The Thing in the Crypt
Encyclopedia
"The Thing in the Crypt" is a short story
written by L. Sprague de Camp
and Lin Carter
starring the fictional sword and sorcery
hero Conan the Cimmerian
created by Robert E. Howard
.
s from the northern country of Asgard and takes part in a raid against the Hyperboreans to the east. He is captured and enslaved by them but does not remain a prisoner for long.
Escaping his chains and slaying his captors, he makes his way south, but is pursued by a pack of hungry wolves
. Armed only with a broken length of chain, Conan manages to fight them off until he is able to find refuge from the starving wolves in the hill
s. There he discovers the entrance to a buried crypt
and, finding himself in a chamber into which the wolves are strangely unwilling to follow him, Conan lights a fire and soon discovers a grisly occupant.
Enthroned on a square boulder of black stone is the large mummified
corpse of a man, apparently a great warrior or chieftain
of ancient times. Noticing a great iron sword
that lies across the dead man's knees, Conan takes the weapon and claims it for himself. Exulting in his newfound sense of power, he hears the sound of a dry creaking and turns to face the mummy as it begins rising from its throne, standing to its full height, having been raised from the dead by Conan's warcry.
It advances on the young barbarian
, but Conan, though frightened of the thing, stands his ground and engages in a desperate battle against the walking corpse. Finding that the wounds he inflicts are not enough to kill a creature that is already dead, he eventually manages to hurl the mummy into the fire, utterly destroying it.
Not wanting to spend the night in the haunted crypt, Conan emerges with his new weapon and, seeing no sign of the wolves, continues on his journey.
. However, in the film the mummy does not come to life.
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...
written by L. Sprague de Camp
L. Sprague de Camp
Lyon Sprague de Camp was an American author of science fiction and fantasy books, non-fiction and biography. In a writing career spanning 60 years, he wrote over 100 books, including novels and notable works of non-fiction, including biographies of other important fantasy authors...
and Lin Carter
Lin Carter
Linwood Vrooman Carter was an American author of science fiction and fantasy, as well as an editor and critic. He usually wrote as Lin Carter; known pseudonyms include H. P. Lowcraft and Grail Undwin.-Life:Carter was born in St. Petersburg, Florida...
starring the fictional sword and sorcery
Sword and sorcery
Sword and sorcery is a sub-genre of fantasy and historical fantasy, generally characterized by sword-wielding heroes engaged in exciting and violent conflicts. An element of romance is often present, as is an element of magic and the supernatural...
hero Conan the Cimmerian
Conan the Cimmerian
Conan the Cimmerian may refer to:* Conan the Barbarian, Robert E. Howard's fictional character* Conan , Dark Horse Comics' comic series about that character...
created by 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....
.
Publication history
- ConanConan (collection)Conan is a 1967 collection of seven fantasy short stories and associated pieces written by Robert E. Howard, L. Sprague de Camp and Lin Carter featuring Howard's seminal sword and sorcery hero Conan the Barbarian. Most of the stories were originally published in various pulp magazines...
(Lancer BooksLancer BooksLancer 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...
, 1967, later reissued by Ace BooksAce BooksAce Books is the oldest active specialty publisher of science fiction and fantasy books. The company was founded in New York City in 1952 by Aaron A. Wyn, and began as a genre publisher of mysteries and westerns...
) - The Conan ChroniclesThe Conan ChroniclesThe Conan Chronicles is a 1989 omnibus collection of three previous fantasy collections by Robert E. Howard, L. Sprague de Camp and Lin Carter featuring Howard's seminal sword and sorcery hero Conan the Barbarian, published by Sphere Books. The component collections had originally been published by...
(Sphere BooksSphere Books-History:Founded in 1961, Sphere Books began work on its first publication, the 1962 paperback edition of Gottfried Benn's The Trainee Man. Originally part of The Thomson Corporation, Sphere was sold to Pearson PLC in 1985 and became part of Penguin...
, 1989)
Plot summary
Conan has joined a band of warriorWarrior
A warrior is a person skilled in combat or warfare, especially within the context of a tribal or clan-based society that recognizes a separate warrior class.-Warrior classes in tribal culture:...
s from the northern country of Asgard and takes part in a raid against the Hyperboreans to the east. He is captured and enslaved by them but does not remain a prisoner for long.
Escaping his chains and slaying his captors, he makes his way south, but is pursued by a pack of hungry wolves
Gray Wolf
The gray wolf , also known as the wolf, is the largest extant wild member of the Canidae family...
. Armed only with a broken length of chain, Conan manages to fight them off until he is able to find refuge from the starving wolves in the hill
Hill
A hill is a landform that extends above the surrounding terrain. Hills often have a distinct summit, although in areas with scarp/dip topography a hill may refer to a particular section of flat terrain without a massive summit A hill is a landform that extends above the surrounding terrain. Hills...
s. There he discovers the entrance to a buried crypt
Crypt
In architecture, a crypt is a stone chamber or vault beneath the floor of a burial vault possibly containing sarcophagi, coffins or relics....
and, finding himself in a chamber into which the wolves are strangely unwilling to follow him, Conan lights a fire and soon discovers a grisly occupant.
Enthroned on a square boulder of black stone is the large mummified
Mummy
A mummy is a body, human or animal, whose skin and organs have been preserved by either intentional or incidental exposure to chemicals, extreme coldness , very low humidity, or lack of air when bodies are submerged in bogs, so that the recovered body will not decay further if kept in cool and dry...
corpse of a man, apparently a great warrior or chieftain
Chieftain
Chieftain may refer to:The leader or head of a group:* a tribal chief or a village head.* a member of the 'House of chiefs'.* a captain, to which 'chieftain' is etymologically related.* Clan chief, the head of a Scottish clan....
of ancient times. Noticing a great iron sword
Sword
A sword is a bladed weapon used primarily for cutting or thrusting. The precise definition of the term varies with the historical epoch or the geographical region under consideration...
that lies across the dead man's knees, Conan takes the weapon and claims it for himself. Exulting in his newfound sense of power, he hears the sound of a dry creaking and turns to face the mummy as it begins rising from its throne, standing to its full height, having been raised from the dead by Conan's warcry.
It advances on the young barbarian
Barbarian
Barbarian and savage are terms used to refer to a person who is perceived to be uncivilized. The word is often used either in a general reference to a member of a nation or ethnos, typically a tribal society as seen by an urban civilization either viewed as inferior, or admired as a noble savage...
, but Conan, though frightened of the thing, stands his ground and engages in a desperate battle against the walking corpse. Finding that the wounds he inflicts are not enough to kill a creature that is already dead, he eventually manages to hurl the mummy into the fire, utterly destroying it.
Not wanting to spend the night in the haunted crypt, Conan emerges with his new weapon and, seeing no sign of the wolves, continues on his journey.
Miscellaneous
The scenes in the story involving Conan's flight from the wolves and his discovery of the crypt, sword and mummy parallel those in the film Conan the Barbarian (1982) directed by John MiliusJohn Milius
John Frederick Milius is an American screenwriter, director, and producer of motion pictures.-Early life:Milius was born in St. Louis, Missouri, the son of Elizabeth and William Styx Milius, who was a shoe manufacturer. Milius attempted to join the Marine Corps in the late 1960s, but was rejected...
. However, in the film the mummy does not come to life.