The Witch of the Mists
Encyclopedia
"The Witch of the Mists" is a short story
by L. Sprague de Camp
and Lin Carter
featuring the fictional sword and sorcery
hero Conan the Barbarian
created by Robert E. Howard
. It was first published in the August 1972 issue of the magazine Fantastic
, and was first appeared in book form by Ace Books
in the paperback collection Conan of Aquilonia
in May 1977, which was reprinted several times through 1994. The first British
edition was published by Sphere Books
in October 1978.
, King Conan of Aquilonia is hunting with Prince Conn, his teenaged son and heir. The boy is captured by a band of Hyperborean witch-men, servants of the witch queen Louhi, as bait to lure Conan into a trap.
Conan travels north to Hyperborea for the first time since escaping captivity there during his own youth in "The Thing in the Crypt
." To reach the citadel of Pohiola, where the prince is being held, Conan fights his way through desolate country, battling flesh-eating swamp people and braving near-starvation. He crosses the Hyperborean border, marked with a gigantic, rune-inscribed skull and ultimately enters the citadel.
Confronting Louhi, he is able to free his son, discovering in the process that his arch-enemy, the Stygian sorceror Thoth-Amon
, is behind the plot.
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...
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...
featuring 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 Barbarian
Conan the Barbarian
Conan the Barbarian is a fictional sword and sorcery hero that originated in pulp fiction magazines and has since been adapted to books, comics, several films , television programs, video games, roleplaying games and other media...
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....
. It was first published in the August 1972 issue of the magazine Fantastic
Fantastic (magazine)
Fantastic was an American digest-size fantasy and science fiction magazine, published from 1952 to 1980. It was founded by Ziff-Davis as a fantasy companion to Amazing Stories. Early sales were good, and Ziff-Davis quickly decided to switch Amazing from pulp format to digest, and to cease...
, and was first appeared in book form by Ace Books
Ace Books
Ace 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...
in the paperback collection Conan of Aquilonia
Conan of Aquilonia
Conan of Aquilonia is a 1977 collection of four linked fantasy short stories written by L. Sprague de Camp and Lin Carter featuring Robert E. Howard's seminal sword and sorcery hero Conan the Barbarian. The stories were originally published in Fantastic for August 1972, July 1973, July 1974, and...
in May 1977, which was reprinted several times through 1994. The first British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
edition was published by Sphere Books
Sphere 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...
in October 1978.
Plot summary
A decade and a half after the events of Conan the ConquerorThe Hour of the Dragon
The Hour of the Dragon, also known as Conan the Conqueror, is a fantasy novel written by Robert E. Howard featuring his seminal sword and sorcery hero Conan the Cimmerian. It was first published in serial form in the pulp magazine Weird Tales in 1935 through 1936; and in book form in 1950 by Gnome...
, King Conan of Aquilonia is hunting with Prince Conn, his teenaged son and heir. The boy is captured by a band of Hyperborean witch-men, servants of the witch queen Louhi, as bait to lure Conan into a trap.
Conan travels north to Hyperborea for the first time since escaping captivity there during his own youth in "The Thing in the Crypt
The Thing in the Crypt
"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...
." To reach the citadel of Pohiola, where the prince is being held, Conan fights his way through desolate country, battling flesh-eating swamp people and braving near-starvation. He crosses the Hyperborean border, marked with a gigantic, rune-inscribed skull and ultimately enters the citadel.
Confronting Louhi, he is able to free his son, discovering in the process that his arch-enemy, the Stygian sorceror Thoth-Amon
Thoth-Amon
Thoth-Amon is a fictional character created by Robert E. Howard. He is an evil wizard in The Phoenix on the Sword, the first of the Conan the Cimmerian stories...
, is behind the plot.
External links
- Witch_of_the_Mists Conan wiki • The Witch of the Mists • Synopsis, characters, locations, and publishing history