Corund
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In Eric Rücker Eddison's high fantasy - The Worm Ouroboros - Lord Corund is one of the secondary characters. He is the chief war leader of the armies of Witchland. He is an enemy of Demonland and of the heroes in the story. However he is a noble man, a mighty warrior, and has some respect from the main characters.
Lord Corund is described as follows:
| “ | the sixth (man), huge as a neat, topped them by half a head. Age had flecked with gray the beard that spread over his big chest to his belt stiffened with studs of iron, but the vigour of youth was in his glance and in his voice, and in the tread of his foot, and in his fist so lightly handling his burly spear. (page 25) | ” |
Lord Corund has five sons: Hacmon, Heming, Dormanes, Viglus, and Cargo. His first wife (and the mother of his sons) is not named and is dead some time before the start of the novel. His second wife is the Lady Prezmyra, the sister of King La Fireez of Pixyland.
Lord Corund is rough warrior, respected by all the other characters though not known for his mind or learning. His master the king, Gorice XII, says of him:
| “ | Corund is a man undaunted in war, but the man is too superstitious and quaketh at that which hath not flesh and blood. Apparitions and urchin-shows can quite unman him. (page 460) | ” |
Corund leads the Witchland army against the Demonland expedition to Impland. He destroys the fleet of Lord Juss, Lord Spitfire, and Brandoch Daha and then besieges the smaller Demonland army in a ruined castle called Eshgrar Ogo. He attempts to convince the army of Demonland to surrender their leaders to him but, in a humorous scene later found in Monty Python and the Holy Grail, the besieged Demonland soldiers shower him with muck and filth from the castle walls. The Demonland army flees from Eshgrar Ogo but only a few soldiers escape with Lord Spitfire back to Demonland. Lord Juss and Brandoch Daha are (with one other companion) lost in the wastes of southern Impland.
Lord Corund is then sent by King Gorice XII to conquer Pixyland, this conquest is not described in the book. At the end of the book he returns to the Witchland capital of Carcë and fights the Demonland army. In the climactic final battle, Corund is mortally wounded in combat with Lord Juss and returns to the city only to die in the arms of his wife, Lady Prezmyra.
Lord Juss said of Corund in the final battle:
| “ | This is the greatest deed of arms that ever I in the days of my life did see, and I have so great an admiration and wonder in my heart for Corund that almost I would give him peace. But I have sworn now to have no peace with Witchland. (page 471) | ” |
