Change

One of the most prevalent themes of the book is the role of change. This is to be expected in a novel covering ten thousand years of English history, but it is accentuated by the novel being told in terms of the five families and the fact that most of the action of the novel takes place in the area of Sarum, in south central England. All of the changes that take place in English history are reflected in this small area. It begins when the primitive hunters Hwll and Tep and their families settle the area. Their descendants become the great chiefs and build the temples and arrows. The invasion of the Romans introduces Roman culture and methods into the area just as do the Saxons, Germans, French and other invaders. Many of the invaders, like Porteus and de Godefroi, marry locals and make Sarum their home...