Gate of Ivory, Gate of Horn
Encyclopedia
Gate of Ivory, Gate of Horn is a fantasy novel by British author Robert Holdstock
. It was originally published in the US in 1997 (and in the UK under the title Gate of Ivory in 1998.) The story is a prequel to Mythago Wood
and explores the Christian Huxley's quest into Ryhope Wood and the apparent suicide of his mother, Jennifer Huxley. The title of the book refers to the gates of horn and ivory
described in both Homer
's Odyssey
and Virgil
's Aeneid
.
Because the story is a prequel, reading the novel Mythago Wood and the novella The Bone Forest
will illuminate Gate of Ivory, Gate of Horn for first time readers. Reading the Wikipedia article on Mythago Wood will help in understanding issues and terminology in this article.
was an inspiration according to the author. David Langford
, an author, editor and literary critic, points out that the multitude of impossible tasks placed before one of the main characters is based on the Mabinogion
's incomplete tale of Culhwch and Olwen
.
, and warriors. Among these mythagos are those whose creation is influenced by King Arthur
and the Welsh
tales of the Mabinogion, specifically the tale of Culhwch and Olwen. Echoing the tales of Culhwch and Olwen, Christian is assigned with completing many impossible tasks. Holdstock uses the story within a story
device to have Kylhuk retell a tale involving himself, Olwen and Pwyll
, among others.
This army, known as a legion, is pursued by the angry dead on its search for the gates to the underworld
. As Christian nears the end of his quest in the wood, he has an opportunity to enter the underworld (like Orpheus
) and grapple with the suicide of his mother which has two very different manifestations, one true and one false. While in the underworld he is also faced with a difficult choice of rescuing only one of two loved ones from death.
George Huxley : Father of Stephen and Christian and husband to Jennifer. George is a tall man lean man who is a scientist in the field of psychology
who has studied with Carl Jung
. He has also researched archaeology
and obsesses over myths.
Over the course of his studies of Ryhope wood, George produces a scientific journal in six volumes, a personal diary and a detailed map of Ryhope wood.
Jennifer Huxley : Wife of George and mother of Stephen and Christian. Her suicide is a central issue in Gate of Ivory, Gate of Horn.
Stephen Huxley : Christian's younger brother.
who is brought back to life and is a member of Legion's advanced scouting group, "Forlorn Hope."
Eletherion : The oldest warrior son of Kyrdu. Eletherion is Kylhuk's foe.
Elidyr : A boatman who is a mythical combination of Bran
and Charon
, this 10 feet (3 m) man takes the dead through the twin gates to the land of the dead. The boatman has the ability to travel through space and time and bring the dead back to life, but only before they pass through the twin gates.
Guiwenneth of the Green (also Gwyneth) : This female mythago (usually evoked as an older teenager) hearkens from the Bronze Age
and appears in various incarnations throughout time, including protomyth, a girl from Roman Britain
, a manifestation of the Earth goddess, young Celt
ic warrior princess and Guinevere
. Each of Gwyneth's incarnations has a varied personality, some dangerous and other alluring, and differing relations with the members of the Huxley family.
Gwyr
: The leader Forlorn Hope. Elidyr brings Gwyr back to life from the ashes. Gwyr is an interpreter of languages and sounder of the war horn.
Issabeau : A female member of Forlorn hope who is a Sorceress
and Shapeshifter who served as an apprentice to Merlin
. Issabeau has fair skin and long black hair. She shares the same primary myth as Someone.
Jarag : A male member of Forlorn Hope who is gray-haired Mesolithic
hunter.
Kylhuk (Kilhwch)
: The heavy-set leader of the 4000-person army known as Legion.
Mabon
: A man who is bound to guard the entrance to the underworld. Mabon has the power to show true memory to others.
Manandoun
: A tall man with white hair who is Guiwenneth's guardian.
Olwen
: The woman whose hand in marriage is sought by Kylhuk.
Someone : Someone son of Somebody is a Celt also known as Ironjacket. His father died before naming him so he has no name. Someone wears an iron studded leather jacket and has an orange moustache. He shares the same primary myth as Issabeau.
's Best Novel award in 1998.
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|The Bone Forest
|Gate of Ivory, Gate of Horn
|Mythago Wood
|}
Robert Holdstock
Robert Paul Holdstock was an English novelist and author best known for his works of Celtic, Nordic, Gothic and Pictish fantasy literature, predominantly in the fantasy subgenre of mythic fiction....
. It was originally published in the US in 1997 (and in the UK under the title Gate of Ivory in 1998.) The story is a prequel to Mythago Wood
Mythago Wood
Mythago Wood is a fantasy novel written by Robert Holdstock that was published in the United Kingdom in 1984. The conception began as a short story written for the 1979 Milford Writer's Workshop; next a novella of the same name appeared in the September 1981 edition of The Magazine of Fantasy &...
and explores the Christian Huxley's quest into Ryhope Wood and the apparent suicide of his mother, Jennifer Huxley. The title of the book refers to the gates of horn and ivory
Gates of horn and ivory
The gates of horn and ivory are a literary image used to distinguish true dreams from false. The phrase originated in the Greek language, in which the word for "horn" is similar to that for "fulfil" and the word for "ivory" is similar to that for "deceive"...
described in both Homer
Homer
In the Western classical tradition Homer , is the author of the Iliad and the Odyssey, and is revered as the greatest ancient Greek epic poet. These epics lie at the beginning of the Western canon of literature, and have had an enormous influence on the history of literature.When he lived is...
's Odyssey
Odyssey
The Odyssey is one of two major ancient Greek epic poems attributed to Homer. It is, in part, a sequel to the Iliad, the other work ascribed to Homer. The poem is fundamental to the modern Western canon, and is the second—the Iliad being the first—extant work of Western literature...
and Virgil
Virgil
Publius Vergilius Maro, usually called Virgil or Vergil in English , was an ancient Roman poet of the Augustan period. He is known for three major works of Latin literature, the Eclogues , the Georgics, and the epic Aeneid...
's Aeneid
Aeneid
The Aeneid is a Latin epic poem, written by Virgil between 29 and 19 BC, that tells the legendary story of Aeneas, a Trojan who travelled to Italy, where he became the ancestor of the Romans. It is composed of roughly 10,000 lines in dactylic hexameter...
.
Because the story is a prequel, reading the novel Mythago Wood and the novella The Bone Forest
The Bone Forest
The Bone Forest is a book opening with a novella of the same name followed by seven short stories. All were written by Robert Holdstock and published in 1991 and 1992 . This novella is a prequel to the entire Mythago Wood cycle...
will illuminate Gate of Ivory, Gate of Horn for first time readers. Reading the Wikipedia article on Mythago Wood will help in understanding issues and terminology in this article.
Conception
The tale The Cattle Raid of CooleyTáin Bó Cúailnge
is a legendary tale from early Irish literature, often considered an epic, although it is written primarily in prose rather than verse. It tells of a war against Ulster by the Connacht queen Medb and her husband Ailill, who intend to steal the stud bull Donn Cuailnge, opposed only by the teenage...
was an inspiration according to the author. David Langford
David Langford
David Rowland Langford is a British author, editor and critic, largely active within the science fiction field. He publishes the science fiction fanzine and newsletter Ansible.-Personal background:...
, an author, editor and literary critic, points out that the multitude of impossible tasks placed before one of the main characters is based on the Mabinogion
Mabinogion
The Mabinogion is the title given to a collection of eleven prose stories collated from medieval Welsh manuscripts. The tales draw on pre-Christian Celtic mythology, international folktale motifs, and early medieval historical traditions...
's incomplete tale of Culhwch and Olwen
Culhwch and Olwen
Culhwch and Olwen is a Welsh tale about a hero connected with Arthur and his warriors that survives in only two manuscripts: a complete version in the Red Book of Hergest, ca. 1400, and a fragmented version in the White Book of Rhydderch, ca. 1325. It is the longest of the surviving Welsh prose...
.
Plot summary
Christian Huxley enters Ryhope wood on a search for the impelling mythago Guiwenneth and for a better understanding of his mother's suicide. Inside the wood he joins a small group of mythago companions who, in turn, join a vast army of mythagos, numbering in the thousands. This army includes many mythic archetypes including shaman, shapeshiftersShapeshifting
Shapeshifting is a common theme in mythology, folklore, and fairy tales. It is also found in epic poems, science fiction literature, fantasy literature, children's literature, Shakespearean comedy, ballet, film, television, comics, and video games...
, and warriors. Among these mythagos are those whose creation is influenced by King Arthur
King Arthur
King Arthur is a legendary British leader of the late 5th and early 6th centuries, who, according to Medieval histories and romances, led the defence of Britain against Saxon invaders in the early 6th century. The details of Arthur's story are mainly composed of folklore and literary invention, and...
and the Welsh
Welsh language
Welsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages spoken natively in Wales, by some along the Welsh border in England, and in Y Wladfa...
tales of the Mabinogion, specifically the tale of Culhwch and Olwen. Echoing the tales of Culhwch and Olwen, Christian is assigned with completing many impossible tasks. Holdstock uses the story within a story
Story within a story
A story within a story, also rendered story-within-a-story, is a literary device in which one narrative is presented during the action of another narrative. Mise en abyme is the French term for a similar literary device...
device to have Kylhuk retell a tale involving himself, Olwen and Pwyll
Pwyll
Pwyll Pen Annwn is a prominent figure in Welsh mythology and literature, the lord of Dyfed, husband of Rhiannon and father of the hero Pryderi...
, among others.
This army, known as a legion, is pursued by the angry dead on its search for the gates to the underworld
Underworld
The Underworld is a region which is thought to be under the surface of the earth in some religions and in mythologies. It could be a place where the souls of the recently departed go, and in some traditions it is identified with Hell or the realm of death...
. As Christian nears the end of his quest in the wood, he has an opportunity to enter the underworld (like Orpheus
Orpheus
Orpheus was a legendary musician, poet, and prophet in ancient Greek religion and myth. The major stories about him are centered on his ability to charm all living things and even stones with his music; his attempt to retrieve his wife from the underworld; and his death at the hands of those who...
) and grapple with the suicide of his mother which has two very different manifestations, one true and one false. While in the underworld he is also faced with a difficult choice of rescuing only one of two loved ones from death.
Human Characters
Christian Huxley : Main character of the story and older brother of Stephen Huxley.George Huxley : Father of Stephen and Christian and husband to Jennifer. George is a tall man lean man who is a scientist in the field of psychology
Psychology
Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...
who has studied with Carl Jung
Carl Jung
Carl Gustav Jung was a Swiss psychiatrist and the founder of Analytical Psychology. Jung is considered the first modern psychiatrist to view the human psyche as "by nature religious" and make it the focus of exploration. Jung is one of the best known researchers in the field of dream analysis and...
. He has also researched archaeology
Archaeology
Archaeology, or archeology , is the study of human society, primarily through the recovery and analysis of the material culture and environmental data that they have left behind, which includes artifacts, architecture, biofacts and cultural landscapes...
and obsesses over myths.
Mythology
The term mythology can refer either to the study of myths, or to a body or collection of myths. As examples, comparative mythology is the study of connections between myths from different cultures, whereas Greek mythology is the body of myths from ancient Greece...
Over the course of his studies of Ryhope wood, George produces a scientific journal in six volumes, a personal diary and a detailed map of Ryhope wood.
Jennifer Huxley : Wife of George and mother of Stephen and Christian. Her suicide is a central issue in Gate of Ivory, Gate of Horn.
Stephen Huxley : Christian's younger brother.
Mythagos
Abandagora : A male SaracenSaracen
Saracen was a term used by the ancient Romans to refer to a people who lived in desert areas in and around the Roman province of Arabia, and who were distinguished from Arabs. In Europe during the Middle Ages the term was expanded to include Arabs, and then all who professed the religion of Islam...
who is brought back to life and is a member of Legion's advanced scouting group, "Forlorn Hope."
Eletherion : The oldest warrior son of Kyrdu. Eletherion is Kylhuk's foe.
Elidyr : A boatman who is a mythical combination of Bran
Bran the Blessed
Brân the Blessed is a giant and king of Britain in Welsh mythology. He appears in several of the Welsh Triads, but his most significant role is in the Second Branch of the Mabinogi, Branwen ferch Llŷr. He is a son of Llŷr and Penarddun, and the brother of Brânwen, Manawydan, Nisien and Efnysien...
and Charon
Charon (mythology)
In Greek mythology, Charon or Kharon is the ferryman of Hades who carries souls of the newly deceased across the rivers Styx and Acheron that divided the world of the living from the world of the dead. A coin to pay Charon for passage, usually an obolus or danake, was sometimes placed in or on...
, this 10 feet (3 m) man takes the dead through the twin gates to the land of the dead. The boatman has the ability to travel through space and time and bring the dead back to life, but only before they pass through the twin gates.
Guiwenneth of the Green (also Gwyneth) : This female mythago (usually evoked as an older teenager) hearkens from the Bronze Age
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...
and appears in various incarnations throughout time, including protomyth, a girl from Roman Britain
Roman Britain
Roman Britain was the part of the island of Great Britain controlled by the Roman Empire from AD 43 until ca. AD 410.The Romans referred to the imperial province as Britannia, which eventually comprised all of the island of Great Britain south of the fluid frontier with Caledonia...
, a manifestation of the Earth goddess, young Celt
Celt
The Celts were a diverse group of tribal societies in Iron Age and Roman-era Europe who spoke Celtic languages.The earliest archaeological culture commonly accepted as Celtic, or rather Proto-Celtic, was the central European Hallstatt culture , named for the rich grave finds in Hallstatt, Austria....
ic warrior princess and Guinevere
Guinevere
Guinevere was the legendary queen consort of King Arthur. In tales and folklore, she was said to have had a love affair with Arthur's chief knight Sir Lancelot...
. Each of Gwyneth's incarnations has a varied personality, some dangerous and other alluring, and differing relations with the members of the Huxley family.
Gwyr
Gwern
; "Alder," is a minor figure in Welsh tradition, the son of Matholwch king of Ireland, and Branwen, sister to the king of Britain. He appears in the tale of Branwen, daughter of Llŷr, in which he is murdered by his sadistic uncle Efnysien which sparks a mutually destructive battle between Britain...
: The leader Forlorn Hope. Elidyr brings Gwyr back to life from the ashes. Gwyr is an interpreter of languages and sounder of the war horn.
Issabeau : A female member of Forlorn hope who is a Sorceress
Magician (fantasy)
A magician, mage, sorcerer, sorceress, wizard, enchanter, enchantress, thaumaturge or a person known under one of many other possible terms is someone who uses or practices magic that derives from supernatural or occult sources...
and Shapeshifter who served as an apprentice to Merlin
Merlin
Merlin is a legendary figure best known as the wizard featured in the Arthurian legend. The standard depiction of the character first appears in Geoffrey of Monmouth's Historia Regum Britanniae, written c. 1136, and is based on an amalgamation of previous historical and legendary figures...
. Issabeau has fair skin and long black hair. She shares the same primary myth as Someone.
Jarag : A male member of Forlorn Hope who is gray-haired Mesolithic
Mesolithic
The Mesolithic is an archaeological concept used to refer to certain groups of archaeological cultures defined as falling between the Paleolithic and the Neolithic....
hunter.
Kylhuk (Kilhwch)
Culhwch
Culhwch , in Welsh mythology, is the son of Cilydd son of Celyddon and Goleuddydd, a cousin of Arthur and the protagonist of the story Culhwch and Olwen...
: The heavy-set leader of the 4000-person army known as Legion.
Mabon
Mabon ap Modron
Mabon ap Modron is a prominent figure from Welsh literature and mythology, the son of Modron and a member of Arthur's warband. Both he and his mother were likely deities in origin, descending from a divine mother–son pair. His name is related to the Romano-British god Maponos, whose name means...
: A man who is bound to guard the entrance to the underworld. Mabon has the power to show true memory to others.
Manandoun
Manawydan
Manawydan fab Llŷr is a figure of Welsh mythology, the son of Llŷr and the brother of Brân the Blessed and Brânwen. The first element in his name is cognate with the stem of the name of the Irish sea god Manannán mac Lir, and likely originated from the same Celtic deity as Manannán...
: A tall man with white hair who is Guiwenneth's guardian.
Olwen
Olwen
In Welsh mythology, Olwen is the daughter of the giant Ysbaddaden and cousin of Goreu. She is the heroine of the story Culhwch and Olwen in the Mabinogion....
: The woman whose hand in marriage is sought by Kylhuk.
Someone : Someone son of Somebody is a Celt also known as Ironjacket. His father died before naming him so he has no name. Someone wears an iron studded leather jacket and has an orange moustache. He shares the same primary myth as Issabeau.
Awards
Gate of Ivory was a nominee for the British Fantasy SocietyBritish Fantasy Society
The British Fantasy Society began in 1971 as the British Weird Fantasy Society, an offshoot of the British Science Fiction Association. The society is dedicated to promoting the best in the fantasy, science fiction and horror genres....
's Best Novel award in 1998.
Chronology of works in the Mythago Wood cycle
The order in which the Mythago cycle works were written/published does not necessarily correspond to the order of events within the realm of the Mythago Wood cycle. For example, Gate of Ivory, Gate of Horn and the novella The Bone Forest are prequels to Mythago Wood even though they were published at a later date. The novel Merlin's Wood (1994) and short stories in The Bone Forest and Merlin's Wood have little bearing on the events in the Ryhope wood. See the table below for a chronology of events within Ryhope wood.!width="40%"|Followed by:
|----- align="center"
|The Bone Forest
The Bone Forest
The Bone Forest is a book opening with a novella of the same name followed by seven short stories. All were written by Robert Holdstock and published in 1991 and 1992 . This novella is a prequel to the entire Mythago Wood cycle...
|Gate of Ivory, Gate of Horn
|Mythago Wood
Mythago Wood
Mythago Wood is a fantasy novel written by Robert Holdstock that was published in the United Kingdom in 1984. The conception began as a short story written for the 1979 Milford Writer's Workshop; next a novella of the same name appeared in the September 1981 edition of The Magazine of Fantasy &...
|}