A Study in Drowning

“Hiraeth” is a Welsh word with no direct English translation; it refers to an intense longing or homesickness often tinged with nostalgia. The name reflects the longing for the past, real or imagined, that several characters experience across the novel. It’s originally mentioned on the first page of the novel, representing a “call to action” for the protagonist: Effy sees a poster advertising a dream opportunity linked to her favorite author and story. Immediately the crumbling oceanside home becomes the central axis of her journey.

Once Effy is oriented in her new temporary home, its squalor and erosion represents the parallel erosion of her belief in Myrddin and his legacy, as well as her own childhood innocence. At the same time, she’s been tasked with restoring it to its former glory—a direct inversion of her quest alongside Preston to reveal the truth behind the façade. Due to this, the home represents her conflicting interests. On a more concrete level, the house acts as a prison, first for the Fairy King and his hosts and later for Preston as he is left in the basement to drown. In each case, the house is a world of its own set physically and figuratively apart from civilization. It becomes a liminal dream space intimately connected to both the Fairy King’s power and Effy’s own sense of discovery. When the house begins to crumble at the climax of the novel, Effy comes to understand the true nature of its power, realizing that the perfect idea of Myrddin, his story, and his home could only be a fantasy; it would always be brought down by the truth. The house parallels the imagined ideal of Myrddin’s legacy and Effy’s journey from idealism to realism.

The seven “sleepers,” alternatively called “storytellers,” are preserved bodies of noted authors that rest in a public viewing space called the Sleeper Museum. There is a certain dehumanization to the public’s attitude to these bodies, as the museum is the city’s most prominent tourist draw. They represent the lingering superstition that Effy’s world still clings to, even in its enlightened age:

There, the seven Storytellers slept in their glass coffins, silently warding Llyr against threats and, according to some, waiting for the country’s bleakest moment to rise again and protect their homeland. It was either provincial superstition or gospel truth, depending on who you asked (5).

This parallels other real legends of sleeping heroes held in a state of stasis until a country’s greatest need; both King Arthur and Jesus Christ were put to rest to await the right moment to rise and come to their people’s aid. The placement of writers above other trades or religious figures in society speaks to an acknowledgement of the cultural value inherent in art.

At the start of the novel, Myrddin has only recently been added to the museum’s collection (most likely displacing another “sleeper,” though this is not explored in the narrative). His appearance creates a surge of interest in the museum, so Effy doesn’t manage to get inside to see him until the end of her adventures. Her connection to the museum thus acts as a bookending device: It opens with her failing to get inside and closes with her finally entering the hallowed space. By the time she can see this marker of his cultural significance, she is disillusioned and aware of the lies behind Angharad. Within this fantastical story world, the sleepers’ role also raises moral questions at several points in the novel. At one point, Effy wonders if Preston’s plan to discredit Myrddin is political in nature. Later, when faced with the climactic storm, Effy recalls “that the Southerners believed the Sleepers were the only thing stopping the second Drowning. That Myrddin’s consecration was keeping them safe” (307). Whether magical or psychological, their actions toward Myrddin’s legacy have the power to effect real, contentious change. The destruction of cultural touchstones will cause widespread social disruption, but it will ultimately allow for Effy’s society to face the sexism that allowed the authorship of Angharad to be misattributed in the first place.