WIST Quotations

Howard, Robert E. -- “Queen of the Black Coast” (1934)

Dave — Mon, 09 May 2016 15:19:23 +0000

He shrugged his shoulders. “I have known many gods. He who denies them is as blind as he who trusts them too deeply. I seek not beyond death. It may be the blackness averred by the Nemedian skeptics, or Crom’s realm of ice and cloud, or the snowy plains and vaulted halls of the Nordheimer’s Valhalla. I know not, nor do I care. Let me live deep while I live; let me know the rich juices of red meat and stinging wine on my palate, the hot embrace of white arms, the mad exultation of battle when the blue blades flame and crimson, and I am content. Let teachers and priests and philosophers brood over questions of reality and illusion. I know this: if life is illusion, then I am no less an illusion, and being thus, the illusion is real to me. I live, I burn with life, I love, I slay, and am content.”

Robert E. Howard (1906–1936) American author
“Queen of the Black Coast” (1934)

Howard, Robert E. -- “Skulls in the Stars,” Weird Tales (Jan 1929)

Dave — Mon, 18 Apr 2016 16:01:39 +0000

For man’s only weapon is courage that flinches not from the gates of Hell itself, and against such not even the legions of Hell can stand.

Robert E. Howard (1906–1936) American author
“Skulls in the Stars,” Weird Tales (Jan 1929)
(Source)

Howard, Robert E. -- “The Mirrors of Tuzun Thune” (1929)

Dave — Mon, 16 May 2016 15:27:25 +0000

Kull was still mazed. “But being a wizard, having knowledge of all the ages and despising gold, glory, and position, what could Kaanuub offer Tuzun Thune that would make of him a foul traitor?”

“Gold, power, and position,” grunted Brule. “The sooner you learn that men are men whether wizard, king, or thrall, the better you will rule, Kull.”

Robert E. Howard (1906–1936) American author
“The Mirrors of Tuzun Thune” (1929)

Howard, Robert E. -- “The Phoenix on the Sword” (1932)

Dave — Mon, 25 Apr 2016 13:06:20 +0000

When I was a fighting man, the kettle-drum they beat,
The people scattered gold-dust before my horse’s feet;
But now I am a great king, the people hound my track
With poison in my wine-cup, and daggers at my back.

Robert E. Howard (1906–1936) American author
“The Phoenix on the Sword” (1932)

Howard, Robert E. -- “The Phoenix on the Sword” (1932)

Dave — Mon, 02 May 2016 17:32:19 +0000

Hither came Conan the Cimmerian, black-haired, sullen-eyed, sword in hand, a thief, a reaver, a slayer, with gigantic melancholies and gigantic mirth, to tread the jeweled thrones of the Earth under his sandalled feet.

Robert E. Howard (1906–1936) American author
“The Phoenix on the Sword” (1932)

Howard, Robert E. -- “The Tower of the Elephant” (1933)

Dave — Fri, 26 Feb 2016 17:11:14 +0000

Civilized men are more discourteous than savages because they know they can be impolite without having their skulls split, as a general thing.

Robert E. Howard (1906–1936) American author
“The Tower of the Elephant” (1933)

Howard, Robert E. -- Letter to H. P. Lovecraft (5 Dec 1935)

Dave — Mon, 06 Jun 2016 13:17:32 +0000

You express amazement at my statement that “civilized” men try to justify their looting, butchering and plundering by claiming that these things are done in the interests of art, progress and culture. That this simple statement of fact should cause surprise, amazes me in return. People claiming to possess superior civilization have always veneered their rapaciousness by such claims […] Your friend Mussolini is a striking modern-day example. In that speech of his I heard translated he spoke feelingly of the expansion of civilization. From time to time he has announced; “The sword and civilization go hand in hand!” “Wherever the Italian flag waves it will be as a symbol of civilization!” “Africa must be brought into civilization!” It is not, of course, because of any selfish motive that he has invaded a helpless country, bombing, burning and gassing both combatants and non-combatants by the thousands. Oh, no, according to his own assertions it is all in the interests of art, culture and progress, just as the German war-lords were determined to confer the advantages of Teutonic Kultur on a benighted world, by fire and lead and steel. Civilized nations never, never have selfish motives for butchering, raping and looting; only horrid barbarians have those.

Robert E. Howard (1906–1936) American author
Letter to H. P. Lovecraft (5 Dec 1935)

Howard, Robert E. -- Letter to Harold Preece (c. Dec 1928)

Dave — Tue, 31 May 2016 14:03:49 +0000

I could name all day, those women I deem great in Greece alone and the records would scarcely be complete. And what of Joan of Arc and Emma Goldman? Kate Richards O’Hare and Sarah Bernhardt? Katherine the Great and Elizabeth Barrett Browning? H.D. and Sara Teasdale? Isibella of Spain who pawned her gems that Columbus might sail, and Edna St. Vincent Millay? And that queen, Marie, I think her name was, of some small province — Hungary I believe — who fought Prussia and Russia so long and so bitterly. And Rome — oh, the list is endless there, also — most of them were glorified harlots but better be a glorified harlot than a drab and moral drone, such as the text books teach us woman should be. Woman have always been the inspiration of men, and just as there are thousands of unknown great ones among men, there have been countless women whose names have never been blazoned across the stars, but who have inspired men on to glory.

Robert E. Howard (1906–1936) American author
Letter to Harold Preece (c. Dec 1928)

Howard, Robert E. -- Letter to Harold Preece (early 1928)

Dave — Wed, 21 Dec 2022 15:23:31 +0000

Break the skin of civilization and you find the ape, roaring and red-handed.

Robert E. Howard (1906–1936) American author
Letter to Harold Preece (early 1928)
(Source)

Howard, Robert E. -- Letter to Tevis Clyde Smith (Jul 1923)

Dave — Tue, 24 May 2016 13:45:03 +0000

When a nation forgets her skill in war, when her religion becomes a mockery, when the whole nation becomes a nation of money-grabbers, then the wild tribes, the barbarians drive in. … Who will our invaders be? From whence will they come?

Robert E. Howard (1906–1936) American author
Letter to Tevis Clyde Smith (Jul 1923)

WIST Quotations

Howard, Robert E. -- “Queen of the Black Coast” (1934)

Howard, Robert E. -- “Skulls in the Stars,” Weird Tales (Jan 1929)

Howard, Robert E. -- “The Mirrors of Tuzun Thune” (1929)

Howard, Robert E. -- “The Phoenix on the Sword” (1932)

Howard, Robert E. -- “The Phoenix on the Sword” (1932)

Howard, Robert E. -- “The Tower of the Elephant” (1933)

Howard, Robert E. -- Letter to H. P. Lovecraft (5 Dec 1935)

Howard, Robert E. -- Letter to Harold Preece (c. Dec 1928)

Howard, Robert E. -- Letter to Harold Preece (early 1928)

Howard, Robert E. -- Letter to Tevis Clyde Smith (Jul 1923)﻿

Howard, Robert E. -- Letter to Tevis Clyde Smith (Jul 1923)