Father's Day seems like as good a day as any to start this thread. How do you introduce Conan to children?
My daughter, who won't turn three years old until September, loves Conan. She's seen me reading this book http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Bloody_Crown_of_Conan, and asked me to read it to her. Now if I actually read the stories within, she'd lose interest in about 20 seconds because it's over head. However, there is a good deal of art within (by Gary Gianni), so I just flip to the pictures, and tell her a story to go with them.
With her age and limited understanding, I alter the stories, making them less violent. For example, she LOVES The People of the Black Circle. As far as she knows, it's a tale about Yasmina and Conan going on a quest to get her brother, who is sick at the start of the tale, medicine. In the end, they get medicine from the black seers, Yasmina's brother gets better, and they have a big party inviting all their friends (who show up in full arms and armor).
Conan's a tricky subject. Not only do you have violence, but you also have racism, sexism, xenophobia, rape, and so on. It adds an extra snag to the mix that she is a daughter, not a son. I'm trying to raise a strong, modern woman, and let's face it, most of the females in Howard's tales are "damsels in distress".
I've thought about starting her with some Conan cartoons (in a few years). Shows like Conan the Adventurer could work, but that show is SOOOO non-pure, I really don't want her thinking that is what Conan is all about. I'd rather she start with pure Howard Canon, and after that is she wants to explore pastiches, she's welcome, but she'll know the difference.
I found this:
The only good answer I see is simply to wait till she's old enough for me to explain it to her. I can explain to her how the world is now, how it was in Howard's time, how it was at various times in our history, and how it is in the Hyborian Age. I can then emphasize what kintire said, and maybe she'll enjoy the stories as much as me. This likely means I'm going to have to wait a long time, but I don't see any other good way.
My daughter, who won't turn three years old until September, loves Conan. She's seen me reading this book http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Bloody_Crown_of_Conan, and asked me to read it to her. Now if I actually read the stories within, she'd lose interest in about 20 seconds because it's over head. However, there is a good deal of art within (by Gary Gianni), so I just flip to the pictures, and tell her a story to go with them.
With her age and limited understanding, I alter the stories, making them less violent. For example, she LOVES The People of the Black Circle. As far as she knows, it's a tale about Yasmina and Conan going on a quest to get her brother, who is sick at the start of the tale, medicine. In the end, they get medicine from the black seers, Yasmina's brother gets better, and they have a big party inviting all their friends (who show up in full arms and armor).
Conan's a tricky subject. Not only do you have violence, but you also have racism, sexism, xenophobia, rape, and so on. It adds an extra snag to the mix that she is a daughter, not a son. I'm trying to raise a strong, modern woman, and let's face it, most of the females in Howard's tales are "damsels in distress".
I've thought about starting her with some Conan cartoons (in a few years). Shows like Conan the Adventurer could work, but that show is SOOOO non-pure, I really don't want her thinking that is what Conan is all about. I'd rather she start with pure Howard Canon, and after that is she wants to explore pastiches, she's welcome, but she'll know the difference.
I found this:
kintire said:As far as I remember (I don't have the book at hand), in The Vale Of Lost Women, Conan states he wouldn't let "a white woman in the hands of a black man". I know it was 80 years ago (and in Texas!) but stuff like this really stink.
My vision of the hyborian world is racist, xenophobic and sexist
That's an overreaction I think. And a generalisation. There is certainly a general attitude that people should protect their own where women are concerned, but Conan doesn't seem to be particularly racist. Some people are, but others are not. Xenophobia is also very mixed. The Picts are, but many areas are highly cosmopolitan; Zamboula for example. Sexism is certainly present, but those who use women solely as objects are uniformly the villains, and those who defy their gender roles, like Belit or Valeria, are heroines.
The only good answer I see is simply to wait till she's old enough for me to explain it to her. I can explain to her how the world is now, how it was in Howard's time, how it was at various times in our history, and how it is in the Hyborian Age. I can then emphasize what kintire said, and maybe she'll enjoy the stories as much as me. This likely means I'm going to have to wait a long time, but I don't see any other good way.