Literature: The Conan Chronicles – Volume 1

I only began reading swords & sorcery material a few years ago. Opinions diverge about what exactly constitutes this particular genre of literature but Fritz Lieber said it best:

"I feel more certain than ever that this field should be called the sword-and-sorcery story. This accurately describes the points of culture-level and supernatural element and also immediately distinguishes it from the cloak-and-sword (historical adventure) story—and (quite incidentally) from the cloak-and-dagger (international espionage) story too!" (Fritz Leiber, Amra, July 1961)

Until a few years back, my knowledge of Conan, the barbarian, created by Robert E. Howard, was limited to the Arnold Schwarzenegger movie (1981) and the occasional pop culture allusion. Regardless of the opinion of some, I consider this movie one of the best adaptations of Howard's stories, though it does not adapt a specific tale. Strange as it may seem, I began readin the Conan tales when I came into contact with the Solomon Kane stories. To me, Howard's writing was primeval, energetic and full of spirit. It piqued my curiosity and encouraged me to find out about his most famous character. A friend of mine lent me the Conan Chronicles: Volume 1: The People of the Black Circle, a collection of stories, sorted by chronological order regarding Conan's timeline, not by publishing date. In the first story, Howard describes a 17-year old Conan thus:

"A touch on his tunic sleeve made him turn his head, scowling at the interruption. He saw a tall, strongly made youth standing beside him. This person was as much out of place in that den as a gray wolf among mangy rats of the gutters. His cheap tunic could not conceal the hard, rangy lines of his powerful frame, the broad heavy shoulders, the massive chest, lean waist and heavy arms. His skin was brown from outland suns, his eyes blue and smoldering; a shock of tousled black hair crowned his broad forehead. From his girdle hung a sword in a worn leather scabbard."

These are excellent stories, told in a style that is very Howardian. They tells us of a primitive world so long ago, but so familiar to us that we cannot but believe it exists. This is powerful stuff. Howard conjures images like no other author and draws us into these tales of violence and sex from the very first page. Who can forget Arnold tied to the tree of woe, inspired by this passage in A Witch Shall be Born:

"By the side of the caravan road a heavy cross had been planted, and on this grim tree a man hung, nailed there by iron spikes through his hands and feet. Naked but for a loin-cloth, the man was almost a giant in stature, and his muscles stood out in thick corded ridges on limbs and body, which the sun had long ago burned brown. The perspiration of agony beaded his face and his mighty breast, but from under the tangled black mane that fell over his low, broad forehead, his blue eyes blazed with an unquenched fire. Blood oozed sluggishly from the lacerations in his hands and feet."

Earlier stories show very strong Mythos elements, not surprisingly, considering Howard corresponded regularly with H.P. Lovecraft. Another common misconception, much to do with the Arnold movie, is the depiction of Conan as the silent and brute type. This couldn't be farther from the truth. In Howard's stories, Conan is articulate and a philosopher, even. He frequently dons a chainmail and a shield. His "barbarian" typecasting is imposed by the more civilized nations where Cimmeria is a far away land, little known to these people and, therefore, the stuff of many a rumor and legend. In Queen of the Black Coast, Conan philosophizes a bit about his life:

"He shrugged his shoulders. “I have known many gods. He who denies them is as blind as he who trusts them too deeply. I seek not beyond death. It may be the blackness averred by the Nemedian skeptics, or Crom’s realm of ice and cloud, or the snowy plains and vaulted halls of the Nordheimer’s Valhalla. I know not, nor do I care. Let me live deep while I live; let me know the rich juices of red meat and stinging wine on my palate, the hot embrace of white arms, the mad exultation of battle when the blue blades flame and crimson, and I am content. Let teachers and priests and philosophers brood over questions of reality and illusion. I know this: if life is illusion, then I am no less an illusion, and being thus, the illusion is real to me. I live, I burn with life, I love, I slay, and am content.”

These tales represent Howard at his best and most known. They set all the elements we associate with swords & sorcery: beautiful, alluring women; evil wizards; sword-wielding warriors; and strange, lost ruins with horrors lurking in the shadows. As much as I enjoy reading Fritz Lieber or Michael Moorcock, Howard is still my favorite swords & sorcery author. Highly recommended.

The Influence of Swords & Sorcery

It has been argued in several circles that D&D and AD&D, as far as the first editions are concerned, were more influenced by swords & sorcery than by the epic high fantasy of Tolkien. The presence of some elements of the former genre in the books seems to substantiate this claim: in the foreword to the AD&D Player Handbook 1st ed., Gary Gygax reveals the influence of swords & sorcery in the genesis of the game; the magic system copies Jack Vance's tales; the grey morality of greediness and lust for power that motivates most of the early expeditions into nearby dungeons (even if unintentional) colors the game and roots the game deep within the swords & sorcery genre, even the interior illustrations of some of the earlier books point to this as evidence. For instance, in B2 Keep on the Borderlands, there is a nice drawing of an adventuring group grabbing a thief by his ankles and shaking him to let loose all the treasure he most likely stole from the group. The thief's illustration in the 1st edition of the AD&D Player Handbook shows a man putting a knife to an unsuspecting victim's throat.

This is not to say Tolkien didn't play a big part in influencing the game. The semi-human races of Dwarves, Elves and, most especially Halflings, are quite obviously borrowed from The Lord of the Rings and other works. The many mythological creatures that populate the Monsters Manuals are, evidently, also borrowed from folk tales and mythology which also influenced Tolkien. But the focus on swords & sorcery is stronger I believe.

The first issue of the Dragon magazine, published in June 1976, includes a short story, penned by none other than Fritz Lieber, whose protagonists, Fafhrd and The Mouser, talk about their bafflement regarding wargamers and the new boardgame aptly called Lankhmar. And although the short story is about a wargame, its inclusion in the same magazine dedicated to Dungeons & Dragons strengthens this connection. It's undeniable that elements of Michael Moorcock, whose early Elric stories are swords & sorcery, have crept into the game.

Even if the heroes are trying to destroy the dark lord and save the free peoples, the system itself encourages seeking more power and riches. One levels up to become more powerful, to have better spells, to destroy bigger and more powerful monsters; one gains riches to buy better equipment or finds magic treasures to wield powerful artifacts or relics. I'm not knocking off the game itself. In fact, as of lately, I've come to embrace this mindset. I'm not a proponent of mindless romps through dungeons, but a dungeon, when done right, can be as rewarding as the most poweful tale of heroics and derring-do. It's just that I find the Conan stories mirror much better the tales of D&D / AD&D. One just needs to read The Tower of the Elephant and see that the entire story is about Conan trying to avoid the dangers of Yara's tower (a dungeon), with monsters (lions, guards and a deadly spider) in the company of another thief to finally destroy the big bad villain, with magic.

In later editions, the game adopted a more epic and fantastic nature, given form by the likes of Larry Elmore and Jeff Easley, whose extraordinary illustrations are more directly influenced by Tolkien and his ilk. But in the early days, heroes delved into deep dungeons, knee-deep in muck and blood, exploring long forgotten tombs and ruins, and unearthing horrors best left buries. And this is one of the things that most appeals to me in the earlier editions.