Thomas the Rhymer is a fantasy

Fantasy

Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...

 novel

Novel

A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....

 written by Ellen Kushner

Ellen Kushner

Ellen Kushner is an American writer of fantasy novels, who for many years was the host of the radio program Sound & Spirit, produced by WGBH in Boston and distributed by Public Radio International.- Background and personal life :...

. It is based on the ballad

Ballad

A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads were particularly characteristic of British and Irish popular poetry and song from the later medieval period until the 19th century and used extensively across Europe and later the Americas, Australia and North Africa. Many...

 of Thomas the Rhymer

Thomas the Rhymer

Thomas Learmonth , better known as Thomas the Rhymer or True Thomas, was a 13th century Scottish laird and reputed prophet from Earlston . He is also the protagonist of the ballad "Thomas the Rhymer"...

, a piece of folklore

Folklore

Folklore consists of legends, music, oral history, proverbs, jokes, popular beliefs, fairy tales and customs that are the traditions of a culture, subculture, or group. It is also the set of practices through which those expressive genres are shared. The study of folklore is sometimes called...

 in which Thomas Learmonth's love of the Queen of Elfland was rewarded with the gift of prophecy

Prophecy

Prophecy is a process in which one or more messages that have been communicated to a prophet are then communicated to others. Such messages typically involve divine inspiration, interpretation, or revelation of conditioned events to come as well as testimonies or repeated revelations that the...

. The novel won the 1991 World Fantasy Award

World Fantasy Award

The World Fantasy Awards are annual, international awards given to authors and artists who have demonstrated outstanding achievement in the field of fantasy...

 and Mythopoeic Award.

Plot summary

Thomas, a harper from court, befriends a humble farmer and his wife. As he begins a relationship with Elspeth, their neighbor, he is whisked to Elfland, ensnared by the Fairy Queen. After seven years he returns to Gavin and Elspeth with a parting gift from the Queen: He can only speak the truth.

Thomas

A minstrel who sang in the king's court. Before he is captured by the Fairy Queen, he is a carefree young man.

Elsbeth

A young woman who falls in love with Thomas. In the seven years of his absence, her hard life makes her cynical.

The Queen of Elfland

Although powerful and beautiful, the Fairy Queen can be unmerciful. While she does release Thomas after seven years as her lover, she never truly lets him go.

Awards

• 1991 World Fantasy Award
  World Fantasy Award
  The World Fantasy Awards are annual, international awards given to authors and artists who have demonstrated outstanding achievement in the field of fantasy...
  
  
• 1991 Mythopoeic Award
• 2009 Tähtifantasia Award
  Tähtifantasia Award
  Tähtifantasia Award is an annual prize by Helsingin science fiction seura ry for the best foreign fantasy book released in Finland.- Recipients :2010Shortlisted books:* Terry Pratchett: Yövartiosto...
  
  for the best foreign fantasy novel released in Finland in 2008.

External links

Ellen Kushner's Thomas the Rhymer