The Wood Beyond the World by William Morris
"The Wood Beyond the World" is a fantasy novel that follows the journey of a young man named Golden Walter, who escapes his unhappy marriage in the city of Langton. Seeking adventure and new experiences, Walter encounters a mysterious trio consisting of an ugly dwarf, a beautiful young girl, and a noble lady, which becomes central to his tale. After a storm diverts his ship to an unknown land inhabited by wild savages called the Bears, Walter discovers an idyllic realm filled with both beauty and peril.
In this land, he meets the young maiden again and learns of the dangers posed by the Lady, who has previously ensnared many young men, including a King's Son. As Walter navigates feelings of love and rivalry, he must confront the manipulative forces at play, including the Lady's obsession and the jealous King's Son. The story unfolds with themes of loyalty, temptation, and the quest for freedom, culminating in a series of dramatic events that lead Walter to become a king. Ultimately, he marries the Maid, and they reign together, marking a transformative journey that intertwines love, power, and destiny.
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The Wood Beyond the World
First published: 1894
Type of work: Novel
Type of plot: Fantasy—heroic fantasy
Time of work: Undefined, but modeled on Europe’s Middle Ages
Locale: An unknown land
The Plot
The Wood Beyond the World is the story of a young man, Golden Walter. The son of a prominent merchant from the city of Langton, Walter is trapped in an unhappy marriage. With his father’s permission he leaves Langton, wishing to escape his wife but also desiring to see other lands and experience new adventures. By so doing he faces many dangers, but he gains his heart’s desire.
Before leaving Langton, Walter notices three figures: an ugly dwarf, a beautiful young girl, and a noble lady. Many months later, in a faraway port, Walter again sees the unusual threesome. Soon afterward, a storm blows his ship far off course, to an unknown land. An old man tells Walter about the country, which is largely populated by wild savages, the Bears. Still seeking adventure, Walter leaves his compatriots, and after wandering for several days he reaches an idyllic land.
There Walter discovers the dwarf he had seen twice before and is repelled by the evil beast. Soon afterward, he comes upon the young maiden. Walter is immediately smitten by her and she by him, but she is fearful of the dwarf and other things. A slave to the Lady, the Maid describes the land as one of peril. Her Lady has seduced a number of young men, most recently a King’s Son, but the Maid notes that the latter is tiring of the Lady and has set his sights upon her. She warns Walter that he will likely be the Lady’s next victim. After exchanging vows of love with the Maid, Walter continues on to the Golden House, where he finds the Lady and the King’s Son.
Walter takes up residence in the Golden House, becoming the object of the King’s Son’s jealousy even though the son is, as the Maid stated, less enamored of the Lady than of the Maid. The Lady knows this, and she also suspects that Walter is attracted to the Maid. Walter loves the Maid but is drawn to the Lady by passion. The key figure is the Maid: Is she telling the truth about the Lady and about the King’s Son, and is she sincere in her avowed love for Walter?
Before any of the complicated consummations can occur, Walter and the Maid flee the Golden House. When the Dwarf interferes, Walter slays him. Only then does the Maid explain. She was brought to this strange land through a dream, which became real when she awakened as a slave to the Lady. She tells Walter that to escape from the Lady’s domination she hinted to the Lady that she and Walter would bed together. Instead, she had the King’s Son come to her chamber, and he was slain by the Lady, who assumed it was Walter. Afterward, in regret, the Lady killed herself.
After more adventures, including successfully passing through the land of the Bears, they come to a throng of armed men who take them to the great City of the Stark-wall. Expecting death, Walter is offered the choice of glorious robes of peace or worn and stained battle garb. He chooses the latter. That test, unbeknown to him, is how kings are selected. By choosing correctly, Walter becomes the new king. The Maid becomes his queen, and together they embark upon a long and glorious reign.