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Fantasy Commentator, v. 1, issue 9, Winter 1945-1946

Page 212

212
FANTASY COMMENTATOR

He Pierced the Veil

H. Rider Haggard as a Writer of the Supernatural

by
Thyril L. Ladd

To the serious student of the supernatural in fiction, or to the critical reader who loves this type of writing above any in the bizarre, this exposition bears no new message. Such a one is already aware that the prolific writer, H. Rider Haggard, has easily won his place, and stands in the forefront with all the great supernatural authors of later days. Omitting Poe---who this writer considers of such stature that comparison with him of any other of the latter-day probers into the unknown world near the ridiculous---Haggard needs yield ground to none of the others: be he the artistic master of antique legend, Dunsany; that great searcher of the psychic, Blackwood; that master of abysmal horror, Lovecraft; the prominent creators of otherworldly beings, Bram Stoker and Clark Ashton Smith; or such deft painters of vivid eeriness, Theophile Gautier and Robert W. Chambers.

Though each volume is not saturated with such themes, Haggard touched on the supernatural, the riddle of the Beyond, in nearly every book he wrote. He most frequently ponders on life beyond the grave in the early chapters of his novels, often through the lips of his characters. And he was not led to create a mythos, some circle of non-existent deities; always he was able to find source-material in the legends and beliefs of the world that lay around him.

To establish his claim as a writer of the supernatural one needs consider no more than a half-dozen of Haggard's novels. Indeed, in this article I shall touch upon but a fraction of his productions, though it should be noted that many of those not mentioned carry distinct psychic undertones.

Beyond much serious contention it would seem that She and The World's Desire are the most outrightly supernatural of Haggard's productions. She being familiar to all, it would be probably more appropriate to consider the other of the two in some detail. The World's Desire is completely, utterly, of the supernatural; its fundamental plot hinges on it, and is enriched by a wealth of fearsome detail. Odysseus, its hero, reaches Egypt in his search for that Being in whom is incarnated all that man seeks most eagerly. And in Egypt the witchcraft of the wicked Queen Meriamun brings to the forefront striking scenes portraying the summoning of evils from Outside by rituals of ancient magic. Here the over-lovely Helen, in whom is embodied the World's Desire, has chosen to dwell in her temple, guarding from sight her beauty which drives men to madness, watched over by the shades of three of history's greatest heroes who have been brought from beyond death to protect her. And ever, from the crimson ruby on her breast, drops of blood fall upon her white gown, only to vanish without stain. (Indeed, this last phenomenon is mentioned in Servius' commentary on Virgil, whence haggard and Lang presumably adapted it.) A powerful scene in the book is that wherein Queen Meriamun uses her knowledge of ancient sorcery to call back from the body of Hataska---whom she has just poisoned---the spiritual forces which have knowledge of the future:

Then in so soft a whisper that scarce had its breath stirred a feather on her lips, Meriamun spoke the Word of Fear, which may not be written, whose sound has power to pass all space, and open the ears of the Dead...and as she spoke, from the dead form of the woman...there issued forth another form and stood before us, as a snake issues from its slough...and as was the dead Hataska, so was this form...but still the corpse rested upon Osiris' knee...

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212 FANTASY COMMENTATOR He Pierced the Veil H. Rider Haggard as a Writer of the Supernatural by Thyril L. Ladd To the serious student of the supernatural in fiction, or to the critical reader who loves this type of writing above any in the bizarre, this exposition bears no new message. Such a one is already aware that the prolific writer, H. Rider Haggard, has easily won his place, and stands in the forefront with all the great supernatural authors of later days. Omitting Poe---who this writer considers of such stature that comparison with him of any other of the latter-day probers into the unknown world near the ridiculous---Haggard needs yield ground to none of the others: be he the artistic master of antique legend, Dunsany; that great searcher of the psychic, Blackwood; that master of abysmal horror, Lovecraft; the prominent creators of otherworldly beings, Bram Stoker and Clark Ashton Smith; or such deft painters of vivid eeriness, Theophile Gautier and Robert W. Chambers. Though each volume is not saturated with such themes, Haggard touched on the supernatural, the riddle of the Beyond, in nearly every book he wrote. He most frequently ponders on life beyond the grave in the early chapters of his novels, often through the lips of his characters. And he was not led to create a mythos, some circle of non-existent deities; always he was able to find source-material in the legends and beliefs of the world that lay around him. To establish his claim as a writer of the supernatural one needs consider no more than a half-dozen of Haggard's novels. Indeed, in this article I shall touch upon but a fraction of his productions, though it should be noted that many of those not mentioned carry distinct psychic undertones. Beyond much serious contention it would seem that She and The World's Desire are the most outrightly supernatural of Haggard's productions. She being familiar to all, it would be probably more appropriate to consider the other of the two in some detail. The World's Desire is completely, utterly, of the supernatural; its fundamental plot hinges on it, and is enriched by a wealth of fearsome detail. Odysseus, its hero, reaches Egypt in his search for that Being in whom is incarnated all that man seeks most eagerly. And in Egypt the witchcraft of the wicked Queen Meriamun brings to the forefront striking scenes portraying the summoning of evils from Outside by rituals of ancient magic. Here the over-lovely Helen, in whom is embodied the World's Desire, has chosen to dwell in her temple, guarding from sight her beauty which drives men to madness, watched over by the shades of three of history's greatest heroes who have been brought from beyond death to protect her. And ever, from the crimson ruby on her breast, drops of blood fall upon her white gown, only to vanish without stain. (Indeed, this last phenomenon is mentioned in Servius' commentary on Virgil, whence haggard and Lang presumably adapted it.) A powerful scene in the book is that wherein Queen Meriamun uses her knowledge of ancient sorcery to call back from the body of Hataska---whom she has just poisoned---the spiritual forces which have knowledge of the future: Then in so soft a whisper that scarce had its breath stirred a feather on her lips, Meriamun spoke the Word of Fear, which may not be written, whose sound has power to pass all space, and open the ears of the Dead...and as she spoke, from the dead form of the woman...there issued forth another form and stood before us, as a snake issues from its slough...and as was the dead Hataska, so was this form...but still the corpse rested upon Osiris' knee...