Editing Half-elf (section)

== Lord Dunsany ==

{{further|The King of Elfland's Daughter}}

Perhaps the earliest published half-elf in modern literature is the character Orion in [[Lord Dunsany]]'s 1924 ''[[The King of Elfland's Daughter]]''. The lord of Erl sends his son, Alveric<!--whose name means 'Elf-kingdom'-->, to fetch the King of Elfland's daughter, Lirazel, as his bride; the couple have a son, Orion. Lirazel, pining for [[Elfland]], returns there. Alveric and his father search for her helplessly. Lirazel now longs for her mortal husband and half-elven son. The King of Elfland changes Erl into a part of Elfland, and the family live forever in a timeless realm.<ref name="Langford 2002">{{cite book |last=Langford |first=David |title=Complete Critical Assembly: The Collected White Dwarf (And Gm, and Gmi) Sf Review Columns |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3Nz6Ei_gAEkC&pg=PA154 |year=2002 |publisher=[[Wildside Press]]|isbn=978-1-58715-330-3 |page=154}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Plunkett |first=Edward (Lord Dunsany) |author-link=Lord Dunsany |title=The King of Elfland's Daughter |title-link=The King of Elfland's Daughter |date=1924 |publisher=[[G. P. Putnam's Sons]] |location=London and New York |oclc=8664446 }}</ref>

In 1977, two members of the [[folk rock]] band [[Steeleye Span]] ([[Bob Johnson (musician)|Bob Johnson]] and [[Peter Knight (folk musician)|Pete Knight]]) created a [[concept album]] also named ''[[The King of Elfland's Daughter (album)|The King of Elfland's Daughter]]'', inspired by Lord Dunsany's book. [[Christopher Lee]]<!--many years before he appeared as Saruman--> appears as the narrator and the King of Elfland.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://mainlynorfolk.info/steeleye.span/records/kingofelflandsdaughter.html |title=Bob Johnson & Peter Knight: The King of Elfland's Daughter |website=Mainly Norfolk: English Folk and Other Good Music |access-date=13 April 2022}}</ref>