The Worm Ouroboros (1922)

The Worm Ouroboros is a heroic high fantasy novel by English writer E. R. Eddison, first published in 1922. The book describes the protracted war between the domineering King Gorice of Witchland and the Lords of Demonland in an imaginary world that appears mainly medieval and partly reminiscent of Norse sagas. The work is slightly related to Eddison's later Zimiamvian Trilogy, and collectively they are sometimes referred to as the Zimiamvian series.

The Worm Ouroboros is written largely in seventeenth-century English, a nearly unique approach among popular fantasy novels; with Eddison making use of his experience translating Norse sagas and reading medieval and Renaissance poetry. Eddison also incorporated a number of actual early modern poems into the story, including Shakespeare's 18th sonnet, all meticulously credited in an appendix.

The book was illustrated by Keith Henderson, who also illustrated books by Geoffrey Chaucer and W. H. Hudson.

Plot

The novel begins with a framing story in which a character named Lessingham travels from Earth to Mercury. Eddison's Mercury, though, is a fantasy world, bearing no relation to the scientific knowledge of Mercury at the time. Lessingham and the framing story are not seen again after the second chapter.

The story proper begins with an ambassador arriving in Demonland to demand that the Demons recognize King Gorice XI of Witchland as their overlord. The chief lords of Demonland—the brothers Juss, Spitfire, and Goldry Bluszco, and their cousin Brandoch Daha—reply that they and all of Demonland will submit if the king, a famous wrestler, can defeat Goldry in a wrestling match. The match is held, and King Gorice is killed. His successor (or reincarnation) Gorice XII is a sorcerer, and banishes Goldry to an enchanted mountain prison, with the aid of the Goblin traitor Lord Gro.

Lord Spitfire goes back to raise an army. Lord Juss and Brandoch Daha, aided by King Gaslark of Goblinland, attempt an assault on Carcë, the capital of the Witches, believing that Goldry is there. The Goblins flee and Juss and Brandoch Daha are captured. They escape with the aid of La Fireez, the prince of Pixyland and vassal of King Gorice, who helps them at great personal cost because he owes them a debt of honor. Juss and Brandoch Daha return home to Demonland and mount another expedition to rescue Goldry Bluszco. Spitfire stays behind to lead Demonland's armies against an expected invasion from Witchland.

The expedition's fleet is smashed and its army destroyed. Juss and Brandoch Daha meet with three strange enchanted heroes of an earlier time, and Juss is later nearly killed by a manticore. After a year of wandering they climb two mighty peaks, where they encounter Queen Sophonisba, to whom the gods have granted eternal youth. From Sophonisba they learn that Goldry is held in prison on the top of Zora Rach Nam, a mountain which cannot be climbed and whose peak is surrounded by unceasing flames. There is only one way to free him: they must find a hippogriff's egg, and one of them must ride the newly hatched hippogriff. Queen Sophonisba gives Juss a hippogriff egg, but their companion, the Impland native Mivarsh Faz, steals the egg and tries to use it himself, dying in the attempt. Juss and Brandoch Daha set out for home, defeated. But matters are not completely hopeless, as one of Queen Sophonisba's martlet scouts has told them of another hippogriff egg, lying at the bottom of a lake in Demonland.

Meanwhile, the armies of Witchland have attacked Demonland. Duke Corsus, the Witchland commander, conquers part of Demonland, but is defeated by Spitfire. A new Witchland army, under the command of Lord Corinius, defeats Spitfire and captures most of Demonland, including Brandoch Daha's castle of Krothering, the home of his sister Lady Mevrian. Lord Gro changes sides and helps Lady Mevrian escape from Corinius, who wishes to marry her against her will. A few months later, Juss and Brandoch Daha return and expel the Witches from Demonland.

Equipped with a new hippogriff egg, Lord Juss makes a successful second attempt to rescue his brother, but his forces are trapped in an inland sea by the Witchland navy. They destroy the navy, but La Fireez dies in this battle. The Demons then sail to Carcë and face the remaining forces of Witchland in a climactic struggle. Lord Gro is belittled for switching sides; he switches back and is killed by Spitfire. The Witch commander Corund also dies. His armies having failed, King Gorice attempts another terrible summoning; lacking the aid of Gro, he is unable to complete the spell and is destroyed. Duke Corsus poisons the remaining nobles of Witchland, and is killed himself by the dying Corinius.

Though triumphant, the Demon lords find that victory is bitter because there are no more enemies worthy of their heroism, no more great deeds to perform. Sophonisba, seeking to reward their heroism, prays to the gods, who return the world to its state of four years before. And so, with a blare of trumpets, an ambassador from Witchland arrives, and the story starts anew.

Characters

The Demons and their allies

Lord Juss is the chief lord of Demonland, ruling from the castle Galing, and a chief player in most of the battles in the story. He also leads two expeditions to rescue his brother Goldry Bluszco.

Goldry Bluszco is one of the chief lords of Demonland. His castle is called Drepaby. Unlike his bachelor brothers, Lord Juss and Lord Spitfire, Bluszco was betrothed to marry Princess Armelline of Goblinland.

Lord Spitfire is the third brother, a Demon lord who spends most of the story in Demonland fighting the various Witchland invasions. His chief residence is the castle Owlswick.

Brandoch Daha is their cousin, a lord of Demonland and the greatest swordsman of the age. After Corinius sacks his castle of Krothering, Brandoch Daha swears vengeance against Corinius.