunter, not a warrior, vowing to fight only to end conflict.

_This passage reveals Face-of-god's longing for a simple, pastoral existence and his commitment to peace._

> Yea, yea! Cast thyself on to the ground, Sun-beam! Gold-mane, targe and spear, targe and spear! For I see steel gleaming yonder out from behind the Elders' Rocks.

Bow-may urgently warns the group to take cover and prepare for battle as she spots enemy weapons among the stones.

_The sudden ambush shatters the peaceful mood and forces the characters into immediate combat._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_roots_of_the_mountains_se/chapters/xxi-face-of-god-looketh-on-the-dusky-men
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_roots_of_the_mountains_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_roots_of_the_mountains_se/chapters