Wyvern Riders?

[René]

In HF p.31 and RoK p.84 there are Wyvern Riders in Zembabwei mentioned. While I haven't read the corresponding short story, this looks to me very un-Hyborian and more like some D&D-idea. Can someone who read this story give some enlighenment? Thnaks!

 

[geordiekimbo]

Oh René..I don't know, but I bet I know a man who does.

Mr Darlage? over to you perhaps

 

[VincentDarlage]

That comes from L. Sprague de Camp and Lin Carter's short story "Red Moon of Zembabwei" as found in the Ace/Lancer volume Conan of Aquilonia. The copy I have even has a Boris-painted cover featuring King Conan, Conn and a wyvern.

The short story was written in 1977, which was the year AD&D was introduced and about 3 years after the basic game concepts were introduced. I don't know for sure, but I doubt de Camp or Carter played D&D, so I don't think it was D&D influenced. Real-life ruins in RL Zimbabwe feature winged reptiles in some artwork, so that is probably where de Camp and Carter got their inspiration.

If you go HERE and look toward the bottom at #39, you can see a thumbnail of the cover.

 

[The King]

The Conan video game also features these wyverns which are like pterodactyls that would have follow the race evolution. They are better represented there than in the AD&D rules (where they have a special attack with their tails which have a poisonous sting).

Though I don't like the game (almost 100% hack 'n slash) there are some excellent settings, graphics and soundtracks.

 

[GregLynch]

That comes from L. Sprague de Camp and Lin Carter's short story "Red Moon of Zembabwei" as found in the Ace/Lancer volume Conan of Aquilonia. The copy I have even has a Boris-painted cover featuring King Conan, Conn and a wyvern.

Thank you! I couldn't remember the title of that story to save my life.

A bit OT, but I've always found it fascinating how many cultures have something in their folklore you can point at and say 'dragon.' Imaginative folks, our ancestors.

 

[René]

That comes from L. Sprague de Camp and Lin Carter's short story "Red Moon of Zembabwei" as found in the Ace/Lancer volume Conan of Aquilonia. The copy I have even has a Boris-painted cover featuring King Conan, Conn and a wyvern.

The short story was written in 1977, which was the year AD&D was introduced and about 3 years after the basic game concepts were introduced. I don't know for sure, but I doubt de Camp or Carter played D&D, so I don't think it was D&D influenced. Real-life ruins in RL Zimbabwe feature winged reptiles in some artwork, so that is probably where de Camp and Carter got their inspiration.

If you go HERE and look toward the bottom at #39, you can see a thumbnail of the cover.

Thanks for the info, Vincent! There is a Solomon Kane story "Wings in the Night" that has Solomon Kane riding a Harpy / Wyvern for a few seconds during a fight. Maybe this was part of the inspiration.

 

[Hudson]

A bit OT, but I've always found it fascinating how many cultures have something in their folklore you can point at and say 'dragon.' Imaginative folks, our ancestors.

My theory is that our ancestors stumbled upon the skulls and bones of Dinosaurs every once in a while, named them dragons and figured that they were still around but rarely seen. I also thought that forest fires (a natural occurance) led them to believe that they could breathe fire.

 

[Mythos]

A bit OT, but I've always found it fascinating how many cultures have something in their folklore you can point at and say 'dragon.' Imaginative folks, our ancestors.

My theory is that our ancestors stumbled upon the skulls and bones of Dinosaurs every once in a while, named them dragons and figured that they were still around but rarely seen. I also thought that forest fires (a natural occurance) led them to believe that they could breathe fire.

Actually there has been some reserach into that.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0691089779/qid=1135011602/sr=2-1/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_1/103-7584481-9235848?s=books&v=glance&n=283155