Sword and Sorcery
Sword and Sorcery is a subgenre of fantasy characterized by sword-wielding heroes engaged in exciting and violent adventures, with magic as a background.[1]
It sometimes overlaps with the subgenres known as "Sword and planet" (which is sometimes considered a subgenre of Planetary romances), where sworld-wielding heroes engage in adventures on other planets.[2]
Its contributors include Robert E. Howard, Lin Carter, Michael Moorcock, John Jakes, Fritz Leiber, Jack Vance,[3] Henry Kuttner, C. L. Moore, L. Sprague de Camp, Poul Anderson, André Norton, and others.[4]
Origin
The roots of sword-and-sorcery go back the beginning of literature, with heroes such as St. George, Siegfried, Beowulf, and Hercules.[3] To be noted that in REH's "The Valley of the Worm!" (adapted in Supernatural Thrillers #3; April, 1973), the hero Niord and his foe the Worm are stated to be the basis of mythical tales such as Perseus and the "mammoth sea-born serpent", Beowulf and his "fearsome fire-monster", Saint George and his dragon, or Siegfried and Fafnir.
The genre "sword-and-sorcery" was born with the publication in 1929 of "The Shadow Kingdom" by Robert E. Howard, which introduced to print the Atlantean barbarian Kull.[3] The term itself was coined by Fritz Leiber in 1961.[1]
Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics has adapted many of Sword and Sorcery characters, such as Conan the Barbarian, King Kull, Red Sonja, Solomon Kane, Bran Mak Morn, James Allison (Robert E. Howard), Elric of Melniboné (Michael Moorcock), Thongor, Warrior of Lost Lemuria (Lin Carter), or Brak the Barbarian (John Jakes). Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser (Fritz Leiber was adapted in four books named (October, 1990 to January, 1991) by Marvel Comics imprint Epic Comics,
Similarly, Sword and planet (and/or Planerary romances) characters were adapted into comics, such as Esau Cairn in Almuric (Robert E. Howard), Gullivar Jones, Warrior of Mars (Edwin L. Arnold), or John Carter of Mars (Edgar Rice Burroughs).
Marvel Comics also created its original Sword and Sorcery characters and worlds, such as:
- Starr the Slayer, created by Roy Thomas and Barry Smith to serve as a trial run for Marvel's adaptations of Conan).[5]
- Wally Wood's hero Vandal the Barbarian (Of Swords and Sorcery!, Tower of Shadows #7; September, 1970), as well as his mini-saga Sanctuary! (Tower of Shadows #8; November, 1970).[6]
- Fafnir and Blackrat were created as pastiches to Fritz Leiber's creations Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser.[7] Fafnir would become a recurring character in Marvel's Conan's advetnures.
- Terragonia, a micro-world of sword and sorcery, ruled by the barbarian-king Kronak.[8]
- Sword and planet also seemingly inspired Marvel Comics, with the micro-world of K'ai.
Links and references
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Sword and sorcery at Wikipedia.org
- ↑ Sword and planet at Wikipedia.org
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Savage Sword of Conan #2 : Chronicles of the Sword: An Informal History of Sword-And-Sorcery, by Lin Carter
- ↑ Carter, L. (1975) Lovecraft: a look behind the Cthulhu Mythos, Panther Books Ltd.
- ↑ Conan Saga #6 ; The Sword and the Sorcerers!
- ↑ Conan the Barbarian #47 ; An Editorial's Aside
- ↑ Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z #7 ; Microverse's profile
(See Also: * Barbarian glossary entry)