Figures of Earth, James Branch Cabell

Cover of Figures of EarthFigures of Earth was written by James Branch Cabell. It is available for free at Gutenberg.org. I know well his maxim: "The optimist proclaims that we live in the best of all possible worlds; and the pessimist fears this is true."

It is rare that I have ever read a book twice. This Figures of Earth, however, is that rare exception. Oddly, Cabell is not highly recognized for his works. His work has largely settled into obscurity. I don't know what little I can contribute towards the enlightenment of the world upon the marvellous work Cabell's excellent pen cut from the eternal fountain of literary cloth, but I shall do what little part I might.

An Outline of Events

"Mundus vult decipi" is the motto of the hero, Dom Manuel. Also known as the biography as Dom Manuel, he is the central figure of the text. He is met first as a swineherder. He quickly discards the weight of expectation: that he might forever herd swine for his brother-in-law, marry some low born woman, and knows not his own father. However, he quickly shirks his duties declaring, "I am Manuel, and I follow after my own thinking and my own desire."

He has a geas on him to make himself a fine figure of a man. I would have told him, of course, that she meant that he ought to make himself into a good man. But he takes it to mean that he needs to create a man who is good. In order to accomplish his geas, he searches for sorcery.


On his way to conquer a sorcerer who supplied him with the very sword with which to conquer him, to rescue him from his unwanted life of marriage. Along the way, he meets with an ally: a plainly described and common looking servant woman, Niafer. Through her help, they accomplish the mission of finding the wizard, Miramon Lluagor despite the adversity of many fantastical creatures.

As Manuel attempts to behead Miramon Lluagor, he is checked by the consequence of winning the beautiful woman, he discovers that he no longer wants to her, and longs rather for Niafer, who is usually universally described as "stupid and plain-featured girl who is years older than he."

On the way down from the wizard's castle, the newly minted couple are met with grandfather death who declares that it is required of him to take the first person whom he met, but that Niafer and Manuel being abreast in their walking, may choose which is to go with him and which is to remain alive. After some quick conferencing, it is decided that Niafer shall go. Manuel declares, "I love Niafer better than I love any other person, but I do not value Niafer's life more highly than I value my own life, and it would be nonsense to say so."

Eventually he gains the magic through his relation to powerful women, to actually make a clay figure of a man and animate him. In no way, however, can he shake the love he held for Niafer, nor the guilt for his choosing her to leave the world when the choice was his. Having successfully set aside the geas given him by his mother, he then sets about bringing Niafer back to himself. Ultimately, this demanded of him a great sacrifice: he served a bodiless figure named Misery for a period of thirty days. Each day he served Misery took from him a year of his life so that, when at last he had finished those thirty days, he was thirty years older than when he had begun servitude.

Paradise for the Pagan is described much as it is by the Greek Ancients. The inhabitants of which had no memory of life. But, the love she had for Manuel was not a memory, but rather a part of her, "When the kindly great-browed warders asked her what it was she was seeking, the troubled spirit could not tell them, for Niafer had tasted Lethe, and had forgotten Dom Manuel. Only her love for him had not been forgotten, because that love had become a part of her, and so lived on as a blind longing and as a desire which did not know its aim."

Manuel sets his mind to go on his quest to discover the ends of the earth and to judge it as he will. But, the resurrected Niafer cannot allow it: Niafer now wept more and more broken-heartedly. And the big champion sat looking at her, and his broad shoulders relaxed. He viciously kicked at the heavy glistening green head of the dragon, still bleeding uglily there at his feet, but that did no good whatever. The dragon-queller was beaten. He could do nothing against such moisture, his resolution was dampened and his independence was washed away by this salt flood. Where the dragon failed to kill him, the two beautiful fairy queens failed to still his heart or feet from seeking his own desires, these tears from this plain faced, stupid woman, was enough to overwhelm his own desires.

After fighting a war and winning through his acquaintances of potent magic the province of Poictesme, he raises a family and begets children (via a stork whom he had earlier saved from an eagle).

When death knocks once more, seeking a single person, Manuel and his daughter Melicent on his lap are found abreast. However, Manuel this time decides to foot the bill, sends Melicent away, and accompanies Grandfather Death.

In the waters of Lethe, his life flashes before his eyes, "So in the moment which remained Dom Manuel looked backward and downward, and he saw that Grandfather Death had spoken truly. For all the memories of Manuel's life had been washed away from him, so that these memories were left adrift and submerged in the shadowy waters of Lethe. Drowned there was the wise countenance of Helmas, and the face of St. Ferdinand with a tarnished halo about it, and the puzzled features of Horvendile; and glowing birds and glistening images and the shimmering designs of Miramon thronged there confusedly, and among them went with moving jaws a head of sleek white clay. The golden loveliness of Alianora, and the dark splendor of Freydis and, derisively, the immortal young smile of Sesphra, showed each for a moment, and was gone. Then Niafer's eyes displayed their mildly wondering disapproval for the last time, and the small faces of children that in the end were hers and not Manuel's passed with her: and the shine of armor, and a tossing heave of jaunty banners, and gleaming castle turrets, and all the brilliancies and colors that Manuel had known and loved anywhere, save only the clear red and white of Suskind's face, seemed to be passing incoherently through the still waters, like bright broken wreckage which an undercurrent was sweeping away."

Art

That is a mere summary of the events, and in nowise adequately describes the brilliance of Cabell's descriptive power. I suppose I see some of myself in Manuel. Though, I never will be a prince or a slayer of dragons, his expression of following after his own desires and his own thoughts were very much a part of my psyche when I first read the wonderfully tailored tale perhaps more than fifteen years ago. And now, that I am married, how checked my own desires and thoughts are, and how helpless I can do nothing against such moisture, my resolution was dampened and my independence was washed away by this salt flood.

Figures of Earth is truly remarkable. To fans of fantasy, there is not much to which Figures of Earth may be compared. I highly recommend it as I would recommend very few.