THE DEEP ONES: "Robin's Rath" by Margery Lawrence

"Robin's Rath" by Margery Lawrence

Discussion begins January 24, 2024.



First published in the November 1923 issue of Hutchinson's Story Magazine.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

https://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/title.cgi?1185999

SELECTED PRINT VERSIONS

Nights of the Round Table: A Book of Strange Tales
The Mammoth Book of Ghost Stories
The World's Greatest Ghost Stories

ONLINE VERSIONS

https://pseudopod.org/2020/03/20/pseudopod-694-robins-rath/

ONLINE AUDIO VERSIONS

https://pseudopod.org/2020/03/20/pseudopod-694-robins-rath/ (same page as above)

MISCELLANY

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margery_Lawrence
https://ko-fi.com/post/A-few-facts-about-Margery-Lawrence-author-of-The-D1D5IBYU...
https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/female-ghost-writers-over...
http://tinyurl.com/3cx3x6sj

The opening paragraphs perfectly convey the character of Ellen Vandermyl. Masterful writing on Lawrence's part. Nice to find an early 20th century foray into Green Man folklore. Ellen's fate is quite horrifying. I really think that Lawrence needs to be back in print. The four stories I've read by her so far are outstanding.

Appreciated that Rob Woodson escalated his attempts to talk Ellen out of her plans. First there's the talk, then what seems to sexual seduction, and finally taking her soul. (And do others think there was a sexual relationship between Ellen and Woodson or did they really just lay down beside each other in the glade?)

I saw Robin's Rath as sort of the weird fiction version of G. K. Chesterton's famous fence. Unless you know who and what and why the Rath is there, you call down doom by trying to alter it.