The Sword of Welleran

The Sword of Welleran is a collection of fantasy short stories written by Lord Dunsany and first published in 1908.

The book brings together a series of imaginative tales set in strange kingdoms, ancient cities and dreamlike landscapes. The stories often move between heroic legend, melancholy beauty and supernatural mystery, creating a world in which myth and reality seem to coexist.

The title story centres on a city that continues to honour its long-dead heroes, whose memory still shapes the courage of its people. Across the collection, Dunsany explores the power of legend, the fragility of human glory, and the passing of great civilisations.

With its poetic style and visionary atmosphere, the collection is an important work in the genre of early modern fantasy. It reflects Dunsany’s talent for creating mythic worlds filled with wonder, loss and timeless adventure.

"Where the great plain of Tarphet runs up, as the sea in estuaries, among the Cyresian mountains, there stood long since the city of Merimna well-nigh among the shadows of the crags. I have never seen a city in the world so beautiful as Merimna seemed to me when first I dreamed of it. It was a marvel of spires and figures of bronze, and marble fountains, and trophies of fabulous wars, and broad streets given over wholly to the Beautiful. Right through the centre of the city there went an avenue fifty strides in width, and along each side of it stood likenesses in bronze of the Kings of all the countries that the people of Merimna had ever known. At the end of that avenue was a colossal chariot with three bronze horses driven by the winged figure of Fame, and behind her in the chariot the huge form of Welleran, Merimna's ancient hero, standing with extended sword. "