Today, January 22, marks the birth of Robert E. Howard (1906-1936). In observance, I’m going to look at “The House of Arabu”. I read it in The Horror Stories of Robert E. Howard. It will be reprinted in Renegade Swords from DMR Books later this year. Look for it. I’ll have an announcement when more details about Renegade Swords are released, details such as the publication date.
I don’t know when “The House of Arabu” was written. It wasn’t published until 1952 in The Avon Fantasy Reader #18 under the title “The Witch From Hell’s Kitchen”. I like Howard’s original title much better. The story has been reprinted several times, but it isn’t as well known as much of Howard’s other sword and sorcery. I did notice that the version reprinted in The Ultimate Triumph had a slightly different closing line than the version in The Horror Stories of Robert E. Howard.
The story is set in Mesopotamia. The protagonist is a mercenary from Scandinavia named Pyrrhas. He’s in charge of the defenses for the city where the story takes place.
Yes, he’s a brooding barbarian.
There is a curse on Pyrrhas. In his attempt to try and find the source, he visits an evil sorcerer, takes a goddess captive, and fights a demon in the realm of the dead. There’s plenty of intrigue and action. It’s a solid S&S adventure, and it’s done well.
I suspect, and this is just a guess, that “The House of Arabu” predates Conan. The story could almost be a Conan story with the serial numbers filed off. Almost. The real-world setting doesn’t quite work as well as the Hyborian Age does. The character of Pyrrhas isn’t as well developed as some of Howard’s other characters. He’s not quite a Clonan.
Cover art by Brian LeBlanc for the forthcoming Renegade Swords
And I think that that might be the reason this story might not be familiar to the casual Howard fan. Pyrrhas is not Conan. But you can see traces of Conan there. The prose is good, but it’s not A-game Howard. It’s as though Howard has an inkling, no, a firm idea, of what he’s trying to do. He’s just not quite at that level yet.
Frankly, if this tale were written before Howard created Conan, I don’t understand why he didn’t recycle it into a Conan story. It would have been a solid entry into the series with just a little tweaking. And while not rising to the level of, say, “The People of the Black Circle” or “Beyond the Black River”, it would certainly be an improvement on “The Vale of Lost Women”.
If you’ve got a copy of “The House of Arabu”, give it a read. If not, then be patient. As I stated above, DMR Books is going to reprint it later this year in Renegade Swords, which will be an anthology featuring lesser known works by some big names in the field. Look for it.
If I remember right Pyrrhas was described as an Argive which would make him Greek not Scandinavian.
I remember liking this story. There aren’t many stories set in ancient Mesopotamia.
You may be right. Pyrrhas swears by Ymir a few times, and unless I’m more mentally drained than I thought, Ymir was a Norse god, not a Greek god.
Ymir was a Frost Giant in Norse Mythology. However, Ymir was a god of the Hyborian age in the Conan stories. In Valley of the Worm, James Allison swears by Ymir also. So I assumed it was that Ymir that Pyrrhas was swearing to. I don’t think, though I’m not a certain, that Ymir the Frost Giant was worshiped in ancient Norway. I could be wrong though.
Okay, according to wikipedia it is fairly complicated on whether Ymir was worshiped or not.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ymir#Theories_and_interpretations
Apparently, he was not a god in what we think of in Norse Mythology but a Frost Giant (who are hard to differentiate from giants) but he may have been based on a god from a previous religion. Howard, probably, knew this and this is why he has character’s swear by Ymir.
I checked my copy of House of Arabu in an old anthology and Pyrrhas is described as an Argive who are definitely Greek
https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Argive
So … it’s complicated.
Thanks for the followup. Definitely complicated.
Not quite THAT complicated, but complicated enough, I guess. REH had the original Mycenaean conquerors of the Pelasgian stock be mostly of AEsir descent. “Arabu” is set early enough that the Mycenaeans/Argives haven’t yet adopted the Pelasgian gods. Or, it could be a holdover, the way that Turlogh named his pirate ship “Crom’s Hate”.
Pyrrhas is NOT Scandinavian, though.
I concede I was wrong about Pyrrhas being Scandiavian. This story is set in a time period I don’t know much about and my ignorance was publicly showing.
This reminds me of the research I did for Spirit Bow. My story takes place in ancient Sumer. The Sumerians’ enemy, before the Akkadians, was the Guteans. Guteans are described as blond with fair skin and who lived in the Zagros mountains. Babylonian sources later described them as uncultured and uncouth, having a “human face, dogs’ cunning, and “monkey’s build”.
Interesting. I don’t know much about that time period. Looks like I have homework to do.
Sounds cool, Woelf!
Thanks! This is the one project my wife keeps pushing me to finish.
Your wife is wise. Listen to her. 🙂
That she is. lol
“I’m going to look at “The House of Arabu”. I read it in The Horror Stories of Robert E. Howard. It will be reprinted in Renegade Swords from DMR Books later this year. Look for it.”
Thanks for the shout-out!
Roy Thomas’ comic adaptation of “Arabu” in CtB #38 was my first intro to REH’s work. I don’t think that prejudices me, however. I can name off five “first stories” from authors that that I don’t rate highly.
“I don’t know when “The House of Arabu” was written. It wasn’t published until 1952 in The Avon Fantasy Reader #18 under the title “The Witch From Hell’s Kitchen”.”
Don Wollheim–the most important editor in the history of S&S, in some ways–published that in the AFR. Seeing it was what alerted de Camp to the fat that there were unpublished REH typescripts out there. So, just for that, “Arabu” is a pivotal S&S tale.
Regarding when it was published, Louinet hasn’t made a public statement, but I know he thinks that it is a rewrite–in some ways–of “Two Against Tyre”. Personally, I would place it (maybe) very late in 1931 or (more likely) sometime in ’32. I suspect a Merritt influence upon it as well.
“I suspect, and this is just a guess, that “The House of Arabu” predates Conan. The story could almost be a Conan story with the serial numbers filed off. The prose is good, but it’s not A-game Howard. It’s as though Howard has an inkling, no, a firm idea, of what he’s trying to do. He’s just not quite at that level yet. Frankly, if this tale were written before Howard created Conan, I don’t understand why he didn’t recycle it into a Conan story.”
I agree that it’s very Conanic. I just don’t agree that the prose isn’t “A-game”. Personally, I would rather read this yarn over “mature” REH Conan yarns like “Man-Eaters in Zamboula” or “The Servants of Bit-Yakin”. I would also read it over most of the Kull yarns. There is a doomfulness and lurking horror to it that sticks with me. Pyrrhas isn’t Conan and maybe he wasn’t meant to be. He reminds me more of Cormac Fitzgeoffrey or Donald MacDeesa.
When all is said and done, I consider “Arabu” one of the truly neglected S&S yarns of REH.
You’re welcome on the shout-out.
Thanks for the background on the story. I was hoping you would comment on that.
I’m willing to walk the “A-game” remark back a bit. I agree that this story is better than some of the Conan tales. Now that classes have started, most of my reading is done late in the evening, when I’m starting to shut down.
Thank you for the post, Mr. West. I agree with Deuce that this story is one of Howard’s neglected gems and it is great to see someone push it into the light where it belongs. I’ve always felt that Pyrrhas was different from Conan; he has his own ‘voice’ so to speak and the “House of Arabu” very definitely makes an impression.
Thanks again.
You’re quite welcome. I’m glad you enjoyed the post.
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