9 replies to this topic

[Freebooter]

Hey all,
I am almost done with Solomon Kane. Does it seem to y'all that Howard, at least at the time of writing Solomon Kane, was fascinated with Africa? A lot of Solomon Kane takes place in Africa and involves its ancient history and magic. It almost seems to me that REH was fascinated with Africa, its deep dark secrets and its majic or voo doo stuff, the people, their history and legends, etc, etc.. What do y'all think?
Take care,
Freebooter

[HARPERSGRACE]

During R E Howards time parts of Africa were still a pretty much unexplored , where better to put lost civilizations, and unknown races. Also being a southern boy in a time when the civil war was in living memory he would more than likely have grown up on stories of VooDo and african magic.

[Matt Spencer]

Also, given the uncomfortable racial attitudes in a lot of Howard's writing -- I don't object to it *in writing,* because I don't ask for comfort, for "the reassurance of modern perspective" when looking into the past -- it's interesting to see how forward-thinking these stories are for their time in a lot of ways. You gotta love N'Longa; his influence rocks Solomon's world, makes him re-think so much of what he'd taken for granted, about people, about spirituality, about himself. I can't help but sense that, as a Southern-born boy living in a time and place where racism was mundane and common as breathing, Howard was giving these issues some extra thought himself.

[HARPERSGRACE]

My parents are from Kentucky, considering the attitudes I saw there as a kid only 30 or so years ago, I have to say Howard was actually pretty progressive for his time. As for his uncomfortable racial attitudes I have to say I have known AFEW African Americans who have read Howard and thought nothing of it at all, ther comment when I brought it up was "yeah thats the way it was then"

[alex]

"Those we serve, we destroy."

All those with power over life and death now lie dead and broken. Songa, Le Loup, Gulka. But the Black god lives on, it will always live on. (said the drums)

These definite morals and inspirational themes make Howard's work stand head and shoulders above all the rest. The Kane stories are right up there as my favorites.

[Matt Spencer]

My parents are from Kentucky, considering the attitudes I saw there as a kid only 30 or so years ago, I have to say Howard was actually pretty progressive for his time.

Very true. The fact that he was even giving such matters real thought likely put him a step ahead of most people in Cross Plains at the time.

As for his uncomfortable racial attitudes I have to say I have known AFEW African Americans who have read Howard and thought nothing of it at all, ther comment when I brought it up was "yeah thats the way it was then"

Interesting. And good to know.

[Freebooter]

Hello Matt,
I agree with everything you said. Howard did indeed seem to give the African world and religion some credibility or something.
Freebooter

[Matt Spencer]

The SK stories, I've been noticing, have something a lot more ... well, not exactly uplifting ... but perhaps more encouraging, uncynical about race relations, heroism, the world, everything, than almost anything else Howard. And I don't just mean Solomon's puritanical principals, which Howard clearly didn't intend to be taken at face value. There was a similar idealism to the Kull stories, but not quite the same. Howard's earlier work seems to have a sure-footed idealism, before life got him down.

Plus most of those barbaric heroes ... Yes, Howard makes them human in the sense that they have real emotions to which we relate, but their worlds are set to such a savage beat that you're dead in five seconds if you're not an impossible badass. Obviously Solomon Kane's a badass, but more in the same tradition as Luke Skywalker (without the whining ); something more inspiring, the sort of spirit that makes you want to find your own inner-hero, etc. Yes, there is some of that in the best Conan yarns, but for me, it's Solomon Kane where Howard nailed it best.

Aye, this topic is rather mutating, I s'pose.

[HARPERSGRACE]

Bran Mak Morn, is a like that he isn't just a barbarian fighting his way through life adventure to adventure, he has a mission that while not always "noble" it is a mission that you can identify with. It gives him more depth more of a purpose.
I get the same feeling toward Kane.

[Matt Spencer]

True. I didn't say Howard's heroes in general lacked depth or purpose ... just that the worlds they live in tend to run on an overwhelming harshness and grimness that I think increasingly reflected his world view. This extends to Howard's general dePICTion (erg ... sorry ... couldn't resist the pun) of race relations (as discussed) among other things. Earlier characters Solomon Kane and Kull are just as hard-boiled and face equally dark and bloody trials as those to come, but the vibe I catch from them is more idealistic somehow.