Conan the Barbarian facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Conan the Barbarian
Weird Tales (December 1935, vol. 26, no. 6) featuring the Conan novel The Hour of the Dragon by Robert E. Howard
Created by	Robert E. Howard
Portrayed by	Arnold Schwarzenegger (Film) Michael Donovan (Animation) Phil Hayes (Animation) Ralf Möller (Live-Action television) Jason Momoa (Film)
Information
Gender	Male
Nationality	Cimmerian

Conan the Barbarian (also known as Conan the Cimmerian) is a famous hero from sword and sorcery stories. He first appeared in old magazines called "pulp fiction." Since then, he has been in many books, comic books, movies (like Conan the Barbarian and Conan the Destroyer), and TV shows. He has also been featured in video games, role-playing games, and other media. The writer Robert E. Howard created Conan in 1932. His stories were published in Weird Tales magazine.

How Conan's Stories Began

Conan the Barbarian was created by Robert E. Howard. He wrote a series of fantasy stories that appeared in Weird Tales magazine starting in 1932. Howard had been looking for a new character to write about for the popular magazines of the 1930s.

In 1932, Howard went on a trip. During this time, he thought more about Conan. He also wrote a poem called "Cimmeria". This poem helped shape the world Conan lives in. Howard then rewrote an older story, changing his character Kull of Atlantis to Conan. He renamed it "The Phoenix on the Sword". He also wrote "The Frost-Giant's Daughter", which was inspired by the Greek myth of Daphne.

Weird Tales magazine accepted "The Phoenix on the Sword". It appeared in the December 1932 issue. The editor, Farnsworth Wright, then asked Howard to write about the "Hyborian Age." This is the made-up world where Conan's adventures take place. Using this guide, Howard wrote "The Tower of the Elephant." This was the first story to truly bring his new Hyborian world to life.

The success of "The Tower of the Elephant" made Howard write many more Conan stories for Weird Tales.

After Howard passed away, the rights to the Conan stories changed hands many times. For about 40 years, the original versions of Howard's stories were not printed. Later, new publishers worked to bring back Howard's original writings. In 2003, a British publisher called Wandering Star Books worked to restore Howard's original writings. They published hardcover books in England. These were later released in the United States by Del Rey. These books included all of Howard's original, unedited Conan stories.

Conan's World: The Hyborian Age

A map of Robert E. Howard's Hyborian Age

Conan the Barbarian's adventures happen in a made-up time called the "Hyborian Age." This time is set after the destruction of Atlantis and before the well-known ancient civilizations we learn about in history class. Robert E. Howard created this special time for his low fantasy stories.

Howard loved history, but he also knew it was hard to make sure every detail was historically correct. Also, the libraries where he lived in Texas didn't have many history books. So, he invented a "vanished age" with names that sounded like real history. This way, he didn't have to worry about historical mistakes.

According to one of his stories, "The Phoenix on the Sword," Conan's adventures take place "Between the years when the oceans drank Atlantis and the gleaming cities, and the years of the rise of the Sons of Aryas."

Conan's Personality and Look

Conan is from a land called Cimmeria. The people of Cimmeria were based on the Celts or Gaels. Conan was born on a battlefield and his father was a village blacksmith. He grew up fast. By age 15, he was already a respected warrior. He even helped destroy a fort called Venarium. After that, he wanted to see the world. He started his adventures, meeting strange monsters, evil wizards, and beautiful princesses.

He traveled through many lands in the Hyborian Age. He worked as a thief, outlaw, mercenary (a soldier who fights for money), and pirate. As he got older, he led more men and aimed for bigger things. In his forties, he became the king of Aquilonia, the most powerful kingdom of the Hyborian Age. He took the crown by defeating the old king. Conan often does heroic things, but usually, it's to protect himself or to gain something for himself.

Conan is also very protective of women. He doesn't like to fight them, even if they attack him. He often saves damsels in distress (women in trouble). For example, in "Jewels of Gwahlur," he had to choose between saving a dancing girl or a chest of valuable jewels. He saved the girl without thinking, even though he had spent months looking for the treasure.

Conan has "sullen" (gloomy), "smoldering" (burning), and "volcanic" blue eyes. He has a black, "square-cut mane" of hair. Howard sometimes described him as having a hairy chest. While comics often show him in minimal clothing, Howard said Conan wore clothes typical of the land he was in. Howard never gave an exact height or weight for Conan. He just called him "giant" and "massive." No human in the stories is stronger than Conan, though some are taller. In a letter, Howard said Conan was about 6 feet tall and weighed 180 pounds at age 15, even though he wasn't fully grown yet.

Conan is very muscular, but Howard often said he moved like a panther, showing his agility. His skin is often described as bronzed from being in the sun a lot. When he was younger, he sometimes wore a light chain shirt and a horned helmet.

When he became king of Aquilonia, Conan was: ... a tall man, mightily shouldered and deep of chest, with a massive corded neck and heavily muscled limbs. He was clad in silk and velvet... and the crown of Aquilonia shone on his square-cut black mane; but the great sword at his side seemed more natural to him than the regal clothes. His brow was low and broad, his eyes a volcanic blue that smoldered as if with some inner fire. His dark, scarred, almost sinister face was that of a fighting-man...

Howard imagined the Cimmerians as an ancient people with mostly black hair and blue or gray eyes. They were descendants of the people of Atlantis, though they didn't remember it.

Conan's Skills and Abilities

Even though he looks tough, Conan is smart too. He is a very skilled warrior, perhaps the best with a sword. His travels have taught him many other things, especially how to be a good thief. He is also a talented leader, good at planning battles and strategies.

Conan speaks many languages. He can even read and understand ancient or secret writings. In "Jewels of Gwahlur," Howard wrote that "Many a sheltered scholar would have been astonished at the Cimmerian's linguistic abilities." He also has amazing stamina, meaning he can go without sleep for days. In "A Witch Shall be Born," Conan fights many armed men, gets captured, and is even crucified. He goes a night and a day without water, but still has the strength to pull the nails from his feet and ride ten miles on a horse.

Conan also has a sense of humor, which is often missing in the comics and movies. He is a loyal friend to those who are true to him. He has a simple code of honor that often makes him seem more honorable than the fancy people he meets. His straightforward nature and wildness are always part of his character.

Conan is a powerful fighter, both with weapons and without. He can defeat many enemies at once. However, he is not superhuman. He has been captured and defeated several times.

Conan Stories by Robert E. Howard

Here are some of the original Conan stories written by Robert E. Howard:

Stories Published in Weird Tales

• "The Phoenix on the Sword" (December 1932)
• "The Scarlet Citadel" (January 1933)
• "The Tower of the Elephant" (March 1933)
• "Black Colossus" (June 1933)
• "The Slithering Shadow" (September 1933, also called "Xuthal of the Dusk")
• "The Pool of the Black One" (October 1933)
• "Rogues in the House" (January 1934)
• "Iron Shadows in the Moon" (April 1934, published as "Shadows in the Moonlight")
• "Queen of the Black Coast" (May 1934)
• "The Devil in Iron" (August 1934)
• "The People of the Black Circle" (September–November 1934)
• "A Witch Shall Be Born" (December 1934)
• "Jewels of Gwahlur" (March 1935, original title "The Servants of Bit-Yakin")
• "Beyond the Black River" (May–June 1935)
• "Shadows in Zamboula" (November 1935, original title "The Man-Eaters of Zamboula")
• "The Hour of the Dragon" (December 1935 – April 1936)
• "Red Nails" (July, September, October 1936)

Stories Published After Howard's Lifetime

• "The God in the Bowl" (1952)
• "The Black Stranger" (1953)
• "The Vale of Lost Women" (1967)

Conan in Other Media

Conan has been very popular, leading to many stories and adaptations by other writers and in different forms of media.

Conan Films

Conan the Barbarian (1982) poster

The first Conan movie was Conan the Barbarian (1982). It mixed ideas from director John Milius with plots from Conan stories. The movie begins with Conan being enslaved by the evil Thulsa Doom, who killed Conan's parents. Thulsa Doom later becomes a cult leader who worships a Snake God. Conan, along with his friends Subotai and Valeria, tries to rescue a princess held by Thulsa Doom. Arnold Schwarzenegger played Conan, and this movie helped make him a big star.

A sequel, Conan the Destroyer, came out in 1984. This movie was more like a typical fantasy adventure.

Another Conan movie was planned for 1987, but it never happened. The script for that movie was later used for Kull the Conqueror.

Conan the Barbarian (2011)

In 2011, a new movie called Conan the Barbarian was released. Jason Momoa played Conan in this film. It aimed to be more faithful to Robert E. Howard's original stories. However, the movie did not get good reviews and didn't do well at the box office.

The Legend of Conan

In 2012, there were plans for a sequel to the 1982 movie called The Legend of Conan. Arnold Schwarzenegger was set to play an older Conan again. As of 2016, Schwarzenegger was still excited about making the film, but it has not been made yet.

Conan on Television

There have been three TV series about Conan:

• Conan the Adventurer (1992–1994) was an animated TV show. In this series, Conan chased Serpent Men to free his parents, who had been turned into living statues.
• Conan and the Young Warriors (1994) was another animated TV show, a spin-off from the first one. It took place after Conan's parents were freed. Conan had to train three warriors to help him rescue a friend's family.
• Conan the Adventurer (1997) was a live-action TV show. Ralf Möller played Conan. This version was different from the original stories. Conan was more pleasant and friendly, and he traveled with a group of adventurers instead of being a loner.

Conan in Comics

Tower of the Elephant comic by R. Thomas, J. Buscema and A. Alcala

Conan the Barbarian has been in comics almost constantly since 1970. Comics have played a big part in keeping the character popular. The two main publishers of Conan comics have been Marvel Comics and Dark Horse Comics.

Marvel Comics

Marvel Comics started publishing Conan the Barbarian in 1970. Roy Thomas wrote it, and Barry Windsor-Smith drew it. Later, John Buscema became the main artist. Marvel also published Savage Sword of Conan, a black-and-white magazine for older readers.

Dark Horse Comics

Dark Horse Comics began their Conan comic series in 2003, simply called Conan. This series tried to stick closely to Robert E. Howard's original stories. Dark Horse has released several other Conan series since then, including Conan the Cimmerian and Conan the Barbarian.

Conan in Games

Video Games

Many video games have been made based on the Conan stories:

• Conan: Hall of Volta (1984)
• Conan: The Mysteries of Time (1991)
• Conan: The Cimmerian (1991)
• Conan (2004)
• Conan (2007)
• Age of Conan (2008), a big online role-playing game (MMORPG).
• Conan: The Tower of the Elephant (2011), a game for phones based on the short story.
• Conan Exiles (2017), an open world survival game.

Board Games and Role-Playing Games

Conan has also been featured in board games and role-playing games. These games let players create their own adventures in the Hyborian Age.

• Age of Conan (2009) is a strategy board game about wars between nations in Conan's world.
• Conan (2016) is a board game with miniatures based on Howard's short stories.
• Several Advanced Dungeons & Dragons modules and a Conan Role-Playing Game were released in the 1980s.
• GURPS Conan (1989) was a core rulebook for a different role-playing game system.
• Conan: The Roleplaying Game (2004) was another role-playing game.
• Conan: Adventures in an Age Undreamed Of (2016) is the newest role-playing game.

Main Characters in Conan Stories

Here are some important characters from Conan's adventures:

Characters from Conan Books

• Bêlit – A pirate queen and Conan's first serious love.
• Thoth-Amon – A powerful wizard from Stygia, often seen as Conan's main enemy.
• Valeria – A female fighter who works for money.
• Yara – An evil wizard who enslaved a strange alien creature.
• Zenobia – A concubine whom Conan promises to marry and make queen when he becomes king.

Characters from Conan Comics

• Red Sonja – A warrior created for the Conan comics, based on another character by Robert E. Howard.
• Jenna – A dancing girl who becomes Conan's girlfriend but later betrays him.
• Zukala – An evil sorcerer who gets his powers from a mask.
• Yezdigerd – The ruler of Turan, who hires Conan but then betrays him.
• Fafnir – A strong Vanir warrior and pirate captain who becomes Conan's ally.

Characters from Conan Movies

• Thulsa Doom – The main bad guy in the 1982 movie, played by James Earl Jones. He is a skull-faced sorcerer.
• Rexor – In the 1982 movie, he is the chief priest of Thulsa Doom's snake cult.
• Thorgrim – A hammer-wielding helper of Thulsa Doom in the 1982 film.
• Subotai – A thief and archer who is Conan's friend in the 1982 movie.
• Akiro – A powerful wizard who becomes friends with Conan and Subotai in the Schwarzenegger movies.

Copyright Information

The name Conan and other main character names are claimed as trademarks by Paradox Entertainment.

However, many of Robert E. Howard's original Conan stories are considered to be in the public domain. This means their copyrights have expired, and they can be used freely by anyone. For example, in the United Kingdom, works enter the public domain 70 years after the author's death. Since Howard died in 1936, his works have been in the public domain there since 2006.

Images for kids

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  Conan the Usurper (1967). Cover art by Frank Frazetta.

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  Tales of Conan (Gnome Press, 1955). Cover art by Ed Emshwiller

See also

In Spanish: Conan el Bárbaro para niños