The Hollow Hills

Infobox Book |
name = The Hollow Hills
title_orig =
translator =


image_caption = First edition cover
author = Mary Stewart
cover_artist =
country = United Kingdom
language = English
series = Arthurian Saga
genre = Fantasy
publisher = Hodder and Stoughton Limited
release_date = 1973
media_type = Print (Hardback & Paperback)
pages = 446 pp (first edition, hardback)
isbn = ISBN 0-340-17275-4 (first edition, hardback)
preceded_by = The Crystal Cave
followed_by = The Last Enchantment

"The Hollow Hills" is a novel by Mary Stewart. It is the second in a quintet of novels covering the Arthurian Legends. This book is preceded by "The Crystal Cave" and succeeded by "The Last Enchantment". "The Hollow Hills" was written in 1970.

Plot introduction

The protagonist of this story is Merlin, the legendary wizard, here depicted as an ordinary mortal but one with extreme creative intelligence and occasional clairvoyance. Merlin is overseeing the birth and raising of Arthur Pendragon, because he has foreseen that Arthur will become a great king who will unite all of Britain -- which is now only loosely united as a group of smaller kingdoms with a High King (Arthur's father Uther Pendragon) in charge.

Plot summary

This novel covers the time from when Arthur Pendragon was conceived to when he was crowned as King.

In this version, Merlin's father is Aurelius Ambrosius, the Roman war leader, Uther Pendragon's brother, making Merlin Arthur's cousin. Merlin is depicted as twenty-two years old at the beginning of the book, which opens on the morning after the conception of Arthur. This conception has taken place as a result, not of illusion or shape-changing as in the legends (and as Merlin would like people to believe), but of ordinary human disguise and misdirection. Duchess Ygraine is said to have known who she was mating with and whose son she bears from the moment Uther came to her. Merlin goes into hiding, to avoid trouble. He learns that Uther wishes the child to be hidden, until another (legitimate) son is born.

In later chapters, Merlin travels from one place to another, arranging for the upbringing of Arthur. He gives the child first to his own nurse Moravik, who after some years sends the boy to Count Ector of Galava to be trained as a man. Merlin sets off for Constantinople, accompanied by a small retinue of servants. In Constantinople, he learns from his host Adhjan that Magnus Maximus (also known as Macsen Wledig) possessed an especially beautiful and well-made sword, which was taken back to Britain after Macsen Wledig's death. Inspired by a dream which he believes to be prophetic, Merlin returns to the North in search of this sword.

In Britain, Merlin finds the sword in a deserted temple or chapel, hidden beside a Greek drinking-vessel. He takes only the sword.

In order to hide from overly curious people, Merlin becomes a hermit in an obscure shrine, providing healing to the injured and advice to the insecure. He committs himself to no religion, but "allows" whatever god is willing to receive the offerings at the shrine.

Later, Merlin becomes Arthur's tutor and that of two other boys, those being Arthur's foster-brother Cei and his friend Bedwyr. Out on a ride, Arthur discovers the sword of Macsen -- his ancestor and Merlin's -- hidden in a cave on an island in the center of a lake. With it, he fights his first battle and proves his right to succeed Uther as High King before all of the assembled kings and chieftains.