The Folk of the Mountain Door

Of old time, in the days of the kings, there was a king of folk, a
mighty man in battle, a man deemed lucky by the wise, who ruled over a
folk that begrudged not his kingship, whereas they knew of his valour and
wisdom and saw how by his means they prevailed over other folks, so that
their land was wealthy and at peace save about its uttermost borders. And
this folk was called the Folk of the Mountain Door, or more shortly, of
the Door.

Strong of body was this king, tall and goodly to look on, so that the
hearts of women fluttered with desire when he passed them by. In the
prime and flower of his age he wedded a wife, a seemly mate, a woman of
the Earl-kin, tall and white-skinned, golden haired and grey-eyed;
healthy, sweet-breathed, and soft-spoken, courteous of manners, wise of
heart, kind to all folk, well-beloved of little children. In early
spring-tide was the wedding, and a little after Yule she was brought to
bed of a man-child of whom the midwives said they had never seen a
fairer. He was sprinkled with water and was named Host-lord after the
name of his kindred of old.

Great was the feast of his name-day, and much people came thereto, the
barons of the land, and the lords of the neighbouring folk who would fain
stand well with the king; and merchants and craftsmen and sages and
bards; and the king took them with both hands and gave them gifts, and
hearkened to their talk and their tales, as if he were their very earthly
fellow; for as fierce as he was afield with the sword in his fist, even
so meek and kind he was in the hall amongst his folk and the strangers
that sought to him.

Now amongst the guests that ate and drank in the hall on the even of the
Name-day, the king as he walked amidst the tables beheld an old man as
tall as any champion of the king's host, but far taller had he been, but
that he was bowed with age. He was so clad that he had on him a kirtle of
lambswool undyed and snow-white, and a white cloak, lined with ermine and
welted with gold; a golden fillet set with gems was on his head, and a
gold-hilted sword by his side; and the king deemed as he looked on him
that he had never seen any man more like to the Kings of the Ancient
World than this man. By his side sat a woman old and very old, but great
of stature, and noble of visage, clad, she also, in white wool raiment
embroidered about with strange signs of worms and fire-drakes, and the
sun and the moon and the host of heaven.

The Folk of the Mountain Door