Chronologically Speaking, Part Three: "Black Colossus"

Chronologically Speaking is a series focused solely on chronologizing the Conan of Cimmeria stories. It's an analysis of only the text of Robert E. Howard's original Conan tales. I'm examining the stories one at a time, in publication order, to show explicit chronological notes to order the stories.

"Black Colossus" is the fourth Conan story to reach publication, hitting magazine racks in the July 1933 issue of Weird Tales. Howard earned $130 from Farnsworth Wright and came three months after the previous publication, "The Tower of the Elephant." As a first for Howard, the story graced the cover and was the first story in the issue's contents.

"Black Colossus" features one of the best openings in any Robert E. Howard story but Conan isn't even seen until well into chapter 2, at which point, his physical description is made clear immediately.

• Conan is clad as a captain of mercenaries, including a scarlet cloak: "He stood facing her, his hand on the long hilt that jutted forward from beneath the scarlet cloak which flowed carelessly from his mailed shoulders. The torchlight glinted dully on the polished blue steel of his greaves and basinet. A more baleful fire glittered bluely in his eyes. At first glance she saw he was no Kothian; when he spoke she knew he was no Hyborian. He was clad like a captain of the mercenaries, and in that desperate command there were men of many lands, barbarians as well as civilized foreigners. There was a wolfishness about this warrior that marked the barbarian."
  • In "The Tower of the Elephant," Conan was a young wanderer with just a worn tunic and a hand-me-down scabbard, so he has clearly made lots of progress in his career. 
  • The scarlet cloak Conan wears in this story is sometimes considered a chronological marker for Conan readers as he is noted as wearing a scarlet cloak in other stories, possibly placing them next to one another. However, they could be different red cloaks.
• Conan now understands not only social conventions of taverns, but local politics as well: "I've but come from the last wine-shop open. Ishtar's curse on these white-livered reformers who close the grog-houses! 'Let men sleep rather than guzzle,' they say—aye, so they can work and fight better for their masters! Soft-gutted eunuchs, I call them."
  • In "The Tower of the Elephant," Conan failed to understand several social cues in his interactions with others. He apparently now has a grasp of reform politics. He also understands the diplomatic relations between Ophir, Koth, and Khoraja, mentioned later in the story.
• Conan mentions having served with mercenaries of Corinthia: "When I served with the mercenaries of Corinthia, we swilled and wenched all night and fought all day; aye, blood ran down the channels of our swords." This time period in Conan's life is never explicitly shown in Howard stories.
• Conan identifies himself as a captain of mercenaries: "'Who are you?' she asked abruptly. 'Conan, a captain of the mercenary spearmen,' he answered, emptying the wine-cup at a gulp and holding it out for more. 'I was born in Cimmeria.'" He has evidently had enough time to rise in the ranks for the Khorajan army.
• Conan's kingship is previewed: "'By my fingerbones, Conan, I have seen kings who wore their harness less regally than you!' Conan was silent. A vague shadow crossed his mind like a prophecy. In years to come he was to remember Amalric's words, when the dream became the reality." 
  • "Black Colossus" must obviously take place prior to Conan's kingship in "The Phoenix on the Sword" and "The Scarlet Citadel."
• Conan's Zamorian thieving days are mentioned by a Shemite thief as a thing of the past: "By Derketo, Conan, I am a prince of liars, but I do not lie to an old comrade. I swear by the days when we were thieves together in the land of Zamora, before you donned hauberk!" This obviously places "Black Colossus" after "The Tower of the Elephant."

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"Black Colossus" is not just very easy to place in our timeline so far, but it may be the most geographically-focused of all Howard's stories. Perhaps the "Hyborian Age" essay was helping him keep things straight, because the geography of the central Hyborian Age kingdoms is extremely well-crafted.

Also, Conan's birth on a battlefield is mentioned for the first time, an oft-cited characteristic of his youth. 

Here is our updated chronology.

1. The Tower of the Elephant
2. Black Colossus
3. The Phoenix on the Sword
4. The Scarlet Citadel