Alderic (Dunsany)

Overview

Alderic is the knight whose quest supplies the action of Dunsany's The Hoard of the Gibbelins. He bears the titles Knight of the Order of the City and the Assault and hereditary Guardian of the King's Peace of Mind. The narrator calls him valorous but names avarice as his motive: he has contemplated the hoard so long that he considers it his own. The Gibbelins use their wealth to lure humans into their food supply, and Alderic studies earlier adventurers' deaths for years before acting. His caution and elaborate preparation distinguish him from a merely impulsive treasure hunter without making his entitlement sound.

He pays advisers and decides to reject their recommendations because their former clients were eaten. To cross the Forest Unpassable, he confronts a destructive dragon with horse and spear. His threat relies on the creature's knowledge of the conventional story in which a dragon cannot defeat a true knight. The dragon agrees to serve as his mount; Alderic does not slay it or permanently end its appetite for people. He commissions a pickaxe, scatters gold to the cheering population and rides away. The narrator complicates the public rejoicing by remarking on anticipated largesse, while the dragon's bit prevents it from eating the maidens it still tries to seize.

At the river surrounding the world, Alderic removes his armour but retains his sword, swims across with the pickaxe and breaks into the tower below water level. His plan floods the cellars so he can dive for emeralds instead of using the guarded door. The entry and retrieval work: he fills a satchel and returns to the surface. Yet the Gibbelins are waiting waist-deep in the water with torches, and hang him on the outer wall. The tale explicitly refuses a happy ending. Alderic's defeat exposes the limit of reversing familiar advice: changing the route does not make the predatory destination safe or turn greed into a justified claim.

First appearances & development

Lord Dunsany’s authored English fantasy in The Book of Wonder. The retained title and complete selected tale establish authorship and narrative scope; the consulted electronic body does not identify its exact historical print edition.

Canon & continuity

Complete selected tale, all 19 paragraphs, with original preface and epilogue.

Selected bibliography

Documented works and useful reading. This is not a list of every appearance.

1. 01

   The Book of Wonder

   Lord Dunsany · 1912

Family & connections

A source-supported family tree or inspiration record has not yet been compiled for this profile. Related reading below indicates a connection in subject matter, not a proven lineage or creative influence.

References

Sources supporting this profile. Linked pages have their own scope and editorial standards.

1. Primary historical authored fictionThe Book of Wonder - The Hoard of the GibbelinsResearch access: 2026-10-21

Image credits

Original AI literary interpretation.