# Conan Stories — Themes

> Major themes in Conan Stories by Robert E. Howard.

## Civilization vs. Barbarism

The book contrasts the corrupt, decadent, and hypocritical nature of civilized societies with the raw, honest, and vital strength of barbarian cultures, embodied by Conan's Cimmerian heritage.

### Where it surfaces

- [I: Conan Joins the Pirates](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/conan_stories_se/chapters/i-conan-joins-the-pirates): Conan's disdain for civilized laws and his raw, violent nature contrast with the ordered society he flees, while the pirate encounter blurs the line between civilized and barbaric.
- [V](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/conan_stories_se/chapters/v): The contrast between the ancient civilization of Dagon and the barbaric Yuetshi, and Conan's own barbarian perspective against the decadent sorcery.
- [Beyond the Black River](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/conan_stories_se/chapters/beyond-the-black-river): The chapter starkly contrasts the ordered but fragile fort of the Aquilonians with the wild, untamed Pictish wilderness, questioning the permanence of civilization.
- [II: The Wizard of Gwawela](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/conan_stories_se/chapters/ii-the-wizard-of-gwawela): Fort Tuscelan represents the fragile edge of civilization against the dark, untamed Pictish wilderness and its sorcery.
- [Red Axes of the Border](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/conan_stories_se/chapters/vi-red-axes-of-the-border): The contrast between the disciplined but doomed fort defenders and the savage Picts highlights the tension between civilized order and barbaric ferocity.
- [VIII: Conajohara No More](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/conan_stories_se/chapters/viii-conajohara-no-more): The chapter explicitly contrasts the 'unnatural' state of civilization with the 'natural' state of barbarism, as the borderer declares that barbarism must ultimately triumph.

## Love and Sacrifice

Passionate, often fatalistic love drives characters like Bêlit and Olivia to extreme acts of devotion and self-sacrifice, transcending death and danger for their beloved.

### Where it surfaces

- [Queen of the Black Coast](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/conan_stories_se/chapters/queen-of-the-black-coast): The intense romance between Conan and Bêlit, culminating in her sacrificial death and Conan's grief-driven vengeance.
- [II: The Black Lotus](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/conan_stories_se/chapters/ii-the-black-lotus): Bêlit's declaration that her love is stronger than death and her vow to return from the abyss to aid Conan highlight the theme of transcendent love.
- [IV: The Attack from the Air](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/conan_stories_se/chapters/iv-the-attack-from-the-air): Bêlit's spirit returns from death to shield Conan, demonstrating a love that transcends the grave.
- [V: The Funeral Pyre](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/conan_stories_se/chapters/v-the-funeral-pyre): Conan honors Bêlit with a ceremonial pyre, sacrificing her to the sea as an act of love and final tribute.
- [III: Khemsa Uses Magic](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/conan_stories_se/chapters/iii-khemsa-uses-magic): The maid's passionate love for Khemsa drives her to betray her mistress and push him to rebel against his masters.
- [VI: The Mountain of the Black Seers](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/conan_stories_se/chapters/vi-the-mountain-of-the-black-seers): Khemsa's love for Gitara both empowers and ultimately defeats him, as the Seers exploit it.

## Supernatural and Ancient Evil

The stories are filled with ancient, inhuman entities, sorcerers, and forgotten gods (like Khosatral Khel and winged monsters) that represent primordial chaos and threats beyond mortal understanding.

### Where it surfaces

- [Shadows in the Moonlight](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/conan_stories_se/chapters/shadows-in-the-moonlight): The chapter features ancient, malevolent forces in the ruined city.
- [Queen of the Black Coast](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/conan_stories_se/chapters/queen-of-the-black-coast): The Accursed City harbors ancient, malevolent forces that attack the pirates and claim Bêlit's life.
- [II: The Black Lotus](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/conan_stories_se/chapters/ii-the-black-lotus): The giant serpent attack, the haunted city, and the black lotus with its dream-haunting scent emphasize supernatural and ancient evil forces.
- [III: The Horror in the Jungle](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/conan_stories_se/chapters/iii-the-horror-in-the-jungle): The chapter reveals the ancient winged race's fall into demonic perversion and the lingering horror that haunts the jungle.
- [IV: The Attack from the Air](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/conan_stories_se/chapters/iv-the-attack-from-the-air): The winged monster and the supernatural hyenas embody ancient, diabolical forces that Conan must confront.
- [The Devil in Iron](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/conan_stories_se/chapters/the-devil-in-iron): Khosatral Khel is a prime example of an ancient, malevolent supernatural force from a forgotten age.

## Survival and Individualism

Conan repeatedly relies on his own physical prowess, cunning, and indomitable will to survive treacherous environments, hostile forces, and supernatural attacks, often against overwhelming odds.

### Where it surfaces

- [Shadows in the Moonlight](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/conan_stories_se/chapters/shadows-in-the-moonlight): Conan's struggle for survival against both human and supernatural threats.
- [I](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/conan_stories_se/chapters/i): Conan and Olivia must rely on their wits and strength to survive on the island, facing unknown threats and making strategic decisions about shelter and travel.
- [II](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/conan_stories_se/chapters/ii): Conan's fight for survival against the pirates and Olivia's struggle to cope alone on the island highlight the theme of individual resilience.
- [III](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/conan_stories_se/chapters/iii): Conan's fight with the gray man-ape and his escape from the pirates highlight his reliance on personal strength and cunning to survive.
- [IV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/conan_stories_se/chapters/iv): The battered pirates seek survival by submitting to Conan's rule, while Conan asserts his individual will to command.
- [I: Conan Joins the Pirates](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/conan_stories_se/chapters/i-conan-joins-the-pirates): Conan's flight from authority and his insistence on personal loyalty over civic duty exemplify a survival-driven, individualistic code.

## Honor and Loyalty

Despite being a barbarian and pirate, Conan adheres to a personal code of honor, demanding loyalty from his followers and rewarding faithfulness, while punishing betrayal with ruthless finality.

### Where it surfaces

- [II](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/conan_stories_se/chapters/ii): The pirates debate the law of the Red Brotherhood regarding Conan's claim to captaincy, and Ivanos defends Conan out of opposition to Aratus, reflecting codes of honor and loyalty among outlaws.
- [IV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/conan_stories_se/chapters/iv): Conan demands a formal oath of allegiance from the pirates, and Ivanos reaffirms his loyalty.
- [IV: An Encounter in the Pass](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/conan_stories_se/chapters/iv-an-encounter-in-the-pass): Yar Afzal and his men come to Conan's aid, showing loyalty among the hill tribes, while Conan intends to use Yasmina to ransom his captured headmen.
- [VII: On to Yimsha](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/conan_stories_se/chapters/vii-on-to-yimsha): Conan is falsely accused of betrayal by his own men, highlighting themes of loyalty and honor among the hill tribes.
- [X: Yasmina and Conan](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/conan_stories_se/chapters/x-yasmina-and-conan): Yasmina keeps her word to return with her warriors, and the Afghulis accept Conan back as their chief after his valor in battle.
- [II: The Tree of Death](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/conan_stories_se/chapters/ii-the-tree-of-death): Conan's loyalty to the true queen and his defiance of Constantius underscore the theme of honor.

## Power and Corruption

The pursuit of power, whether through sorcery, political intrigue, or brute force, corrupts individuals and societies, leading to cruelty, betrayal, and moral decay.

### Where it surfaces

- [I: Conan Joins the Pirates](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/conan_stories_se/chapters/i-conan-joins-the-pirates): The corrupt court of Argos, where a guardsman's violence goes unpunished and Conan is persecuted for loyalty, highlights the theme of corrupt power.
- [II](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/conan_stories_se/chapters/ii): Jehungir and Ghaznavi's manipulative plot to use Octavia as bait reflects the corrupt use of power.
- [VI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/conan_stories_se/chapters/vi): Khosatral's corrupting influence over the city and its inhabitants, and Conan's rejection of that power.
- [The People of the Black Circle](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/conan_stories_se/chapters/the-people-of-the-black-circle): The Black Seers of Yimsha and their agents, like Khemsa, use dark magic to manipulate political power, corrupting both rulers and servants.
- [I: Death Strikes a King](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/conan_stories_se/chapters/i-death-strikes-a-king): Kerim Shah serves King Yezdigerd of Turan, revealing the political machinations behind the king's assassination.
- [II: A Barbarian from the Hills](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/conan_stories_se/chapters/ii-a-barbarian-from-the-hills): Yasmina wields royal authority to command the governor, but her quest for vengeance drives her to risky, manipulative measures.

## Fate and Destiny

Characters often feel driven by inexorable forces or prophecies, and Conan's rise from a wandering mercenary to a leader and king suggests a destined path shaped by his actions and the world's chaos.

### Where it surfaces

- [II: The Black Lotus](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/conan_stories_se/chapters/ii-the-black-lotus): Conan's fatalistic view of the gods and his acceptance of an uncertain afterlife reflect themes of fate and destiny.
- [I: Death Strikes a King](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/conan_stories_se/chapters/i-death-strikes-a-king): The stars dictate the timing of the king's death, and his soul's fate hangs in the balance, ultimately saved by Yasmina's fatal act.
- [VIII: Yasmina Knows Stark Terror](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/conan_stories_se/chapters/viii-yasmina-knows-stark-terror): Yasmina is forced to relive all her past lives, suggesting a deterministic cycle of suffering and the inescapable weight of her own history.
- [I: The Bloodred Crescent](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/conan_stories_se/chapters/i-the-bloodred-crescent): The ancient curse of the Askhaurian dynasty dictates that a witch named Salome will be born each century.
- [The Hyborian Age](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/conan_stories_se/chapters/the-hyborian-age): The historical progression of races and kingdoms is portrayed as inevitable, with the cataclysm and subsequent rise of the Hyborians and Picts driven by forces beyond individual control.

## Nature and the Wild

The untamed wilderness—jungles, seas, and mountains—is both a source of deadly peril and a realm of freedom, contrasting with the stifling, artificial constraints of cities and courts.

### Where it surfaces

- [I](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/conan_stories_se/chapters/i): The island's wild landscape—cliffs, thickets, and ruins—shapes their actions and poses both dangers and resources for survival.
- [III](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/conan_stories_se/chapters/iii): The gray man-ape is a creature of the wild, and the struggle between Conan and the beast is portrayed as a conflict between two forces of nature.
- [III](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/conan_stories_se/chapters/iii): The reedy marshes, misty waters, dark island, and dense forest create a wild, untamed environment that both aids and threatens Octavia.
- [Beyond the Black River](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/conan_stories_se/chapters/beyond-the-black-river): The dark, primeval forest and the supernatural elements of Zogar Sag's magic highlight the raw, hostile power of nature against human constructs.
- [I: Conan Loses His Ax](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/conan_stories_se/chapters/i-conan-loses-his-ax): The primeval forest is depicted as a hostile, untamed realm where every shadow hides danger.
- [III: The Crawlers in the Dark](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/conan_stories_se/chapters/iii-the-crawlers-in-the-dark): The oppressive darkness of the river, the silent forest, and the unseen dangers highlight the wild and untamed environment.

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