The World's Desire by Andrew Lang
"The World's Desire" is a narrative that follows the journey of Odysseus, the famed hero of the Trojan War, as he returns to his homeland of Ithaca. Upon discovering his kingdom in ruins, he receives a vision from Aphrodite that inspires him to seek out his long-lost love, Helen of Troy. However, his quest takes an unexpected turn when he is captured by Sidonian pirates, whom he ultimately defeats and then sails to Egypt. There, he becomes entwined in complex political and romantic intrigues involving Queen Meriamun, a powerful sorceress who becomes infatuated with him and devises a plan to eliminate her husband, Pharaoh Meneptah.
The story explores themes of desire, betrayal, and the supernatural as Odysseus encounters a ghostly army and learns of a cult dedicated to "The Strange Hathor," who is revealed to be Helen. Despite their love, Meriamun's dark magic complicates Odysseus' fate, leading to tragic consequences. The narrative culminates in a dramatic confrontation that results in both Odysseus and Meriamun's demise, intertwining their fates in a complex web of love, jealousy, and ambition. This tale reflects the intricate relationships and moral challenges faced by its characters, set against a backdrop of mythological and historical elements.
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The World's Desire
First published: 1890
Type of work: Novel
Time of work: 1236 to 1223 b.c.e.
Locale: Egypt and Ithaca
The Plot
Odysseus, king of Ithaca and a hero of the Trojan War, returns to his home after a long period of wandering. After finding Ithaca destroyed, he receives a vision of Aphrodite, who inspires him to search for his true love, the legendary Helen of Troy. Odysseus is then kidnapped by Sidonian pirates, whom he eventually overpowers.
After taking control of the pirates’ vessel, Odysseus sails to Tanis, in Egypt, where he is plunged into a variety of sexual and political conspiracies. Meneptah, the pharaoh, welcomes the hero and entrusts him with guarding his beautiful wife, Meriamun. The queen, however, is a powerful sorceress and perceives Odysseus’ true identity. She becomes obsessed with plans to kill the pharaoh and to rule Egypt with Odysseus at her side.
Meneptah’s monarchy, Odysseus soon learns, is threatened by two factors. First, agitation by a colony of enslaved Jews who desire to be released from captivity has caused several supernatural curses to afflict the native Egyptians. Second, the men of Tanis have formed a cult worshiping a beautiful woman known as “The Strange Hathor.” After fighting his way through a ghostly army of dead heroes who protect this demigoddess, Odysseus discovers her to be the lost Helen. They admit their love for each other, but Meriamun uses an evil charm to thwart their plans to wed. From a jewel she throws at her feet emerges a huge snake. Wrapping itself around the queen’s body, the creature grows a human head identical to Meriamun’s and promises to help the queen entrap Odysseus by transforming her into Helen’s image. After Odysseus becomes her lover, Meriamun returns to her true form. Odysseus, who realizes he has lost his chance to marry Helen, rejects Meriamun. Claiming that she was raped by Odysseus, the queen has him imprisoned, but she later changes her mind and persuades Meneptah to make Odysseus his commander against an army poised to invade Egypt.
On the eve of war, Meriamun kills the pharaoh, then incites the women of Tanis, many of whose husbands and sons have been driven insane by Helen’s beauty, to attack and burn down Helen’s temple. Helen escapes the carnage and finds Odysseus dying on the battlefield. In the final scene, Odysseus’ body is burned on a funeral pyre. Finally repenting her malevolence, Meriamun throws her evil amulet onto the flames, only to be dragged into the fire herself by the bond formed between her and the snake. As the flames consume Meriamun and Odysseus, the snake appears again, entwining itself around the burning corpses. With Meriamun’s face, it laughs diabolically at the mourners.