43 replies to this topic

[ap Oweyn]

I've been working my way through the recently released Ballantine Books Conan books. I'm on the last of the three now. The Bloody Crown of Conan. I haven't yet read Hour of the Dragon or A Witch Shall Be Born. Aside from that, I think I've covered everything.

So here's my question. Does Howard do any stories based in Kambuja? I'm assuming that's the Hyborian analog to Cambodia, Siam, Laos, and IndoChina in general. It's an area that fascinates me and if Howard wrote anything dealing with the area, I'd be eager to read it.

Thanks.


Stuart

[terryallenuk]

I've been working my way through the recently released Ballantine Books Conan books. I'm on the last of the three now. The Bloody Crown of Conan. I haven't yet read Hour of the Dragon or A Witch Shall Be Born. Aside from that, I think I've covered everything.

So here's my question. Does Howard do any stories based in Kambuja? I'm assuming that's the Hyborian analog to Cambodia, Siam, Laos, and IndoChina in general. It's an area that fascinates me and if Howard wrote anything dealing with the area, I'd be eager to read it.

Thanks.


Stuart

I think the only place out " that way " that he hinted at in letters was the he went to Khitai[China] but he never wrote anyting about it . It was left to the comics writers to fill in those gaps . Have there been any pastiche novels set in that area anyone ?

Terry

[ap Oweyn]

I think the only place out " that way " that he hinted at in letters was the he went to Khitai[China] but he never wrote anyting about it . It was left to the comics writers to fill in those gaps . Have there been any pastiche novels set in that area anyone ?

Terry

I was wondering that too. Whether he wrote anything that took place in Khitai. At least he makes reference to Khitai though. As the source of Black Lotus for instance. And he makes plenty of mention of Vendhya. I was just interested because I noticed Kambuja on the map and because I have a personal affection for Thailand, Burma, etc.

[Ancient Ages]

I don't remember any REH Conan stories set in the far east. People of the Black Circle is set in India and a couple stories mention China in passing such as Rogue in the House but no stories set directly in China or the far east.

[tofu]

Best I could come up with is this link. see nothing on Kambulja though or is my eyes missing it?

http://www.niziphabe...nan/history.htm

http://www.answers.c...n-the-barbarian


also, this link on the comics but still see nothing on Kambujja.

Khitai, Kusan,Vendhya,Uttaru Kuru all appear but see nothing on Kambulja. sorry.

Ok this is it for my research.

Edited by tofu, 29 June 2006 - 12:24 AM.

[ap Oweyn]

I don't remember any REH Conan stories set in the far east. People of the Black Circle is set in India and a couple stories mention China in passing such as Rogue in the House but no stories set directly in China or the far east.

I'm actually reading People of the Black Circle right now. That's part of what fueled the question. I've been interested in India ever since studying Hinduism in college.

[Glstar6]

On the map of the Hyborian World in the Age of Conan novels their is a kingdom just south of Khitai called Kambula. No Kambuja though.

Edited by Glstar6, 29 June 2006 - 06:35 PM.

[ap Oweyn]

On the map of the Hyborian World in the Age of Conan novels their is a kingdom just south of Khitai called Kambula. No Kambuja though.

The two maps I've found online (without knowing their specific source) say "Kambuja." The capital city is "Angkhor."

The maps featured in the Del Ray releases (Howard's own apparently) don't go that far east, featuring just arrows pointing East and reading "to Khitai."

But given Howard's propensity for basing nations on some real-life analog, I'm going with Kambuja (i.e., Cambodia). I can't think of anything in the area that "Kambula" would equate with.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kambuja




Stuart

Edited by ap Oweyn, 29 June 2006 - 10:12 PM.

[ap Oweyn]

EDIT: I hope my preceding post didn't sound terse. My 16-month-old daughter woke up. So I had to wrap up quickly. Sorry.


Stuart

Edited by ap Oweyn, 29 June 2006 - 10:44 PM.

[deuce]

Hey Stuart,
Carter and deCamp created "Kambuja". I haven't read any dC/C "Conan" yarns in 20 yrs, but I seem to recall that in maybe "Conan of Aquilonia"(?) that there was a Kambujan wizard.

[Strom]

An excellent resource for the world of Hyboria is the supplement The Road of Kings for the Conan RPG. There it lists Kambuja as being 'related' to Vendhya. You may want to checkout the story 'The Witch in the Mists' by L. Sprague DeCamp (listed in tofu's link - warning has a spoiler!)) which takes place in Kambuja. The capitol for Kambuja is Angkhor (as mentioned) and is ruled by a sacred god king Pra-Eun, the Lord of the Scarlet Circle. Pra-Eun has amber skin and snake eyes. perhaps, as the book mentions, the people who live there are left over from the snake people Kull battled in his time.

Here is a list of the real world counterparts to the Hyborian Age:

Kingdom, Region, or Ethnic Group Correspondence(s)

Acheron A fallen kingdom corresponding to the Roman Empire. Its territory covered Aquilonia, Nemedia, and Argos. The name comes from Acheron, a river of the underworld in Greek mythology.

Afghulistan Afghanistan. Afghulistan is the common name of the habitat of different tribes in the Himelian mountains

Amazonia Brazil, or South America generally.

Aquilonia The Carolingian Empire, medieval France, with occasional hints of England. The name derived from the town of Aquilonia, Avellino, Campania, Southern Italy, Italy, although it also resembles Aquitaine, a French region ruled by England for a long portion of the Middle Ages.

Argos Various seafaring traders of the Mediterranean. The name comes from the Argo, ship of the Argonauts; or perhaps from the city of Argos, Argolis, Peloponnesos, Greece. Also hints of Italy in regards to the indigenous population's appearance, names, and culture. Argos takes on the shape of a "shoe" in it's border boundaries as compared to Italy appearing as a "boot".

Asgard Sweden (?sgard is the home of the ?sir in Norse mythology)

Border Kingdoms German Baltic Sea coast

Bossonian Marches Wales, with an overlay of colonial-era North America
Brythunia The continental homelands of the Angles and Saxons who invaded Britain, which is the origin of the name, though the civilization is similar to that of medieval Poland, Lithuania, Latvia.

Cimmeria Celtic Britain/Scotland of ancient times. The name is based on "Cymru", the Welsh word for Wales. Conan, a Cimmerian, has an Irish name, as do his parents. Cimmerians are described in similar detail to "Black Irish" and Basque characteristics, suggesting a genetic link to Celtic peoples.

Corinthia Ancient Greece (Corinth is a Greek city)

Darfar The name may derive from Darfur, Sudan.

Gunderland The Netherlands ? Gunderland, count of Hesbaye (?-778). Perhaps Germany

Hyrkania Mongolia, Ukraine (Hyrkanians = Scythians) ->Hyrcania

Hyperborea Finland, Russia and the Baltic countries (Hyperborea was a land in "outermost north" according to Greek historian Herodotus. Howard's Hyperborea is a northern Evil Empire, ruled by wicked wizards, perhaps akin to the perception of the 1930s Soviet Union)

Iranistan Iran

Kambulja Cambodia

Keshan The name comes from the "Kesh", the Egyptian name for Nubia.

Khauran The Crusader kingdom

Khitai China, Marco Polo's Cathay. The Kira-Khitai were a prominent tribe amongst Mongol steppe tribes.

Khoraja Khazaria?

Koth From the ancient Hittites; The Kothian capital of Khorshemish corresponds to the Hittite capital of Carchemish.

Kush From the kingdom of Kush, Nubia, North Africa.

Meru Tibet (This isn't an original Hyborian Age country, it's created by L. Sprague de Camp and Lin Carter.)

Nemedia The Germanic Holy Roman Empire. Nemedia was the rival of Aquilonia (which corresponds to the Carolingian Empire/France), and depended on Aesir mercenaries for their defence (as the Byzantines hired Vikings as the Varangian guard). The name comes from Nemed, leader of colonists from Scythia to Ireland in Irish mythology; perhaps the name is also meant to allude to Nemea, home to the Nemean lion of Greek myth.

Ophir Ancient Ophir, though clearly Howard saw it as situated somewhere in Italy.

Pictish Wilderness Pictish Scotland, with an overlay of colonial-era North America, possibly even colonial-era New York. Howard bestows Algonquian names on his Picts. Note that the name "Pict" comes from the Latin term for "painted one", which could be applicable to Amerindians.

Poitain Aquitaine (?) (likely, although the name reminds of Poitou, a province Northeast of Aquitaine, but not mediterranean, and not properly part of the South). Its location in the south of Aquilonia could point to Provence, which is in the south of France.

Punt The Land of Punt on the Horn of Africa.

Shem Mesopotamia, Syria, Palestine, and Arabia (cf. Semites, purportedly the sons of Shem)

Stygia Egypt. The name comes from Styx, a river of the underworld in Greek mythology. In earlier times the territory of Stygia included Shem, Ophir, Corinthia, and part of Koth.

Turan The Ottoman Empire (?) or Persian Empire (?) or Byzantine Empire (?). The name derives from Turan, the areas of Eurasia occupied by speakers of Ural-Altaic languages.

Vanaheim Norway (Vanaheim is the home of the Vanir in Norse mythology)

Vendhya India (The Vindhya Range is a range of hills in central India)

Zamora The Roma people. The name comes from the city of Zamora, Zamora province, Castile-Leon, Spain, alluding to the Gitanos of Spain; or possibly it is based on the word "Roma". The name could also, in part, allude to Sonora, a region of Mexico that is "spider-haunted" like Zamora. Also hints of ancient Israel and Palestine.

Zembabwei The Munhumutapa Empire (Its capital city was the Great Zimbabwe)

Zingara Spain/Portugal. Iberian Peninsula as a whole. Zingara is also Italian for "Gipsy woman".

Other Geographic Features

The River Styx The Nile

Zaporoska River The Don and/or the Volga. The river's name was probably influenced by Zaporizhian Sich, a settlement of the Cossacks in Zaporizhzhia (region). It was situated on the Dnieper river, below the Dnieper rapids (porohy, poroz.a), hence the name, translated as "territory beyond the rapids".

[tofu]

ok my bad called Kambuja I called it Kambulja this is a really good map.

http://hyboria.xoth....gon_hyboria.jpg

here is another one even better.

http://www.fantasy-atlas.org/#Inhalt

Edited by tofu, 29 June 2006 - 11:55 PM.

[ap Oweyn]

ok my bad called Kambuja I caled it Kambulja this is a really good map.

http://hyboria.xoth....gon_hyboria.jpg

here is another one even better.

http://www.fantasy-atlas.org/#Inhalt

Those are the maps I was referring to. Thanks for the link!

Stuart

[ap Oweyn]

Hey Stuart,
Carter and deCamp created "Kambuja". I haven't read any dC/C "Conan" yarns in 20 yrs, but I seem to recall that in maybe "Conan of Aquilonia"(?) that there was a Kambujan wizard.

Thanks Deuce. I think I probably read some deCamp and Carter when I was much younger and didn't know the difference. Are they worth revisiting?

(As a sidenote: I've just finished Robert Jordan's Conan stories and didn't dig them very much.)


Stuart

[tofu]

Your welcome to bad didnot catch my spell error until after you responded=/

[ap Oweyn]

An excellent resource for the world of Hyboria is the supplement The Road of Kings for the Conan RPG. There it lists Kambuja as being 'related' to Vendhya. You may want to checkout the story 'The Witch in the Mists' by L. Sprague DeCamp (listed in tofu's link - warning has a spoiler!)) which takes place in Kambuja. The capitol for Kambuja is Angkhor (as mentioned) and is ruled by a sacred god king Pra-Eun, the Lord of the Scarlet Circle. Pra-Eun has amber skin and snake eyes. perhaps, as the book mentions, the people who live there are left over from the snake people Kull battled in his time.

Strom, what can I say? That was a great post! That list was precisely what I've been looking for all over the shop. Thanks!!


Stuart

[Glstar6]

Hey Stuart,
Carter and deCamp created "Kambuja". I haven't read any dC/C "Conan" yarns in 20 yrs, but I seem to recall that in maybe "Conan of Aquilonia"(?) that there was a Kambujan wizard.

According to the Hyborian Names appendix in the book the Sagas of Conan;

"Kambuja In The Witch of the Mists (A story in Conan of Aquilonia), a land east of Vendhya. The original name of Cambodia, now Kampuchea"

[deuce]

Hey Stuart,
Carter and deCamp created "Kambuja". I haven't read any dC/C "Conan" yarns in 20 yrs, but I seem to recall that in maybe "Conan of Aquilonia"(?) that there was a Kambujan wizard.

Thanks Deuce. I think I probably read some deCamp and Carter when I was much younger and didn't know the difference. Are they worth revisiting?

(As a sidenote: I've just finished Robert Jordan's Conan stories and didn't dig them very much.)


Stuart

Yer welcome, Stuart. Personally, I don't think the dC/C tales are worth revisiting (Korak would give you a radically different answer). Sprague actually wrote some quality heroic fantasy, but none of it was Conan-related. I went back and read a couple of Jordan Conan novels last year. Despite the fact that I really liked them in high school, I was not impressed upon my re-read. John Maddox Roberts wrote a couple of good pastiches. Just me, I would check out Karl Edward Wagner, Keith Taylor and Charles R. Saunders.

[Skarthi]

Which stories have 'Pathenia' in

[deuce]

Which stories have 'Pathenia' in

I think it's mentioned in some of the stories deCamp/Carter made up.