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Excerpt ​

Excerpt from The Princess and Curdie, by George MacDonald

A mountain is a strange and awful thing. In old times, without knowing
so much of their strangeness and awfulness as we do, people were yet
more afraid of mountains. But then somehow they had not come to see
how beautiful they are as well as awful, and they hated them--and what
people hate they must fear. Now that we have learned to look at them
with admiration, perhaps we do not feel quite awe enough of them. To
me they are beautiful terrors.

I will try to tell you what they are. They are portions of the heart
of the earth that have escaped from the dungeon down below, and rushed
up and out. For the heart of the earth is a great wallowing mass, not
of blood, as in the hearts of men and animals, but of glowing hot,
melted metals and stones. And as our hearts keep us alive, so that
great lump of heat keeps the earth alive: it is a huge power of buried
sunlight--that is what it is.

Now think: out of that cauldron, where all the bubbles would be as big
as the Alps if it could get room for its boiling, certain bubbles have
bubbled out and escaped--up and away, and there they stand in the cool,
cold sky--mountains. Think of the change, and you will no more wonder
that there should be something awful about the very look of a mountain:
from the darkness--for where the light has nothing to shine upon, much
the same as darkness--from the heat, from the endless tumult of boiling
unrest--up, with a sudden heavenward shoot, into the wind, and the
cold, and the starshine, and a cloak of snow that lies like ermine
above the blue-green mail of the glaciers; and the great sun, their
grandfather, up there in the sky; and their little old cold aunt, the
moon, that comes wandering about the house at night; and everlasting
stillness, except for the wind that turns the rocks and caverns into a
roaring organ for the young archangels that are studying how to let out
the pent-up praises of their hearts, and the molten music of the
streams, rushing ever from the bosoms of the glaciers fresh born.

Explanation ​

George MacDonald’s The Princess and Curdie (1883) is a fantasy novel and sequel to The Princess and the Goblin, blending fairy-tale elements with deep philosophical and moral reflections. The excerpt provided is a lyrical meditation on mountains, embodying MacDonald’s signature style—rich in mythic imagery, spiritual symbolism, and a reverence for nature as both beautiful and terrifying. Below is a detailed breakdown of the passage, focusing on its language, themes, literary devices, and significance.

Context and Themes ​

  1. Source and Setting:

    • The Princess and Curdie follows the adventures of a miner’s son, Curdie, and Princess Irene in a kingdom threatened by corrupt forces. The novel explores themes of courage, faith, and the interplay between the earthly and the divine.
    • This excerpt is not part of the main plot but a reflective interlude, typical of MacDonald’s didactic and poetic asides. It serves to deepen the reader’s sense of the natural world as alive, moral, and mysterious—mirroring the novel’s broader themes of hidden depths (both in people and the earth).

  2. Key Themes:

    • Awe and Beauty in Nature: MacDonald contrasts fear and admiration, suggesting that modern people have lost some of the primal awe ("terrors") that mountains inspire. The passage bridges the sublime (the overwhelming, almost fearful beauty of nature) with the romantic (emotional and spiritual connection to it).
    • Duality of Existence: Mountains are both "beautiful" and "awful," born from chaos (the earth’s molten core) yet standing in serene majesty. This duality reflects the novel’s moral landscape, where goodness and evil coexist, and true heroism requires confronting both.
    • Cosmic Imagery: The earth’s heart is a "buried sunlight," linking the terrestrial to the celestial. Mountains become a bridge between the underground (dark, tumultuous) and the heavens (cold, star-lit), symbolizing spiritual ascent or revelation.
    • Music and Harmony: The "roaring organ" of wind and "molten music" of streams suggest that nature is a divine symphony, echoing MacDonald’s belief in a universe infused with meaning and praise.

Literary Devices and Stylistic Analysis ​

  1. Personification and Anthropomorphism:

    • The earth has a "heart" that "wallows" (moves restlessly), and mountains are "bubbles" that "escaped" like living beings. This gives the natural world agency and emotion, aligning with MacDonald’s view of nature as sacred and sentient.
    • The sun is the mountains’ "grandfather," the moon their "little old cold aunt"—domestic imagery that softens the cosmic scale, making it intimate yet vast.

  2. Contrast and Juxtaposition:

    • Heat vs. Cold: The molten core ("endless tumult of boiling unrest") contrasts with the "cool, cold sky" and "cloak of snow." This tension underscores the mountains’ dramatic origin and their role as thresholds between extremes.
    • Darkness vs. Light: The underground is a place of "darkness" (lack of light to reflect upon), while the mountains rise into "starshine" and sunlight. This mirrors the novel’s theme of enlightenment (both literal and spiritual).
    • Stillness vs. Motion: The "everlasting stillness" of the peaks is broken by the "roaring organ" of wind and "rushing" streams, suggesting that stillness and dynamism coexist in nature—as they do in the human soul.

  3. Metaphor and Simile:

    • Mountains are "portions of the heart of the earth," "beautiful terrors," and "ermine" (a luxurious fur) over "blue-green mail" (glaciers as armor). These metaphors elevate mountains to symbols of nobility, danger, and divine craftsmanship.
    • The wind turns rocks into an "organ for young archangels," blending the natural with the supernatural. The "pent-up praises" of the archangels’ hearts suggest that nature itself is a form of worship.

  4. Sensory and Synesthetic Imagery:

    • Visual: "Starshine," "ermine," "blue-green mail" paint a vivid picture.
    • Auditory: The "roaring organ," "molten music" of streams, and "tumult of boiling unrest" create a soundscape that immerses the reader.
    • Tactile: The contrast of heat ("glowing hot, melted metals") and cold ("snow") invites the reader to feel the mountains’ extremes.

  5. Mythic and Biblical Allusions:

    • The "buried sunlight" echoes Platonic or Christian ideas of divine light hidden in the material world (e.g., the "light of the world" in John 8:12).
    • The "young archangels" studying music evoke the heavenly host, framing nature as a school for spiritual beings. This aligns with MacDonald’s belief in the interconnectedness of all creation.

  6. Tone and Voice:

    • The tone is reverential yet conversational. MacDonald addresses the reader directly ("I will try to tell you," "think of the change"), creating intimacy. His voice is that of a wise storyteller, blending scientific curiosity (geological descriptions) with poetic wonder.
    • The rhythm is cadenced and incantatory, with long, flowing sentences that mimic the rise of mountains and the rush of streams.

Significance of the Passage ​

  1. Philosophical Depth:

    • MacDonald presents mountains as embodiments of paradox: they are violent yet serene, ancient yet freshly "born" from glaciers, terrifying yet beautiful. This reflects his broader worldview, where truth is often found in tensions (e.g., suffering and joy, faith and doubt).
    • The passage suggests that true understanding requires both fear and love—a balance modern people have lost. This critiques the Enlightenment’s overemphasis on reason at the expense of wonder.

  2. Spiritual Symbolism:

    • The mountains’ journey from darkness to light mirrors the soul’s ascent toward divine truth. This aligns with MacDonald’s Christian mysticism, where the material world hints at spiritual realities.
    • The "pent-up praises" of the archangels imply that creation itself is a form of prayer, and humans are called to listen and participate.

  3. Ecological Reverence:

    • Long before modern environmentalism, MacDonald portrays nature as alive and sacred. The earth’s heart is not a dead mechanism but a "huge power of buried sunlight," suggesting that the planet is a living organism deserving of respect.
    • The passage foreshadows the novel’s themes of stewardship—Curdie’s role is to protect the kingdom’s purity, much like the mountains stand as silent guardians.

  4. Narrative Function:

    • While the excerpt is descriptive, it sets the tone for the novel’s adventures. The mountains’ awe-inspiring power reflects the moral challenges Curdie will face: like the mountains, his journey involves rising from darkness (the goblins’ tunnels) into light (truth and courage).
    • The musical imagery ("organ," "molten music") prepares the reader for the novel’s emphasis on harmony and discord—both in the literal sense (the princess’s magical music) and the moral sense (the struggle between good and evil).

Line-by-Line Explanation ​

  1. "A mountain is a strange and awful thing."

    • Opens with a declaration of the mountain’s otherness. "Awful" here means awe-inspiring, not merely frightening—a key Romantic idea (e.g., Edmund Burke’s sublime).

  2. "In old times... they hated them—and what people hate they must fear."

    • Critiques the past for lacking appreciation of beauty in the terrifying. Implies that fear without admiration is incomplete.

  3. "Now that we have learned to look at them with admiration, perhaps we do not feel quite awe enough of them."

    • Warns against over-familiarity. Modernity risks losing the sacred terror that should accompany beauty.

  4. "To me they are beautiful terrors."

    • The central paradox: beauty and terror are intertwined. This phrase encapsulates MacDonald’s view of the divine—as both loving and fearsome.

  5. "Portions of the heart of the earth that have escaped..."

    • Personifies the earth as a living entity with a heart, framing mountains as its rebellious, creative outbursts.

  6. "A great wallowing mass... of glowing hot, melted metals and stones."

    • Geological accuracy (magma) blended with organic imagery ("wallowing" like an animal). The earth is alive, not mechanical.

  7. "As our hearts keep us alive, so that great lump of heat keeps the earth alive..."

    • Analogy between human and planetary life. Suggests a vitalist view of nature (all things have a life force).

  8. "Out of that cauldron... certain bubbles have bubbled out and escaped—up and away..."

    • Mountains as escaping prisoners or liberated spirits. The "cauldron" evokes both geological processes and mythic imagery (e.g., the cauldron of Ceridwen in Welsh myth, a source of inspiration).

  9. "From the darkness... up, with a sudden heavenward shoot..."

    • Vertical imagery of ascent, symbolizing spiritual transcendence. The "sudden shoot" is like a plant growing toward light—nature as aspirational.

  10. "Into the wind, and the cold, and the starshine..."

    • The elements (wind, cold) are not just physical but moral forces—testing, purifying. "Starshine" links the mountains to the cosmic.

  11. "A cloak of snow that lies like ermine above the blue-green mail of the glaciers..."

    • Regal imagery: ermine (a symbol of royalty) and mail (armor) suggest mountains as noble warriors or guardians. The colors ("blue-green") evoke both ice and life (like the sea).

  12. "Their grandfather, the great sun... their little old cold aunt, the moon..."

    • Familial metaphors make the cosmic personal. The sun is masculine (warm, generative), the moon feminine (cold, wandering)—a balance of energies.

  13. "Everlasting stillness, except for the wind that turns the rocks and caverns into a roaring organ..."

    • Silence and sound coexist. The "organ" suggests divine music, turning nature into a cathedral. The wind is the breath of the earth, playing its own hymns.

  14. "For the young archangels that are studying how to let out the pent-up praises of their hearts..."

    • Angels as students implies that creation is a school for spiritual beings. The "pent-up praises" suggest that all things yearn to express their purpose—humans included.

  15. "And the molten music of the streams, rushing ever from the bosoms of the glaciers fresh born."

    • Birth imagery: streams are "fresh born" from glaciers, which are the mountains’ "bosoms" (nurturing, maternal). The "molten music" ties back to the earth’s fiery heart, now transformed into liquid song.

Conclusion: Why This Passage Matters ​

This excerpt is a microcosm of MacDonald’s genius—blending science, myth, and spirituality into a vision of nature as alive, moral, and divine. It’s not just about mountains; it’s about how we perceive the world. MacDonald challenges the reader to see beyond utility or fear, to embrace awe as a path to wisdom.

In The Princess and Curdie, this reverence for nature mirrors the novel’s call to look deeper—whether into the earth, oneself, or the mysteries of good and evil. The mountains, like the characters, are both what they seem and more: terrifying, beautiful, and ultimately, holy.