November 2020 - Worms of the Earth

[Jason Aiken]

First appeared in the November 1932 issue of Weird Tales and I have heard from different REH fans and scholars that this is the best story REH ever wrote.




Read it in Bran Mak Morn: The Last King: amzn.to/2SUEChB
Project Gutenberg etext: gutenberg.net.au/ebooks06/0607861h.html
Audiobook:

[bartonamra]

Finally had time to reat it! It was my second read. It confirmed to me that it is one of Howard's best. It works very well as a horror story, which justifies it's inclusion in the Horror Stories Del Rey, but is also the main Bran Mak Morn story. Kings of the Night is also a good one about Bran. But in Worms, we really get to understand what kind of a man he is. 

I think the tale is very well built. Every chapter has it's purpose and is crafted with care. Also note that there is almost no fighting here, aside from Bran killing Valerius (more like an execution). The scene in the Witch's hut is classic. And all the way through there is a feeling of uneasiness, of dread. The monster in the lake is just a great example of a small addition that is not necessary to the main story but just makes it more exciting.

Read this here : "What have I known but the lone winds of the fens, the dreary fire of cold sunsets, the whispering of the marsh grasses? - the faces that blink up at me in the waters of the meres [...]" This reminded me of Frodo and Sam in the Marshes, in The Two Towers. And then Bran confronts the Worms of the Earth in a scene not unlike Aragorn asking the army of ghosts to aid him, once again in a great dark cave, brandishing his sword. And even the Worms themselves, which were human but devolved in some kind of Gollum after centuries living in the dark of the underground.

Anyway, Tolkien never said he read Worms of the Earth, but this is just Howard all the time. We often find clever ideas that were afterwards used and developped in other works. It doesn't mean he necessarily inspired these other authors, but it is proof of his imagination and talent.

So Worms of the Earth is a top ten candidate. Great intro, solid from start to finish, excellent mood, myth-like quality, great ending.

One last thing : " By Steel and fire I will fight her - and by subtlety and treachery - by the thorn in the foot, the adder in the path, the venom in the cup, the dagger in the dark [...]"

"I am the thorn in the foot, I am the blur in the sight;
I am the worm at the root, I am the thief in the night.

[...]

There were adders in the slime, and a dim unholy Face."

From which poem is this? 

[Jason Aiken]

Nov 5, 2020 22:25:10 GMT -5 bartonamra said:

Finally had time to reat it! It was my second read. It confirmed to me that it is one of Howard's best. It works very well as a horror story, which justifies it's inclusion in the Horror Stories Del Rey, but is also the main Bran Mak Morn story. Kings of the Night is also a good one about Bran. But in Worms, we really get to understand what kind of a man he is. 

Yes, I had the same thoughts after listening to this, it is definitely a horror story, first and foremost. I've read the other Bran tales but it wasn't until reading this that it hit me. Bran isn't Conan or Kull, he's not an indomitable warrior king, he's a king who has been backed into a corner and is desperately trying to keep his people from disappearing.

I think the tale is very well built. Every chapter has it's purpose and is crafted with care. Also note that there is almost no fighting here, aside from Bran killing Valerius (more like an execution). The scene in the Witch's hut is classic. And all the way through there is a feeling of uneasiness, of dread. The monster in the lake is just a great example of a small addition that is not necessary to the main story but just makes it more exciting.

I think this is why so many people consider it Howard's best work, that slowly building sense of dread.

Read this here : "What have I known but the lone winds of the fens, the dreary fire of cold sunsets, the whispering of the marsh grasses? - the faces that blink up at me in the waters of the meres [...]" This reminded me of Frodo and Sam in the Marshes, in The Two Towers. And then Bran confronts the Worms of the Earth in a scene not unlike Aragorn asking the army of ghosts to aid him, once again in a great dark cave, brandishing his sword. And even the Worms themselves, which were human but devolved in some kind of Gollum after centuries living in the dark of the underground.

Anyway, Tolkien never said he read Worms of the Earth, but this is just Howard all the time. We often find clever ideas that were afterwards used and developped in other works. It doesn't mean he necessarily inspired these other authors, but it is proof of his imagination and talent.

I have to admit, I was thinking of Aragorn's deal as well when Bran met the Worms of the Earth and made his bargain.

So Worms of the Earth is a top ten candidate. Great intro, solid from start to finish, excellent mood, myth-like quality, great ending.

Agreed, this isn't my favorite Howard story, but it is easily one of his best. I'm not so sure I'd say it would be his best work, but it's definitely top ten and most likely top 5 given everyone's individual tastes.

One last thing : " By Steel and fire I will fight her - and by subtlety and treachery - by the thorn in the foot, the adder in the path, the venom in the cup, the dagger in the dark [...]"

"I am the thorn in the foot, I am the blur in the sight;
I am the worm at the root, I am the thief in the night.

[...]

There were adders in the slime, and a dim unholy Face."

From which poem is this? 

Nice catch!

crypticus.bandcamp.com/track/song-of-a-mad-minstrel

[charleshelm]

I agree it is a good story but it is not the best Howard story for me. I has so many classic Howardian elements, the barbarians against civilization, the ancient peoples forced underground, mutating into snake-like form, the eerie object of power, a mixture of real and supernatural. But there are some plot holes. He penetrates to the inner sanctum unnoticed, and in the end once they get the stone back they could kill him. At some loss of life of course, but they outnumbered him.

Do we think there is any tie to the scene with the witch in the Arnold movie? I know there is a witch in Hour of the Dragon as well, but the relationship has no sexual element.

Bran is a good character and doesn't get a lot of ink spilled on his stories. I enjoyed it but it is not in the top for me.

[kobeck]

thoroughly enjoyed this one as well.

Decided to listen to the audio this time... probably wont do that again. It was fine but I enjoy reading better.

My first BMM story. Enjoyed the setup as much if not more than the finish. I knew REH had characters other than Conan I just never paid them any heed.

I was wrong. BMM & Kull stories were both fantastic and totally worth the time and the one about the black stone was a good read also

[Jason Aiken]

Nov 18, 2020 19:49:08 GMT -5 charleshelm said:

I agree it is a good story but it is not the best Howard story for me. I has so many classic Howardian elements, the barbarians against civilization, the ancient peoples forced underground, mutating into snake-like form, the eerie object of power, a mixture of real and supernatural. But there are some plot holes. He penetrates to the inner sanctum unnoticed, and in the end once they get the stone back they could kill him. At some loss of life of course, but they outnumbered him.

It's definitely one of REH's best but I think I've read better tales in the Conan and REH series. However, this is his best horror tale I've read for sure. I think it's better than the Black Stone even. I was expecting a S&S tale with "Worms" but it turned out to be a great historical horror piece. There's no doubt about its quality, though.

Do we think there is any tie to the scene with the witch in the Arnold movie? I know there is a witch in Hour of the Dragon as well, but the relationship has no sexual element.

I have to admit, I thought the exact same thing listening to this.

[Jason Aiken]

Nov 18, 2020 23:27:12 GMT -5 kobeck said:

thoroughly enjoyed this one as well.

Decided to listen to the audio this time... probably wont do that again. It was fine but I enjoy reading better.

I did the same thing via the Audible audio book of the Last King collection. I needed something to listen to while raking leaves and this looked like a good choice. I wish I had read it, rather than listened to it myself. I have a real inner Howardian voice I can channel when reading his works. The narrator did a good job, but the experience isn't the same.[/quote]


My first BMM story. Enjoyed the setup as much if not more than the finish. I knew REH had characters other than Conan I just never paid them any heed. I was wrong. BMM & Kull stories were both fantastic and totally worth the time and the one about the black stone was a good read also[/quote]

Glad you're branching out beyond the Cimmerian and enjoying what you're reading. I'm going to sprinkle in a Conan here and there again next year.