The Huntsman by Edward Lowbury

Kagwa hunted the lion,

 Through bush and forest went his spear.

One day he found the skull of a man

 And said to it, ‘How did you come here?’

The skull opened its mouth and said,

 ‘Talking brought me here.’

Kagwa hurried home;

 Went to the king’s chair and spoke:

‘In the forest I found a talking skull.’

 The king was silent. Then he said slowly,

‘Never since I was born of my mother

 Have I seen or heard of a skull which spoke.’

The king called out his guards:

 ‘Two of you now go with him

And find this talking skull;

 But if his tale is a lie

And the skull speaks no word,

 This Kagwa himself must die’

They rode into the forest;

 For days and nights, they found nothing.

At last they saw the skull; Kagwa

 Said to it, “How did you come here?” The skull said nothing. Kagwa implored,

 But the skull said nothing.

The guards said, ‘Kneel down.’

They killed him with sword and spear.

Then the skull opened its mouth;

‘Huntsman, how did you come here?’

And the dead man answered,

'Talking brought me here.’ - Edward Lowbury

Edward Lowbury  

He was a pioneering and creative English medical bacteriologist and pathologist and also a published poet.

Born – December 12,1913 London

Died ­­– July, 2007 U.K.

Nationality – English

Education- University collage

Books – Thomas Campion, Poet, Composer, Physician

Between 1963 -85. The poet published seven commercials:

• Selected and new poem 1935 – 1989
•  Collected poems (1993)
•  Mystic bridge. (1997)

As a poet, Lowbury has been described as a sort of missing link between the Georgians and their movement. Standing away from the literary fashions he has a place among those of any age who continue to be read for giving lyrical expressions. Some of his contribution to scientific and medical journals: 

• *During resistance in Antimicrobial Therapy
• *The writer of hospital infection.

He and his wife had also brought out an edition of the poetical works of Andrew young. (London 1985)

Short Summary           

It is narrative poem “The Huntsman” is based on a Kenyan folklore. The poet advises through the poem the story of a hunter Kagwa who himself becomes the victim to his own fate. Kagwa was a hunter of lions. One day he found a human skull and asked how it came there. The skull to his surprise opened his mouth and said that its habit of talking had brought that situation. Then the hunter hurried to king’s court and told about the talking skull. The king was doubtful, called hie guards and ordered them to accompany ‘Kugwa to find the talking skull. Also, the king ordered to kill Kagwa if the skull was not here.

Days and night the guards searched and found a skull. Kagwa asked the skull how it had come there. But the skull reminded silent. The guards killed kagwa as per king’s order. After his death skull opened its mouth and asked Kagwa how he had come there. Now the dead Kagwa answered that too much loose talk brought him there.

Thus, the useless and irresponsible talk would bring disaster for the talkative one.

Stanza wise Summary

Stanza  1

Kagwa a famous hunter, He uses his spear for hunting tigers and lions. One day while hunting he found a human skull in the forest, Kagwa asked the skull how it had come there the skull opened its mouth replied talking brought it there.

Stanza  2

After seeing the talking skull Kagwa hurried to the court of the king. He told the king about the talking skull. On hearing this the king was surprised at the same time he was not sure of Kagwa’s foolish talk. He was doubting the whole incident.

Stanza 3

So, the king called the guards and ordered them to go wit Kagwa and find the skull. The king also told the guards if Kagwa had lied about the skull, he must be killed as a punishment.

 Stanza 4

Kagwa and the two king’s guards rode their horses to the forest, for days and nights they searched for the skull but they could not find. But some hard search they found a skull. Kagwa asked the skull the same question. But the skull did not talk. They were surprised and disappointed.

Stanza 5

So the guards ordered Kagwa to kneel down and killed him with sword and lance Kagwa was killed. After the death skull opened its mouth and asked the dead hunter how he had come there. The dead Kagwa replied talking had brought him there.

  Critical summary

There have been thousand of works created to convey a message about how too much unnecessary talking kill a person. On the other hand, literatures have shown us the age of cruelty of kings and dictators. But the poem “The Huntsman” mirrors both advice to talking too much, and the power of dictatorship and democratic rulers.

The poem is a Kenyan folklore. It a about how innocent action of a hunter kill him. Another truth about cruelty of king’s and autocratic rulers, who do not value the life of others They are the laws of their nation, they could do anything which could effect the life of an average man.

“Kagwa hunted the Lion”

Kagwa is a man of muscular strength and brave hunter. But due to his innocent foolish talk he becomes the prey to his fate. There many unexpected situations in the work. Such as the skull, and the skull was talking to Kagwa.

“the skull opened its mouth and said”

Fearful situation has been described here. The readers could not believe to read about the talking skull but it creates a curious to knew what could be the next action of the skull. One of the famous phrase become true “speech is silver, but silent is gold.” Accordingly, one should be care when they talk with others. The poem expresses that Kagwa had spoken without thinking. He is curious in sharing the strange incident with others. He forget what he say to a great king. He just wanted to boast what he saw. That brought a ill luck to him.

“The guard said, kneel down

They killed him with sword and spear”

Kagwa is a great hunter with the good physical strength. But he lacks intelligence. After seeing a talking skull he loose his interest to proceed further instead he has become emotionally excited and could not control his sentiments, discipline. It is natural to share a strange incident with everyone. But there is no mistakes from the skull’s side. Skull indirectly gives the warning to Kagwa, but he is not in a position to think, he ran excitedly to tell the king.

“Talking brought me here”

The skull says kagwa as a warning, but his lack of wisdom refuses to se

e the bitter truth behind this statement. Kagwa learns the meaning after his death. He fails to understand and lose his life. Kagwa is a simple fellow and could not hide this incident and his talking brings death to him. The huntsman is a narrative poem by the modern English poet Edward Lowbury. He expresses the uncertain life of human and the power and the dictatorship of a king. It is full of fearful suspense and supernatural.

The atmosphere of the poem is gloomy and fearful. Seeing a talking skull is terrifying experience. The poem is a sad example of week humor. We feel both sad and humor, at the same time. The poem describes the cruel attitude of the dictators and shows political satire.

Literary Device

The hunter becomes the hunted ------- irony

The hunter in the end lose his life. His ignorance of the bitter truth of life leads him to his ruin. The elements of suspense add to the tragedy of the poem. The hunter is responsible for his punishment. The message which the pet wants to convey is that some time life demands seriousness.

          *****The moral is irresponsible and worthless talking can destroy the talker****

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