Exile of Atlantis
Encyclopedia
"Exile of Atlantis" was originally an untitled story by Robert E. Howard
and is the first story written by Howard to feature his creation Kull, set in his fictional Thurian Age
.
It details the events that lead Kull to be exiled by his tribe, as well as foreshadows Kull's future as a great king through the use of a prophetic dream. This story would not be published until 1967, in the Lancer
book, King Kull.
, long before it became a great empire, it was populated by a various tribes of barbarians. Three such barbarians of the Sea-mountain tribe, Kull, Am-ra and Gor-na camp for the night and cook their dinner.
As the night wears on, Gor-na, the eldest, tells the story of a tiger who, long ago, called out to the moon to escape hunters, and was granted sanctuary, causing all tigers to worship the moon. Kull finds fault with this story, pointing out that tigers wouldn't worship the moon for aiding some tiger who lived centuries ago.
Gor-na rebukes Kull for his constant ridicule of old myths and traditions, claiming that what has always been will always be. Kull believes this to be false, saying that not even mountains last forever. Gor-na angrily says that even though Kull is originally from the outlaw tribe of Tiger Valley, and he lived alone in forest among the animals after his people died in a great flood, he must learn to accept the ways of the tribe that adopted him. Am-ra, the youngest of the group, comes to Kull's defense, saying that while Kull may be an outsider, he is clearly the strongest member of their tribe. Gor-na has to agree.
The conversation turns to the outside world. The neighboring islands of Lemuria
are currently at war against the great kingdom of Valusia of the mainland. Kull gets excited, and says that he wishes to someday see Valusia, the City of Wonder. Gor-na says that if he ever does, it will be in chains.
As the men lay down to sleep, Kull has a strange dream. In it, he hears the sound of war and trumpets. He sees glorious vistas opening up before him. He sees himself wearing a golden crown, and hears people shouting "King Kull! King Kull!" Kull awakens to find himself haunted and enthralled by the vision.
The next morning, the three return to their village. There they see that a young girl named Ala is about to be burned at the stake. Ala was a girl of the tribe who dared to marry a Lemurian pirate, and was exiled for breaking the age-old feud. When the lovers' ship crashed and she washed ashore, her people found her, and now intend to execute her. Kull finds himself bewildered and disgusted by the laws that insist a person must be put to death for marrying an enemy of their race. His eyes meet Ala's and they reach a silent understanding. Kull takes out his hunting knife and throws it at the girl's chest, killing her in an instant and sparing her the torture of being burned to death.
While the villagers are still too shocked to act, Kull turns and flees. Am-ra manages to bump into an archer, forcing him to miss his shot, and saves Kull. Kull climbs up the side of the cliff, and escapes jumping into the sea.
Robert E. Howard
Robert Ervin Howard was an American author who wrote pulp fiction in a diverse range of genres. Best known for his character Conan the Barbarian, he is regarded as the father of the sword and sorcery subgenre....
and is the first story written by Howard to feature his creation Kull, set in his fictional Thurian Age
Thurian Age
The Thurian Age is a fictional period within the artificial mythology created by Robert E. Howard, in which the sword and sorcery tales of Kull of Atlantis are set. It is within the same shared universe as the Hyborian Age of Howard's Conan the Barbarian stories, but at an earlier period. The...
.
It details the events that lead Kull to be exiled by his tribe, as well as foreshadows Kull's future as a great king through the use of a prophetic dream. This story would not be published until 1967, in the Lancer
Lancer Books
Lancer Books was a series of paperback books published from 1961 through 1973 by Irwin Stein and Walter Zacharius. While it published stories of a number of genres, it was noted most for its science fiction and fantasy, particularly its series of Robert E. Howard's Conan the Barbarian tales, the...
book, King Kull.
Plot
On the continent of AtlantisAtlantis
Atlantis is a legendary island first mentioned in Plato's dialogues Timaeus and Critias, written about 360 BC....
, long before it became a great empire, it was populated by a various tribes of barbarians. Three such barbarians of the Sea-mountain tribe, Kull, Am-ra and Gor-na camp for the night and cook their dinner.
As the night wears on, Gor-na, the eldest, tells the story of a tiger who, long ago, called out to the moon to escape hunters, and was granted sanctuary, causing all tigers to worship the moon. Kull finds fault with this story, pointing out that tigers wouldn't worship the moon for aiding some tiger who lived centuries ago.
Gor-na rebukes Kull for his constant ridicule of old myths and traditions, claiming that what has always been will always be. Kull believes this to be false, saying that not even mountains last forever. Gor-na angrily says that even though Kull is originally from the outlaw tribe of Tiger Valley, and he lived alone in forest among the animals after his people died in a great flood, he must learn to accept the ways of the tribe that adopted him. Am-ra, the youngest of the group, comes to Kull's defense, saying that while Kull may be an outsider, he is clearly the strongest member of their tribe. Gor-na has to agree.
The conversation turns to the outside world. The neighboring islands of Lemuria
Lemuria
Lemuria may refer to:*Lemuria , in Roman religion, a feast during which the unwholesome and malevolent spectres of the restless dead were propitiated...
are currently at war against the great kingdom of Valusia of the mainland. Kull gets excited, and says that he wishes to someday see Valusia, the City of Wonder. Gor-na says that if he ever does, it will be in chains.
As the men lay down to sleep, Kull has a strange dream. In it, he hears the sound of war and trumpets. He sees glorious vistas opening up before him. He sees himself wearing a golden crown, and hears people shouting "King Kull! King Kull!" Kull awakens to find himself haunted and enthralled by the vision.
The next morning, the three return to their village. There they see that a young girl named Ala is about to be burned at the stake. Ala was a girl of the tribe who dared to marry a Lemurian pirate, and was exiled for breaking the age-old feud. When the lovers' ship crashed and she washed ashore, her people found her, and now intend to execute her. Kull finds himself bewildered and disgusted by the laws that insist a person must be put to death for marrying an enemy of their race. His eyes meet Ala's and they reach a silent understanding. Kull takes out his hunting knife and throws it at the girl's chest, killing her in an instant and sparing her the torture of being burned to death.
While the villagers are still too shocked to act, Kull turns and flees. Am-ra manages to bump into an archer, forcing him to miss his shot, and saves Kull. Kull climbs up the side of the cliff, and escapes jumping into the sea.