The Sword of Welleran and Other Stories

In Short

This collection of fantasy tales transports readers to imagined landscapes where mortal heroes fight fell sorcerers, ancient cities vanish into desert sands, and otherworldly creatures seek human souls. Across its stories, warriors defend doomed ramparts, travellers cross haunted wastes to find lost wonders, and ordinary people encounter the grand, indifferent forces of nature and time. Written with a rhythmic, Biblical cadence and vivid atmosphere, these stories laid the foundations for modern secondary-world fantasy. The book has endured because it captures the delicate, fleeting boundary between mortal vanity and the quiet, enduring mystery of the wild.

The Story

The collection opens in the city of Merimna, nestled against the Cyresian mountains. Long ago protected by the legendary hero Welleran and his companion captains, Merimna now rests in an uneasy peace, relying on the memory and statues of its past defenders to keep enemies at bay. When invaders realize that the great captains are dead, the sleeping soul of Welleran stirs. Welleran's spirit invades the dreams of Rold, an eighteen-year-old youth, compelling him while fast asleep to don the hero’s red cloak, break the glass casket housing the great curved sword of Welleran, and march into the mountains to confront the encroaching foe.

Other tales wander into vast, desolate reaches. A group of travellers journeys across the whispering, troubled sands of a vast desert toward Babbulkund, the City of Marvel. Guided by evening tales told around the campfire, they learn of King Nehemoth’s four grand hareems, his palace carved like a crescent four miles long, and the exquisite Princess Linderith, who shines alongside the unique sea-gem Ong Zwarba. Yet when the travellers finally reach the meeting of the rivers, they discover no radiant towers—only empty sand and a weeping man in rags, marking the swift, unremembered destruction of the sinful city.

In a gentler vein, a soul-seeking wild thing from the marshes assumes the form of a woman, Mary Jane, and enters human society. Adopted by a farmer and later sent to work in a gloomy factory city, she finds human existence burdened by grey stucco homes and endless labor. Desperate to return to the wild marshlands, she seeks to give away her soul, only to discover that the poor treasure their souls as their sole possession. Ultimately, her voice rises in wild song over the city streets, celebrating the free winds and distant waters of her true home.

Heroic trial returns in the tale of Leothric, who sets out from the peaceful village of Allathurion to free his people from nightly nightmares sent by the evil magician Gaznak. Armed with the enchanted sword Sacnoth—carved from the spine of the dragon Tharagavverug—Leothric braves the marshes and enters Gaznak’s stronghold, the Fortress Unvanquishable. Crossing a narrow ledge between two star-filled abysses, he defeats the dragon guards Thok and Lunk, survives the illusion-filled halls, and severs Gaznak’s hand and head, causing the monstrous fortress to collapse into the mist.

The collection closes on reflective, mythical notes: an ancient river and a dusty road debate whether the purpose of the world is human city-building or the timeless flow to the sea; an aging man bids farewell to Love, who promises to send his brother Death to grant him rest; and a wanderer finds solace in the quiet bog of Allen after leaving behind dark visions of human sins.

How It Unfolds

The hero wakes The spirit of the dead champion Welleran enters the dreams of the sleeping youth Rold, guiding him to take up the forbidden curved sword and march out to defend Merimna.

The desert quest Travellers trek across the whispering sands, listening to night-time stories of the magnificent, opulent city of Babbulkund and its monarch, King Nehemoth.

The city vanishes Arriving at the river junction where Babbulkund should stand, the travellers find only empty dunes and a weeping man, learning the city has been utterly wiped away for its iniquities.

A soul in the city A marsh creature transformed into a woman named Mary Jane takes a job in a dingy industrial town, longing for her lost wilderness while searching in vain for someone to take her burdensome soul.

The sword forged Leothric carves the sword Sacnoth from a dragon's spine and journeys into the desolate marshes to assault the towering, white-walled Fortress Unvanquishable.

The fall of Gaznak Navigating abysses and slaying monstrous guardians, Leothric strikes down the sorcerer Gaznak, causing the massive fortress to dissolve into morning mist as peace returns to Allathurion.

The quiet departure In a twilight landscape, an old man sits with Love, who gently bids him farewell and promises that his little brother Death will soon arrive to bring him permanent comfort.

The People

Welleran The ancient hero of Merimna whose memory alone keeps neighboring enemies at bay. Even in death, his restless soul seeks a way to defend his city, reaching out through dreams to rouse a new champion to wield his curved blade.

Rold An eighteen-year-old youth from Merimna, tall and fair-haired like Welleran. Sleepwalking under the dead hero’s hypnotic influence, he breaks open the display casket, wraps himself in the ancient red cloak, and carries the sword out into the dark.

Leothric A courageous young man who leaves his peaceful home in Allathurion to destroy the sorcerer Gaznak. Guided by the magical sword Sacnoth, he traverses treacherous abysses, slays monstrous dragons, and breaks the nightmare spells plaguing his village.

Gaznak An evil sorcerer residing within the Fortress Unvanquishable, who sends terrifying nightly dreams to torment the residents of Allathurion. He fights Leothric with an intricate, notched blade until his hand and head are severed, destroying his realm.

Mary Jane A wild marsh creature who obtains an elf-made soul and assumes human form. Though taken in by a kindly farmer and sent to work in a dreary factory city, she finds urban life suffocating and longs to return to the untamed wilderness.

King Nehemoth The ruler of Babbulkund, eighty-second of his line, who lives amidst luxurious crescent-shaped palaces, four distinct hareems, and captive musicians from the Isles of Song, unaware of his city's imminent destruction.

In Its Own Voice

"I have never seen a city in the world so beautiful as Merimna seemed to me when first I dreamed of it."

The narrator recalls his initial vision of the glorious, spired city of Merimna.

"All the poor have souls. It is all they have."

A factory girl explains to Mary Jane why none of the struggling workers will take her unwanted soul.

"And the abysses closed up suddenly as the mouth of a man who, having told a tale, will for ever speak no more."

The magical fortress vanishes into nothingness the moment the evil sorcerer Gaznak is slain by Leothric.

What It's Really About

Underneath its glittering surface of dragons, enchanted swords, and hidden cities, the collection reflects on the fragility of human achievement against the vastness of time and nature. Cities as magnificent as Babbulkund disappear without leaving a single stone, while proud fortresses melt away like morning dew. The stories contrast the artificial pretenses of human civilization—symbolized by muddy factory towns and stucco buildings—with the wild, enduring beauty of marshes, rivers, and winds. Dunsany suggests that while human beauty, love, and courage are deeply moving, they are fleeting phenomena passing through an ancient, indifferent world that ultimately reclaims everything.

Why Read It Today

This collection offers a rare glimpse into the roots of modern fantasy, written with a lyrical prose style that feels closer to ancient mythology or fairy tales than contemporary fiction. Readers who appreciate high-styled, atmospheric storytelling will revel in the rich descriptions of bronze monuments, starry abysses, and desert winds. The book constructs worlds that feel genuinely mysterious and strange rather than standardized or familiar.

However, prospective readers should be prepared for its deliberate, archaizing pace and elevated language, which favors poetic cadence over rapid action or modern character development. Some readers may find the episodic structure and elevated, biblical diction challenging, and the period perspectives reflect an older, formal literary tradition. Yet for those willing to surrender to its rhythmic, spellbinding tone, the collection leaves behind a lasting impression of wonder, quiet sadness, and the haunting beauty of lost worlds.