Conan's Marvel Necklace? Background?

[Supplement Four]

In the early, 1970's Marvel version of Conan, the mighty barbarian was often seen wearing a necklace of three or so discs.

And tonight, I notice that Age of Conan has carried that tradition with it in their rendition of Conan as King (AoC does a lot of things RIGHT. The detail amazes me sometimes.)

Do the symbols mean anything? Do they represent his clan? Cimmerian symbols? Has anything been retconned about it?

Thulsa? Vincent? All you Conan experts? Know anything about this?

 

[Spectator]

Its his magic cool pimpin madallion.
-Charisma +2
-Gains: +10 skill check with his Diplomacy roll with the ladies.
-Silence: the damn thing doesn't jingle-jangle and make a racket when Conan the Pimp be breakin into merchants' and nobles' cribs and mansions.

Like all Hyborian magic doo-dads there are some detriments:
-Fur bikini bottoms must be worn 80% of the time.
-Damn thieving wenches be stealing your gold after you seduce them
-Punk-ass city watchmen be hating on yo' game and want to clap you in irons 24/7.

Such is the life of the Pimp Ass Medallion.

 

[Supplement Four]

Hyborian bling?

 

[Jacek]

Conan's necklace showing a lion on the centermost plate is pretty easy to explain. A lion is simply Conan's royal symbol. It's origin is revealed by Lin Carter in Conan the Liberator. He says that the lion is Conan's own idea relating to his time as a commander of the Lion Regiment in king Numedides' army.

I know nothing about the Marvel necklace though.

 

[Supplement Four]

He says that the lion is Conan's own idea relating to his time as a commander of the Lion Regiment in king Numedides' army.

I knew the lion was his symbol, but I thought it went back to a time when he was named Amra, The Lion.

Makes sense, if it is his Clan's symbol, than when he becomes King, he replaces the center disk with that of the lion (his new "clan" as King).

 

[Jacek]

Makes sense, if it is his Clan's symbol, than when he becomes King, he replaces the center disk with that of the lion (his new "clan" as King).

Don't know if it is but look at it this way. Conan was a warrior and a thief and at least so long as he remained one he would probably avoid wearing anything in the form of a heavy golden chains for such a thing is loose to dangle about and thus prone to catch on obstacles, as well as likely to clink or reflect light being a danger to the wielder on many occasions. Not to mention that he would likely loose such jewelry many times over during the course of his adventures.

And now to the symbol of a crawfish being a clan symbol? He is a Canach of origin, a Snowhawk.

 

[Supplement Four]

Not to mention that he would likely loose such jewelry many times over during the course of his adventures.

Not sure Marvel looked at it that way.

And now to the symbol of a crawfish being a clan symbol? He is a Canach of origin, a Snowhawk.

I don't think that's a crawfish. It just looks like some design. Maybe a letter in the Cimmerian tongue. Maybe a symbol. Dunno.

 

[Jacek]

I don't think that's a crawfish. It just looks like some design. Maybe a letter in the Cimmerian tongue. Maybe a symbol. Dunno.

I was absolutely sure is it on the black and white picture. If it's not I'm out of ideas

 

[Supplement Four]

I was absolutely sure is it on the black and white picture. If it's not I'm out of ideas

Naw, it's some kind of design or symbol.

 

[serene_muse]

Conan stole it from a earth-pig one night in a tavern!

more including some other familiar characters
a take on Frazetta

 

[The Mad Minstrel]

Where is the black and withe picture (Conan in chains) taken from?
I like the style of drawing.

 

[Supplement Four]

Where is the black and withe picture (Conan in chains) taken from?
I like the style of drawing.

The fantastic Savage Sword of Conan. You should get them. They're fantastic. And, starting with compilation 4, they double in size and go to better paper. But, collect them all--they're mucho worth it. Great bargains, too. Lots of story for little bucks.

There's a lot of the Howard stories and pastiches used in the first few, but then you start to see new and fresh material. The other day, I read Howard's Black Colossus. I liked the story a lot, so I turned around and immediately read the BC version in Savage Sword. Again, it was cool. Then, I found a treat. Right after BC (this is in SSoC #1 compilation), there was an original story that takes place right after Howards BC ends.

It was quite neat, what they did with the characters from BC.

Anyway, here's book #1 : http://www.amazon.com/Savage-Sword-Conan-Vol-v/dp/1593078382/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1272211705&sr=1-1

There are 6 compliations out so far, with #7 due soon.

 

[The Mad Minstrel]

8)
Thanks a lot, supplement four!

Ya. I think I should get them.

 

[catherine]

I have read in one blog that Conan in the film is not wearing the Cimmerian symbol on his necklace. I am pertaining to the wheel which symbolizes the Wheel of Pain. I have also learned that the Cimmerians do not really have a symbol.


silver charms

 

[Spectator]

Its his magic cool pimpin madallion.
-Charisma +2
-Gains: +10 skill check with his Diplomacy roll with the ladies.
-Silence: the damn thing doesn't jingle-jangle and make a racket when Conan the Pimp be breakin into merchants' and nobles' cribs and mansions.

Like all Hyborian magic doo-dads there are some detriments:
-Fur bikini bottoms must be worn 80% of the time.
-Damn thieving wenches be stealing your gold after you seduce them
-Punk-ass city watchmen be hating on yo' game and want to clap you in irons 24/7.

Such is the life of the Pimp Ass Medallion.

I still maintain my past position.

 

[Supplement Four]

The Fate of "The Necklace".

Notice above, in the shots, the same necklace is worn by Conan until the last couple of pics.

Well...

I'm reading through my Chronicles of Conan Vol. 4 tonight. In a nutshell, Conan has pissed off Prince Yezdigerd of Turan (before he's King) by slicing his cheek with his sword.

The good prince has a bounty out for Conan, and Conan runs down the east side of the Vilayet, from city-state to city-state, with men chasing him.

We catch up with Conan in this town. He's sleeping in a barn. A woman comes to wake him up from his stupor. It seems the men chasing him have arrived.

When Conan stirs, he says something like, "What have you wench! Your townsmen, with their grubby palms, took all my coin yester eve! I have no more to spend!"

What's neat is...this is said (or something close to it), and the girl is drawn wearing Conan's necklace.

The men come to the town. A fight occurs. The girl is killed, and Conan has to leave her.

Bye-bye necklace.



Kinda-neat, huh?



EDIT: Oh! And, this is the very first issue, too, to introduce Red Sonja!

 

[Prinzconn]

The symbol on Conan's Marvel necklace is really a 'marvel' of design if you look at it closely. Drawn by Barry Windsor Smith (BWS) for the first 24 issues, Conan had certain nonspecific-Era style (i.e. Viking, Medieval, etc.) gear and weapons. Conan's 'forward swept bull horn Helm', his 'turned-down quillons (sword guard), even his 'fur-bikini shorts' were rather unique items. This uniqueness even extends towards his necklace, especially the design. Elsewhere on this thread, some folks say it looks like a crawfish or possibly some type of lettering. If you look closely and remember that Conan - according to Roy Thomas - was a member of the Snow-Hawk Clan. Now look closely at the left medaillion (Conan's right side) and see if you start to see a very 'Stylized' hawk/falcon intrepeted there. 1. The BLACK upper-center wedge is the head/beak. 2. the two (left/right) BLACK comma-shaped images are the shoulder/wings sweeping downward. 3. Now you have to let your imagination reverse from BLACK to WHITE and look at the lower-half WHITE shapes as being the tail/leg/talons. Not knowing this for a fact, I think BWS has looked at a fair amount of Celtic / Tene' Period designs and literally 'drew' from this experience the very stylish inter-locking shapes they used to embellish their weapons/gear. If that 'shape' on the necklace medaillions is not a stylized Snow-Hawk, then it should be.

 

[Supplement Four]

Ah-ha. Very intersting.