The Mirrors of Tuzun Thune
Encyclopedia
"The Mirrors of Tuzun Thune" is one of the original short stories
about Kull of Atlantis, written by American
author Robert E. Howard
and first published in Weird Tales
magazine circa 1929. It is one of only three Kull stories to be published in Howard's lifetime.
Set in the fictional Pre-Historic Thurian Age
, it deals with a disillusioned King Kull questioning the meaning of existence, leading him to seek the council of a two-faced wizard.
Kull arrives at the wizard’s home, known as the House of a Thousand Mirrors, and the two begin to talk. To Kull’s questions regarding the legitimacy of his powers, Tuzun Thune seems to offer evasive answer. Disappointed, Kull says that clearly Thune is just an ordinary man. But Thune points out that all men, from kings to wizards, are just ordinary men.
Tuzun Thune leads the king deeper into his house and shows Kull his mirrors. One, the wizard claims, is that of the Deepest Magic. But when Kull looks in it, all he sees is his own reflection. He then begins to wonder if he himself is only the mirror image, and the man in the mirror the true Kull, and he longs to visit this "truer" world.
Kull leaves, but returns day after day to stare into this mirror. Affairs of the State are being neglected, and the people are beginning to worry about the king. But Kull doesn't care. Finally, Kull begins to feel himself slipping into this mirror realm. But then someone shouts his name, and the mirror shatters. Brule has arrived and killed Tuzun Thune.
Brule reveals that Thune was involved in a plot to kill the king, as was the girl who first suggested Kull visit the wizard. Kull asks why a wizard with power over dimensions would be involved in a play for political power. Brule points out that all men, from kings to wizards, are just ordinary men.
However, Brule says that when he arrived, he could see Kull actually dissolving into the mirror. Kull wonders if Thune actually did place a powerful spell over him, or if he managed to break the bonds of reality all on his own.
Kull and Brule leave Thune’s dead body where it lies, and go. But for the rest of his life, Kull is haunted by questions about what really happened to him in Thune’s mirror, and they leave him even less certain about the nature of reality.
Short story
A short story is a work of fiction that is usually written in prose, often in narrative format. This format tends to be more pointed than longer works of fiction, such as novellas and novels. Short story definitions based on length differ somewhat, even among professional writers, in part because...
about Kull of Atlantis, written by American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
author Robert E. Howard
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 first published in Weird Tales
Weird Tales
Weird Tales is an American fantasy and horror fiction pulp magazine first published in March 1923. It ceased its original run in September 1954, after 279 issues, but has since been revived. The magazine was set up in Chicago by J. C. Henneberger, an ex-journalist with a taste for the macabre....
magazine circa 1929. It is one of only three Kull stories to be published in Howard's lifetime.
Set in the fictional Pre-Historic 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 deals with a disillusioned King Kull questioning the meaning of existence, leading him to seek the council of a two-faced wizard.
Plot
Kull, King of Valusia, suffers from a severe depression that not even his friend and ally Brule the Spear-slayer can rouse him from. A mysterious woman later whispers to Kull that he should visit Tuzun Thune, a wizard of the Elder Race, who supposedly knows the secrets of life. Kull is intrigued, and set off at once.Kull arrives at the wizard’s home, known as the House of a Thousand Mirrors, and the two begin to talk. To Kull’s questions regarding the legitimacy of his powers, Tuzun Thune seems to offer evasive answer. Disappointed, Kull says that clearly Thune is just an ordinary man. But Thune points out that all men, from kings to wizards, are just ordinary men.
Tuzun Thune leads the king deeper into his house and shows Kull his mirrors. One, the wizard claims, is that of the Deepest Magic. But when Kull looks in it, all he sees is his own reflection. He then begins to wonder if he himself is only the mirror image, and the man in the mirror the true Kull, and he longs to visit this "truer" world.
Kull leaves, but returns day after day to stare into this mirror. Affairs of the State are being neglected, and the people are beginning to worry about the king. But Kull doesn't care. Finally, Kull begins to feel himself slipping into this mirror realm. But then someone shouts his name, and the mirror shatters. Brule has arrived and killed Tuzun Thune.
Brule reveals that Thune was involved in a plot to kill the king, as was the girl who first suggested Kull visit the wizard. Kull asks why a wizard with power over dimensions would be involved in a play for political power. Brule points out that all men, from kings to wizards, are just ordinary men.
However, Brule says that when he arrived, he could see Kull actually dissolving into the mirror. Kull wonders if Thune actually did place a powerful spell over him, or if he managed to break the bonds of reality all on his own.
Kull and Brule leave Thune’s dead body where it lies, and go. But for the rest of his life, Kull is haunted by questions about what really happened to him in Thune’s mirror, and they leave him even less certain about the nature of reality.