Hyrkania was a land of steppes and mountains, set on the eastern shore of the Vilayet Sea, and composed of many city-states.
Descendants of the Lemurians, they soon divided as the Turanians who carved an empire on the western shore of the Vilayet, and invaded many of the Hyrkanian city-states. The Hyrkanians would become later the Huns, Tartars, Mongols, and Turks.
Hyrkania was the birthplace of Red Sonja, a powerful sword-master and mercenary.
History
Origin[]
During the Great Cataclysm, in Lemuria, a man called Tarim rose and led his tribe to flee aboard ships westward,[1] to the eastern coast of Thuria,[2] that would later become the eastern shore of the Vilayet Sea,[1] but were enslaved for thousands of years by the ancient race that dwelt there.
The enslaved Lemurians eventually rose and destroyed their masters and became savages stalking the ruins of their masters' strange civilization, while the survivors of that civilization went to the west to overthrow the pre-humans of the south and found Stygia.[2]
The formerly enslaved Lemurians evolved a strange semi-civilization built on the wreckage of their masters', and eventually rose as the Hyrkanians.[3]
Another account stated that the Hyrkanians descended from people living in steppes of Zarfhaana.[4] It is unknown if that involved Zarfhaanans, or Lemurians stationed in Zarfhaana: The Lemurians are usually mentioned as the Hyrkanians' ancestors, and were known to be found in the Thurian civilization, as mercenaries, generals, statesmen, and even kings.[5]
Circa 13,000 BC, before the Fall of Acheron (and the end of the Age of Acheron), Hyrkania didn't existed yet (or was too minor to be known by Hybori slaves in Python, Acheron.[6] Around that time, Erlik was considered a "minor godling of the steppes", at least by Acheronian priest of Set Kheperu.[7]
Age of Conan[]
The Hyrkanians of the steppes were a culture of horse-riding, nomadic warriors. Divided into various tribal clans and led by individual leaders called khans, their warfare consisted of recurring raids and relied upon skilled usage of barbed arrows.
Other Hyrkanians settled down and established their own city-states and ports. Cities such as Makkalet were "oases of civilization" in an otherwise barbaric region; however, at the time of Conan, these cities were the targets of a neighboring empire expanding itself to all directions: Turan.
The major deities of the area were Erlik and Tarim. They were worshiped by both nomads and city-dwellers.[8]
Languages[]
The Hyrkanian language include demi-vowels.[9]
Among the known Hyrkanian dialects, there is Hill-Hyrkanian.[10]Points of Interest
- Black Monoliths of Xuthltan
- Iranistani Desert[citation needed]
- Makkalet - City
- Serpent-Wall
- Temple of Tarim
- Razadan and Dimmorz - Twin city-states[11]
See Also
- 26 appearance(s) of Hyrkania
- 1 appearance(s) in handbook(s) of Hyrkania
- 4 minor appearance(s) of Hyrkania
- 99 mention(s) of Hyrkania
- 2 mention(s) in handbook(s) of Hyrkania
- 3 image(s) of Hyrkania
- 15 article(s) related to Hyrkania
- 16 citizen(s) of Hyrkania
Links and References
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Conan the Barbarian #19
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Savage Sword of Conan #8 ; The Hyborian Age Chapter 2: The Rise of the Hyborians
- ↑ Savage Sword of Conan #12 ; The Hyborian Age Chapter 3: The Hyborian Kingdoms
- ↑ Savage Sword of Conan #37 ; Sons of the White Wolf
- ↑ Savage Sword of Conan #7 ; The Hyborian Age Chapter 1: The Pre-Cataclysmic Age
- ↑ Savage Sword of Conan #229 ; Assault on Acheron
- ↑ Savage Sword of Conan #230 ; Shall Python Fall?
- ↑ Handbook of the Conan Universe #1
- ↑ Conan the Barbarian #24
- ↑ Conan: The Ravagers Out of Time #1
- ↑ Savage Sword of Conan #31 ; A Gazeteer of the Hyborian Age, Part II: Dimmorz's entry