The House of the Wolfings: A Book That Inspired J. R. R. Tolkien

by William Morris

J. R. R. Tolkien was inspired in the writing of The Lord of the Rings by this tale of a magical coat of mail and the temptation to use its protection in a war between the Rohan-like Wolfings and the enslaving armies of Rome.

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Classics, Historical Fiction, Literature, Victorian, Historical

162 pages, Hardcover

First published December 1, 1888

About the author

William Morris was an English architect, furniture and textile designer, artist, writer, socialist and Marxist associated with the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood and the English Arts and Crafts Movement. Morris wrote and published poetry, fiction, and translations of ancient and medieval texts throughout his life. His best-known works include The Defence of Guenevere and Other Poems (1858), The Earthly Paradise (1868–1870), A Dream of John Ball and the utopian News from Nowhere. He was an important figure in the emergence of socialism in Britain, founding the Socialist League in 1884, but breaking with the movement over goals and methods by the end of that decade. He devoted much of the rest of his life to the Kelmscott Press, which he founded in 1891. The 1896 Kelmscott edition of the Works of Geoffrey Chaucer is considered a masterpiece of book design.

Reviews

[Mel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a moving tale about the Goths fighting off a Roman invasion. There was prophecy and doomed romance and heroic acts of self sacrifice. The characterisation was a little light, but I still felt for everyone at the end. There were strong women characters who were full of wisdom and spirit who took an active role in defending their homes even though it was just the men who went to battle. There were hints of fantasy with dwarfs who hated mankind and people who were not quite human. It was a sweet tragedy even though in the end the good guys (the Goths not the Romans) won. I found this book very difficult to read. Not because I wasn't interested in it but because the language and the way it was written was so very different you really had to pay very close attention or it is very easy to get lost. The fact that large sections of the dialogue and speeches were in verse made it even harder for me. But I still managed to enjoy it. The edition I read was a lovely 19th century edition, not the one for Tolkien fans. I think it's important to read Morris in nice old editions as you feel like you are reading a mysterious old epic and having the old paper and the smell of old books really adds to the telling of the story.

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

"The tale tells that in times long past there was a dwelling of men beside a great wood. Before it lay a plain, not very great, but which was, as it were, an isle in the sea of woodland, since even when you stood on the flat ground, you could see trees everywhere in the offing, though as for hills, you could scarce say that there were any; only swellings-up of the earth here and there, like the upheavings of the water that one sees at whiles going on amidst the eddies of a swift but deep stream."

"… they worshipped the kind acres which they themselves and their fathers had made fruitful, wedding them to the seasons of seed-time and harvest, that the birth that came from them might become a part of the kindred of the Wolf, and the joy and might of past springs and summers might run in the blood of the Wolfing children. And a dear God indeed to them was the Roof of the Kindred, that their fathers had built and that they yet warded against the fire and the lightening and the wind and the snow, and the passing of the days that devour and the years that heap the dust over the work of men. They thought of how it had stood, and seen so many generations of men come and go; how often it had welcomed the new-born babe, and given farewell to the old man: how many secrets of the past it knew; how many tales which men of the present had forgotten, but which yet mayhap men of times to come should learn of it; for to them yet living it had spoken time and again, and had told them what their fathers had not told them, and it held the memories of the generations and the very life of the Wolfings and their hopes for the days to be."

This is the first book I have read by William Morris. I already had The Well at World's End on my reading list, but I was in the mood for something with a bit more plot to it, so I decided to start with this one instead.

This novel is historical fiction and also to some extent fantasy, although the fantasy elements tend to stay in the background. Morris includes some excellent poetry as well. It is a fictionalized portrait of the lives of the Germanic Goths and their war against imperial Rome. There are prophecies and battles and women who take part in defending their homes, although only men fight on the battlefield. The main character, Thiodolf, falls in love with a woman who is a seer and a daughter of the gods.

The Wolfings and their allies, the Laxings, live by a river in the forest of Mirkwood in a land called the Mark. If I hadn't already known that J.R.R. Tolkien was influenced by Morris, that would make it pretty obvious. (Tolkien mentioned this book and The Roots of the Mountains as influences on Lord of the Rings.)

I have read a couple of short essays about this book that I found insightful:

https://www.marxists.org/archive/morr...

http://morrisedition.lib.uiowa.edu/Ma...

[Jim Kuenzli · Rating 4 out of 5]

Morris penned quite a tale here. This was written in the 1800’s and it’s easy to see why Tolkien enjoyed the verse/ saga style writing presented here. It can be difficult to go from prose to verse so often, but it was beautifully written. The basis is “Welsh” meaning foreigners in Germanic Goth were invading their land. Romans were trying to expand North into forested Germanic lands. The Goths were in their sights. This is a story not only of battle, sacrifice, and romance, but a nice sprinkling of demigod women, dwarven magic, and the like. The verse portions create a bard like saga. Good read for me, but a lot of people might find it jumbled and archaic.

[Santiago Gª Soláns · Rating 4 out of 5]

7/10

Publicado por primera vez en 1890 William Morris compuso en esta obra una epopeya épica de ficción histórica, entremezclando en su escritura prosa y verso, que versa sobre el enfrentamiento de ciertas tribus «godas» germánicas contra la ocupación romana. Precursora, e influencia, de la fantasía de Tolkien —y es placer del lector el ir encontrando los paralelismos y homenajes, aunque tan sólo sea al uso de unas mismas fuentes—, su voz poética y su gusto por el retrato paisajista del escenario se hacen notar dentro de la forma de canto épico de la propuesta. El autor imbuye a la obra de un sabor y una cadencia antiguos, muy acordes al tono de las sagas nórdicas a las que en apariencia busca emular. La fantasía, con profecías, semi divinidades capaces de adoptar diversas formas u objetos de propiedades mágicas, se mantiene presente en un segundo plano, mientras las vivencias y modos de organización de los godos, los consejos de las tribus, las tomas de decisiones, las diversas batallas con tácticas y estrategias enfrentadas, el heroísmo, las gestas guerreras protagonizadas por ambos sexos y un romance secreto y condenado de antemano ocupan el centro del relato. Una obra con valor añadido.

Reseña completa en Sagacomic:
https://sagacomic.blogspot.com/2019/0...

[Zéro Janvier · Rating 4 out of 5]

Je poursuis ma lecture des œuvres de William Morris avec son deuxième roman, The House of the Wolfings, publié en 1889.

L'auteur met en scène des tribus germaniques qui vivent une vie paisible, voire utopique, dans la forêt de Mirkwood. Les tribus s’unissent pour se défendre contre une invasion romaine. Ces romains qui vivent dans des villes, représentants de la « civilisation moderne », viennent en effet pour piller, s’emparer des richesses de la forêt, et remettre en cause le mode de vie ancestral des tribus qui vivaient en paix et en harmonie entre elles et avec leur environnement.

Il faut d’abord s’accrocher un peu, car le vocabulaire et le style sont volontairement archaïques, et il faut accepter que certains dialogues soient écrits en vers. Une fois passé cet obstacle qui n’est pas insurmontable, on peut se laisser happer par un récit à la fois épique et profondément humain, avec des personnages forts et mémorables.

Ce roman est un peu inclassable, entre roman historique, récit mythique, et prémisse d'un genre qui n’existait pas encore : la fantasy historique, car le surnaturel est ici discret, en arrière-plan, mais bel et bien présent.

J’ai beaucoup aimé ce roman, et je comprends désormais mieux pourquoi William Morris est parfois cité comme une source d’inspiration pour J.R.R Tolkien et au-delà pour toute la fantasy du XXe siècle.

[Steve R · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first 'fantasy' novel of Morris - and thus, maybe the first fantasy novel ever written, as he really invented the genre. Developed out of his work translating Norse and German medieval epic poems, it tells the story of the Goth tribe who inhabit an area called Mark in the forest of Mirkwood. They are led by Thiodolf, a man of mysterious antecedents whose life is complicated by his possession of a dwarf-made mailshirt which, unbeknownst to him, is cursed. Not remembered and due for re-reading.

Having reread this work roughly forty years later, I was amazed how it really isn't fantasy, but rather is modeled closely on the medieval Germanic heroic epic: I thought frequently of the Nibelungenlied and Tristan, but also of the Norse sagas while reading it. Heroic, sad, elegiac, mystical, stalwart, brave, sincere, unsophisticated without being simplistic, and above all else, loyal and true to their kin: Morris certainly had much to admire in the characters who peopled the pages of the works he'd read and translated.

His socialism comes through at points in this story: the Romans are besieging the Goths of the Mark, and represent a vastly different culture: that of the city, as opposed to to the pastoral and agricultural villages of the 'kin', so close to the primeval forests and streams. Their very attitudes of collegial good fellowship are contrasted with the relatively venal desires of the Roman captain for personal glory and the acquiring of loot through pillage. The strict egalitarianism of the Goths is pointedly brought out, and is in stark contrast to the individualist, acquisitive (capitalist?) desires of their foe.

More than any other feature of the story, the language with which it is told marks this as quite a unique work. In fact, 'told' is a good term, for one catches the cadence of a bard or minstrel sitting around an evening fire and regaling his compatriots with the story of Thiodolf, the Hall-Sun, the Wolf-Sun, Otter, Arinbiorn and Egil. About a 60:40 split between prose and verse, even the prose has a rhythmic, poetic sound. The verse is quite interesting: Morris uses quite a long line. Seven beats to a line seemed to be the pattern, with a relatively rigid aabbcc... rhyming pattern.

The vocabulary is also singularly designed to mimic that of ancient sagas. Items such as 'astir', 'raiment', 'anigh', 'wains', 'wrought', 'arrayed', 'mayhappen' and 'yestereven' are just a few examples of the veritable plethora of archaisms he employs. A typical sentence runs thus: 'Otter smiled as he beheld this adoing and that the Romans meddled not with them belike because they looked to have them good cheap.'

The story is told in a relatively forthright manner, with the Battle of the Woods followed by the Battle of the Ridge, and then the climatic set-to occurring in the two stages of the Battle of the Dawning and the Battle of the Morning. The Wolfings have to defend their Hall (or 'Roof' as it is usually referred to) - a massive building which serves as the home for their clan, which is associated with other 'kin' such as the Bearings, the Elkings, the Daylings and so on. The veneration they feel to this Hall made me think of that of the Geets for their MeadHall in Beowulf.

The unity of the Goths is shown in their election of Thiodolf and Otter to be co-WarDukes, but is somewhat shattered when Arinbiarn criticizes Otter's failure to adequately defend the Bearing Roof. Indeed, an unsanctioned foray forces the hand of other, less headstrong parties to join prematurely in the fight. Such differences of opinion are, however, temporary, and the chastising party learns to regret his precipitous judgement.

The real development of character belongs to Thiodolf and the god-like Wood Sun, lovers who, unknown even to their child, had a daughter: the Hall-Sun, who is now about twenty years of age. The Wood-Sun gives Thiodolf a dwarf-made hauberk to wear in battle, but only much later and after some relatively dire setbacks have resulted, explains the curse which has been laid upon it. This mystical element of the narrative is well developed by Morris, and adds a definite other-worldly tinge to a story he so earnestly hoped would capture the romanticism and heroism of ancient prehistoric times.

This work is not quite like any other book I've ever read, with the exception of the medieval epics Morris obviously so admired, Yet, even with the heavy-handed use of archaisms, it is still a relatively modern story, even if it is only such in its romantic yearning for an idealized idyllic, pastoral time in which men were more honest and more simple in their thoughts and actions.

Very good.

[Tabitha Ormiston-Smith · Rating 1 out of 5]

I can't really say much about this book, because I found it very boring and only managed to finish it with the aid of OCD. I could have told the story so much better in a haiku:

Romans invaded
House of Wolfings fought and won
But their War Chief died.

That is literally the whole story.

[Bruce · Rating 5 out of 5]

Morris’s emotionally stirring tale of a war between the Romans and a loose federation of fictional Germanic tribes, is full of battle scenes. He tells it in prose and verse using many archaic words as though it were a medieval saga and not a late 19th century novel. Although filled with bloodshed, it is also filled with romance and supernatural encounters and a curse. As commentary by Michael Perry and this edition’s subtitle make clear, Morris, and this book in particular, had a great effect on J. R. R. Tolkien and Tolkien’s books.

[Jordan · Rating 1 out of 5]

Sometimes you go to read the inspiration for one of your favorites, and it's like drinking directly from the source. This was not one of those times. Too much of it was someone proclaiming their vision of the future in verse, followed by someone else recounting (also in verse) what actually happened. The archaic language didn't help matters.

[Nicholas Zacharewicz · Rating 4 out of 5]

If Tolkien had never written The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings series and everything that came along with that, William Morris’s House of the Wolfings would be a much bigger deal, I think.

Morris’ book is a wine of similar vintage but with the extra maturity that a several decades’ difference makes. Though that maturity can be pretty easily mistaken for sourness. After all, Morris wrote this story in a pseudo-medieval style complete with inset couplet-powered poems standing in for characters’ big speeches, revelations, and deepest conversations. The strength of those poems’ forms also varies depending on how comfortable and practiced each speaker is, lending the verses authenticity and personality.

But we live in a world where Tolkien did write The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings series. So take those books’ style and imagine if Tolkien didn’t hold back so much in his use of the language and affectations.

That is the style of this book.

As someone who spent the better part of six years in post-secondary education reading stories written in Middle and Early Modern English, Morris’ diction, word choice, and expressiveness are no problem. They’re a welcome treat! Like reading a Shakespeare play for fun! But I know not everyone has that reaction when they find the Bard on their nightstand. So, admittedly, that might be more of a strike against it than a win for it. I guess too old wine to some is just hard-water-scale-clearing vinegar and to others it is a high-end salad dressing ingredient. For me, Morris’ language and his usage gave me the thrill of reminding myself a few times that this was written in the 1800s and not the 800s a few times.

But I know that not everyone (not even everyone who reads modern Fantasy) is a language weirdo like me.

So, where the book falters in general accessibility, I am confident in saying that the story’s characters and worldbuilding are surprisingly brilliant.

The worldbuilding in particular can be summarized in the presence of a piece of enchanted armour called the dwarf-forged hauberk. It is given as a boon to the Folk of the Mark (pre-Roman Britons) but it is not until after it is used for the first time that we learn of its story and its curse. By that point in the book though, there’s just as much misty mystique around that item as there is around the entirety of Morris’ story.

As the best fantasists do, Morris also draws a vivid setting and populates it with bold characters. Our heroes are not perfect and our villains are ultimately just people with diametrically opposed goals to our heroes. After all, the thrust of the threat in this book is that the Romans are coming to stomp the Folk of the Mark’s way of life, bind them into slavery, and then take the land they have so conveniently freed up for themselves. The world will spin on, but not the Folk of the Mark’s world. And therein lies the threat.

At the same time, however, even with the fantastical elements in mind (the very Beowulf-esque magic armour and some congress between gods and humans), knowing what ultimately happened between the Britons and the Romans, the story feels even more fantastical, as if Morris has reached beyond the Roman accounts of the people of the islands they conquered and found a story written by the Britons themselves, a story of hard-won triumph and bittersweet celebration (however short-lived). And the story’s central trio of Thiodolf, the young wisewoman known as the Hall Sun, and the strange lady of the forest known as the Wood Sun make for great interactions. In particular are those scenes between Thiodolf and the Wood Sun that would be just as at home in stories labelled “Romance” in the more modern sense.

But what kept my eyes on this book’s e-pages was each character’s development as they learn more about their pasts and take more decisive actions for their futures.

If that list of the main characters two paragraphs back is still bothering you, yes, Morris does not give personal names to his two major female characters. But most characters outside of the officers in the fighting forces are not named (not even the enemy commander, whose name it would make little sense for the Folk to know). And a group of women who seem to stand astride the book’s narrower concepts of “masculine” and “feminine” play a pivotal role in the Folk of the Mark’s defence against the Romans. Plus, the fact that they are called on to get their favoured weapons before they go out to help defend the Folk of the Mark suggests to me that these women are very much an accepted part of their society — they must not be practicing in secret if they’re known to favour certain weapons.

For an example of what Fantasy was like and a welcome alternative to stories that try to differentiate themselves from the genre’s more blatant tropes with grit and grim “reality” The House of the Wulfings is definitely worth reading. Plus, you can find it for free over on Project Gutenberg.

[Karen Rettig · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a (relatively) modern epic, written at least a century ago, but not in the Dark Ages. I am fond of JRR Tolkien’s books and I read that he was influenced by “The House of the Wolfings”. I could see many of the influences, especially the elevated language and many specific terms found in LoTR.

The book was interesting in its own right. Older epics are set in a mythical past, but this took place in a recognizable historical period. I don’t know if the Wolfings represent a specific Germanic tribe, but the plot takes place as the Roman army is conquering Gaul, probably in the first century AD. About that time, the Romans began to have trouble controlling the fringes of their empire, so they stopped pushing into Gaul. The Wolfings unite with the other houses in the tribe and, after deeds of valor and the death of a hero, they succeed in conquering the Roman army, and Rome never sends another.

[Nathan Shumate · Rating 5 out of 5]

An almost forgotten book of historical fantasy from 1888 (free on Gutenberg.org), of a Gothic tribe defending themselves against Roman invasion. Both influential on Tolkien and drawing from common sources with him (you can see a definite kinship with Rohan, plus place names such as "Mirkwood"). The text is lyrical in the true sense of "meant to be read or recited aloud," with large sections of dialogue rendered in verse. Highly recommended.

[John Fredrickson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This an interesting book on many levels. It is a translation of a Norse saga by a (relatively) modern fantasy writer, and the book influenced or inspired some of the great fantasy writers, especially Tolkien. The vocabulary that is used throughout is archaic (words such as kine, carle, carline, thrall, wain, plus numerous others, including a few that defeated my online dictionary), but the reader adapts to this while reading along.

One interesting aspect of this book is the ancient Norse culture that it depicts. This culture is familiar to me from other readings of Norse sagas, and is markedly different than our own. The local cultural group is what I will call here a clan. The Wolfings are a clan in a wooded setting, and the structure, story, and defense of the clan itself comes across as the important organizing feature of the society. The characters/people live within this stratified societal clan, where individual roles appear to be relatively fixed, and where the warrior stands uppermost.

Notably, the local notion of clan adhesiveness extends readily to other nearby (and related) clans. In the story, numerous different clans quickly gather to present a unified, and very well-governed, front against a foreign adversary (the Romans).

Violent conflict between groups appears to be assumed as a foundational human situation. Heroic warriors who will battle without fear, sacrificing their lives to protect their clan, are the uppermost strata of this society. The measurable worth of the warriors presented directly corresponds to their bravery, cunning, and fighting abilities. This individual heroism is also very socially balanced, as it is consistently coupled with strong personal respect for women, the elderly, and members of other allied groups.

Another aspect of the book that I found interesting is the portrayal of the unified worlds of spirits, gods, and nature. Odin and Tyr are assumed present by the characters of the story, but these two never actually come into the story as active agents. There are other, very active agents in the story, never named as elves, who drive many of the main events that are narrated. An elvish woman who loves a warrior, and has given birth to an important woman in the Wolfing clan, is responsible for much of the drama that takes place. Several individuals who drive much of the action during the course of the defense against the Romans are either elves or related to elves, which are seen to be an integral part of the nature of this universe.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book, published in 1889, is considered the first modern fantasy novel and influenced an entire genre. The influence it had on Tolkein is very clear, both in language and subject matter. The House of the Wolfings tells the story of an early invasion of the Romans in the Goth's homeland, the Mark. It is a tale of valiant warriors fighting an enemy come to destroy them, the love of an immortal goddess for a human man, a Dwarf-made suit of mail, and the spiritual leader, the Hall-Sun. I found the young, female, seer, the Hall-Sun, to be the most interesting character to me. She is both a spiritual leader and a brilliant leader in practical things, like defense during invasion, and is
named for a beautiful glass oil lamp "of a fair and clear green like an emerald, and all done with figures and knots in gold, and strange beasts, and a warrior slaying a dragon, and the sun rising on the earth" a symbol of mystery and spiritual power for the Goths who hold it as their greatest treasure. With Morris' involvement in the Arts and Crafts movement, I couldn't help but wonder if he had ever designed such a lamp himself. Much of it is told in rhyme, which is a tribute to Morris's talent as a writer, and there is a fair amount of usage of archaic words. You might want to have your on-line dictionary handy if you can't get the meaning from context. As with many fantasy novels, there is an over-glorification of war and battles and a glossing over of the real misery that would have resulted from the Romans' burnt earth policy.

[Sylvester Olson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ya know how documents, museum exhibits, and nonfiction books occasionally frame their expository information in the form of narratives? For instance, a museum exhibit featuring cavemen might trace the life of a child through sequential displays, or a documentary might name an animal and follow it over the course of ninety minutes. In each case, the purpose of the narrative isn't really to tell a good story for story's sake, but to provide a framework in which the audience can follow along, making the factual expository information more palatable. That's pretty much how I felt while reading The House of the Wolfings. William Morris's agenda seems to be to explore the world and lifestyle of ancient Teutonic peoples, with characterization and plot coming second to that. There's nothing wrong with it, and I anticipate reading it again at some point in the future. The light touches of fantasy, such as the dwarf-forged hauberk, were perhaps the most interesting of Morris's flourishes. But essentially this is a novel written for another age, the nineteenth century, when people had fewer resources at their hands to learn about the pre-Westernized word of Northern Europe. In modern times, I don't see much of a purpose for it.

[Adam Carnehl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Perhaps the first fantasy novel ever written, "The House of the Wolfings" is an epic tale of British tribes facing and defeating Roman invaders in the woodlands, marshes, and meadows of their home. The Wolfing house is a clan led by the war-duke Thiodulf and his daughter the Hall-Sun.

The idea behind the book is brilliant and original. When William Morris wrote this he included no introduction, and no one had any idea what to do with it. Its archaic language, its acceptance of magic, its mythology - no one had written a novel that took Norse/Celtic sagas as its inspiration. No one had yet thought of "fantasy literature" as we know it today.

Yet, I found the book to be, on the whole, leaving much to be desired. The characters are insipid and the plot can be quite plodding. The story itself is rather basic, but with all the many pages of (well-written) epic verse, it takes some time to get to anything that resembles action or interest. If for no other reason, I am glad that I have read and now possess this book for the influence it exerted on the fantasy genre in the next 100 years.

[Liam · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a lot better than I imagined. It was beautifully written, with loads and loads of dialogue in verse, which showcases Morris' exceptional poetic talent. While this book is mostly historical, about Goth going to war with Romans, it does blend supernatural and so is known to be one of the first fantasy works and famously influenced Tolkien.

I loved how magic played it's part, and Hall-Sun and Wood-Sun were great characters along with the protagonist Thiodolf. I even found some interesting similarities between Thiodolf and Eddard Stark from A Song of Ice and Fire.

There is an excessive amount of archaisms, which was good practice for me. I look forward to reading more of these tales Morris wrote late in life, and I'm glad that I got an early edition of A Tale of the House of the Wolfings and All the Kindreds of the Mark.

[Philip · Rating 2 out of 5]

Quite to be expected, I read this book out of curiosity, to find out how it inspired Tolkien. It is evident how these inspirations came, since the beginning, but it is a good thing Tolkien didn't stick too close to them.
The novel is extremely tedious to read, using very archaic language wit way too many words and descriptions and very little plot or action. On the positive side, the text is strongly picturesque and atmospheric, thus in the end I managed to finish it and I do not regret too much the two months it took me. But it was a challenge. And not to mention the odd fact that I simply can't remember to have heard of any Roman invasion in the lands of the Goths...

[Thomas May · Rating 3 out of 5]

If anyone considers reading it, I would recommend giving the first ten or so pages a try. If you think Tolkien is apt to writing prose in an archaic way, Morris will make you more sympathetic to Tolkien.

It’s absolutely dense, but it’s also a really interesting example of sort of proto-fantasy that might make you look at more modern (like post 1900) stuff in a new light. The story itself does also pick up around the halfway point. The Hall-Sun and Wood-Sun were both really interesting and unique characters, especially for the publishing era.

All that being said, I don’t think I could make it through the density of the book again.

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got overly excited and initially reviewed this a 5 star. It is resplendent but is perhaps short of a dynamic chord. Yet the notes it hits are wonderful. There is so much here I love. There are kennings; there are caesuras; Morris uses archaic words with a deft hand; we have some norseness happening...

I did not know this was William Morris... I am kicking myself for not discovering him earlier.

Essentially, if you always wanted epic verse focused on the Riders of Rohan fighting Romans, The House of the Wolflings is your ditty.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Captures the feel of the Norse sagas but comparatively more tightly plotted. The language could be an obstacle for some; archaic terms/word usage.
Points for characters who regularly speak in metered rhyme.

**SPOILERS**
I liked the story of the Hauberk. Found it satisfying. I liked the twist. A more observant reader might have seen it coming, but I didn't. I trusted the Wood-Sun. Oh well. I suppose some might think the whole thing a bit contrived, and perhaps they're right. But I don't care. It worked for me.

[Wouter · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is difficult to place The House of the Wolflings in the literary canon of English literature. It tells the story of the Wolfling clan fighting against an invading Roman army. Its style is archaic which adds to the atmosphere of reading an old story. It has a mix of prose and verse.

Most of the story is about fighting, killing, and dying. Yet, it does have a unique approach to story telling which influence I can see on the writings of Tolkien.

[João Batista · Rating 4 out of 5]

The prose-poetry of Morris describing a society of warriors where there was supposed to be no war. Is it an idyllic viking land? But references to Goths and the Terror of Nations make us sympathize with the former, as they fight fiercely. What is upon the Dward-wrought hauberk bestowed to Thiodolf of the Wolfings by his beloved Wood-sun?

[Marianne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was afraid I wouldn't enjoy reading this as much as I liked the idea of it, and that its age would make it too inaccessible, but that ended up not being the case at all. I found it enjoyable and very readable. The archaic vocabulary, which I think was probably archaic when it was written, helps to build the mythic feeling of the story.

[Kevin Buck · Rating 5 out of 5]

An epic tale about tribes of Goths fighting off an army of Romans.
The language is archaic so it takes a bit to get into the rhythm, but once you've got it down the story flows.
Fans of Tolkien will like it.

[Massimiliano · Rating 5 out of 5]

Majestic

[Zach Lawton · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was just okay

[Audiobook Heaven · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book, I listened to the audiobook version on YouTube. I will leave the link below so that everyone can enjoy it! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sCH2V...

[India]

DNF because my copy was from 1978 and disintegrated. The first few pages were interesting though

[Stèf · Rating 4 out of 5]

Purposely archaic with prose and verse. Sometimes hard to follow but rather enjoyable. The librevox readers were great, brought a lot of life.