Earthfasts by William Mayne
"Earthfasts" is a novel set in the Yorkshire Dales of northern England, focusing on the experiences of two fifteen-year-old boys, David Wix and Keith Heseltine. The story begins with their discovery of movement in a field, leading to the emergence of a mysterious red-coated drummer boy named Nelly Jack John. He claims to have been searching for treasure linked to local legends about King Arthur and his knights. Throughout the narrative, the boys encounter a series of supernatural events, including the appearance of a boggart, moving standing stones, and a wild boar, prompting them to investigate these occurrences further.
As the plot unfolds, David becomes entranced by a peculiar candle left behind by the drummer boy, which burns cold and cannot be extinguished. The climax of the story is marked by a dramatic confrontation with supernatural forces, leading to David's temporary disappearance. Ultimately, the boys navigate a path back to their own time, returning the candle to its rightful place and witnessing the resolution of the strange happenings in their town. The novel intertwines themes of friendship, adventure, and the exploration of time, while drawing upon local folklore and myth.
On this Page
Subject Terms
Earthfasts
First published: 1966
Type of work: Novel
Type of plot: Fantasy—time travel
Time of work: The early 1960s
Locale: North Yorkshire, England
The Plot
The book is divided into four parts: “This Aye Night,” “Standing Stones,” “On Hare Trod,” and “Fire and Fleet and Candlelight.” The central characters are two fifteen-year-old boys: David Wix, whose father is a doctor, and Keith Heseltine, whose father is a lawyer. They live in the small town of Garebrough in the Yorkshire Dales of northern England.
In the first part, they discover, in late summer, movement of the earth in a field outside town. From it emerges a red-coated drummer boy, Nelly Jack John, who had been, he claimed, in a garrison based at the castle in town. He had gone searching for treasure underground, following a local legend that King Arthur and his knights lay buried under the castle mound. The two boys realize that the drummer boy must have entered the under-ground passage he had found in the mid-eighteenth century but did not seem to be aware of any passage of time. When the drummer boy is finally made to believe this, he returns into the ground as he came. The drummer boy leaves behind a candle, which David picks up and takes home. It does not appear to give light or consume itself, and its flame cannot be extinguished and burns cold.
The second part of the story, set in the fall, brings to light other strange phenomena: a boggart (goblin) is found in a moorland farm, standing stones appear to have moved on the moor, a wild boar is heard of, and many pigs are stolen.
David and Keith investigate these happenings in the third part. Hare Trod is an ancient trackway on the moors, and their search centers on it. David also becomes addicted to staring at the candle and becomes aware of invisible presences. In the climax, the boys return from Hare Trod convinced they can see giants and a huge whirling thing that flattens the grass in circles. They are aware of an attacking presence, and Keith blacks out. When he comes around, David has disappeared and is presumed dead. Many of the phenomena are named at the inquest, but because there is no scientific explanation, a verdict of death by lightning is recorded.
In the final part, it is winter. Keith has retrieved David’s candle. One night, its light reveals that his yard is filled with horsemen—King Arthur and his knights. It is their candle that Nelly Jack John stole, and the theft has awakened them before their time. Keith submits to their will, enters the tunnel, and returns the candle to the Round Table. As he does this, he sees David, who is unaware of the passing of time. As they find their way out, they encounter the drummer boy, who is struggling against time to return through the tunnel. They take him with them and re-emerge in their own time the same night. David is reunited with his father, and Nelly Jack John goes to live on the farm where the boggart has quieted down. The other phenomena cease.