This Robert E. Howard short story tells the tale of Conn the Kern (light
infantryman) in the days before the battle of Clontarf (1014 AD). Conn
was an outlaw in Ireland and while trying to flee, he was enslaved by
Vikings. The Vikings sold him in the Faroe Islands which is where the
story begins. Conn kills his owner and escapes by boat, miraculously
washing ashore in Ireland after his boat was sunk by a storm. Here he
meets Dunlang O'Hartigan who is traveling to join King Brian Boru in a
battle against the Vikings. Conn gladly joins Dunlang and presents
himself to the king. King Brian muses aloud about hanging the outlaw
but agrees that it would be best to let the kern die in battle the
following day. The battle proves particularly bloody, ending the
careers of a great many Irish heroes, including Dunlang. Conn avenges
himself by killing the Viking who enslaved him and sold him in the Faroe
Islands.
The 30 page story is not one of Howard's best. He is so busy covering the actions of the many historic figures that he forgets about Conn. Moreover, there are so many characters that I quickly lost track. This is a story for someone intimately familiar with the Battle of Clontarf. The tale leaps from this Irish chieftain facing this Viking leader to the next chieftain against another Viking. As an aside, his Vikings have horned helmets which grated on me. Conn is often not even a bystander for some of these engagements. It is as if Howard initially meant to write the story from Conn's perspective but then couldn't help himself from drifting onto the history of it.
In the buildup to the battle, we meet Eevin of Craglea, a Pictish girl who is described as particularly petite with black hair and a green gown that seemed like scales – Conn almost thought she was a mermaid. Eevin has the gift of sight and accurately predicts the outcome of the battle and the deaths of both King Brian and Dunlang. Also, she seems to have magical powers of stealth since she confronts both King Brian in his tent and Queen Kormlada in her castle. She seemed a strange character to include for historical fiction.
Also of note, Broder the Viking had been told by a diviner that if he fought the following day, he would lose but King Brian would die also. Any other day, he would still lose but Brian would survive. He chose to make sure Brian died. Of course, with that sort of divination, you would think he might avoid battle and stay within the castle walls.
This is one of many stories that features the hero Turlogh Dubh O'Brien, who appears in several other tales. I was surprised by that since I had hardly noticed Turlogh (since he was one of the two Turloghs mentioned). Shouldn't this guest star have loomed a bit larger? The story ends with Turlogh cutting the slave collar from Conn after the battle is done.
The 30 page story is not one of Howard's best. He is so busy covering the actions of the many historic figures that he forgets about Conn. Moreover, there are so many characters that I quickly lost track. This is a story for someone intimately familiar with the Battle of Clontarf. The tale leaps from this Irish chieftain facing this Viking leader to the next chieftain against another Viking. As an aside, his Vikings have horned helmets which grated on me. Conn is often not even a bystander for some of these engagements. It is as if Howard initially meant to write the story from Conn's perspective but then couldn't help himself from drifting onto the history of it.
In the buildup to the battle, we meet Eevin of Craglea, a Pictish girl who is described as particularly petite with black hair and a green gown that seemed like scales – Conn almost thought she was a mermaid. Eevin has the gift of sight and accurately predicts the outcome of the battle and the deaths of both King Brian and Dunlang. Also, she seems to have magical powers of stealth since she confronts both King Brian in his tent and Queen Kormlada in her castle. She seemed a strange character to include for historical fiction.
Also of note, Broder the Viking had been told by a diviner that if he fought the following day, he would lose but King Brian would die also. Any other day, he would still lose but Brian would survive. He chose to make sure Brian died. Of course, with that sort of divination, you would think he might avoid battle and stay within the castle walls.
This is one of many stories that features the hero Turlogh Dubh O'Brien, who appears in several other tales. I was surprised by that since I had hardly noticed Turlogh (since he was one of the two Turloghs mentioned). Shouldn't this guest star have loomed a bit larger? The story ends with Turlogh cutting the slave collar from Conn after the battle is done.
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