139 replies to this topic

[Scott Oden]

What about in his letters? If I'm understanding you right, Deuce, that would mean REH created Acheron for Hour of the Dragon, and later dC/C 'borrowed' it and inserted it in other stories to create the illusion of continuity?

Fascinating stuff . . .


Scott

[Axerules]

I think my confusion of Acheron/Northern Stygia started with the Black Colossus. Kutchemes is a Stygian city, not Acheronian. No mention of Acheron in that story. Yet Kutchemes seams to be located near Khoraja and Southern Koth. Maybe even inside future or past Acheronian borders.

Like Python, Kutchemes was destroyed by barbarians, yet I don't know WHEN. In TBC Kutchemes is destroyed by barbarians who later founded Koth. So Kutchemes seams to be BEFORE Acheron Empire, as Koth was a Province to this same empire. Maybe Kutchemes served as an "inspiration" to the later Acheron, the same way Etruscans did for the Romans who conquered them. Or maybe Acheron and Koth were founded after the fall of Kutchemes. Both hyborian kingdoms were influenced by the southern culture of Shem and Stygia. But Acheron got stronger and started to dream of empire. The upper classes adopted the more civilized cultures of the south, maybe starting a Kutchemes revivalism et voi la: Stygianised upperclass ( Wizards) in an hyborian kingdom.

Pictish Scout, IMO it has nothing to do with a confusion coming from YOU. REH's texts ARE confusing about this and LSDC/LC's Acheron added in Black Colossus is a further annoyance.

It is explicitely stated in THA that there's a strong Stygian strain in the Kothic blood. Koth is very interesting. The people there seem to be highly versatile in their religious beliefs.
Half of Koth was under "Old/northern" Stygia's rule before the fall of Kuthchemes.

From Black Colossus:

In that ivory dome lay the bones of Thugra Khotan, the dark sorcerer who had reigned in Kuthchemes three thousand years ago, when the kingdoms of Stygia stretched far northward of the great river, over the meadows of Shem, and into the uplands. Then the great drift of the Hyborians swept southward from the cradle-land of their race near the northern pole. It was a titanic drift, extending over centuries and ages. But in the reign of Thugra Khotan, the last magician of Kuthchemes, grey-eyed, tawny-haired barbarians in wolf-skins and scale-mail had ridden from the north into the rich uplands to carve out the kingdom of Koth with their iron swords. They had stormed over Kuthchemes like a tidal wave , washing the marble towers in blood, and the northern Stygian kingdom had gone down in fire and ruin.

From THotD:

The Stygians were an ancient race, a dark, inscrutable people, powerful and merciless. Long ago their rule had stretched far north of the Styx, beyond the meadowlands of Shem, and into the fertile uplands now inhabited by the peoples of Koth, Ophir and Argos. Their borders had marched with those of ancient Acheron. But Acheron had fallen, and the barbaric ancestors of the Hyborians had swept southward in wolfskins and horned helmets, driving the ancient rulers of the land before them. The Stygians had not forgotten.

The first quote SEEMS to say that Koth was founded at the time of the fall of Kuthchemes. The second one explicitely says that northern Stygian holdings fell AFTER Acheron, when the barbarians went further southward.
BOTH events happened 3000 years before Conan.
IMO it was the SAME "late" wave of barbarians. How could Koth and Ophir be subjects to the kings of Acheron (Orastes words, not contradicted by Xalt) AND belong to the northern Stygian holdings ? Does it mean that REH made an error: in the same yarn, THotD, he would have written two obviously contradictory things ? IMO "Old" Koth and Ophir were smaller kingdoms when they were founded (Orastes talked about western Koth) and they grew larger with the latest southern drift. Koth was enlarged with eastern territories after the defeat of Acheron. Perhaps did some kind of "refounding" occur. "carve out" (in BC) the kingdom could mean that Koth, having not his modern boundaries, was not "complete".

Also, the further south and east the Hyborians got, the more open they became to foreign deities. The most northerly Hyborians (Hyperborea and Gunderland) mostly retained Bori worship, Aquilonia and Nemedia seemed to worship Mitra strongly, and the southern/eastern realms seem to revere a few Shemite gods, Koth in particular adopting Ishtar as their patron. Because the Stygian Empire extended further north and the Shemites were not a strong power, it stands to reason that the first Hyborian nations adopted some Stygian influences like Set.

I wonder if Ibis was involved in Acheronian religion: it would explain why he is still revered in Nemedia, despite the general suspicion "Stygian" religion is treated with in the Hyborian lands.

And the denizens of "Old/Western" Koth could have, after abandoning Mitra and before adopting Ishtar, known a "Setite episode" under Acheronian -Setite Hybs- rule.
For "Eastern" Koth (formerly part of STYGIA) it is almost sure, but people there were most likely Sons of Shems under Stygian rule, not Hybs.

Edited by Axerules, 04 October 2007 - 05:23 AM.

[Pictish Scout]

From Black Colossus:

In that ivory dome lay the bones of Thugra Khotan, the dark sorcerer who had reigned in Kuthchemes three thousand years ago, when the kingdoms of Stygia stretched far northward of the great river, over the meadows of Shem, and into the uplands. Then the great drift of the Hyborians swept southward from the cradle-land of their race near the northern pole. It was a titanic drift, extending over centuries and ages. But in the reign of Thugra Khotan, the last magician of Kuthchemes, grey-eyed, tawny-haired barbarians in wolf-skins and scale-mail had ridden from the north into the rich uplands to carve out the kingdom of Koth with their iron swords. They had stormed over Kuthchemes like a tidal wave , washing the marble towers in blood, and the northern Stygian kingdom had gone down in fire and ruin.

From THotD:

The Stygians were an ancient race, a dark, inscrutable people, powerful and merciless. Long ago their rule had stretched far north of the Styx, beyond the meadowlands of Shem, and into the fertile uplands now inhabited by the peoples of Koth, Ophir and Argos. Their borders had marched with those of ancient Acheron. But Acheron had fallen, and the barbaric ancestors of the Hyborians had swept southward in wolfskins and horned helmets, driving the ancient rulers of the land before them. The Stygians had not forgotten.

The first quote SEEMS to say that Koth was founded at the time of the fall of Kuthchemes. The second one explicitely says that northern Stygian holdings fell AFTER Acheron, when the barbarians went further southward.
BOTH events happened 3000 years before Conan.
IMO it was the SAME "late" wave of barbarians. How could Koth and Ophir be subjects to the kings of Acheron (Orastes words, not contradicted by Xalt) AND belong to the northern Stygian holdings ? Does it mean that REH made an error: in the same yarn, THotD, he would have written two obviously contradictory things ? IMO "Old" Koth and Ophir were smaller kingdoms when they were founded (Orastes talked about western Koth) and they grew larger with the latest southern drift. Koth was enlarged with eastern territories after the defeat of Acheron. Perhaps did some kind of "refounding" occur. "carve out" (in BC) the kingdom could mean that Koth, having not his modern boundaries, was not "complete".

Very interesting, I forgot that quote from THOD. Acheron and Northern Stygia fell victims of the same barbarian invasions that carved/expanded the kingdom of Koth.
But part of Koth was under Acheronian ( and Stygian) rule. Maybe the Kothic tribes served as foederatti, client kingdoms to the Acheronian and Stygian empire ( The same way the Gothic tribes served as foedaratti and client kingdoms to Western and Eastern Roman Empire). Is it possible that Koth was a Nation on the move, tributary to the southern empires of Acheron and Stygia, guarding their northern border against other hyborians, the same way Vikings did in Normandy for the Frankish kings. With time they grew stronger and attacked their former masters. First Acheron ( Hyborians who settled there centuries before the Kothians) and the Stygians of Kutchemes.
Maybe a map could help us. Is there any map of acheron? It seams Acheron covered the lands of Koth, Shem in the East to Aquilonia, to the west. It was huge.

[deuce]

I'd think Taranaich (our resident "mapster") could whip something up from the text of "Dragon", if he felt a wee bit inclined...

[Taranaich]

I had indeed been working on a map of Acheron (well, actually the whole Acheronian Age) oddly enough, but I won't be able to post it until I come back from visiting family in Perth next week.

I'd love to see Vincent Darlage's take on Acheron myself.

Another quick thought before I go: a lot of people get a "Byzantine" vibe from Koth. Koth is east of Acheron... who some get a "Roman" vibe from! Quite a a happy coincidence, no? I think when Acheron fell, Koth would have established itself as the "Heir of Acheron" until rebellions, outer states breaking away and wars with Shem set it back, and Aquilonia, Nemedia (and Argos?) caught up and eventually overtook it in the Hyborian power table. Kind of like Byzantium being a superpower in the early Middle Ages, later dwindling as the Frankish nations gained power and Turkish armies started to rumble across Anatolia.

[deuce]

Well, I said I'd get to it...

Dreaming Cities and Draconic Dominations: the Nightmare Empires of Moorcock and SM Stirling

I think both authors were influenced by REH's depiction of Acheron in The Hour of the Dragon. As Taranaich pointed out, and I agree, Acheron seems to be a "Dark Aquilonia" or "Hyborians Gone Very Wrong".

While Moorcock's Melniboneans are non-human "elf"-types (inspired by Anderson's The Broken Sword), Melnibone' seems to be a twisted send-up of the British Empire (with Moorcock, what isn't?). Moorcock's "Gran Bretan" of the Hawkmoon series makes this more explicit. Meanwhile, back in the world of Elric, we have drug-using, dragon-riding Melniboneans serving Chaos with the "Young Kingdoms" poised to bring them down. Years after the "barbarians" bring down the cruel empire, a sorcerer (who idolizes Melnibone') tries to bring it all back.

SM Stirling, an avowed REH fan, has written several books in his "Draka" alternate-history series. His stated idea behind it was, "what if all the wrong things about Western civilization came together and took over everything?" His "Domination of the Draka" centered in an alternate Cape Colony/South Africa/"Drakia", is founded upon slavery and technological/military dominance. Its symbol is a Dragon. The Draka model themselves after classical Sparta and Rome. Stirling's website is: http://www.smstirling.com/

These are just bare-bones comparisons to spark debate, of course.

[deuce]

Does Dale Rippke have anything to say about this?

The Hyborian Heresies book was written before the release of the Bloody Crown of Conan. He linked the Acheronians to the Giant-Kings.
Of course, the concept of Acheron arouse only in 1934, when REH wrote THotD, a long time after the writing of THA or The God in the Bowl: the Giant-King link is IMHO impossible. If REH had G-K's in mind when he invented the concept of Acheron, the synopsis would be the greatest inconsistency he ever wrote.

Hey Axe! Exactly my thought. Let's walk through the chronology of the first few Conan yarns, as laid out by Patrice Louinet. In early '32, REH wrote "Phoenix", "Daughter" and then "Bowl". The God in the Bowl is where the one, single, solitary reference to the "giant-kings" (not capitalized) can be found. Right after Robert E. Howard wrote "TGitB", THEN he wrote his The Hyborian Age essay. IF Howard intended his once-only-mentioned "giant-kings" to somehow have something to do with Acheron, one would think he'd mention the giant-kings (which would be forgotten/never mentioned again) and Acheron (which hadn't been thought of), and then link them together in the essay. Instead, we have Robert E. Howard's own synopsis for "Dragon" which explicitly states that the Acheronians were Hyborians with links to Stygia. Xaltotun's description stays the same from synopsis (where REH obviously intended him to be "an Hyborian") to final draft (where there's no real reason to think that he isn't still "an Hyborian").

[deuce]

[quote name='Taranaich' post='74511' date='Oct 3 2007, 09:10 PM']I await with bated breath [/quote]
Breathe unabated, Taranaich. I posted the "Nightmare Empires" thing. Just the rudiments. It can be delved into more deeply, if interest warrants.

[quote]I might not have been clear enough. That was my point. Howard was subtly showing the "Hyborian-ness" of Xaltotun.[/quote]

[quote]I know, I just thought I'd elaborate to make sure I got the idea.[/quote]

I thought YOU elaborated quite well. I just thought I might have been a little vague.

[quote]I was never quite sure about Baal and Chiron, but come to think of it it would make sense for them to late Acheronians, and if this were the case it offers a poetic juxtaposition of the race: Xaltotun at the race's height of virility and power, and the sad, de-evolved remains of the mighty people. Howard seems to really heap on the physical degradation of races: Atlanteans become apish, the Winged Ones go from angels to monstrous demonic apes.[/quote]

I'm sure there was some "degradation", but what about "the blood of conquered races"? (CoC,p.384) Where did the dark eyes and hair of the Acheronians come from? All that "sorcerous" blood? Wouldn't the remnants of the conquered gather in the hills? Where would the once-proud fugitive Acheronians go? Another thing: Acheron/Nemedia sits squarely upon western Hungary. "Xaltotun" sounds strangely similar to "Xuthltan".

[quote]Also, the further south and east the Hyborians got, the more open they became to foreign deities. The most northerly Hyborians (Hyperborea and Gunderland) mostly retained Bori worship, Aquilonia and Nemedia seemed to worship Mitra strongly, and the southern/eastern realms seem to revere a few Shemite gods, Koth in particular adopting Ishtar as their patron. Because the Stygian Empire extended further north and the Shemites were not a strong power, it stands to reason that the first Hyborian nations adopted some Stygian influences like Set.[/quote]

Considering some of the unusual practices/traditions/legends found within the Russian Orthodox Church (honestly, no offense intended), I'll bet any Gunderman merc in Hyperborea would be fairly shocked/nonplussed at a "Borist" festival/ritual. Mitra-worship (in its original phase) seems pretty coterminous with the former extent of Acheronian Set-worship (ie, Aquilonia, Nemedia, Brythunia, Corinthia, Koth, Ophir and Argos).

[quote]I wonder if Ibis was involved in Acheronian religion: it would explain why he is still revered in Nemedia, despite the general suspicion "Stygian" religion is treated with in the Hyborian lands.[/quote]

I'm not sure how to take your meaning on this one, Taranaich.

[Scott Oden]

I'm wondering if REH meant the similarities in the descriptions of Xaltotun and Prince Kutamon in Black Colossus as some kind of link between the Acheronians and the Stygian noble caste (their coloration is different, but physically Kutamon could be Xaltotun's little brother)? Or, did he simply have -- for lack of a better word -- 'stock' phrases he used to describe powerfully-built individuals? The similarity only makes sense, I guess, if we knew exactly when REH started laying the groundwork for Acheron -- I think 1934 was mentioned up-thread. Are there any mentions of Acheron in his letters?

Best,

Scott

[deuce]

I'm wondering if REH meant the similarities in the descriptions of Xaltotun and Prince Kutamon in Black Colossus as some kind of link between the Acheronians and the Stygian noble caste (their coloration is different, but physically Kutamon could be Xaltotun's little brother)? Or, did he simply have -- for lack of a better word -- 'stock' phrases he used to describe powerfully-built individuals? The similarity only makes sense, I guess, if we knew exactly when REH started laying the groundwork for Acheron -- I think 1934 was mentioned up-thread. Are there any mentions of Acheron in his letters?
Best,
Scott

Hey Scott! As for letters, I'm pretty sure that Patrice and Rusty included everything "Hyborian" in the three Del Reys. Actually, I'm still trying to track down a letter REH wrote to a fan in KC in '35/'36 that we know discussed the Hyborian Age. "BC" was written in '32 and "THotD" in '34. We know from Patrice that REH worked on the Hyborian Age essay for awhile, rewriting it several times. However, it seems pretty obvious that he'd finished it/laid it aside by the time he began work on "Dragon"; otherwise, Howard would've revised the essay. If you can, check out an old Lancer/Ace with the first half of "THA" in it. If you notice, there's an italicized "Acheron" portion that dC/C stuck in there to try and correct the timeline. However, that's not enough. Acheron "telescopes" everything: the Hyborian migrations, the settlement of Stygia etc... Still, a very valuable text.

I think that a genetic Stygian/Acheronian connection is almost assured. I think one possibility might be that the Stygians and Acheronians had reached an uneasy truce. Marital alliances were arranged. Of course, sweet, uber-hot Nebektari HAS to bring her priest of Set (or priestess of Derketo) and the long slide begins...
One thing about Kutamun, is that he was dusky. It's been mooted about that the noble Stygians were all white as driven snow. The "BC" synopsis says that Kutamun was the Stygian king's brother. It don't get much "nobler" than that. I'm curious, Scott, as to what exactly struck you as such a close resemblance betwixt the two? Like I said, I believe that noble Acheronians had some Stygian blood (and vice versa), but the prince isn't described in that much detail, IMO. Personally, like Taranaich, I wish that REH had drawn-out the duel a little. Kutamun seemed a true man, for all that he was a Stygian.

[Scott Oden]

Hey Deuce,

I'm headed out the door to a BBQ and, alas, don't have my Del Rey's handy, but from my imperfect memory the thing that struck me was how both Kutamun and Xaltotun were described as fairly large, robust, and muscular specimens (which, in hindsight, could also be applied to quite a number of REH's characters). Such a description for Kutamun runs contrary to how Stygians are normally presented, which is probably why it stuck with me; reading the relevant snippets from THotD up-thread reminded me again of Kutamun. I'm not as well-versed in the chronology of when Howard wrote what story, but since BC was written first, perhaps Xaltotun had a little bit of himself cannibalized from the much-lamented Prince Kutamun -- who, I agree, needed more page time

Off to grill bovine flesh over an open fire . . .

Scott

[Taranaich]

Breathe unabated, Taranaich. I posted the "Nightmare Empires" thing. Just the rudiments. It can be delved into more deeply, if interest warrants.

Quite an interesting post. I really have to get the Domination trilogy, the idea sounds nice and chilling.

I'm sure there was some "degradation", but what about "the blood of conquered races"? (CoC,p.384) Where did the dark eyes and hair of the Acheronians come from? All that "sorcerous" blood? Wouldn't the remnants of the conquered gather in the hills? Where would the once-proud fugitive Acheronians go? Another thing: Acheron/Nemedia sits squarely upon western Hungary. "Xaltotun" sounds strangely similar to "Xuthltan".

Dark eyes and hair, sorcerous blood... Zamorians perhaps? I theorise that Zamora (or perhaps the Zhemri Empire at that time) was the third major power in the West, after Acheron and Stygia, by virtue of not being in either empire's territory, and the various snippets indicating Zamora's former glory. It probably wasn't as glorious as the other two, but was presumably tough enough to resist Hyborian expansion at the time. The second wave of the Hyborians and the coming Turanians probably reduced Zamora into the insular despotism it appears to be now.

Considering some of the unusual practices/traditions/legends found within the Russian Orthodox Church (honestly, no offense intended), I'll bet any Gunderman merc in Hyperborea would be fairly shocked/nonplussed at a "Borist" festival/ritual. Mitra-worship (in its original phase) seems pretty coterminous with the former extent of Acheronian Set-worship (ie, Aquilonia, Nemedia, Brythunia, Corinthia, Koth, Ophir and Argos).

Good point about that.

I'm not sure how to take your meaning on this one, Taranaich.

I think I got myself confused there actually, reading it there again I'm not sure what I was getting at myself

What I think I meant was: where does Ibis fit in all this? Is there a Stygian connection by virtue of Ibis and Set(h) being Egyptian? Is Set worship greater than being a mere "Stygian" deity, being too vastly worshipped and feared to be a regional god?

[deuce]

Hey Deuce,

I'm headed out the door to a BBQ and, alas, don't have my Del Rey's handy, but from my imperfect memory the thing that struck me was how both Kutamun and Xaltotun were described as fairly large, robust, and muscular specimens (which, in hindsight, could also be applied to quite a number of REH's characters). Such a description for Kutamun runs contrary to how Stygians are normally presented, which is probably why it stuck with me...

Hey Scott! Real quick, since I gotta run... Check out the description of Thoth-Amon in "TPotS". He's a "dusky giant". In "BC", REH describes the "tall" Stygian nobles, "bred for war". In "Dragon", Conan passes easily for a Stygian of the "warrior caste" when he infiltrates Khemi. Methinks you might be lettin' your deep knowledge of real Egyptians (who were fairly short) bias your perception of Stygians. Looks like me n' Taranaich are gonna hafta fire up a "Stygians" thread now!

[timeless]

My impression of Stygia was always that it had many castes, like India. Varying degrees of purity and nobility.

[Axerules]

In The Hyborian Age:

The Shemites are generally of medium height, though sometimes when mixed with Stygian blood, gigantic, broadly and strongly built, with hook noses, dark eyes and blue-black hair. The Stygians are tall and well made, dusky, straight-featured--at least the ruling classes are of that type. The lower classes are a down-trodden, mongrel horde, a mixture of negroid, Stygian, Shemitish, even Hyborian bloods.

Timeless you're absolutely right about the castes and the different Stygians. But those who belong to the "ruling classes" are supposed to be "tall and well-made" and "dusky". The "pure" Stygians are NOT "white" according to THA.

BTW, about Kutamun's "page time", I do agree that it would be nice if we had more to read about him. Patrice Louinet wrote in the Del Rey book that REH had to reduce the story: perhaps in the first draft of BC there was a little bit more about Kutamun...

Edited by Axerules, 09 October 2007 - 05:20 AM.

[Scott Oden]

You know, in a round-about way, that kind of strengthens my point -- tenuous though it may be While we don't know how singular Xaltotun was, he's the only pure-blooded Acheronian REH portrayed and thus stands as the representative of his race (I'm also assuming he is older than Thoth-Amon). It's conceivable, then, that after the destruction of Acheron by the Hyborians, some remnant of Acheronian nobility fled into Stygia to be absorbed into that culture -- not a wholly alien proposition by what is given in THotD: both cultures placed great emphasis on sorcery/learning, and on the veneration of Set. The sons of Stygian princes might have found the daughters of now-homeless Acheronian princes to be desirable wives, with their children inheiriting traits of both bloodlines.

The dusky giant, Thoth-Amon, could very well owe his splendid physique to Acheronian blood, as might every nobly-born Stygian since Python's fall. By the same token, the blood of Acheron that still exists among the Stygian warrior class might also account for the ease at which Conan was able to pass among them, virtually unnoticed.

Of course, lot of 'mights' and 'maybes' in there

Best,

Scott

Edited by Scott Oden, 09 October 2007 - 06:30 AM.

[deuce]

Hey Taranaich! How was Perth? Didja feast on venison and salmon in the heart of old Pictland?

Quite an interesting post. I really have to get the Domination trilogy, the idea sounds nice and chilling.

Chilling it is. Stirling nails the psychology of a "master-race"/slaving-empire. The Stygians, who made their mistakes once, HAD to have used something similar to stay in "business" for thousands of years.

Dark eyes and hair, sorcerous blood... Zamorians perhaps? I theorise that Zamora (or perhaps the Zhemri Empire at that time) was the third major power in the West, after Acheron and Stygia, by virtue of not being in either empire's territory, and the various snippets indicating Zamora's former glory. It probably wasn't as glorious as the other two, but was presumably tough enough to resist Hyborian expansion at the time. The second wave of the Hyborians and the coming Turanians probably reduced Zamora into the insular despotism it appears to be now.

The Zamorians/Zhemri/Sons of Shem are one of the big questions of the early HA. Somebody oughtta do a thread on them. Yogah called 'em a "race of devils". That doesn't really square with what we know of Thurian Age Zarfhaana. And what about that pesky "city of the ancients"?

What I think I meant was: where does Ibis fit in all this? Is there a Stygian connection by virtue of Ibis and Set(h) being Egyptian? Is Set worship greater than being a mere "Stygian" deity, being too vastly worshipped and feared to be a regional god?

By "Egyptian", are you referring to ibis-headed Djehuti? Ibis and Set have fought since the "dawn of time", supposedly. Personally, I think "Ibis" should have his own thread. Here's some terms to check out on wikipedia: Thoth, fenghuang (keeping in mind that the Stygians once ruled s-e Asia), sacred ibis, bennu. Here's a question: what "unknown hands" hewed out Epemitreus' tomb? Not Mitrans.

Oh yeah, I think Set is WAY beyond "regional". He's been here, the Lord of the Dark Places, consecrated to Death, since before Life began.

[deuce]

My impression of Stygia was always that it had many castes, like India. Varying degrees of purity and nobility.

Hey Timeless! I don't know if Stygia was quite as stratified as Brahmanic India, but the principle holds true. I won't voice any personal feelings here, but I'll just say that many scholars/anthropologists/sociologists see Brahmanism/Hinduism as a form of social control evolved by the Indo-European ruling class (LSdC subscribed to this view) to keep their bloodlines "pure" and the underclasses docile. Personally, I think the Stygians used more of a "Draka" model (see my "Stirling" comments above) to keep their "mongrel" underclasses in line. Such a strategy is really more effective in the long run. The Stygians had a looooonnnng run.

[deuce]

You know, in a round-about way, that kind of strengthens my point -- tenuous though it may be While we don't know how singular Xaltotun was, he's the only pure-blooded Acheronian REH portrayed and thus stands as the representative of his race (I'm also assuming he is older than Thoth-Amon). It's conceivable, then, that after the destruction of Acheron by the Hyborians, some remnant of Acheronian nobility fled into Stygia to be absorbed into that culture -- not a wholly alien proposition by what is given in THotD: both cultures placed great emphasis on sorcery/learning, and on the veneration of Set. The sons of Stygian princes might have found the daughters of now-homeless Acheronian princes to be desirable wives, with their children inheiriting traits of both bloodlines.
The dusky giant, Thoth-Amon, could very well owe his splendid physique to Acheronian blood, as might every nobly-born Stygian since Python's fall. By the same token, the blood of Acheron that still exists among the Stygian warrior class might also account for the ease at which Conan was able to pass among them, virtually unnoticed.

Of course, lot of 'mights' and 'maybes' in there

Hey Scott! I'm really starting to get the feeling that we're about to derail, but what the hell... (who reads "The Hyborian Age" board, anyway? ) Let's look at the history of the Stygians. They utterly subjugated the desperate, bad-a$$ Lemurians (the same ones the Picts and Atlanteans couldn't whip) fleeing the Cataclysm. Not a "blending". Not a "power-sharing". The "proto-Stygians" (I like to call 'em "Khemites") SUBJUGATED/ENSLAVED every last, sorry Lemurian $umbitch that washed up upon the shores of the "Khemite Dominion". OK. After several thousand years (not precisely known, since REH cooked the books/changed the game-plan with "Dragon"), the far-more-numerous Lemurians (possibly with outside help) threw off the Khemite yoke. The surviving, born-again-hard Khemites traversed the landmass and founded a new empire. Stretching down into what is now central Africa and up into what is now the Balkans, the expanding Stygian empire was finally halted by Acheron, which melded Hyborian bad-a$$edness with eldritch sorcery, and then by the unsullied Hyborian tribes who STILL couldn't overthrow the Stygian heartland. After THAT, the Stygian Empire survived for over three thousand years. Seriously, do you think that REH saw this imperial "master-race", capable of taking on all comers for thousands of years, as under-sized weaklings? Actually, they appear to have gotten "wu$$ier" AFTER the infusion of Acheronian blood.

[Ironhand]

(Agreeing with Deuce) And after all those tribulations, and after 3000 years to degenerate, according to Howardian theory, they were still one of the three superpowers during the Hyborian Age proper.