# The Supernatural and the Unknown in The House on the Borderland

> Theme guide for The House on the Borderland by William Hope Hodgson.

The narrative is filled with inexplicable phenomena—ghostly lights, monstrous swine-creatures, a pit to hell, and astral projection—emphasizing that there are forces and dimensions beyond human comprehension that intrude upon the mundane world.

## Where it surfaces

- [I: The Finding of the Manuscript](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_house_on_the_borderland_se/chapters/i-the-finding-of-the-manuscript): The strange wailing sound and the sense of unseen presences in the woods introduce an atmosphere of supernatural dread.
- [II: The Plain of Silence](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_house_on_the_borderland_se/chapters/ii-the-plain-of-silence): The chapter details a supernatural vision of a vast plain and strange candle phenomena, marking the first clear manifestation of the unknown.
- [III: The House in the Arena](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_house_on_the_borderland_se/chapters/iii-the-house-in-the-arena): The chapter is filled with supernatural entities—beast-gods, a swine-thing, and a mysterious house—that defy human understanding and evoke terror.
- [V: The Thing in the Pit](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_house_on_the_borderland_se/chapters/v-the-thing-in-the-pit): The creature's unnatural appearance and behavior, along with the eerie sounds from the earth, suggest a supernatural or otherworldly presence.
- [VI: The Swine-Things](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_house_on_the_borderland_se/chapters/vi-the-swine-things): The emergence of the swine-things from the Pit and their quasi-human speech defy natural explanation, deepening the mystery of the house and its surroundings.
- [X: The Time of Waiting](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_house_on_the_borderland_se/chapters/x-the-time-of-waiting): The unexplained absence of the Swine-Things creates an eerie suspense, as the narrator suspects a ruse and fears the unknown intentions of the creatures.
- [XI: The Searching of the Gardens](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_house_on_the_borderland_se/chapters/xi-the-searching-of-the-gardens): The inexplicable disappearance of the swine-things' remains and the transformed Pit suggest supernatural forces at work.
- [XII: The Subterranean Pit](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_house_on_the_borderland_se/chapters/xii-the-subterranean-pit): The Recluse's exploration of the dark hole and the echoing, breathing sounds evoke the terror of the unknown and the supernatural.
- [XIII: The Trap in the Great Cellar](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_house_on_the_borderland_se/chapters/xiii-the-trap-in-the-great-cellar): The trap door opens onto a mysterious abyss, and the narrator feels an inexplicable compulsion to gaze into it.
- [XIV: The Sea of Sleep](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_house_on_the_borderland_se/chapters/xiv-the-sea-of-sleep): The vision of the Sea of Sleep and the appearance of the lost love are supernatural phenomena beyond ordinary explanation.
- [XIX: The End of the Solar System](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_house_on_the_borderland_se/chapters/xix-the-end-of-the-solar-system): The Green Sun, the Swine-Things, and the narrator's levitation into space evoke a supernatural and unknowable cosmic order.
- [XX: The Celestial Globes](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_house_on_the_borderland_se/chapters/xx-the-celestial-globes): The vision of the celestial globes and the Sea of Sleep represents a supernatural borderland of existence beyond ordinary reality.
- [XXII: The Dark Nebula](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_house_on_the_borderland_se/chapters/xxii-the-dark-nebula): The dark nebula, the ruddy spheres with blind sorrowful faces, and the colossal House represent unknowable cosmic horrors.
- [XXIV: The Footsteps in the Garden](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_house_on_the_borderland_se/chapters/xxiv-the-footsteps-in-the-garden): The ghostly footsteps, luminous hand, and cat's immolation are direct supernatural manifestations.
- [XXV: The Thing from the Arena](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_house_on_the_borderland_se/chapters/xxv-the-thing-from-the-arena): The swine-faced entity, the luminous wound, and the compulsion to unbolt the door embody the intrusion of the unknown into the mundane.
- [XXVI: The Luminous Speck](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_house_on_the_borderland_se/chapters/xxvi-the-luminous-speck): The luminous speck and the spreading corruption are unexplained, supernatural phenomena that defy natural law.
- [Conclusion](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_house_on_the_borderland_se/chapters/xxvii-conclusion): The chapter reinforces the supernatural aura of the house and pit, with local legends and the mysterious disappearance of the building.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_house_on_the_borderland_se/themes/the_supernatural_and_the_unknown
- Themes index: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_house_on_the_borderland_se/themes