Ayesha (novel)
Encyclopedia
Ayesha, the Return of She is a gothic novel by the popular Victorian
author H. Rider Haggard
, published in 1905, as a sequel to his far more popular and well known novel, She
. It was serialised in the Windsor Magazine
in 1904-5.
Its significance was recognized by its republication by the Newcastle Publishing Company
as the fourteenth volume of the celebrated Newcastle Forgotten Fantasy Library
series in October, 1977.
; even if She was born centuries ago in ancient Egypt
; or, remembers it from a past life; or, had waited thousands of years for the reincarnation
of her lover, whom she believes is Leo. The monk says she is demon or a fallen angel, or a mirage. The reader is left in suspense as to the truth.
After many adventures, including avalanche
s, glacier
s and cliffs, they arrive in the isolated city of Kaloon, ruled by the Khania and her Uncle. They claim to be descendants of Alexander the Great's Generals. The Queen, or Khania Atene, wants to keep Leo in order to set up a new dynasty with him as her husband. The Queen of the Mountain orders the Khania to send Leo and Holly to her, or risk breaking the peace treaty between their people. The Khania Atene vows to kill Leo, rather than let him go.
Finally, before the shrine of the Goddess, in the mountain, the Queens meet, and Leo must decide if there is truth in beauty, or beauty in truth. Leo decides that the soul is more than meets the eye, even if residing in a hag
, or a witch see things happening far off
, or a fallen angel, or a demon. The Priestess/Queen of the Mountain seems to be Ayesha, and she wants to make Leo the King of all the nations on Earth, as well as set up a new religion with them at its head, restoring the old cults of Osiris and Isis.
The Khania, Queen of the plain, Atene, vows to invade the mountain, and kill Leo and Ayesha. The Khania is a witch, and warns them that Ayesha is a demon who will kill Leo if she keeps him.
The Mountain Oracle tells them they are reenacting their roles from past lives in Egypt and Africa. Ayesha says that she knows the reason why their souls are drawn together: That they are to learn about and redeem each other, and their Fates may have begun together, even before the creation of the world.
The Queens marshal their armies against each other, calling on all their mystical and magical power, and their troops, to fight against their Fate, and each other.
As doom approaches, Leo and Ayesha are desperate to marry and will risk their Fate, if Holly acts as an officiant
to join them. Ayesha believes that this will redeem their souls, bringing Forgiveness
and eternal Grace
"and all things that are pure and fair."
Holly wonders about the Monk's warning: Is this the road to peace, or doom? Can angels love and demons repent? And who is "She"?
. The delay of eighteen years before the writing of Ayesha was deliberate and matches what is said to have happened in the lives of the characters. Tibet was chosen as the setting for the story since reincarnation
is a part of the doctrine of Tibetan Buddhism
but since She was originally Egyptian the story mixes elements of this with the beliefs of ancient Egypt. Haggard's daughter Lilias in her biography explains the origin of the various names used for She: 'She-Who-Must-Be-Obeyed' was previously the nickname of a doll in the author's nursery; Ayesha is borrowed from Arabic (one of the Prophet Mohammed's wives bore this name) (a note by Haggard indicates that it should be pronounced 'Assha'); Hes is an alternative name for the goddess Isis
Ayesha is mentioned in Freud's The Interpretation of Dreams as well as by Jung.
Victorian era
The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
author H. Rider Haggard
H. Rider Haggard
Sir Henry Rider Haggard, KBE was an English writer of adventure novels set in exotic locations, predominantly Africa, and a founder of the Lost World literary genre. He was also involved in agricultural reform around the British Empire...
, published in 1905, as a sequel to his far more popular and well known novel, She
She (novel)
She, subtitled A History of Adventure, is a novel by Henry Rider Haggard, first serialized in The Graphic magazine from October 1886 to January 1887. She is one of the classics of imaginative literature, and with over 83 million copies sold in 44 different languages, one of the best-selling books...
. It was serialised in the Windsor Magazine
Windsor Magazine
The Windsor Magazine was a monthly illustrated publication produced by Ward Lock & Co from January 1895 to September 1939 .The title page described it as "An Illustrated Monthly for Men and Women"....
in 1904-5.
Its significance was recognized by its republication by the Newcastle Publishing Company
Newcastle Publishing Company
The Newcastle Publishing Company was a Southern California-based small trade paperback publisher founded by bookstore owner Al Saunders, active from July 1971 through October 1992, under the editorial direction of Robert Reginald and Douglas Menville, formerly the editors of the speculative fiction...
as the fourteenth volume of the celebrated Newcastle Forgotten Fantasy Library
Newcastle Forgotten Fantasy Library
The Newcastle Forgotten Fantasy Library was a series of trade paperback books published by the Newcastle Publishing Company between 1973 and 1980...
series in October, 1977.
Plot summary
This novel, is based on the characters from She, including the titular Ayesha, "She Who Must Be Obeyed", and picks up where the last ended. Leo Vincey and Horace Holly, the writer, are convinced that "She" did not perish at the end of the last book, in Africa, which would make for a short story. They are led by dreams, and coincidences to 'Thibet' (as it is spelled in the book). In Thibet, they meet an old monk, who knows something of this "She". He remembers her from the time of Alexander the Great, when his armies were there. He tries to dissuade the two from going on with their quest, and warns them that, however beautiful, nothing is immortalImmortality
Immortality is the ability to live forever. It is unknown whether human physical immortality is an achievable condition. Biological forms have inherent limitations which may or may not be able to be overcome through medical interventions or engineering...
; even if She was born centuries ago in ancient Egypt
Ancient Egypt
Ancient Egypt was an ancient civilization of Northeastern Africa, concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in what is now the modern country of Egypt. Egyptian civilization coalesced around 3150 BC with the political unification of Upper and Lower Egypt under the first pharaoh...
; or, remembers it from a past life; or, had waited thousands of years for the reincarnation
Reincarnation
Reincarnation best describes the concept where the soul or spirit, after the death of the body, is believed to return to live in a new human body, or, in some traditions, either as a human being, animal or plant...
of her lover, whom she believes is Leo. The monk says she is demon or a fallen angel, or a mirage. The reader is left in suspense as to the truth.
After many adventures, including avalanche
Avalanche
An avalanche is a sudden rapid flow of snow down a slope, occurring when either natural triggers or human activity causes a critical escalating transition from the slow equilibrium evolution of the snow pack. Typically occurring in mountainous terrain, an avalanche can mix air and water with the...
s, glacier
Glacier
A glacier is a large persistent body of ice that forms where the accumulation of snow exceeds its ablation over many years, often centuries. At least 0.1 km² in area and 50 m thick, but often much larger, a glacier slowly deforms and flows due to stresses induced by its weight...
s and cliffs, they arrive in the isolated city of Kaloon, ruled by the Khania and her Uncle. They claim to be descendants of Alexander the Great's Generals. The Queen, or Khania Atene, wants to keep Leo in order to set up a new dynasty with him as her husband. The Queen of the Mountain orders the Khania to send Leo and Holly to her, or risk breaking the peace treaty between their people. The Khania Atene vows to kill Leo, rather than let him go.
Finally, before the shrine of the Goddess, in the mountain, the Queens meet, and Leo must decide if there is truth in beauty, or beauty in truth. Leo decides that the soul is more than meets the eye, even if residing in a hag
Hag
A hag is a wizened old woman, or a kind of fairy or goddess having the appearance of such a woman, often found in folklore and children's tales such as Hansel and Gretel. Hags are often seen as malevolent, but may also be one of the chosen forms of shapeshifting deities, such as the Morrígan or...
, or a witch see things happening far off
Clairvoyance
The term clairvoyance is used to refer to the ability to gain information about an object, person, location or physical event through means other than the known human senses, a form of extra-sensory perception...
, or a fallen angel, or a demon. The Priestess/Queen of the Mountain seems to be Ayesha, and she wants to make Leo the King of all the nations on Earth, as well as set up a new religion with them at its head, restoring the old cults of Osiris and Isis.
The Khania, Queen of the plain, Atene, vows to invade the mountain, and kill Leo and Ayesha. The Khania is a witch, and warns them that Ayesha is a demon who will kill Leo if she keeps him.
The Mountain Oracle tells them they are reenacting their roles from past lives in Egypt and Africa. Ayesha says that she knows the reason why their souls are drawn together: That they are to learn about and redeem each other, and their Fates may have begun together, even before the creation of the world.
The Queens marshal their armies against each other, calling on all their mystical and magical power, and their troops, to fight against their Fate, and each other.
As doom approaches, Leo and Ayesha are desperate to marry and will risk their Fate, if Holly acts as an officiant
Officiant
An officiant is someone who officiates at a service or ceremony, such as marriage, burial, or namegiving/baptism. Officiants may be ordained by any denomination as members of their clergy, or by secular/Humanist or interfaith/interspiritual religious bodies...
to join them. Ayesha believes that this will redeem their souls, bringing Forgiveness
Forgiveness
Forgiveness is typically defined as the process of concluding resentment, indignation or anger as a result of a perceived offense, difference or mistake, or ceasing to demand punishment or restitution. The Oxford English Dictionary defines forgiveness as 'to grant free pardon and to give up all...
and eternal Grace
Actual grace
Actual grace is, in Roman Catholic theology, a share in God's life. It is contrasted with sanctifying grace, which is a state of being that can be permanent, in that it consists only in a passing influence of God on the soul....
"and all things that are pure and fair."
Holly wonders about the Monk's warning: Is this the road to peace, or doom? Can angels love and demons repent? And who is "She"?
Literary history
Haggard dedicated the novel to his friend Andrew LangAndrew Lang
Andrew Lang was a Scots poet, novelist, literary critic, and contributor to the field of anthropology. He is best known as a collector of folk and fairy tales. The Andrew Lang lectures at the University of St Andrews are named after him.- Biography :Lang was born in Selkirk...
. The delay of eighteen years before the writing of Ayesha was deliberate and matches what is said to have happened in the lives of the characters. Tibet was chosen as the setting for the story since reincarnation
Reincarnation
Reincarnation best describes the concept where the soul or spirit, after the death of the body, is believed to return to live in a new human body, or, in some traditions, either as a human being, animal or plant...
is a part of the doctrine of Tibetan Buddhism
Tibetan Buddhism
Tibetan Buddhism is the body of Buddhist religious doctrine and institutions characteristic of Tibet and certain regions of the Himalayas, including northern Nepal, Bhutan, and India . It is the state religion of Bhutan...
but since She was originally Egyptian the story mixes elements of this with the beliefs of ancient Egypt. Haggard's daughter Lilias in her biography explains the origin of the various names used for She: 'She-Who-Must-Be-Obeyed' was previously the nickname of a doll in the author's nursery; Ayesha is borrowed from Arabic (one of the Prophet Mohammed's wives bore this name) (a note by Haggard indicates that it should be pronounced 'Assha'); Hes is an alternative name for the goddess Isis
Ayesha is mentioned in Freud's The Interpretation of Dreams as well as by Jung.