> Following this, if one looks up the name 'Conan' in > Dr. MacKillop's dictionary, the following can be > found: my comments are within [these brackets] > > " Conan, a name found with differing associations > in three Celtic lands. In Ireland it is:Conan [accent > on the 'a'] (hound, wolf)...In Wales it is: Conan > [Howard's spelling] (to grumble, to mutter?) In > Brittany Conan is the name for Cynnan, the British > invader of the country...Despite much conjecture, > there does not seem to be a link between any of the > Celtic figures named Conan and the Conan of the pulp > adventure fiction series of Robert E. Howard (d.1936)" >
Yeah, but given Howard's fascination and interest for Irish folklore and mythology, which is amply demonstrated in his letters to HPL (and some of the books in his library), the circumstantial evidence is pretty strong as to where the name CONAN originated. MacKillop can only say what he says by ignoring or not knowing REH's fascination with the Irish and the Celts, and the fact that REH borrowed historical names out the wazoo for his stories, or slightly altered historical names for his stories. Best, MEH -- Mark Hall Niigata Prefectural Museum of History <>
