Robert E. Howard's Pirate Stories

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Keith Taylor looks at Helen Tavrel, the fiery protagonist of REH's The Isle of Pirate's Doom:



www.rehtwogunraconteur.com/the-perilous-helen-tavrel-part-one/

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A rare Fabian cover for Black Vulmea's Vengeance...

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The "Flint" of the poem seems to be the pirate from Stevenson's Treasure Island.


Flint's Passing

Bring aft the rum! Life’s measure’s overfull

And down the sides the splashing liquor slops

To mingle in the unknown seas of Doubt.

Bring aft the rum! The tide is going out;

The breeze has lain, the tattered mainsail drops

Against the mast. And on the battered hull

I hear the drowsy slap of lazy waves.

And through the port I see the sandy beach,

And sullen trees beyond, a swampland dank.

I’ve known the isles the furtherest tide surge laves—


Now like a stranded hulk I come to die

Beside a shore mud-foul and forest-rank.

Bring aft the rum! And set it just in reach.

I’ve sailed the seven seas, long, bloody years.

I’ve seen men die and ships go reeling down—

I might have robbed my fellow man in style

But I was long on force and short on guile—

So ’stead of trade I chose the buccaneers—

Rig aft a plank there, damn you! Sink or drown!—

Life is a vain, illusive, fickle thing—


Now nearly done with me—it could not hold

Allurement to allay my thirst—for rum.

Steps on the main companion? Let them come.

Here is the map; let Silver have the gold.

Gems, wenches, rum—aye, I have shed my fling.

I guzzled Life as I have guzzled rum.

Run up the sails—throw off the anchor chain—

The courses sway, the straining braces thrum,

The breezes lift, the scents of ocean come—

Bring aft the rum! I’ll put to sea again.

~ REH ~

[Jason Aiken]

Technically pirates, right?



In honor of Pulp Crazy's Three Year Anniversary, I'm going to be discussing a story by my favorite pulp writer, "Delenda Est" by Robert E. Howard. This is a tale of historical fiction with supernatural elements, focusing on Genseric, the King of the Vandals as he sails from Carthage to Rome around 455 A.D.

Read "Delenda Est" in:

The Horror Stories of Robert E. Howard - www.amazon.com/Horror-Stories-Robert-Howard/dp/0345490207

Swords of the North - www.rehfoundation.org/2014/11/05/swords-of-the-north/

Genseric - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genseric

The Swords of Robert E. Howard Forum: swordsofreh.proboards.com/

The Robert E. Howard Foundation: www.rehfoundation.org/

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Mar 31, 2016 7:49:17 GMT -5 deuce said:

Keith Taylor looks at Helen Tavrel, the fiery protagonist of The Isle of Pirate's Doom:



www.rehtwogunraconteur.com/the-perilous-helen-tavrel-part-one/

Part Two of Taylor's recounting of Tavrel's swashbuckling career:


www.rehtwogunraconteur.com/the-perilous-helen-tavrel-part-two/

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Roger O'Farrel, one of Howard's lesser-known pirates:


www.rehtwogunraconteur.com/the-superb-roger-ofarrel-part-one/

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Part Three of Keith Taylor's look at the "Perilous Helen Tavrel", the heroine of REH's The Isle of Pirates' Doom:



www.rehtwogunraconteur.com/the-perilous-helen-tavrel-part-three/

[fernando]

Aug 12, 2016 19:14:38 GMT -5 deuce said:

Part Three of Keith Taylor's look at the "Perilous Helen Tavrel", the heroine of REH's The Isle of Pirates' Doom:



www.rehtwogunraconteur.com/the-perilous-helen-tavrel-part-three/

Great essay! I translated it days ago, and it will be published next Sunday here in Brasil.

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Maybe the best pirate stories collection I've ever seen. REH's Black Vulmea's Vengeance is in there:




howardworks.com/Pirates-ROH_Press.html

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Aug 12, 2016 19:14:38 GMT -5 deuce said:

Part Three of Keith Taylor's look at the "Perilous Helen Tavrel", the heroine of REH's The Isle of Pirates' Doom:



www.rehtwogunraconteur.com/the-perilous-helen-tavrel-part-three/

The saga of Helen Tavrel reaches the events chronicled in REH's The Isle of Pirate's Doom:


www.rehtwogunraconteur.com/the-perilous-helen-tavrel-part-four/

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A Buccaneer Speaks

I’ve broken the laws of man and God,

I’ve flung my gauntlet forth to the world.

I’ve turned from the ways that in youth I trod—

Yonder the Skull Flag flies unfurled.

I laugh at Death and I mock at Life.

Through seas of blood I have steered my prow.

I’ve known the glories of crimson strife

And I’ve tattooed the cross-bones on my brow.

I’ve bared my breast to the sea-wind’s force;

Sailed red ways beyond seamen’s ken.

I’ve scattered red ruin along my course,

Of ravished women and slaughtered men.

I’ve steered in the teeth of bloody dawns

And I’ve raced the sun-set o’er crimson seas.

I’ve sailed where abyss-red Hell yawns,

And I’ve battled the bergs where the star beams freeze.

I’ve seized my wish at the hilt of the sword

And held my own by the point of the blade,

Spite of the foe or my own wild horde,

Were it gold of man or beauty of maid.

I’ve had my pleasure in slaughter and wreck,

And all undaunted my end shall be,

With the broken sword on a bloody deck

Or the raven’s croak on the gallows tree.

~ REH ~



Image by Raph04art

[deuce]

Sept 9, 2016 18:51:07 GMT -5 deuce said:

Aug 12, 2016 19:14:38 GMT -5 deuce said:

Part Three of Keith Taylor's look at the "Perilous Helen Tavrel", the heroine of REH's The Isle of Pirates' Doom:



www.rehtwogunraconteur.com/the-perilous-helen-tavrel-part-three/

The saga of Helen Tavrel reaches the events chronicled in REH's The Isle of Pirate's Doom:


www.rehtwogunraconteur.com/the-perilous-helen-tavrel-part-four/

The thundering conclusion to the saga of REH's Helen Tavrel. SPOILERS! There is a recap of The Isle of Pirate's Doom in this one:


www.rehtwogunraconteur.com/the-perilous-helen-tavrel-part-five/

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Adventure was REH's favorite pulp. It is nearly certain he read this issue from May 15th, 1928.

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Jun 4, 2016 11:04:16 GMT -5 deuce said:

Roger O'Farrel, one of Howard's lesser-known pirates:


www.rehtwogunraconteur.com/the-superb-roger-ofarrel-part-one/

The rest of the O'Farrel saga:

www.rehtwogunraconteur.com/the-superb-roger-ofarrel-part-two/
www.rehtwogunraconteur.com/the-superb-roger-ofarrel-part-three/
www.rehtwogunraconteur.com/the-superb-roger-ofarrel-part-four/
www.rehtwogunraconteur.com/the-shadow-out-of-spain-part-5/

[deuce]

An interesting take on Vulmea and Black Vulmea's Vengeance:


www.jameslafond.com/article.php?id=5101