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Post by Deleted on Dec 21, 2016 17:31:16 GMT -5
REH to HPL (3 November 1933)
Thank you very much for the kind things you said about the yarns in the Magic Carpet. "Alleys of Darkness" isn't much of a yarn, but I do like "The Shadow of the Vulture." I tried to follow history as closely as possible, though I did shift the actual date of Mikhal Oglu's death. He was not killed until a year or so later, on the occasion of a later invasion of Austria, in which the Akinji were trapped and destroyed by Paul Bakics. The incident of Suleyman's fete to celebrate his "victory" and his proclamation concerning his campaign is among the most curious episodes of history, which is often ironic.
A Means to Freedom, p.687
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Post by Deleted on Jan 4, 2017 2:40:43 GMT -5
REH to HPL (March 6, 1933) I'm curious to know how the readers will like Gottfried von Kalmbach, one of the main characters in a long historical yarn I sold Wright, concerning Suleyman the Magnificent's attack on Vienna. A more dissolute vagabond than Gottfried never weaved his way across the pages of a popular magazine: wastrel, drunkard, gambler, whore-monger, renegade, mercenary, plunderer, thief, rogue, rascal - I never created a character whose creation I enjoyed more. They may not seem real to the readers; but Gottfried and his mistress Red Sonya seem more real to me than any other character I've ever drawn. A Means to Freedom, p.550
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Post by deuce on Jan 10, 2017 17:45:22 GMT -5
To Harold Preece, October 1930:
I find tales of the East extremely fascinating, and
am beginning to believe that the old, old theory of
Turkish-Gaelic affinity is well borne out. The races
have much in common — cruelty, treachery, loyalty,
fatalism, spend-thriftiness, beserk fighting rage, a
love of music and poetry.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 12, 2017 2:38:33 GMT -5
To Harold Preece, October 1930: I find tales of the East extremely fascinating, and
am beginning to believe that the old, old theory of
Turkish-Gaelic affinity is well borne out. The races
have much in common — cruelty, treachery, loyalty,
fatalism, spend-thriftiness, beserk fighting rage, a
love of music and poetry. The Turkish-Gaelic affinity is fascinating. Howard's admiration of the Turks is evident at times, as demonstrated in the excerpt below from a letter sent to Lovecraft, dated July 13, 1932. 'Speaking of Mongol stocks, I notice the Finns seem to be somewhat divided among themselves, even to the point of violence. But as you say, they and the Hungarians have adapted themselves to western civilization surprizingly well for Mongolians. I think the backwardness of the Turks can be laid partly to the fact that they have always been more or less of a conquering caste, with the resultant intolerance to change, and distaste of manual work. They came from the steppes, wandering fighting nomads, who gained their living by following the flocks and plundering their fellow-man. They imposed their will on hordes of country-folk who did their work for them. The Turk has always scorned all labor but that of war. And what fighters they are! They are the one people whom decay and degeneration has not robbed of their pristine warlike heritage. History does not show a race, not even Roman or Spartan, which can boast of such consistent courage. Clean or depraved, honorable or degenerate, proud or besotted, the valor of the Turk has remained forever constant, as if it were a natural characteristic shining apart, untouched by the other characteristics of the man or the nation. I can not find an instance in which Turks showed the white feather. I intensely admire their high courage, and I hope to live to see the day when the Ottoman empire will be finally and completely swept out of existence.'At the same time, Robert E. Howard ends by saying that, 'I intensely admire their high courage, and I hope to live to see the day when the Ottoman empire will be finally and completely swept out of existence.' I think there are qualities/characteristics of the Turks that REH appreciated and had a deep admiration for, but, in history, when the Turks displayed their imperialistic nature and had shown excessive cruelty to their enemies, Howard was not afraid to condemn them. Especially concerning the Armenian genocide, as demonstrated in Howard's essay, 'A Touch of Trivia.'
'Say what you will, the wholesale massacre is never justifiable - I mean the slaughter of helpless people. Except in the following case: when a nation has over and over again proved itself to be absolutely without mercy, as in the case of the Turks with the Armenians, it is in my mind no crime but a duty of the nations to extirpate them, to destroy all men capable of bearing (arms) and to scatter the helpless people far and wide, not in barren exile to die, but to be absorbed by other races.'
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Post by deuce on Jan 13, 2017 4:04:07 GMT -5
To Harold Preece, October 1930: I find tales of the East extremely fascinating, and
am beginning to believe that the old, old theory of
Turkish-Gaelic affinity is well borne out. The races
have much in common — cruelty, treachery, loyalty,
fatalism, spend-thriftiness, beserk fighting rage, a
love of music and poetry. The Turkish-Gaelic affinity is fascinating. Quite honestly, I have no solid idea what this "old, old theory" might be. There is, of course, the Lebor Gabala which traces the Gaels back to Scythia. REH believed in it and there is mounting evidence that there is a kernel of truth in it: swordsofreh.proboards.com/post/8566REH does seem to have (maybe) believed (wrongly) that the Scythians were somehow a melding of Indo-European and Turkish elements, but he makes it clear that his Cimmerians/proto-Gaels were not. There was also the theory arising in the early 20th century that perhaps the Tarim mummies were Celts. REH was certainly aware of such things, by way of Merritt, Churchward and others (BTW, Uighurs make up MacDeesa's war-band in Lord of Samarcand). However, how that could be an "old, old theory", I have no idea. I'm baffled on this one. REH was firmly against the Armenian genocide (which is more than can be said of Cenk). Not long ago, I stumbled upon what might've been Howard's main source of knowledge/outrage about it, but I can't remember what it was for the life of me. With many barbarian peoples, REH lost interest in or began to despise them once they "settled down". There might be a little bit of that here, but Howard was more likely taking into account things like Armenia, the two sieges of Vienna and just all of the Ottoman atrocities in Eastern Europe. He also read Lawrence's Revolt in the Desert, which is not highly complimentary to the Turks. Also, Harold Lamb's Cossack tales don't cast the Ottomans in a good light. It's no coincidence that we see Conan voluntarily fighting against the Turanians more than any other Hyborian Age ethnic group, including the Stygians. When he fought Stygians, it was always as a merc. It wouldn't surprise me if, perhaps, REH envisioned Conan the King dealing Yezdigerd a very hard blow at some point after HotD. Howard's Son of the White Wolf, perhaps, illustrates his feelings.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 13, 2017 16:48:31 GMT -5
REH was firmly against the Armenian genocide (which is more than can be said of Cenk). Not long ago, I stumbled upon what might've been Howard's main source of knowledge/outrage about it, but I can't remember what it was for the life of me. Do you mean Cenk Uygur from the Young Turks? Alex Jones is a big fan
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Post by deuce on Jan 13, 2017 16:57:25 GMT -5
REH was firmly against the Armenian genocide (which is more than can be said of Cenk). Not long ago, I stumbled upon what might've been Howard's main source of knowledge/outrage about it, but I can't remember what it was for the life of me. Do you mean Cenk Uygur from the Young Turks? Yeah, it took years for him to even kind of admit that the namesakes of his show maybe/might have looked sideways at an Armenian at some point. All a misunderstanding, of course.
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Post by deuce on Jan 13, 2017 17:00:38 GMT -5
Letter to HPL (ca. September, 1933) 'Concerning art: I am by no means convinced that art is any higher than certain other forms of human activity, even according to the evolutionary standard. Such men as Michel Angelo, Poe, Beethoven, Cellini, Shaw are no more highly evolved than such men as Saladin, Napoleon, Genghis Khan, Robert E. Lee, Sam Houston, Thomas Jefferson, or James Corbett for that matter. The whole trouble with the viewpoint of purely mental workers is that they invariably underrate the mentality of other types of persons, and the intelligence required by other types of activities.' A Means to Freedom, p.650 This is another instance where, just as in almost every other case, REH fails to mention any artists or great men from Greco-Roman times. He just was not that interested in that period, other than a certain amount of admiration for the audacity and conquests of Alexander.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 13, 2017 17:36:43 GMT -5
Howard's Son of the White Wolf, perhaps, illustrates his feelings. Thrilling Adventures, December 1936 Yeah, Osman is a truly evil villain: "British guns!" said Osman. "Battering the Turkish Empire to bits! The New Turks have failed. What Asia needs is not a new party, but a new race! There are thousands of fighting men between the Syrian coast and the Persian highlands, ready to be roused by a new word, a new prophet! The East is moving in her sleep. Ours is the duty to awaken her!
"You have all sworn to follow me into the hills. Let us return to the ways of our pagan ancestors who worshipped the White Wolf on the steppes of High Asia before they bowed to the creed of Mohammed!
"We have reached the end of the Islamic Age. We abjure Allah as a superstition fostered by an epileptic Meccan camel driver. Our people have copied Arab ways too long. But we hundred men are Turks! We have burned the Koran. We bow not toward Mecca, nor swear by their false Prophet. And now follow me as we planned—to establish ourselves in a strong position in the hills and to seize Arab women for our wives."
"Our sons will be half Arab," someone protested.
"A man is the son of his father," retorted Osman. "We Turks have always looted the harims of the world for our women, but our sons are always Turks.
"Come! We have arms, horses, supplies. If we linger we shall be crushed with the rest of the army between the British on the coast and the Arabs the Englishman Lawrence is bringing up from the south. Onto El Awad! The sword for the men—captivity, for the women!"
His voice cracked like a whip as he snapped the orders that set the lines in motion. In perfect order they moved off through the lightening dawn toward the range of sawedged hills in the distance. Behind them the air still vibrated with the distant rumble of the British artillery. Over them waved a banner that bore the head of a white wolf—the battle-standard of most ancient Turan.El Borak and Other Desert Adventures, p.336 The scene where El Borak witness' the handiwork of Osman's Turks at EL Wad is powerful stuff: The sun was sinking over the mountains of Edom when Gordon came to ruined El Awad, in a fold of the bare hills. For hours before he had marked its location by black dots dropping in the blue. That they did not rise again told him that the village was deserted except for the dead.
As he rode into the dusty street several vultures flapped heavily away. The hot sun had dried the mud, curdled the red pools in the dust. He sat in his saddle a while, staring silently.
He was no stranger to the handiwork of the Turk. He had seen much of it in the long fighting up from Jeddah on the Red Sea. But even so, he felt sick. The bodies lay in the street, headless, disemboweled, hewn asunder— bodies of children, old women and men. A red mist floated before his eyes, so that for a moment the landscape seemed to swim in blood. The slayers were gone; but they had left a plain road for him to follow.
What the signs they had left did not show him, he guessed. The slayers had loaded their female captives on baggage camels, and had gone eastward, deeper into the hills. Why they were following that road he could not guess, but he knew where it led—to the long-abandoned Walls of Sulaiman, by way of the Well of Achmet. El Borak and Other Desert Adventures, p.341
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Post by Deleted on Jan 13, 2017 18:02:11 GMT -5
With many barbarian peoples, REH lost interest in or began to despise them once they "settled down". There might be a little bit of that here, but Howard was more likely taking into account things like Armenia, the two sieges of Vienna and just all of the Ottoman atrocities in Eastern Europe. He also read Lawrence's Revolt in the Desert, which is not highly complimentary to the Turks. Also, Harold Lamb's Cossack tales don't cast the Ottomans in a good light. Yeah, REH did not seem too interested in the Mongols either once they settled down. 'When a race - almost any race - is emerging from barbarism, or not yet emerged, they hold my interest. I can seem to understand them, and to write intelligently of them. But as they progress toward civilization, my grip on them begins to weaken, until at last it vanishes entirely, and I find their ways and thoughts and ambitions perfectly alien and baffling. Thus the first Mongol conquerors of China and india inspire in me the most intense interest and appreciation; but a few generations later when they have adopted the civilization of their subjects, they stir not a hint of interest in my mind. My study of history has been a continual search for newer barbarians, from age to age.'Means to Freedom, p.338
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Post by Deleted on Feb 10, 2017 16:14:04 GMT -5
REH to Tevis Clyde Smith (August of 1931)
'...hinting Tamerlane as a fit subject for an Oriental Story story.... Now I've got to get hold of something on the Big Tatar and try to pound out a novelet; I've been thinking of writing a tale about him for a long time. And Babur the Tiger who established the Mogul rule in India - and the imperial phase in the life of Baibars the Panther, the subject of my last story - and the rise of the Ottomans - and the conquest of Constantinople by the Fifth Crusade - the subjugation of the Turks by the Arabs in the days of Abu Bekr - and the gradual supplanting of the Arab masters by their Turkish slaves which culminated in the conquest of Asia Minor and Palestine by the Seljuks - and the rise of Saladin - and the final destruction of Christian Outreamer by Al Kalawun - and the First Crusade - Godfrey of Boullion, Baldwin of Boulogne, Bohemund - Sigurd the Jorsala-farer - Barbarossa - Cour de Lion. Ye gods, I could write a century and still have only tapped the reservoir of dramatic possibilities. I wish to Hell I had a dozen markets for historical fiction - I'd never write anything else.'
Sword Woman and Other Historical Adventures, p.524
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Post by deuce on Mar 15, 2017 9:45:00 GMT -5
Timur-LangThe warm wind blows through the waving grain— Where are the glories of Tamerlane? The nations stood up, ripe and tall— He was the sickle that reaped them all. But the sickle shatters and leaves no trace— And the grain grows green on the desert’s face. ~ REH ~
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Post by Deleted on Mar 16, 2017 16:30:20 GMT -5
Robert E. Howard explains the difficulties in writing historical fiction to H.P. Lovecraft. If I remember correctly Roy Thomas also confused the two dates for the Siege of Vienna by the Turks (1529 and 1683) when explaining the origins of Red Sonja in the Hyborian Page. 'Battle over the Turkish banner', oil on canvas 1905, by Józef Brandt. REH to HPL (9 August, 1932) 'This writing of historical stories is hell in a way, though intensely interesting. It is easy to make mistakes. For instance I noted in his book of travels, Bayard Taylor, when speaking of his exploration of Vienna, mentioned Count Stahremberg as commanding Vienna in 1529, when, he said, Sobiesky rescued the city from the siege of the Turks under the Grand Vizier Muhammad. Stahremberg hadnt been born in 1529. Count Salm commanded then, and beat off, not Muhammad, who, with Sobiesky was still in the womb of the unborn, but Suleyman the Magnificent. It was in 1683 that the others played their part. And the vizier was not Muhammad but Kara Mustafa.'
Means to Freedom, p.343-344
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Post by Deleted on Apr 7, 2017 14:13:08 GMT -5
"I was there, girl! ... I rode with Jenghiz Khan." Renee Zellweger as Novalyne Price and Vincent D'Onofrio as Robert E. Bob Howard (The Whole Wide World, 1996)The excerpt below is from ' One Who Walked Alone' by Novalyne Price. According to Novalyne this was her first real date with Robert E. Howard. How do you break the ice on your first date with a pretty girl? You strike up a conversation about the great Genghis Khan, of course. I moved closer to Bob and put my hand on his shoulder."I don't agree with a word you say about civilization, and unknown gods, and houses that appear and disappear and fall into ruin and suddenly build up again. But you've helped me more than anybody else who ever talked about writing."His laugh was warm, exultant. He grabbed my hand and held it so tight I almost groaned. "You stick with me, girl. I'll teach you a lot about civilization, about men, and about writing. You stick with me girl."As we drove back through Cisco, its main street with its dim, yellow street lights, looked wide and empty. The wind blew, and our car slipped silently through the town.To make conversation, I said, " I really have to study my lessons for next week.""What subjects did you tell me you teach?""I have one class in public speaking, two in freshman English, and two in ancient history.""Ancient history? Now, there's a subject I'd like to teach. Do you study about Jenghiz Khan? A great man Jenghiz Khan. My favorite barbarian.""Not in ancient history, but I've heard about him. An uncivilized barbarian, wasn't he?""Aha!" he said jubilantly. "That's where you're wrong. That's the tomfoolery they teach you in school. He was just as civilized, if you like the word, as the people he lived among. But what he wanted was different. The Mongols were warriors. Give a Mongol a good horse, and he'll conquer the world."I was inclined to argue. "When they conquered a city or state, didn't they destroy all the beautiful works of art?"He shrugged that aside and went on with his story. " When his father died, he was just a kid, but his mother saw to it that he fulfilled his destiny. Any man who reaches greatness reaches it because of his mother."I resented that statement. Jenghiz Khan was a subject in which he seemed passionately interested. As he talked, with so much enthusiasm, I could think of him as a man whose eyes looked upon a time long since passed and forgotten by other men.He described the land, the colors of Jenghiz Khan's robes, the horse he rode. As I listened, I knew what Jenghiz Khan experienced and thought. But I understood as one who plays a part in a play; you study the man ... you study the role ... you try to understand and experience him; then you try to reveal him to the audience. But in the final analysis, on stage, you create the illusion of reality. Bob was not acting. He was there. At that moment, he was Jenghiz khan, the barbarian, conqueror of an empire. It overwhelmed me. " How do you know so much about him - Jenghiz Khan? History books don't tell you these things. History books don't describe. They recount.""I was there, girl!" Exultantly. "I rode with Jenghiz Khan."At first, I didn't know what to think. Then I reasoned about it. I thought: We must talk about reincarnation someday. I don't believe it, of course, but we must talk about it. He probably doesn't believe either. No wonder a few people in Cross Plains don't like him. They don't understand him. His preoccupation with history and with writing instead of the price of corn and cotton is something they could not understand.Could I? I liked books ... history ... writing. Well, this was an opportunity to listen to a very interesting storyteller! Did I want this?I listened to the saga of Jenghiz Khan.I watched Bob's face in the dim light. He was a good looking man .... aloof ... accustomed to being alone a lot, but now enjoying immensely the pleasure of a good listener. His voice was vibrant, full, pleasant, rising and falling with the excitement of battle, or racing across the changing terrain. He spoke with authority. His descriptions were vivid. I listened avidly. Amused. Fascinated. Uncertain.In college, Mrs. Trapp's classes held me spellbound, but no one had made history so alive and glowing. I felt every emotion Jenghiz Khan felt. I reacted with intense feeling toward things he did. I was repelled when he took his sword and ripped open a man's belly, spilling his guts in the dust and heat of the desert. But I saw another side to Jenghiz Khan, too. I saw his gentleness with his horse. I marveled at his respect and admiration for his mother. I saw him cross verdant valleys with no fences."Bob," I interrupted finally, "don't you ever write about modern times? Modern heroes? Do you always write about barbarians - about past history?""Sure," he said. " I write about several other characters. Steve Costigan, John -""What kind of problems do they face?"He laughed. "Magic. Voodoo. Oriental magic."I shivered. "Why problems like that? Why not just a plain, ordinary problem like: ' When the cotton's picked this fall, I'll get this new car. But, then, cotton's just five cents a pound. How can I get the car?' You know what I mean - the kind of problem a man would face in 1934?""You don't like to read about magic? Voodoo? Why, girl, that's one of man's oldest problems."I wondered if he was teasing or serious.Novalyne Price Ellis, One Who Walked Alone: Robert E. Howard, the Final Years, p.63-5
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Post by Deleted on Apr 18, 2017 9:17:38 GMT -5
A Thousand Years Ago
I was chief of the Chatagai A thousand years ago; Turan's souls and her swords were high; Arrows flew as snow might fly, We shook the desert and broke the sky When I was chief of the Chatagai A thousand years ago.
When I was chief of the Chatagai, A thousand years ago, I bared my sword, I loosed the rein, I shattered the shahs on Iran's plain, I smote on the walls of Roum in vain. When I was chief of the Chatagai A thousand years ago.
I was chief of the Chatagai, A thousand years ago, And still I dream of the flying strife, Of the desert dawns and the unreined life When I took the wars of the world to wife - When I was chief of the Chatagai A thousand years ago.
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