The Portrayal Of Nature And Its Topography In Mary Stewart’s The Hollow Hills

Abstract

Arthurian Literature refers to poems, plays, novels and prose written about the legendary hero King Arthur. Arthurian legends belonging to the Middle Ages revolved around the legendary tales of King Arthur and his knights of the round table. All of these tales focus only on the chivalry and muscularity of the male characters. However, these legendary stories do not give much importance to nature, and it has only been a backdrop in most Arthurian works, even in the retellings. The word nature has evolved with different meanings; thus, it meant something in the Middle Ages and something else. Though Arthurian texts did not portray nature and its importance, there are huge paragraphs describing the beautiful scenery and the wild landscapes. These illustrations bring about different emotions inside the reader. In Arthurian tales, the readers read about welcoming forests and birds, spring orchids, fountains, valleys, and contrasting images of the environment like the dense forests, deadly monsters and unsettling seas. Arthurian tales show how nature is adorable on the one hand and wild and untameable on the other. Man becomes the centre in all the Arthurian works, and nature is pushed aside. This article investigates the various landscapes portrayed in the novel, Mary Stewart’s The Hollow Hills, and how nature has been just a setting with humans in the forefront.