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Chapter companions for The House of the Wolfings by William Morris.

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  1. Chapter 1

    Epigraph

    The epigraph reflects on the bittersweet memory of a lost homestead, using the metaphor of a traveler passing a former home to evoke themes of nostalgia, loss, and the passage of time. It sets a melancholic tone for the story, hinting at the cycle of departure and return.

  2. Chapter 2

    The House of the Wolfings

    This chapter introduces the Wolfing tribe, their hall, and their way of life, focusing on the arrival of the war-arrow and the call to arms against the Romans. Thiodolf, the war-duke, is central, and the chapter sets the stage for the coming conflict, highlighting themes of kinship, honor, and the cycle of war.

  3. Chapter 3

    The Dwellings of Mid-Mark

    This chapter describes the geography and social structure of the Markmen, focusing on the Wolfing House in Mid-Mark. It details the great hall, its construction, the customs of kinship and marriage, the significance of the Hall-Sun lamp, and the layout of the surrounding settlement.

  4. Chapter 4

    II: The Flitting of the War-Arrow

    On a summer evening, the Wolfing folk hear the war-horn of the Elkings, signaling tidings of war. A young runner from the Hartings arrives bearing the war-arrow—a token burnt, bloodied, and split—and delivers the call to arms against a great host from the South. Thiodolf, the war-duke, blows the Wolfing war-horn three times, and the kindred prepare to depart for battle, leaving the Hall-Sun behind under the Roof.

  5. Chapter 5

    III: Thiodolf Talketh with the Wood-Sun

    In the deep of night, Thiodolf leaves the Hall-Sun and walks through the beechwood to a secluded wood-lawn where the Wood-Sun, a divine Chooser of the Slain, awaits him. They embrace and speak of love, fate, and the coming battle. The Wood-Sun gives Thiodolf a dwarf-wrought hauberk, urging him to wear it in the fight as a gift that will preserve his life and their union. Thiodolf hesitates, fearing the dwarf-kin's malice, but ultimately accepts the hauberk as dawn breaks.

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  1. Chapter 6IV: The House Fareth to the War
  2. Chapter 7V: Concerning the Hall-Sun
  3. Chapter 8They Talk on the Way to the Folk-Thing
  4. Chapter 9VII: They Gather to the Folk-Mote
  5. Chapter 10VIII: The Folk-Mote of the Markmen
  6. Chapter 11IX: The Ancient Man of the Daylings
  7. Chapter 12X: That Carline Cometh to the Roof of the Wolfings
  8. Chapter 13XI: The Hall-Sun Speaketh
  9. Chapter 14XII: Tidings of the Battle in Mirkwood
  10. Chapter 15XIII: The Hall-Sun Saith Another Word
  11. Chapter 16XIV: The Hall-Sun Is Careful Concerning the Passes of the Wood
  12. Chapter 17They Hear Tell of the Battle on the Ridge
  13. Chapter 18How the Dwarf-Wrought Hauberk Was Brought Away from the Hall of the Daylings
  14. Chapter 19XVII: The Wood-Sun Speaketh with Thiodolf
  15. Chapter 20Tidings Brought to the Wain-Burg
  16. Chapter 21XIX: Those Messengers Come to Thiodolf
  17. Chapter 22XX: Otter and His Folk Come Into Mid-Mark
  18. Chapter 23XXI: They Bicker About the Ford
  19. Chapter 24XXII: Otter Falls on Against His Will
  20. Chapter 25Thiodolf Meeteth the Romans in the Wolfing Meadow
  21. Chapter 26The Goths Are Overthrown by the Romans
  22. Chapter 27The Host of the Markmen Cometh Into the Wild-Wood
  23. Chapter 28XXVI: Thiodolf Talketh with the Wood-Sun
  24. Chapter 29XXVII: They Wend to the Morning Battle
  25. Chapter 30Of the Storm of Dawning
  26. Chapter 31Of Thiodolf's Storm
  27. Chapter 32XXX: Thiodolf Is Borne Out of the Hall and Otter Is Laid Beside Him
  28. Chapter 33XXXI: Old Asmund Speaketh Over the War-Dukes: The Dead Are Laid in Mound
  29. Chapter 34Endnotes