House of the Wolfings: The William Morris Book that Inspired J. R. R. Tolkiena *s The Lord of the Rings by Michael W. Perry Page B

their wars as they went from
river to river and from wild-wood to wild-wood before they had
established their Houses in the Mark, and fallen to dwelling there
season by season and year by year whether the days were good or
ill. And it fell into their hearts that now at last mayhappen was
their abiding wearing out to an end, and that the day should soon
be when they should have to bear the Hall-Sun through the
wild-wood, and seek a new dwelling-place afar from the troubling of
these newly arisen Welsh foemen.
    And so those of them who could not rid
themselves of this foreboding were somewhat heavier of heart than
their wont was when the House went to the War. For long had they
abided there in the Mark, and the life was sweet to them which they
knew, and the life which they knew not was bitter to them: and
Mirkwood-water was become as a God to them no less than to their
fathers of old time; nor lesser was the mead where fed the horses
that they loved and the kine that they had reared, and the sheep
that they guarded from the Wolf of the Wild-wood: and they
worshipped the kind acres which they themselves and their fathers
had made fruitful, wedding them to the seasons of seed-time and
harvest, that the birth that came from them might become a part of
the kindred of the Wolf, and the joy and might of past springs and
summers might run in the blood of the Wolfing children. And a dear
God indeed to them was the Roof of the Kindred, that their fathers
had built and that they yet warded against the fire and the
lightening and the wind and the snow, and the passing of the days
that devour and the years that heap the dust over the work of men.
They thought of how it had stood, and seen so many generations of
men come and go; how often it had welcomed the new-born babe, and
given farewell to the old man: how many secrets of the past it
knew; how many tales which men of the present had forgotten, but
which yet mayhap men of times to come should learn of it; for to
them yet living it had spoken time and again, and had told them
what their fathers had not told them, and it held the memories of
the generations and the very life of the Wolfings and their hopes
for the days to be.
    Thus these poor people thought of the Gods
whom they worshipped, and the friends whom they loved, and could
not choose but be heavy-hearted when they thought that the
wild-wood was awaiting them to swallow all up, and take away from
them their Gods and their friends and the mirth of their life, and
burden them with hunger and thirst and weariness, that their
children might begin once more to build the House and establish the
dwelling, and call new places by old names, and worship new Gods
with the ancient worship.
    Such imaginations of trouble then were in
the hearts of the stay-at-homes of the Wolfings; the tale tells not
indeed that all had such forebodings, but chiefly the old folk who
were nursing the end of their life-days amidst the cherishing
Kindred of the House.
    But now they were beginning to turn them
back again to the habitations, and a thin stream was flowing
through the acres, when they heard a confused sound drawing near
blended of horns and the lowing of beasts and the shouting of men;
and they looked and saw a throng of brightly clad men coming up
stream alongside of Mirkwood-water; and they were not afraid, for
they knew that it must be some other company of the Markmen
journeying to the hosting of the Folk: and presently they saw that
it was the House of the Beamings following their banner on the way
to the Thing-stead. But when the new-comers saw the throng out in
the meads, some of their young men pricked on their horses and
galloped on past the women and old men, to whom they threw a
greeting, as they ran past to catch up with the bands of the
Wolfings; for between the two houses was there affinity, and much
good liking lay between them; and the stay-at-homes, many of them,
lingered yet till the main body of the Beamings came with their
banner: