The Roaring Trumpet
Encyclopedia
The Roaring Trumpet is a fantasy
novella
written by science fiction
and fantasy
authors L. Sprague de Camp
and Fletcher Pratt
as the initial story in their Harold Shea series. It was first published in the May 1940 issue of the fantasy pulp magazine Unknown
. It first appeared in book form, together with its sequel, "The Mathematics of Magic
," in the collection The Incomplete Enchanter
, issued in hardcover by Henry Holt and Company
in 1941, and in paperback by Pyramid Books
in 1960. It has since been reprinted in various collections by numerous other publishers, including The Compleat Enchanter
(1975), The Incompleat Enchanter
(1979), The Complete Compleat Enchanter
(1989), and The Mathematics of Magic: The Enchanter Stories of L. Sprague de Camp and Fletcher Pratt
(2007). It has been translated into Dutch
and Italian
.
The Harold Shea stories are parallel world
tales in which universes where magic works coexist with our own, and in which those based on the mythologies, legends, and literary fantasies of our world and can be reached by aligning one's mind to them by a system of symbolic logic. In The Roaring Trumpet, Shea visits his first such world, that of Norse mythology
.
Chalmers's subordinate colleague Harold Shea has fewer qualms. Dissatisfied with his life, he attempts to use his boss's process to project himself into the world of Irish heroic mythology
, where with his modern knowledge he thinks to set himself up as a wonder worker. Unfortunately, interdimensional travel proves an inexact science, and he misses his target reality landing instead in the decidedly colder, bleaker world of Norse myth. Moreover, the adjustment is complete; now speaking Old Norse, Shea is unable to read the English language Boy Scout Handbook
he has brought as a survival manual -- worse, he finds his new world's superstitious, pre-scientific belief system encoded in its basic physics. His matches won't light, his stainless steel knife rusts, and magic actually works. Worst of all, the world is on the verge of Ragnarök
, the final conflict between the Gods and the Giants.
Lost and freezing, Shea falls in with Odinn
, who leads him to the mortal farmstead of Sverre, where the Gods are meeting. There he is befriended by the servant Thjalfi
, through whose offices he comes under the dubious patronage of the malicious, mischief-making god Loki
. More congenial is Loki's rival Heimdall
, who fills Shea in on the situation. It seems that the gods face dim prospects in the coming battle, as their most potent magical weapons, Thor
's hammer and Frey
's sword, have been stolen by their enemies
Shea is enlisted into a quest to recover the Gods' treasures, joining Thor, Loki and Thjalfi in expedition to the stronghold of the Frost Giant Utgardaloki
. There the Gods engage in contests with their hosts: Thor incredibly loses a wrestling match with an ancient crone, while Loki is beaten in an eating competition. Shea, seeing through the Giants' illusions, discovers that Thor's opponent is the Midgard Serpent
and Loki's, fire. Realizing that the weapons they seek may be present under similar disguise, he finds Thor's hammer bespelled beneath the appearance of a quiver of arrows. Thor calls it to him and a battle royal ensues, in which Shea and Heimdall, present incognito, are captured and hustled off to prison.
The two find prison life brutal and dull, passing the time by racing cockroaches until Shea comes up with the scheme to subvert their Troll
jailer Snögg into releasing them. Pretending to be a warlock, he convinces Snögg he can shrink the Troll's prodigious nose and so make him "handsome" enough (by Troll standards) to win a wife. Snögg is stupid enough that Shea thinks he and Heimdall can convince him the spell has worked by pretending to see a reduction, but to his astonishment, the pretend spell actually works. The Troll lives up to his end of the bargain, and during their escape the two manage to recover Frey's sword.
Their quest is a success, but Ragnarök is nearly at hand, and Heimdall cannot summon the gods to battle without the authorization of Odinn. Continuing his experiments with magic, Shea whips up a couple of flying brooms to get them to him quickly. The ride is more interesting than it ought to be, since the broomsticks prove aerodynamically unstable. They catch up to Odinn in Hel, the coldest of the Nine Worlds, where the chief of the Gods, in disguise, is consulting a prophetess
allied with the enemy. Heimdall reports their success. Realizing the Gods' identities, the furious hag attempts to banish them with her magic. They laugh off her efforts, and Odinn instructs Heimdall to blow his trumpet and muster the Gods. The hag turns her fury against Shea, and on him the banishment works. The din of the roaring trumpet still ringing in his ears, he suddenly finds himself back among his friends in his own world.
section of Snorri Sturluson
's Prose Edda
, and the Völva
's prophecy regarding Ragnarok in the poem Völuspá
, preserved in the Poetic Edda
.
Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
novella
Novella
A novella is a written, fictional, prose narrative usually longer than a novelette but shorter than a novel. The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America Nebula Awards for science fiction define the novella as having a word count between 17,500 and 40,000...
written by science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
and fantasy
Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
authors L. Sprague de Camp
L. Sprague de Camp
Lyon Sprague de Camp was an American author of science fiction and fantasy books, non-fiction and biography. In a writing career spanning 60 years, he wrote over 100 books, including novels and notable works of non-fiction, including biographies of other important fantasy authors...
and Fletcher Pratt
Fletcher Pratt
Murray Fletcher Pratt was an American writer of science fiction, fantasy and history, particularly noted for his works on naval history and on the American Civil War.- Life and work :...
as the initial story in their Harold Shea series. It was first published in the May 1940 issue of the fantasy pulp magazine Unknown
Unknown (magazine)
Unknown was an American pulp fantasy fiction magazine, published from 1939 to 1943 by Street & Smith, and edited by John W. Campbell. Unknown was a companion to Street & Smith's science fiction pulp, Astounding Science Fiction, which was also edited by Campbell at the time; many authors and...
. It first appeared in book form, together with its sequel, "The Mathematics of Magic
The Mathematics of Magic
The Mathematics of Magic is a fantasy novella written by science fiction and fantasy authors L. Sprague de Camp and Fletcher Pratt as the second story in their Harold Shea series. It was first published in the August 1940 issue of the fantasy pulp magazine Unknown...
," in the collection The Incomplete Enchanter
The Incomplete Enchanter
The Incomplete Enchanter is a collection of two classic fantasy short stories by science fiction and fantasy authors L. Sprague de Camp and Fletcher Pratt, the first volume in their Harold Shea series. The pieces were originally published in the magazine Unknown in the issues for May and August, 1940...
, issued in hardcover by Henry Holt and Company
Henry Holt and Company
Henry Holt and Company is an American book publishing company. One of the oldest publishers in the United States, it was founded in 1866 by Henry Holt and Frederick Leypoldt...
in 1941, and in paperback by Pyramid Books
Pyramid Books
Jove Books, formerly Pyramid Books, is a paperback publishing company, founded in 1949 by Almat Magazine Publishers . The company was sold to the Walter Reade Organization in the late 1960s. It was acquired in 1974 by Harcourt Brace which renamed it to Jove in 1977 and continued the line as an...
in 1960. It has since been reprinted in various collections by numerous other publishers, including The Compleat Enchanter
The Compleat Enchanter
The Compleat Enchanter: The Magical Misadventures of Harold Shea is an omnibus collection of three classic fantasy stories by science fiction and fantasy authors L...
(1975), The Incompleat Enchanter
The Incomplete Enchanter
The Incomplete Enchanter is a collection of two classic fantasy short stories by science fiction and fantasy authors L. Sprague de Camp and Fletcher Pratt, the first volume in their Harold Shea series. The pieces were originally published in the magazine Unknown in the issues for May and August, 1940...
(1979), The Complete Compleat Enchanter
The Complete Compleat Enchanter
The Complete Compleat Enchanter is an omnibus collection of five classic fantasy stories by science fiction and fantasy authors L. Sprague de Camp and Fletcher Pratt, gathering material previously published in three volumes as The Incomplete Enchanter , The Castle of Iron , and Wall of Serpents ,...
(1989), and The Mathematics of Magic: The Enchanter Stories of L. Sprague de Camp and Fletcher Pratt
The Mathematics of Magic: The Enchanter Stories of L. Sprague de Camp and Fletcher Pratt
The Mathematics of Magic: The Enchanter Stories of L. Sprague de Camp and Fletcher Pratt is an omnibus collection of five classic fantasy stories by science fiction and fantasy authors L...
(2007). It has been translated into Dutch
Dutch language
Dutch is a West Germanic language and the native language of the majority of the population of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Suriname, the three member states of the Dutch Language Union. Most speakers live in the European Union, where it is a first language for about 23 million and a second...
and Italian
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
.
The Harold Shea stories are parallel world
Parallel universe (fiction)
A parallel universe or alternative reality is a hypothetical self-contained separate reality coexisting with one's own. A specific group of parallel universes is called a "multiverse", although this term can also be used to describe the possible parallel universes that constitute reality...
tales in which universes where magic works coexist with our own, and in which those based on the mythologies, legends, and literary fantasies of our world and can be reached by aligning one's mind to them by a system of symbolic logic. In The Roaring Trumpet, Shea visits his first such world, that of Norse mythology
Norse mythology
Norse mythology, a subset of Germanic mythology, is the overall term for the myths, legends and beliefs about supernatural beings of Norse pagans. It flourished prior to the Christianization of Scandinavia, during the Early Middle Ages, and passed into Nordic folklore, with some aspects surviving...
.
Plot summary
Psychologist Reed Chalmers speculates that the mental problems of his patients may stem from their minds not being fully in tune with the world they live in, but rather, partially in sync with other, parallel universes. He holds that if their minds were to be correctly aligned they could be cured, and, contrarily, that if completely realigned to another universe, they would be projected into that universe. Chalmers has devised a system of symbolic logic to encode the underlying assumptions of a universe into a mathematical formula, the use of which he believes could affect such a realignment. He is, however, hesitant to put his theory to a practical test.Chalmers's subordinate colleague Harold Shea has fewer qualms. Dissatisfied with his life, he attempts to use his boss's process to project himself into the world of Irish heroic mythology
Irish mythology
The mythology of pre-Christian Ireland did not entirely survive the conversion to Christianity, but much of it was preserved, shorn of its religious meanings, in medieval Irish literature, which represents the most extensive and best preserved of all the branch and the Historical Cycle. There are...
, where with his modern knowledge he thinks to set himself up as a wonder worker. Unfortunately, interdimensional travel proves an inexact science, and he misses his target reality landing instead in the decidedly colder, bleaker world of Norse myth. Moreover, the adjustment is complete; now speaking Old Norse, Shea is unable to read the English language Boy Scout Handbook
Boy Scout Handbook
The Boy Scout Handbook is the official handbook of the Boy Scouts of America. It is a descendant of Baden-Powell's original handbook, Scouting for Boys, which has been the basis for Scout handbooks in many countries, with some variations to the text of the book depending on each country's codes and...
he has brought as a survival manual -- worse, he finds his new world's superstitious, pre-scientific belief system encoded in its basic physics. His matches won't light, his stainless steel knife rusts, and magic actually works. Worst of all, the world is on the verge of Ragnarök
Ragnarök
In Norse mythology, Ragnarök is a series of future events, including a great battle foretold to ultimately result in the death of a number of major figures , the occurrence of various natural disasters, and the subsequent submersion of the world in water...
, the final conflict between the Gods and the Giants.
Lost and freezing, Shea falls in with Odinn
Odin
Odin is a major god in Norse mythology and the ruler of Asgard. Homologous with the Anglo-Saxon "Wōden" and the Old High German "Wotan", the name is descended from Proto-Germanic "*Wodanaz" or "*Wōđanaz"....
, who leads him to the mortal farmstead of Sverre, where the Gods are meeting. There he is befriended by the servant Thjalfi
Þjálfi and Röskva
In Norse mythology, Þjálfi and Röskva are two siblings, male and female respectively, who are servants of the god Thor. Þjálfi receives a single mention in the Poetic Edda, compiled in the 13th century from earlier traditional material, while both Þjálfi and Röskva are attested in the Prose Edda,...
, through whose offices he comes under the dubious patronage of the malicious, mischief-making god Loki
Loki
In Norse mythology, Loki or Loke is a god or jötunn . Loki is the son of Fárbauti and Laufey, and the brother of Helblindi and Býleistr. By the jötunn Angrboða, Loki is the father of Hel, the wolf Fenrir, and the world serpent Jörmungandr. By his wife Sigyn, Loki is the father of Nari or Narfi...
. More congenial is Loki's rival Heimdall
Heimdall
In Norse mythology, Heimdallr is a god who possesses the resounding horn Gjallarhorn, owns the golden-maned horse Gulltoppr, has gold teeth, and is the son of Nine Mothers...
, who fills Shea in on the situation. It seems that the gods face dim prospects in the coming battle, as their most potent magical weapons, Thor
Thor
In Norse mythology, Thor is a hammer-wielding god associated with thunder, lightning, storms, oak trees, strength, the protection of mankind, and also hallowing, healing, and fertility...
's hammer and Frey
Freyr
Freyr is one of the most important gods of Norse paganism. Freyr was highly associated with farming, weather and, as a phallic fertility god, Freyr "bestows peace and pleasure on mortals"...
's sword, have been stolen by their enemies
Shea is enlisted into a quest to recover the Gods' treasures, joining Thor, Loki and Thjalfi in expedition to the stronghold of the Frost Giant Utgardaloki
Útgarða-Loki
In Norse mythology, Útgarða-Loki was the ruler of the castle Útgarðr in Jötunheimr. He was one of the Jötnar and his name means literally "Loki of the Outyards," to distinguish him from Loki, the companion of Thor.-Prose Edda:According to the Prose Edda book Gylfaginning, Thor, Þjálfi and Loki,...
. There the Gods engage in contests with their hosts: Thor incredibly loses a wrestling match with an ancient crone, while Loki is beaten in an eating competition. Shea, seeing through the Giants' illusions, discovers that Thor's opponent is the Midgard Serpent
Jörmungandr
In Norse mythology, Jörmungandr , mostly known as Jormungand, orJörmungand , or Midgard Serpent , or World Serpent, is a sea serpent, and the middle child of the giantess Angrboða and the god Loki...
and Loki's, fire. Realizing that the weapons they seek may be present under similar disguise, he finds Thor's hammer bespelled beneath the appearance of a quiver of arrows. Thor calls it to him and a battle royal ensues, in which Shea and Heimdall, present incognito, are captured and hustled off to prison.
The two find prison life brutal and dull, passing the time by racing cockroaches until Shea comes up with the scheme to subvert their Troll
Troll
A troll is a supernatural being in Norse mythology and Scandinavian folklore. In origin, the term troll was a generally negative synonym for a jötunn , a being in Norse mythology...
jailer Snögg into releasing them. Pretending to be a warlock, he convinces Snögg he can shrink the Troll's prodigious nose and so make him "handsome" enough (by Troll standards) to win a wife. Snögg is stupid enough that Shea thinks he and Heimdall can convince him the spell has worked by pretending to see a reduction, but to his astonishment, the pretend spell actually works. The Troll lives up to his end of the bargain, and during their escape the two manage to recover Frey's sword.
Their quest is a success, but Ragnarök is nearly at hand, and Heimdall cannot summon the gods to battle without the authorization of Odinn. Continuing his experiments with magic, Shea whips up a couple of flying brooms to get them to him quickly. The ride is more interesting than it ought to be, since the broomsticks prove aerodynamically unstable. They catch up to Odinn in Hel, the coldest of the Nine Worlds, where the chief of the Gods, in disguise, is consulting a prophetess
Völva
A vǫlva or völva is a shamanic seeress in Norse paganism, and a recurring motif in Norse mythology....
allied with the enemy. Heimdall reports their success. Realizing the Gods' identities, the furious hag attempts to banish them with her magic. They laugh off her efforts, and Odinn instructs Heimdall to blow his trumpet and muster the Gods. The hag turns her fury against Shea, and on him the banishment works. The din of the roaring trumpet still ringing in his ears, he suddenly finds himself back among his friends in his own world.
Relation to Norse mythology
The plotline of the story is based on the myths of Thor's expedition to Jotunhem as told in the GylfaginningGylfaginning
Gylfaginning, or the Tricking of Gylfi , is the first part of Snorri Sturluson's Prose Edda after Prologue. The Gylfaginning deals with the creation and destruction of the world of the Norse gods, and many other aspects of Norse mythology...
section of Snorri Sturluson
Snorri Sturluson
Snorri Sturluson was an Icelandic historian, poet, and politician. He was twice elected lawspeaker at the Icelandic parliament, the Althing...
's Prose Edda
Prose Edda
The Prose Edda, also known as the Younger Edda, Snorri's Edda or simply Edda, is an Icelandic collection of four sections interspersed with excerpts from earlier skaldic and Eddic poetry containing tales from Nordic mythology...
, and the Völva
Völva
A vǫlva or völva is a shamanic seeress in Norse paganism, and a recurring motif in Norse mythology....
's prophecy regarding Ragnarok in the poem Völuspá
Völuspá
Völuspá is the first and best known poem of the Poetic Edda. It tells the story of the creation of the world and its coming end related by a völva addressing Odin...
, preserved in the Poetic Edda
Poetic Edda
The Poetic Edda is a collection of Old Norse poems primarily preserved in the Icelandic mediaeval manuscript Codex Regius. Along with Snorri Sturluson's Prose Edda, the Poetic Edda is the most important extant source on Norse mythology and Germanic heroic legends, and from the early 19th century...
.