Sir Henry Rider Haggard

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Sir Henry Rider Haggard

Sir Henry Rider Haggard (1856 – 1925). Public servant, reformer,

commissioner and wellknown storyteller, Rider Haggard was the author of

thirty-four adventure novels.

Rider Haggard was born at Bradenham in Norfolk in 1856. He was the sixth

son of a lawyer and was educated in Ipswich. In 1875 his father procured

for him the post of junior secretary to the Governor of Natal, Sir Henry

Bulwer. He set sail for South Africa and spent six years there, fascinated

by its landscape, wildlife, tribal society and mysterious past. Powerful,

intense and visually magnificent, “She” was written in Africa in six weeks

in 1886. Rider Haggard published “She” in London in 1887. By then he was

thirty-one year old, an established writer with his own fixed and hard-won

ways, who had written three first-rated novels: “King Solomon’s Mines”,

“Allan Quatermain”, and “Jess”. No other writer has absorbed into his work

as much knowledge and experience as Haggard had. He produced a whole series

of spellbinding and extravagant romances set in far-flung corners of the

world: Iceland, Constantinople, Mexico, Ancient Egypt and, of course,

Africa.

Travelling widely fueled Haggard’s imagination and helped him get

acquainted with exotic placed and people, their old languages, laws,

traditions, the deepest corners of their ancient history and antiquity.

The events described in the novel take place first at Cambridge, then in

Central Africa, and refer to the period of the beginning of the 19th

century. “She” takes a reader to the deepest interior of Africa, searching

not for treasure but for treasure but for the secrets of a woman’s love. In

Rider Haggard’s greatest romance a father’s mysterious legacy to his son

brings Leo Vincey and his two fellow-adventurers to Africa. Travelling

through crocodile – infested rivers, across volcanic plains and marshes

they reach the vast, eerie catacombs of the Kingdom of Kуr, where they

encounter She, the white Queen of the Amahagger people. A woman of

legendary beauty, bewitching and destructive, She has waited two thousands

years for the rebirth and return of the man she loved. And this man, she

believes, is Leo Vincey.

The story begins one rainy night, when a man of twenty-two Ludwig Horace

Holly was sitting in his room at Cambridge, grinding away at some

mathematical work. At last, wearied out, he flung his book down and

happened to catch sight of his countenance in the glass. As he stood and

stared at himself in the glass Horace Holly thought about his physical

deficiencies. Most men of twenty-two are endowed at any rate with some

share of the comeliness of youth, but to him even this was denied. Short,

thick-set, and deep chested almost to deformity, with long arms, heavy

features, deep-set gray eyes, a low brow half overgrown with black hair he

was strikingly ugly person. It seemed that he was branded by Nature with

iron strength and intellect. Ludwig Horace Holly was so ugly that the

spruce young men of his College, though they were proud enough of his

endurance and physical powers, did not want even to be seen walking with

him. Women called him a “monster”. He had neither father, nor brother. And

that is why it was not surprising that Horace Holly became sullen, lonely

person, who had no wife, no children, no friends.

Suddenly, there came a knock at the door… A tall man of about thirty,

with the remains of great personal beauty, came hurrying in, carrying a

massive iron box. The man looked ill and was coughing with blood. Horace

Holly recognized his only friend from College Mr. Vincey, whom he knew for

about two years. The man said that he was dying and that is why he asked

Mr. Holly to become a tutor for his five-year-old child, Leo Vincey. Before

leaving he handed Horace the iron chest and said: “On the twenty-fifth

birthday of my son your guardianship will end and you will then, with the

keys I give you now, open the box and let Leo…” see and read the contents,

which will tell the boy about his ancestors and about the ancient dynasty

of Kallikrates that he belongs to.” The next day Mr. Vincey died and Mr.

Holly became a guardian to his son.

Years flew by, the child grew into the young man. As he grew his beauty

and the beauty of his mind grew with him. Leo got a good education, took a

respectable degree at College and became the handsomest man in the

University. Young Leo looked like a statue of Apollo, he was very tall,

very broad, had a look of an abnormal power and grace. His face was almost

without flaw – a good face as well as a beautiful one, and his head was

covered with little golden curls. Women called Leo “the Greek God” for his

beauty. Leo Vincey was altogether too good-looking, and, moreover, he had

none of that consciousness and conceit about him, which usually spoils

handsome men and makes them disliked by their fellow, was his real son, and

they became faithful friends.

At last, the day of Leo’s twenty-fifth birthday came and Horace Holly

with Leo opened the iron box, that Leo’s father had given Mr. Holly on the

night of his death. There was a magnificent silver casket with a letter,

parchment and a very large ancient potsherd of a dirty yellow color. From

the letter and the uncial Greek writing on the potsherd they got to know

that Leo Vincey was the only representative of one of the most ancient

families in the world. His sixty-sixth lineal ancestor was an Egyptian

priest of Isis, though he himself was called Kallikrates. This man fled

from Egypt with a princess of Royal blood, who had fallen in love with him,

and they were finally wrecked upon the coast of Africa. There they met the

mighty and immortal Queen of a savage people. This Queen fell in love with

Kallikrates. It was an unrequited love, so she used her magic and killed

him.

On reading this writing Leo Vincey was determined to go Africa and find

the mysterious woman in order to revenge his ancestor and to investigate

the greatest mystery in the world – the secret of eternal Life and Youth.

So, he and his two fellow-voyagers (Horace Holly and Job) went to Africa.

On the ocean, not far from the place of their destination they were seized

by the horrible squall. Only four people were saved and all the remainder

of their company was destroyed. These four men, who were brought to the

shore by the wave from the very jaws of Death, were: Leo Vincey, his

guardian and true friend Horace Holly, their faithful servant Job, and

swarthy Arab Mohammed.

Job has been serving Mr. Holly and Leo for twenty years, he loved his job

and could always be relied upon. He was a simple-minded, devout man with

prejudices. Not really brave or courageous, he was frightened by thrilling

adventure and unexplored lands, though he agreed to go with Mr. Holly, Leo

and dark-skinned sailors, whose manners and customs scared him to death.

Later the savages named this man the Pig on account of his fatness, round

face and small eyes. Job could not stand severe ordeals of the trip,

shattered by all he had seen and undergone, his nerves had utterly broken

down and he had died of terror.

Travelling though deep forests and marshes, the heroes of the book

endured great hardship, but at last they were entertained by “She-who-must-

be-obeyed”, the mighty Queen of a savage people. While woman, She ruled

savages, was seldom seen by them, but was reported to have power over all

things living and dead. The Queen was a magician, had knowledge of all

things, and life and loveliness that does not die. She had no regular army,

but to disobey her was to die. This mysterious woman had a powerful

intellect, which she always enriched by studying languages and different

sciences. She was two thousand years old and, of course, knew history and

studied all religions of the world. Ayesha (this was her name) even had her

own philosophy. She was a great chemist, indeed chemistry appears to have

been her amusement and occupation. Ayesha had one of the caves fitted up as

a laboratory.

She was a woman of peculiar beauty. “Never may the man to whom her beauty

is once unveiled put it from his mind.” Ayesha looked like a young woman of

certainly not more than thirty years in perfect health. Her white and

rounded arms, ankles, snowy argent breast, perfect and imperial shape,

gracious forms were more perfect than ever sculptor dreamed of. “Her grace

was more than human.” This woman had the great changing eyes of deepest,

softest black, marble face, broad and noble brow, lovely smile and

delicate, straight features. One who ever saw her surpassingly beautiful

and pure face, was amazed and blinded by its beauty.

At the end of the story Ayesha decided that Leo Vincey was the man she

has waited for. She thought that Leo really was a reincarnation of her

beloved Kallikrates, because their likeness and resemblance amazed her.

This woman wanted to make Leo Vincey immortal in order he could marry her.

That is why he had to step into the Eternal Fire of Life… But Leo doubted

how could he know that it wouldn’t utterly destroy him. So, Ayesha asked

him: “Oh, my Kallikrates, if you see me stand in the flame and come out

unharmed, will you enter then.” Leo agreed and said: “Yes!!!” And Ayesha

stepped into the Fire and never came back.

So, this was the end of the first story about this mysterious woman. But

When I read the second book, I found out that after a while She restored to

life again.

This book was not written for any specific group or class. The author

even does not insist on his point of view. He thinks that a reader must

judge the history (the story) himself, that is why the story is presented

like memories or the main hero – Horace Holly. But I think that the

intended audience should be young broad-minded people, who has bright

imagination and will be able to develop Haggard’s idea or, maybe on the

contrary, - to dispute his opinion. A story that began more than two

thousand years ago may stretch a long way into the dim and of the story is

not reached yet. Haggard wrote an endless story and in it, he raised a

question of Life and Death that has always occupied people minds. This is

the question about rebirth of both, mind and body after death.

The purpose of this book is to make a man reflect on the purport of life

and make him try to solve the most important problem for humanity – the

question about life prolongation.

The message of the book is to make a man believe that his life after

death does not come to an end, but after a while the rebirth of soul and

body will be and “to the world his is born again and again.”

Rider Haggard wrote this book with an intention to share with a reader

his thoughts and ideas about Past, Present and Future of mankind. He wanted

to bring up for discussion the subject of Immortality and Eternal Life.

Haggard in his novel uses specific literary method. He depicts all the

events very brightly and thus a reader finds himself in the deepest jungle

of civilization among the savages, in Africa. Excited about impending

adventure, with his heart filled with mingled dread and curiosity the

reader shares the adventures with the heroes. The main heroes of the story

often turn over their minds the events that they experienced and share

their thoughts with the reader.

The author often uses inversion as a quite unusual rhetorical device in

order to lend the speech of the main heroes still greater importance.

Savages never called their Queen by name. Speaking about her they used to

say: “She-who-must-be-obeyed!” This and many other expressions make Ayesha

more powerful and majestic. Haggard uses many metaphors, epithets and

comparisons. For example, in order to describe the difference between young

handsome Leo and ugly appearance of Mr. Holly more vividly, the writer

compares the heroes with Beauty and the Beast.

Rider Haggard uses many words from Uncial Greek, Old English and Latin

languages. He even gives his heroes ancient Greek names. For example,

Kallikrates (means the Beautiful in Strength) and his wife Amenartas. All

these literary devices give the story a shade of antiquity and ancient

times.

I found the book instructive and very interesting. Reading the novel I

really experienced a fascinating adventure to Africa. I like the story

because the author offers interesting insight into human nature. His idea

differs from the Bible interpretation of this question. I consider

Haggard’s thought very interesting because he thinks that not only soul

exists after death, but body also revives.

The main hero of the story Ayesha appeals to me more than other ones. Her

intellect and wisdom amaze me. I respect this woman and admire her

inquiring nature, intellectual curiosity and diligence. Living two thousand

years not everyone could resist the temptations of life, but She dedicated

these years to studying different sciences and as a result of her endurance

and hard work Ayesha reveled the Secret of Nature and got the enormous

power over all things. I’m delighted with her devotion to the man she loved

and waited for, all these years. Ayesha’s power, youth and beauty – are not

magic, but her tireless work. The Queen even says: “There is no such thing

as magic”, thought there is such thing as knowledge of Secrets of Nature.

As to my opinion this book will be interesting for everyone, because the

questions of Life and Death, prolongation of Life and rebirth of body and

soul are eternal questions for mankind. All people are interested in it.

Little children ask their parents about Future, about life, as well as old

people often turn over these questions in their minds. I recommend to read

this book to everybody. I can’t say that after reading it you will be sure

that Eternal life exists, but still the story leaves a hope…