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Who is Conan the Barbarian?

When someone says “Conan the Barbarian,” what image springs to mind? 

Perhaps a muscle-bound warrior, all brawn and battle cry, swinging a sword through hordes of enemies. But like Tarzan before him, Conan has suffered the peculiar fate of being diminished by his own popularity. The very phrase “Conan the Barbarian” has become shorthand for brutish simplicity – an irony that would have amused Robert E. Howard. 

For beneath the rippling muscles and battle scars lies a character of surprising depth. A polyglot who navigates multiple cultures and languages with barbaric accent but sharp understanding. A man whose rejection of civilization stems not from ignorance, but from seeing too clearly through its facades. 

This is the real Conan – not the simplified savage of popular imagination, but a complex figure whose adventures have captivated readers for nearly a century.

Who is Conan the Barbarian?

Conan is a warrior born in Cimmeria, a harsh northern land of hills under gloomy skies. Standing tall and powerfully built, with a black mane of hair, smoldering blue eyes, and moving with the natural grace of a predator, he traverses the Hyborian Age – a fictional era set between the fall of Atlantis and the rise of recorded history. 

Through sheer force of will and natural prowess, he carves his own path across the world, taking on roles as varied as thief, mercenary, pirate, and eventually king. Armed with incredible strength, combat skills honed in countless battles, and a sharp intelligence that many overlook, Conan survives and thrives in a world of dark sorcery, ancient ruins, and savage warfare. 

Born of Blood and Philosophy

Picture a young writer in Cross Plains, Texas, watching the pulp magazine market collapse around him. While other writers floundered, Robert E. Howard’s keen eye spotted an opportunity in the pages of Weird Tales, where readers hungered for something primal, something that spoke to the deepest parts of their souls. From this commercial instinct, a legend would rise that transcended its humble origins – Conan of Cimmeria.

But what forged this character who would reshape fantasy literature forever? Howard himself offered different answers at different times. To some, he spoke of prize-fighters and oil field roughnecks, their raw power and unfettered spirit flowing into Conan’s veins. To others, he pointed to the ancient myths and legends that haunted his imagination. Yet perhaps the most honest answer came in a quiet moment with Novalyne Price, when Howard admitted that no creator truly knows where their characters come from – they simply emerge from the shadows of the subconscious, fully formed and demanding to be heard.

In Conan, Howard birthed more than just another sword-swinging adventurer. He created a lens through which to examine the eternal conflict between civilization and barbarism. The Hyborian Age, that mythical era between the sinking of Atlantis and the rise of recorded history, became Howard’s laboratory for exploring humanity’s most fundamental questions. Here was a world where the trappings of civilization – its laws, its customs, its pretenses – could be stripped away to reveal the raw truth beneath.

In crafting Conan’s world, Howard also made a revolutionary choice that would distinguish his creation from the countless fantasy worlds that followed. While later authors would obsessively mine medieval Europe for inspiration, Howard reached back further, anchoring the Hyborian Age in the ancient world. Here were echoes of the Picts and the Celts, the Hyperboreans and Stygians, the lost empires of antiquity brought blazing back to life. This choice infused Conan’s adventures with a rawer, more primordial energy than the courtly intrigues and knightly quests that would come to dominate the genre. In the Hyborian Age, civilization hasn’t yet calcified into the rigid hierarchies of medievalism – it remains a fluid, dangerous thing, where empires rise and fall like tides, and a barbarian’s sword arm can carve out a kingdom.

What truly sets Conan apart in the pantheon of fantasy heroes is his unflinching authenticity in the face of such tumult. Unlike the noble-born princes or chosen ones that would later flood the genre, Conan stands alone as a self-made force of nature. He is neither good nor evil by civilized standards, but rather a pure expression of human will and natural law. In a world of serpent-tongued politicians and corrupted sorcerers, Conan’s barbaric honesty cuts like a freshly whetted blade. He simply doesn’t understand – or more accurately, refuses to accept – the arbitrary chains that civilization forges for itself.

This rejection of civilized norms in favor of a more direct moral code manifests throughout Howard’s tales in fascinating ways. When Conan tells Olivia “we don’t sell our children,” or refuses to betray a criminal partner to a magistrate, we see a man guided by principles that civilized society might view as primitive, yet carry their own profound honor. His hatred of hypocrisy reveals itself when he mocks nobles who seized his throne without earning it through “blood and sweat.” Even his harshest actions – like dropping a former lover into a cesspool after she betrays him to the city guard – stem from this unwavering moral framework. In Conan’s world, actions have direct consequences, and loyalty matters more than any civilized law.

This philosophical foundation would prove more enduring than even Howard could have imagined. In creating a character who existed outside the bounds of civilized society, he gave voice to something that resonates in the depths of every human soul – that primal yearning to break free from the artificial constraints of the world and live by one’s own truth, no matter the cost.

The Many Faces of Conan

In the fire-lit taverns of Zamora, a young thief moves like a shadow, his volcanic blue eyes scanning for threats, his black mane betraying his barbaric origins. In the blood-soaked battlefields of Turan, a seasoned mercenary captain bellows commands in multiple languages, each word carried by that same distinctive voice. Along the black coasts of Kush, a feared pirate captain stands at the helm of a sleek galley, and in the gleaming towers of Aquilonia, a king faces down noble conspirators with the same unflinching gaze. 

All are Conan. 

What’s remarkable about Conan’s various roles isn’t how they change him, but rather how he changes them. From his earliest appearances, Howard presented a character who was fundamentally complete – a force of nature who shaped circumstances to his will rather than being shaped by them. Whether he’s turning out the lights in a Zamoran tavern before dispatching a braggart, outmaneuvering his enemies in the labyrinthine politics of mercenary warfare, or navigating the treacherous waters of both piracy and kingship, Conan brings the same fundamental qualities to every role.

These qualities remain astoundingly consistent throughout Howard’s tales. The physical traits are immediately recognizable – that square-cut black mane, those smoldering blue eyes, the bull neck and preternatural strength that marked him as something more than ordinary. But it’s his less obvious traits that truly define him across every story. His keen intelligence shows itself whether he’s detecting traps in the Tower of the Elephant or unraveling court intrigues in the Hour of the Dragon. His resourcefulness and cunning remain unchanged whether he’s a thief, a warrior, or a king.

Yet perhaps what’s most fascinating about Conan’s journey through these various roles is how each one reveals new facets of his unchanging character rather than changing the character itself. As a thief, his natural cunning takes center stage. As a mercenary, his tactical brilliance shines. His time as a pirate highlights his charismatic leadership, while his years as a king demonstrate how his barbarian’s directness cuts through the poisoned honey of court politics. Through it all, he remains fundamentally Conan – the same man who first stepped out of Cimmeria with sword in hand and destiny at his beck and call.

Where to Begin Your Journey with Conan the Barbarian 

For those ready to step into the Hyborian Age, the question isn’t whether to read Conan, but where to start. Fortunately, Howard crafted each tale to stand alone like a perfectly forged sword – complete in itself, yet part of a greater whole.

Let us guide you to five gateways into Cowan’s world, each offering a unique glimpse into the character’s enduring appeal. “Tower of the Elephant” stands as perhaps the most beloved entry point, where a young Conan’s career as a thief brings him face to face with cosmic horror and unexpected compassion. Here, in the shadowed streets and glittering spires of a corrupt city, readers witness the perfect blend of Howard’s world-building and character development.

For those who hunger for the clash of steel on steel, “Beyond the Black River” beckons. This tale, set on the frontier of civilization, contains what many consider the quintessential statement of Howard’s philosophical themes. Here, Conan’s famous observation about the eternal struggle between civilization and barbarism emerges naturally from a story of frontier warfare and primal terror.

“The Hour of the Dragon,” Howard’s only Conan novel, serves as a magnificent work of everything that makes these stories immortal. Think of it as Conan’s greatest hits album – a deluge of action and intrigue that showcases our hero at the height of his powers, having risen from thief to king, yet losing none of his barbaric vigor.

For readers seeking to understand the world that birthed such a character, “The God in the Bowl” provides the perfect introduction. This early tale not only establishes Conan’s place in the Hyborian Age but does so through a taut narrative that reveals the complex tension between law, justice, and human nature.

But perhaps the finest starting point of all is “People of the Black Circle.” Here, every element that makes Conan stories unforgettable comes together in perfect harmony – sorcery and swordplay, political intrigue and personal honor, all woven into a tale that grips readers from the first page to the last.

Each of these stories offers a different face of Conan, a different angle from which to appreciate Howard’s creation. Choose any one of them, and you’ll find yourself drawn inexorably into a world where strength, courage, and cunning matter more than social niceties, and where adventure lurks around every corner.

Explore Conan the Barbarian Today

What is it about this Cimmerian warrior that continues to capture our imagination? Maybe it’s that so many of his fans find their own truth in Conan’s struggles. Some see in him the embodiment of personal freedom, others the appeal of raw authenticity in a world of compromise. Like all truly great literary figures, Conan becomes a mirror, reflecting back our own deepest yearnings and conflicts.

Whether you begin with the cosmic horror of “Tower of the Elephant,” the frontier tensions of “Beyond the Black River,” or the grand sweep of “The Hour of the Dragon,” you’ll discover a character far richer than his pop culture caricature suggests. 

The original Conan awaits you, unchanged by time or trend, ready to guide you through the untamed wilds of the Hyborian Age. Step into these stories, and discover why readers have been unable to resist their pull for generations.

Written by Heroic Signatures
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