There exist in fact about thirty such idiosyncrasies or errors. Once these were identified, there only remained the easy, if tedious and time-consuming, task of systematically checking for their respective appearances and disappearances. As stated before, the results are fragmentary, but between their fairly large number and the other clues described above, it becomes possible to establish the exact chronology of all the completed stories and to establish their writing dates within a two-month span at the maximum. The method also proved reliable enough to date the unfinished Conan tales, synopses and fragments. The following is an example of these combined techniques at work.

Queen of the Black Coast, published in Weird Tales in May 1934, was previously believed to have been composed during the second half of 1933. By applying the above methods to the surviving typescripts, a much different conclusion is reached. First, two names found in the drafts for this story suggest an earlier date: we find "Cush," which Howard later spelled "Kush," and "Nilus," which was later changed to "Styx." Second, the chapter-numbering pattern (e.g., "Chapter .1.") reveals that this tale was composed before December 1932. Third, the fact that some words are underlined establishes that the story was written after The Scarlet Citadel (Spring 1932). Additionally, with four instances of an incorrectly spelled "-ness" word, it is clear that the story predates The Pool of the Black One (November 1932). Going still further, both the second and third drafts have the word "envelop" spelled incorrectly as "envelope"; Howard consistently spelled this word correctly beginning with a letter to H. P.

Lovecraft in September 1932, so the drafts must have been written before that date. Finally, this tale has a correctly spelled "divide": the first instance of this spelling in another Howard composition was in a July 13, 1932 letter (as noted above). Thus we conclude that all the drafts of Queen of the Black Coast were written between July 13 and September 1932, a full year earlier than previously thought.

417.

NOTES ON THE ORIGINAL HOWARD TEXTS.

The texts for this edition of Volume 1 of the Complete Conan of Cimmeria were prepared by Patrice Louinet, Rusty Burke and Dave Gentzel, with a.s.sistance from Glenn Lord. The stories have been checked either against Howard's original typescripts, copies of which were furnished by Glenn Lord, or the first published appearance if a typescript was unavailable.

Drafts of Howard's stories, when extant, have also been checked to ensure the greatest accuracy. Every effort has been made to present the work of Robert E. Howard as faithfully as possible.

Deviations from the original sources are detailed in these textual notes. In the following pages, page, line and word number are given as follows: 67.5.6, indicating page 67, fifth line, sixth word. Story t.i.tles, chapter numbers and t.i.tles, and breaks before and after chapter headings, t.i.tles and ill.u.s.trations are not counted; in the poem, only text lines are counted. The page/line number will be followed by the reading in the original source, or a statement indicating the type of change made. Punctuation changes are indicated by giving the immediately preceding word followed by the original punctuation.

Cimmeria

No original Howard typescript survives. Text taken from a typescript provided by Glenn Lord, probably prepared by Emil Petaja to whom Howard sent the poem in December 1934. 3.25.5: everylasting.

The Phoenix on the Sword

Originally appeared in Weird Tales, December 1932. Weird Tales' "Thoth-Amon" has been replaced throughout with Howard's spelling: "Thoth-amon." 17.19.6: star.

The Frost-Giant's Daughter

Text taken from Howard's original typescript, provided by Glenn Lord. Howard's typewriter not allowing ligatures, "AEsir" has been rendered as "aesir" throughout. 31.18.15: no quotation mark after "Heimdul."; 32.9.1: suporting; 32.20.1: what; 32.20.3: her; 32.28.5: dazzingly;

34.11.1: barrarian's; 34.20.1: crystaline; 34.33.14: the; 36.19.3: too; 36.20.9: no quotation mark after "again."; 36.21.2: wont; 36.35.13: no comma after "mountains."

The G.o.d in the Bowl

Text taken from Howard's original typescript, provided by Glenn Lord. 41.5.12: nitches;

418.42.1.2: didnt; 42.17.2: didnt; 42.29.5: dont; 43.7.8: amswered; 43.10.7: murderered; 43.34.8: independant; 44.1.11: net-works; 44.8.2: its; 44.22.3: its; 44.23.6: Lets; 44.34.13: Dont; 45.25.12: didnt; 45.30.3: stubborn; 46.13.15: dont; 46.23.8: no comma after "men"; 46.27.4: dont; 46.28.8: corden; 46.28.15: no quotation mark after "it."; 47.13.5: isnt; 47.14.2: havent;

48.18.2: didnt; 48.23.5: period instead of question mark after "stay"; 48.26.2: dont; 48.30.2: dont; 48.30.5: dont; 48.33.6: no comma after "who"; 48.37.9: wouldnt; 49.9.1: Dont; 49.32.12: period instead of question mark after "secrecy"; 49.38.1: procede; 50.6.9: heiroglyphics;

51.11.4: Its; 51.16.2: heiroglyphs; 51.25.9: Its; 51.28.5: groves; 51.28.8: heiroglyphics;

52.19.2: didnt; 52.24.3: whither; 52.28.13: nitche; 54.3.9: couldnt; 54.11.10: Its; 54.13.3: couldnt; 54.17.1: Its; 54.20.4: Its; 54.20.13: couldnt; 54.27.12: every; 54.28.6: didnt; 54.30.6: cant; 54.37.2: heiroglyphic; 55.31.10: Dont; 55.32.5: "ne phew"; 56.2.10: villianous; 56.7.12: didnt; 56.14.1: wouldnt; 56.15.6: We; 56.31.13: perfect's; 57.37.7: cushes.

The Tower of the Elephant

Originally appeared in Weird Tales, March 1933. No changes have been made for this edition.

The Scarlet Citadel

Text taken from Howard's original typescript, provided by Glenn Lord. 86.25.1: lived; 86.37.7: king; 88.33.1: swordsmen; 89.10.4: "of" repeated; 90.25.2: it; 91.34.13: "his" absent from original; 92.25.1: Skukeli. 94.40.12: ristling. 95.7.3: comma after "darkness"; 95.40.12: im;

97.16.3: pouding; 97.23.6: laugher; 97.26.12: no comma after "gloating"; 97.29.12: no comma after "killer"; 98.3.8: period instead of comma after "carefully"; next word "Lest" changed accordingly to "lest"; 98.26.14: no semi-colon after "him"; 99.31.2: vibsible; 100.1.5: slaving;

100.25.8: brances; 100.26.2: comma after "body"; 101.1.11: "a" repeated; 103.8.11: "corner of" repeated; 106.3.1: Poitainians; 106.12.5: five's; 106.25.2: no comma after "marble";

106.37.4: father; 107.19.10: roayl; 108.15.4: "at" not in original; 108.21.4: "conditions"

followed by a period instead of a comma; 108.30.6: procalmation; 109.3.6: wirthing; 109.4.7: wenches of; 110.6.12: greasure; 110.28.1: beleagured; 111.19.3: throgh; 111.20.6: brrowed;

111.20.8: miles; 112.25.5: grat; 112.27.1: ecstacy; 113.12.3: Tsotah; 113.26.16: any; 113.29.4: very; 113.37.11: "army" repeated; 117.29.9: aprt; 118.21.1: sky-ward.

Queen of the Black Coast

Originally appeared in Weird Tales, May 1934. 122.15.11: bowman; 127.27.7: anaswered;

132.33.4: warrior's; 136.17.4: back; 140.13.8: Howl; 140.24.13: re.

Black Colossus

Originally appeared in Weird Tales, June 1933. 177.30.3: particuluar.

419.

Iron Shadows in the Moon

Originally appeared in Weird Tales, April 1934 under the t.i.tle "Shadows in the Moonlight."

204.20.3: dropped.

Xuthal of the Dusk

Originally appeared in Weird Tales, September 1933 under the t.i.tle "The Slithering Shadow."

229.11.7: question mark instead of period after "me"; 229.26.3: non-committally.

The Pool of the Black One

Originally appeared in Weird Tales, October 1933. No changes have been made for this edition.

Rogues in the House

Originally appeared in Weird Tales, January 1934. 284.32.4: labyrinthin; 287.10.1: single quote instead of double quote before "In"; 290.7.7: "warn ing".

The Vale of Lost Women

Text taken from Howard's original typescript, provided by Glenn Lord. The typescript has a number of editing marks on it, not in Howard's hand, which makes some readings of the punctuation conjectural. 303.13.2: crystalized; 304.7.10: eye-b.a.l.l.s; 304.7.13: fire-light;

304.19.8: "a an"; 304.40.11: automoton; 305.15.1: semi-colon instead of comma after "stool";

305.39.12: period instead of comma after "stool"; 306.5.13: exceded; 306.7.12: "High strapped"; 306.27.7: "snor ing"; 307.1.5: period instead of comma after "hand"; 307.31.11: futiley; 308.26.8: existant; 308.27.13: comma after "indeed"; 308.31.10: extra s.p.a.ce between the double quote and "and"; 309.23.6: set; 310.19.5: colon after "exultant"; 311.5.13: wholesale; 311.28.14: period instead of comma after "boma"; 312.1.1: Liva; 312.10.2: with;

313.5.12: Balakas; 313.22.2: reitterated; 314.7.12: supply; 314.10.6: stroke; 316.18.15: torchlight; 316.38.11: "where ever"; 317.8.5: period instead of comma after "embarra.s.sed."