The Silver Trumpet

This novel, published in 1925, was a forerunner of the allegorical and philosophical novels of C.S. Lewis and J.R. Tolkien. Set in the kingdom ruled from Mountainy Castle (geographical references suggest it might not be far from Shangri-la, another fictional location in Central Asia), on one level the author employs the typical devices of the traditional fairy tale (witches, magic, enchanting music, princess in a tower, a toad that must be kissed). On another level, however, the author explores difficult political themes of the early twentieth century, including warfare and rebellion. Central to the turmoil in the kingdom is a rebel princess who disguises herself and goes into the streets to foment civic unrest. Her objective is absolute power rather than any reform that would benefit the common people. In this respect, the author gives an accurate assessment of the warped intentions of populist leaders on the left and on the right in the aftermath of the war.

The author, Owen Barfield (born 9 November 1898) grew up in London. In early 1917 he was conscripted into the army and served as a wireless officer in the Royal Engineers. He later wrote, “I was quite anxious not to be in the infantry... because I think the average expectancy of life of a young infantry officer by the time we'd got to 1916 or 1917 was about three weeks after he had got out there.” After lengthy delays, he received his commission as a second lieutenant in 1918 and was waiting to be sent abroad when the armistice was signed. He was sent to Belgium for six months of mostly inactive service before going to Oxford to commence his English degree. There he befriended C.S. Lewis (who I will read later this year as part of this project). Lewis regarded him as “the best and wisests of his unofficial teachers”. After the publication of this novel, Barfield pursued a literary career for some ten years before working as a solicitor in London until his retirement in 1960. Among the works published during his active retirement was the influential novel Worlds Apart, in which C.S. Lewis features in the guise of a theologian called Hunter.

During a period of famine in the kingdom, the rebel princess tries to bring about a rebellion for her own benefit:
“ ‘Citizens,’ she would cry, standing on a tub in the market-place, ‘fellow citizens, we've had enough of this! What happened last night? What will happen again tonight?’ and she would pause, as though waiting for a reply. Then, as there was none, she would reply herself: ‘Why this will happen — some of us will be cold. Some of us will be frozen! All of us will be hungry!’ And from the crowd of listeners would come a loud growl of assent... When she had finished her speech, the people would gather into knots and talk in low voices, threatening to march up to the castle and drag the king from his bed and kill him.”
She also brought together disenchanted princesses from other kingdoms and “was telling them all to go back to their own countries, in disguise, and there... arouse rebellion and discontent among the citizens.” She “was promising, if they would do this, to make them all queens of those countries” but “she had no intention at all of doing any such thing”. Instead she thought she would “when they are all in confusion... make [the King] send great armies among them and... subject them all to [her] rule.”