The Influence of William Morris - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

littlemanpoet · 12-15-2006, 09:08 PM

Tolkien proudly acknowledged his indebtedness to William Morris. He wrote in letters that he tried to describe the land of his story with the kind of love and care that he found in Morris's writings. But does the influence go beyond that?

Following are some bits from Morris's Icelandic Journals and News from Nowhere.

From the Icelandic Journals (I am indebted to Mythlore Magazine), Morris consciously presents himself as the rotund buffoon of his traveling party, cared for and irritating by turns. He regularly loses things. He is a man out of his comfort-zone, to use contemporary terms, who, though used to a comfortable middle-class life, is thrust into an "adventure". Morris is often homesick and dislikes rivers and streams. He clings to his horse's mane when fording rivers, and "quite lost my sense of where I was going". He proves to be a good camp cook

Morris describes the landscape and terrain inside the volcano Eiriksjokull: Climbing "over the lava till we come to a steep-sided hollow," they entered "first into a ragged sort of porch, and then into a regular vaulted hall" followed by a long dark passage.

Morris's party can't make a fire in the Icelandic damp: "It soon comes on to rain again," and after many attempts by all members of the party, they give it up, and begin to quarrel.

The Morris party's ponies are always running away, and one loses all its baggage as it bangs along the rough terrain, galloping away.

The houses in Iceland have thick turf walls: "both walls and roof are just as green as the field they spring from; all doors are very low," just not round.

What correspondences do you see? Does anyone else know much about Morris?

12-15-2006, 09:08 PM	#1
littlemanpoet Itinerant Songster Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: The Edge of Faerie Posts: 7,066	The Influence of William Morris Tolkien proudly acknowledged his indebtedness to William Morris. He wrote in letters that he tried to describe the land of his story with the kind of love and care that he found in Morris's writings. But does the influence go beyond that? Following are some bits from Morris's Icelandic Journals and News from Nowhere. From the Icelandic Journals (I am indebted to Mythlore Magazine), Morris consciously presents himself as the rotund buffoon of his traveling party, cared for and irritating by turns. He regularly loses things. He is a man out of his comfort-zone, to use contemporary terms, who, though used to a comfortable middle-class life, is thrust into an "adventure". Morris is often homesick and dislikes rivers and streams. He clings to his horse's mane when fording rivers, and "quite lost my sense of where I was going". He proves to be a good camp cook Morris describes the landscape and terrain inside the volcano Eiriksjokull: Climbing "over the lava till we come to a steep-sided hollow," they entered "first into a ragged sort of porch, and then into a regular vaulted hall" followed by a long dark passage. Morris's party can't make a fire in the Icelandic damp: "It soon comes on to rain again," and after many attempts by all members of the party, they give it up, and begin to quarrel. The Morris party's ponies are always running away, and one loses all its baggage as it bangs along the rough terrain, galloping away. The houses in Iceland have thick turf walls: "both walls and roof are just as green as the field they spring from; all doors are very low," just not round. What correspondences do you see? Does anyone else know much about Morris?