Into the Wild

In the Warriors world, the Clans’ social structure is based on core principles of fellowship and loyalty, which resemble values often found in Old English and Medieval literature. Cherith Baldry, one of the authors under the Erin Hunter moniker, has cited Arthurian legends and J. R. R. Tolkien, who was a medieval scholar and incorporated many Anglo-Saxon literary allusions into his work, as major literary influences i. The Arthurian and medieval influences inform the Clans’ values and structures in the novel.

One of the most prominent features of Early Medieval poetry, such as Beowulf or other Anglo-Saxon poems, is the idea of comitatus, which is defined as an intricate code of obligation between a king and the men who serve him. Comitatus is the intersection between loyalty, community, and camaraderie in battle and is the hallmark of warrior culture in Medieval and Early Medieval literature. A similar code of honor binds the Knights of the Round Table to their King Arthur in the Arthurian legends. The Warrior Clans reinforce a similar idea of comitatus: the structure of their society centralizes loyalty, and the Clans emphasize fostering fellowship to increase chances for survival. The observable comitatus in the novel contributes to its theme on the value of Personal Honor and Bonds of Choice.

Kennings are another core feature of Early Medieval poetry that influence Into the Wild. A kenning is an identifier formed by a compound word or phrase that indicates a person’s or object’s essential qualities; as such, it is a lexical or metaphorical representation of the person or object. Examples include calling the sea the “whale-road” or describing shadows as “night-shapes” (examples from Seamus Heaney’s translation of Beowulf, Norton Critical Edition, 2002). The influence of kennings is reflected in the novel’s lexicon and naming conventions. The cats are often named according to notable features of personality or physique; for example, the first word in Firepaw’s name refers to the color of his coat, and his warrior name Fireheart symbolizes the warmth and strength of his heart. Similarly, the names of seasons are based on the cats’ observations of how the leaves change, such as “leaf-bare” for winter or “newleaf” for spring. The medieval kennings’ influence prompts the reader to consider the essential qualities of both characters and setting and the role of the natural world in the cats’ frame of reference.