Names and Symbols in Conan

Mark Dunder

Mark Dunder

Mongoose
Here is a list of notes I took while reading Conan many years ago (15 or so). Kind of a rambling account without any real organization. I had meant to compile them for the game. Anyway, some of you might find this interesting. These notes are from all the stories not just REH.

AEsir Names: Njal, Gorm, Egil, Jarl, Rann(F, female), Thror.
Turanian Names: Yeldiz, Zosara(F), Jamal.
Sergeant insignia of Turanian Frontier Cavalry is a Golden Scimitar.
Khozgari Names: Shanya(F), Shaf Karaz, Vateesa(F), Bardes.
Khoraja Names: Yasmela(F), Khossus.
Shemitish Names: Dathan, Abimael.
Corinthian Names: Rhazes, Muriela(F).
Ophirian Names: Fronto, Moranthes, Hermion, Marala(F), Rigello, Garus. Torgrio, Junia(F), Rima(F), Alarkar.
Argossean Gold Dalphins.
Wild Boar is a Tavern in Ianthe.
Ophirian Names: Mecanta, Frosol, Terson, Lodier, Amalrus, Barras, Theringo.
Zingaran Names: Gonzago.
Argossean Names: Borus, Fabio.

I have around 30 more hand written pages, I will post them day by day, just for the heck of it.

Hope you like it.
 
I have been doing similar work. I'm compiling a concordance of REH's Conan stories, in addition to hand-notes. The only problem is that OCR scanning takes sooooo long to do! *yawn* :? :(
 
That would be an ambitious project making a condordance of REH's work. Perhaps a master index of the important words, and then add the actual passages where they occur later on as your able.

I think this would be something many people could contribute to, unless you just have way too much time on your hands?

If you also put a side column, explaining more in detail on certain issues or essays on Hyborian life or technology, that would be invaluable to many people.

Sorry, I just like the idea of other people doing all the work so that I can benefit from it all. Which is why I like to encourage and support (spiritually), all these great ideas.

So onword and upword (get it?) and don't let slow OCR's hold you back!
 
Any badges or symbols would be very handy.

Have you thought about referencing the stories that you find the information in? I guess that may be a lot of work.
 
Sorry, did these notes a long time ago. No references at all. My goal at the time was just to get as many names and other minor info, just for RPG play. I didn't much care, at the time, what book they came out of.

Almost tomorrow, so here is more on the list.

Stygian name Uminankh. Baksheesh means a begging word.
Western Ophirites are slim, short, lithely muscled, fair skin, hazel eyed, hair ruddy brown.
Stygia names: King Mentuphera, Senufer(F)
Ophir - Baronny of Kirjahan.
Vendishan names: Zarus
Stygia - Prince Ctesphon
Money - Gold Lunars than Silver Stellers.
Numia Stygian insense that produces dreams.
Luxur has a Street of Jars, Avenue of Kings.
Suba - Wakonga Mutusi! "Death be damned; charge!" names: Sakumbe, Dengeda, Kemoku (witch) & Gonga.
Valusia was a kingdom of serpent men.
Taia names: Tyris
Varuna of the Lightning - a god
Suba name: N'Gora
Hyrkania is known for powerful bows.
Hyrkania name: Zosara(F)
Kuigar Horde - Khan Kujala
Kusan & Khitia - King Shu, Duke Feng, King Hsia.

That's it for today, seems I was reading about Curse of the Monolith by De Camp and Carter. Looks like there will be more on that tomorrow.
 
Ha! I love that: Wakonga Mutusi!
8)
I have concordance software, but the source data has to be scanned and uploaded for it to work. It is a fantastic tool. If anyone is interested I have word-lists from a couple of stories in EXCEL and WORD formats with word-counts. I may put a few up on my website, if there is an interest in them. My interest right now is on proper nouns and weapons/warfare/combat references in the Conan corpus.
 
For reference, I use Adobe ebooks of the three Wandering Star/Del Rey volumes and Acrobat's indexing facility.
 
Needed a little break so here's some more random listing of names:

Kusan - White Peacock wecomes contact with the West. The Golden Pheasant does not.
Kush names: Juma
Kusan - Tomb of King Hsia in hills, marked by monolith of dark stone that is magnetic, in a valley. Also in these hills dwell the Jagas, a primitive headhunter tribe.
Kusan monster - Semitranslucent jelly.
Turan names: Khusro, Mulai, Arshak.
Zuagir Khilat - A flowing soft shirt.
Zuagir Kaffia - Headgear.
Zuagir cloak is made of camel hair.
Zuagir sword - large knife.
Zamora names: Jillad, Zal.
Iranistanian names: Sassan.
Grondarian people lived before the sinking of Atlantis.
Nemedian names: Ostorio.
Corinthian names: Zyras.
Kezankian names: Rustum, Keraspa.
Virunians are a branch of the Hyperboreans & are in the Border Kindom.
Ilga is a female name.

Hope these little tidbits are entertaining. I glanced ahead and some of this stuff is getting better. For instance, how many paces away can a Turanian Bow kill? You will have to wait for the 8th page after this one, ha!
 
What, prey tell, is the three Wandering Star/Del Ray ebooks volumes, and how do I get them? Now that you got my attention.
 
If nothing else, this makes a nice little journal for me.

By the way, I just have these sheets stapled together. Some I got out of order for sure. Here's some more on my listing.

Sigtona is a Hyperborean stronghold.
Remora is a vampiric ice worm that radiated cold. Yakhmar (Hyperborean).
Argosean name: Tito
Ophir is known for excellent weaving of scarlet cloaks.
Asgalun is an old kingdom of Shem.
Zarkheba River is poisonous.
Shumir, an ancient kingdom where Bel the god was born.
Bamulas are a warlike black tribe.
Angareb is a couch.
Yarati is a beer.
Bakalah is a black tribe.
Bakalah names: Aja, Bajujh.
Ophir names: Livia (F), Theteles of the House of Chelkus, scientists and noblemen of Ophir.
Seven Empires before the Cataclysm.
Kush names: Amboola, Tanada (F), Aahmes, Tuthmes, Afari, Ageera, Shubba.
In Kush is a unit called the Black Spearmen, the backbone of the army.
In a city of Kush, (Meroe or Xuthal?) is a place called the Red Tower, a prison.
Kordafa names: Muru
Nemedian Names: Diana.

On my last page of notes is the word Freebooter. Can anyone guess what that is?
 
Wandering Star is the company restoring Robert E. Howard's texts and publishing them in beautiful limited editions.

The Wandering Star/Del Rey books are the licensed trade editions published by Del Rey.

They're also available as ebooks for about US$10 each. I bought them in the Adobe format, which is a DRM-protected PDF which preserves all the formatting. (Then I figured out how to decrypt them, so I can join them, copy from them and print from them if I want.)
 
I was just looking at the hardcover "The Coming of Conan" but I never check out who publishes the books, until someone asks. Are these the ones your talking about?

And thanks for the heads up on the online ebooks!
 
Thanks, that will help in making a choice. I thinking of the hardback, cause it would be a keeper.

More of the listing:

Kush names: Mongo, Soho, Keluka.
Shem names: Sumu Abi, Othbaal, Akhirom, Khannon.
Hyrkanian names: Farouz an archer in Mazdak's Hyrkanian Horse.
Pelishtim are a Shemitish race of stocky, swarthy men with hooked noses and curly blue black beards.
Kyros makes wines.
Zaugir names: Ishbak.
Sabatean names: Tortuker.
Kush names: Imbalayo.
Ophir names: Rufia (F)
Stygian names: Zeriti (F)
Abdashtarth a Shemite and priest of Pteor, also the Mattenbaal.
Yakin-ya is reputed descendant of gods and is the forebear of some kings of Shem.
Shem names: Azumelek a king.
Darfar name: Imbalayo (Kush also?).
Purple Lotus grows in the swamps of southern Stygia.
Stygian name: Hotep.
Kush name: Bombaata.
Khoraja name: Yasmela.

Looks like I'm starting to post more or less twice a day. Be done in less than two weeks this way.
 
More on the list:

Natohk is a sorcerer that had led nomads against Ophir.
Zamora name: Shevatas.
Kuthchemes is a ruined old city in southeast Shem. A few day ride to the southwest brings one to the Styx.
Thugra Khotan was a dark sorcerer who reigned in Kuthchemes 3 thousand years ago, when the kingdom of Acheron stood.
Khoraja names: Yasmela (F), Vateesa.
Nemedian name: Amalric.
Khoraja names: Thespides, Taurus, Agha, Shupras, Khossus.
The Shemitish Bow could send a shaft five hundred paces.
There is a well at the Pass of Shamla, and a cluster of Stone Towers occupied by the Zaheemis.
Asshuri of Nippr, Shumir & Eruk, Nomad clans.
Stygia name: Kutamun.
Turan - Shah Amurath.
Ophir name: Olivia
Name - Iaiduiliam

Later tonight maybe another page.
 
Page 7? I think.

"Yagkoolan yok tha, Xuthalla!" words of magic that transformed an ebony race of being into statues on an island within the Valyet Sea.
Shem is modeled after Arabia?
Khrosha name: Sergius (Koth?).
Brythunia name: Aratus (rat faced).
Corinthian name: Ivanos.
Turan names: Teyaspa, Artaban, Yesdigerd, Zaporoskan - Gleg, is in a castle.
Unknown names: Hermio, Medius.
Akrim River is in Hyrkania near Fort Ghori.
A tribe called Yuetshi were nearly destroyed by the Clan of Kurush Khan.
Zamorian name: Roxana (F).
Koth name: Khushia (F)
Brythunian Knights.
Yuetshi name: Vinashko.
Hyrkanian name: Dayuki.
Akrim Valley is the Gorge of Diva.
Sogdian's are Hyrkanians who wear felt caps perched on side of head.

May just organize the names by country in the future.
 
Next post and I don't want to edit it and create a post 5 miles long.

Yataghan is some form of knife or sword.
Khauran names: Queen Taramis, Salomis is a witch known to be born to the royal family evry century and is identified by a red crescent birthmark in the center of their breasts (can I see it please?).
Koth name: Constantius.
kordavan is known for its' leather.
Khauran names: Valerius, Ivga.
Zaporoskan name: Olgerd Vladislau.
Zuagir name: Djebal.
Nemedian name: Alcemides, Astreas.
Khauran name: Krallides.
Shem name: Khumbanigash.
Cherkees is a knife.
Thaug is a beast-demon conjured by Salome.
Khitan name: Zang.
Shan-e-sorkh, the Red Waste is in southern Turanian Steppes.

Tell next time.
 
More for the list:

Stygian name: Totrasmek.
Turanian name: Alafdhal.
Zamboula name: Zabibi.
Star of Khorala is a ring with a jewel that belongs to the Queen of Ophir.
Khawarizm name: Jehungir Agha, Ghaznavi, Jelal Khan.
Nemedian name: Octavia (F).
Shem name: Gilzan, Tubal.
Xapur - Yateli (Dagonian?), Khosatral Khel - the island is called Dagonian.
Khawarizm Archers
Inanistan names: Kobad Shah, Nanian, Xathrita.
Gwadiri is a tribe in Iranistan on the Islands of Pearl.
Zamoran name: Hattusas.
Ilbars Mount - Balashi, Bahram.
Iranistanian names: Gotarza, Bardiya.
The magical city of Yanaidar was built by the ghoul-king Ura.
Yesmites is a cult that uses a flame knife as their symbol. Called the Hidden Ones or Sons of Yezm.
 
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