The Witch's Head

by H. Rider Haggard

The Witch's Head, the second novel H. Rider Haggard published, is a romance about the dismembered head of an evil African witch doctor.

Genres: Adventure, Victorian, Classics

300 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1885

About the author

Sir Henry Rider Haggard, KBE was an English writer of adventure novels set in exotic locations, predominantly Africa, and the creator of the Lost World literary genre. His stories, situated at the lighter end of the scale of Victorian literature, continue to be popular and influential. He was also involved in agricultural reform and improvement in the British Empire.

His breakout novel was King Solomon's Mines (1885), which was to be the first in a series telling of the multitudinous adventures of its protagonist, Allan Quatermain.

Haggard was made a Knight Bachelor in 1912 and a Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1919. He stood unsuccessfully for Parliament as a Conservative candidate for the Eastern division of Norfolk in 1895. The locality of Rider, British Columbia, was named in his memory.

Reviews

[James Hold · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a puzzling book. I never could figure out what the Witch's Head had to do with anything. They find a head in a box, hang it on a wall, and forget about it. It isn't mentioned again until the final chapters. Dorothy blames it for all the misfortune that has befallen them. Only how? Nothing supernatural about the thing is suggested. Most of the misfortune comes from Ernest being a lucky idiot. The African scenes in the middle part are good. But for the rest, my reaction was, "So what?" Another long and plodding book much like BEATRICE with frequent essays that contribute nothing. Thankfully Haggard finally found his nitch and wrote his Allan Quatermain and other adventurous books.

[Joseph · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another perfectly competent but ultimately forgettable Victorian novel from Haggard. Of interest primarily because of some extended sections in South Africa. Hard to believe that after this and Dawn, his next two novels were the infinitely better and more original King Solomon's Mines and She.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

"O, boy, boy, when you are a man never set up an idol, for it frightens good spirits away. Nothing else can live in its temple; it is a place where all things are forgotten — duty, and the claims of blood, and sometimes those of honor too. Look now, I have my idol, and it has made me forget my sister and your mother. Had she not written at last when she was dying, I should have forgotten you too.”
The boy looked up puzzled.
“An idol!”
“Yes,” went on his uncle in his dreamy way—”an idol. Many people have them; they keep them in the cupboard with their family skeleton; sometimes the two are identical. And they call them by many names, too; frequently it is a woman’s name; sometimes that of a passion; sometimes that of a vice, but a virtue’s — not often.”

"There are some scenes, trivial enough perhaps in themselves, that yet retain a peculiar power of standing out in sharp relief, as we cast our mind’s eye down the long vista of our past. The group of events with which these particular scenes were connected may have long ago vanished from our mental sight, or faded into a dim and misty uniformity, and be as difficult to distinguish one from the other as the trees of a forest viewed from a height. But here and there an event, a sensation, or a face will stand out as perfectly clear as if it had been that moment experienced, felt, or seen."

"Faith, perfect faith, is only to be won by struggle, and in most cultivated minds by the passage through the dim, mirage-clad land of disbelief. The true believer is he who has trodden down disbelief, not he who has run away from it. When we have descended from the height of our childhood, when we have entertained Apollyon, and having considered what he has to say, given him battle and routed him in the plain, then, and not till then, can we say with guileless hearts, “Lord, I believe,” and feel no need to add the sadly qualifying words, “help Thou mine unbelief."

"...it seems probable that as we sow so shall we reap, as we spiritually imagine so shall we spiritually inherit, since causes must in time produce effects. These beliefs are not implanted in our hearts for nothing, and surely in the wide heavens there is room for the realization of them all. But I too have my beliefs, and one of them is, that in God’s great hereafter every loving and desiring soul will be with the soul thus loved and desired. For him or her, at any rate, the other will be there, forming a part of his or her life, though, perhaps, it may elsewhere and with others also be pursuing its own desires and satisfying its own aspirations."

H. Rider Haggard's second novel, The Witch's Head, was published in 1885 with some success (he made 50 pounds for his effort). Although Haggard, himself, stated that he didn't consider the story as accomplished as his first novel, Dawn, he named one of his daughters after Dorothy, the heroine in the book.

From the title of the book, a prospective reader may consider the novel to be classified as horror, something along the lines of Edgar Allen Poe. In my opinion, it was nothing of the sort. In fact, of this approximately 350 page novel, the macabre symbol is seldom mentioned. That, however, doesn't mean that Haggard mistitled the novel, as the reader will determine in feeling the undertone of that visage throughout.

Primarily, the novel discusses several different characters that live within the walls of the Reginald Cardus English home of Kesterwick, namely, Reginald, Ernest Kershaw, and Dorothy and Jeremy Jones. None of these children have been sired by Cardus but through various circumstances, he is raising them. Cardus has a deep fondness for Ernest and Dorothy, but displays a dislike for Jeremy although the loyalty Ernest and Jeremy have toward one another is deep-rooted. In addition, the unhinged grandfather, "Hard-riding" Atterleigh, of Dorothy and Jeremy also resides in the home due to Cardus' charity. Women have a strong attraction to Ernest due to his appearance and disposition and consequently he has several who are vying for his affection, and, consequently, he eventually falls deeply in love with a neighbor, Eva Ceswick, who lives with her sister Florence.

The relationships in this novel are very interesting and intertwined. Although the novel was only his second to be published, it shows an expertise in sculpting characters that most modern novelists only dream of accomplishing. In addition, the settings are remarkable, as he takes Ernest and Jeremy to each location in the novel from England to France to South Africa. I found the author's ability to describe the surroundings and cultures of each place to be incredible and, most certainly, must represent his personal life.

In addition, the novel includes some spiritual aspects that are noticeably absent from modern literature. I don't know how Haggard led his life, but it is obvious, those thoughts were foremost in his mind. He, however, doesn't preach; he simply philosophizes and allows each reader to consider his thoughts through personal reflection.

Overall the story was engrossing, well crafted, and flowing. Considering that this novel showed only minor success, and it was the next novel, King Solomon's Mines, his first novel with the famous Alan Quatermain, that gave H. Rider Haggard worldwide fame, I look forward to continuing my reading of his novels.

[George · Rating 3 out of 5]

Published in 1884
Opens around 1860 with 13 year old orphan Ernest Kershaw moving in with his mother’s brother (single and caring for the 2, Dorothy & Jeremy, children of the woman who he had wanted to married. He has also been pursuing vengeance upon those who prevented his marriage.)) following the death of his mother after his father’s brother rejects the request. The story quickly moves forward to Ernest and Jeremy, now fast friends, are in their early 20’s and have graduated from Cambridge. Added to this mix are Florence and Eva of similar age and new neighbors. In a cemetery collapsing into the sea, they discover a box containing the well preserved Saxon(?) woman’s head who they deem a witch and who close resembles Florence. Things begin to be less positive after the head is discovered.

Personal relations are a bit of a miss mash in this novel. Ernest is very likable to everyone though he can be a bit of fluff. Jeremy is big strong slow in thinking and on the shy side. Eva, Florence and Dorothy all love Ernest while Ernest loves Eva and doesn’t see Florence and Dorothy’s feeling for him. Jeremy loves Eva. Things are further messed up by: Ernest kissing Florence when he knows he doesn’t love her, but causing her to declare her love for him; Ernest and Eva falling in love after Florence warns her to stay away from Ernest; Eva reluctantly (she is a weak personality) agreeing to marry Ernest even though she considers him a “boy” and agree to keep their engagement a secret; Florence actively working to keep Eva and Ernest from marrying as she seeks vengeance on them both; Florence actively seeking to get Eva to marry the new clergyman (very unsuitable) who wants to marry her; Ernest’s uncle telling him to to marry Dorothy and he’ll be his heir to his considerable fortune, but if he doesn’t, he’ll get nothing; and Ernest killing his cousin (who started it all) in a duel considered murder under English law and flees to South Africa to avoid prosecution. In other words, this is a very typical Haggard romance and is also drawn out a bit much.

[Trounin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Хаггард верен русской пословице: терпение и труд всё перетрут. Райдер продолжал пытаться сочинять, создавая художественные работы сомнительной полезности. Он только теперь начал определяться, к чему ему стоит склоняться в творчестве. Продолжать писать подобие викторианской литературы – не совсем его. Он, если выражаться точно, писал не так, как того требовалось. Вместо тщательной остановки на деталях, Хаггард всё-таки стремился к наполнению. Но как ему это делать? Вторгаться в личное пространство описываемых им действующих лиц вполне допустимо, было бы то интересно читателю. И читатель, как раз, совершенно не интересовался литературными изысканиями Райдера. Снова последовал крах писательских ожиданий, Хаггард оставался на мели. Куда же далее направлять взор? Неужели так и пришлось бы ему сочинять истории, не способные приковать интерес? Даже на страницах этого произведения, второго по счёту, не имелось так остро необходимого, пусть и затронул Райдер тему Африки. Что же, “Копи царя Соломона” он напишет следующими, пожнёт успех и до конца жизни будет создавать приключения, скорее ориентируясь на аудиторию, склонную верить фантазиям о том, что продолжало расцениваться таинственным и непонятным.

(c) Trounin

[Tizzz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Miserable

[Paul Cornelius · Rating 2 out of 5]

Mediocre Victorian parlor room melodrama, with a dash of spiritualism and philosophizing thrown in at the end. This novel is one of Haggard's earlier works. I'm guessing he was trying to make himself sound important. Most of the work is about how Ernest loves Eva who loves Ernest but is forced to marry a Snidely Whiplash like preacher. So Ernest runs away to South Africa to fight Zulus with his friend Jeremy who also loves Eva. Both end up at Isandlwana and are the only two white men to escape the battle (btw, now I see where Wilbur Smith stole the idea of his two Courtney brothers at the same battle). Anyway, Ernest is struck blind with the truth and goes back to England to marry Jeremy's sister, Dorothy. Eva dies some years later and Ernest and Dorothy sit around philosophizing about death and the afterlife. The title? It's from a mummified witch's head Eva digs up in the cemetery early in the book. Then, the head disappears from the story until the very end, where it reappears and falls off a bookshelf. That's it.

Haggard's shortest chapter is on the overall battle at Isandlwana. A slightly larger chapter describes Ernest's and Jeremy's escape from the massacre. Haggard does display what will become his signature adventure story skills there. But it's lost amid all the talking, letter writing, and moaning about lost love that suffocates the rest of the book.

[Kasturi Rangan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Started off well but then became a very slow read. Ending was most boring.

[Emiliya · Rating 3 out of 5]

Класика, но не достига най-известния роман на автора.

[Ketutar Jensen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I just love to read books written by men describing how men feel about women they love...

“I say Doll,” replied Jeremy, whose general appearance was that of a man plunged into the depths of misery, “don’t laugh at a fellow; if you only knew what I feel–inside, you know–you wouldn’t–”
“What! are you not well? have some brandy?” suggested his sister, in genuine alarm.
“Don’t be an idiot, Doll; it isn’t my stomach, it’s here”; and he knocked his right lung, under the impression that he was indicating the position of his heart.
“And what do you feel, Jeremy?”
“Feel!” he answered with a groan; “what don’t I feel? When I am away from her I feel a sort of sinking, just like one does when one has to go without one’s dinner, only it’s always there. When she looks at me I go hot and cold all over, and when she smiles it’s just as though one had killed a couple of woodcocks right and left.”
“Good gracious, Jeremy!” interposed his sister, who was beginning to think he had gone off his head; “and what happens if she doesn’t smile?”
“Ah, then,” he replied, sadly, “it’s as though one had missed them both.”

I don't know what to think about this book. I suppose it was ok for what it is, a Victorian adventure novel. It's a story of Ernest, Jeremy, and Dorothy, who are kind of cousins. I don't think they are really related, Ernest is, I think, Mr. Cardus's nephew, and Jeremy and Dorothy are orphans, children of Mr. Cardus's beloved, so he kind of adopted the three... or fostered them. I don't know how it really went, and it doesn't much matter either. They grew up together, and Jeremy and Ernest were best of friends, Ernest the MC, and Jeremy his sidekick. They fell in love with the same woman, and even though she was kind of flirty with Jeremy, she fell in love with Ernest at the first sight and vice versa. Florence, Eva's sister got very upset with her because of that, and because Ernest the a-hole, kissed her without meaning anything with it, and Florence took it to mean more, and asked Eva to not go after Ernest because Florence loved him. And she did it anyway. Frankly, I don't like Eva much. She seemed very shallow and not a very good person. Anyway, Eva and Ernest got engaged, and then Ernest decides to travel and leaves Eva alone, and Florence manages to get her revenge by seeing Eva gets married to someone else. And then tells her on her wedding day that she, Eva, walked in the marriage all of her own free will, that she, Florence, never actually forced her to do anything, and had she, Eva, had any guts, she would have waited for Ernest. And I agree with Florence.

The Africa part was boring. Mr. Alston was an a-hole and had a very bad influence on Ernest. So bad that when Haggard states at the end of the book "Ernest, a man of a just and reasonable mind" I was laughing out loud. Yeah, sure.
They treated Eva horribly.
And it's pretty racist.
They treated Florence pretty horribly as well.
I think there's some misogyny in the story, but also some feminism. I mean, I get the feeling that Haggard would rather see women as devoted, obedient, homemakers and wifeys, not as strong and good as men, but he also thinks they are individuals who should make their own decisions about their lives, level to men. Florence is the villain in the story, but also, I kind of think she's a strong woman, and Haggard seems to have quite a lot of respect to her. At least I have. I might be projecting here :-D I like Florence, even though she's really horrible to her sister, but on the other hand, Eva promised to leave Ernest to her. You don't take your sister's man, especially when the sister is not as pretty as you are.

I read this book because I found the description and the idea of the witch's head fascinating, but it didn't have much anything to do with the story. More witch and less Africa. No Africa, actually, would have been better, but I assume guys reading this book prefer the Africa bits :-D
Now, this isn't one of his best books, people say his first book (this was 2nd), King Solomon's Mines (3rd), and She (4th?) are his best ones. I suppose I need to read them. (I have read She. It was fascinating. I liked it.)

[Wade Burgess · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found it not as interesting as many other HRH novels. The Witch's Head was not utilized to maximum effect within the story.
I have read many, many books set in southern Africa, so even the scenes that were set in that region were not fabulous for me.
I am happy that HRH developed the supernatural themes in his later and better novels. THE WITCH'S HEAD does seem to show how HRH was learning his craft.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting melodrama with some strong locations but the supernatural theme is never really developed.