''Gate of Ivory, Gate of Horn'' is a fantasy novel by British author

Robert Holdstock Robert Paul Holdstock (2 August 1948 – 29 November 2009) 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. Holds ...

. It was originally published in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

in 1997 (and in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

under the title ''Gate of Ivory'' in 1998.) The story is a prequel to ''

Mythago Wood ''Mythago Wood'' is a fantasy novel by British writer Robert Holdstock, published in the United Kingdom in 1984. ''Mythago Wood'' is set in Herefordshire, England, in and around a stand of ancient woodland, known as Ryhope Wood. The story invo ...

'' and explores 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 The gates of horn and ivory are a literary image used to distinguish true dreams (corresponding to factual occurrences) from false. The phrase originated in the Greek language, in which the word for "horn" is similar to that for "fulfill" and the w ...

described in both

Homer Homer (; grc, Ὅμηρος , ''Hómēros'') (born ) was a Greek poet who is credited as the author of the ''Iliad'' and the ''Odyssey'', two epic poems that are foundational works of ancient Greek literature. Homer is considered one of the ...

's ''

Odyssey The ''Odyssey'' (; grc, Ὀδύσσεια, Odýsseia, ) is one of two major ancient Greek epic poems attributed to Homer. It is one of the oldest extant works of literature still widely read by modern audiences. As with the ''Iliad'', th ...

'' and

Virgil Publius Vergilius Maro (; traditional dates 15 October 7021 September 19 BC), usually called Virgil or Vergil ( ) in English, was an ancient Roman poet of the Augustan period. He composed three of the most famous poems in Latin literature: th ...

's ''

Aeneid The ''Aeneid'' ( ; la, Aenē̆is or ) is a Latin epic poem, written by Virgil between 29 and 19 BC, that tells the legendary story of Aeneas, a Trojan who fled the fall of Troy and travelled to Italy, where he became the ancestor of th ...

''.

Conception

The tale '' The Cattle Raid of Cooley'' was an inspiration according to the author.

David Langford David Rowland Langford (born 10 April 1953) is a British author, editor, and critic, largely active within the science fiction field. He publishes the science fiction fanzine and newsletter ''Ansible'', and holds the all-time record for most ...

, 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 ''Culhwch and Olwen'' ( cy, Culhwch ac Olwen) is a Welsh tale that survives in only two manuscripts about a hero connected with Arthur and his warriors: a complete version in the Red Book of Hergest, c. 1400, and a fragmented version in the Whi ...

Plot summary

Christian Huxley enters Ryhope wood on a search for the compelling 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 Shamanism is a religious practice that involves a practitioner (shaman) interacting with what they believe to be a spirit world through altered states of consciousness, such as trance. The goal of this is usually to direct spirits or spir ...

, shapeshifters, 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 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. Meaning ''wisdom" he is the eponymous hero of Pwyll Pendefig Dyfed, the first branch of the Four ...

, among others. This army, known as a legion, is pursued by the angry dead on its search for the gates to the

underworld The underworld, also known as the netherworld or hell, is the supernatural world of the dead in various religious traditions and myths, located below the world of the living. Chthonic is the technical adjective for things of the underwor ...

. As Christian nears the end of his quest in the wood, he has an opportunity to enter the underworld (like

Orpheus Orpheus (; Ancient Greek: Ὀρφεύς, classical pronunciation: ; french: Orphée) is a Thracian bard, legendary musician and prophet in ancient Greek religion. He was also a renowned poet and, according to the legend, travelled with J ...

) 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 is the scientific study of mind and behavior. Psychology includes the study of conscious and unconscious phenomena, including feelings and thoughts. It is an academic discipline of immense scope, crossing the boundaries between ...

who has studied with

Carl Jung Carl Gustav Jung ( ; ; 26 July 1875 – 6 June 1961) was a Swiss psychiatrist and psychoanalyst who founded analytical psychology. Jung's work has been influential in the fields of psychiatry, anthropology, archaeology, literature, phi ...

. He has also researched

archaeology Archaeology or archeology is the scientific study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of artifacts, architecture, biofacts or ecofacts, sites, and cultural landsca ...

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.

Mythagos

; Abandagora : A male

Saracen upright 1.5, Late 15th-century German woodcut depicting Saracens Saracen ( ) was a term used in the early centuries, both in Greek and Latin writings, to refer to the people who lived in and near what was designated by the Romans as Arabia Pe ...

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, also known as miller's bran, is the hard outer layers of cereal grain. It consists of the combined aleurone and pericarp. Corn (maize) bran also includes the pedicel (tip cap). Along with germ, it is an integral part of whole grains, ...

and Charon, this 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 The Bronze Age is a historic period, lasting approximately from 3300 BC to 1200 BC, characterized by the use of bronze, the presence of writing in some areas, and other early features of urban civilization. The Bronze Age is the second prin ...

and appears in various incarnations throughout time, including protomyth, a girl from

Roman Britain Roman Britain was the period in classical antiquity when large parts of the island of Great Britain were under occupation by the Roman Empire. The occupation lasted from AD 43 to AD 410. During that time, the territory conquered wa ...

, a manifestation of the

Earth goddess An Earth goddess is a deification of the Earth. Earth goddesses are often associated with the "chthonic" deities of the underworld. Ki and Ninhursag are Mesopotamian earth goddesses. In Greek mythology, the Earth is personified as Gaia, corres ...

, young Celtic warrior princess and Guinevere.Pringle, David ''Modern fantasy: the hundred best novels: an English language selection, 1946-1987'', (New York: Peter Bedrick Books, 1989), page 241. 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 In Welsh mythology, Olwen (or Olwyn) is the daughter of the giant Ysbaddaden and cousin of Goreu. She is the heroine of the story ''Culhwch and Olwen'' in the Mabinogion. Her father is fated to die if she ever marries, so when Culhwch (sometimes ...

: 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 Society The British Fantasy Society (BFS) was founded 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.

References

Sources

* *

External links

Mythago Wood: the official website of Robert Holdstock

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gate Of Ivory, Gate Of Horn 1997 British novels 1997 fantasy novels Works by Robert Holdstock American fantasy novels Sequel novels 1997 American novels Roc Books books