War cries echo and flint-tipped arrows whistle through the air between tall trees. 

Here, in the untamed wilderness, dwell the Picts – a people as enigmatic as they are fierce. But are these the Picts of ancient Scotland? Or are they something else entirely? 

Join us as we peel back the layers of myth and history, exploring how Robert E. Howard’s vision transformed a historical footnote into a cornerstone of fantasy literature. 

Historical Picts and Their Cultural Inspirations

In the mists of ancient Britain, a people etched their legacy into the rugged landscape of Caledonia. The Picts, those fierce warriors of the north, have long captivated the imagination of historians and storytellers alike. Their origins, shrouded in mystery, trace back to the fringes of Roman Britain, where they carved out a fierce reputation as the unconquerable tribes beyond Hadrian’s Wall.

The Picts left behind intricate stone carvings and elaborate metalwork, a testament to their artistic prowess. Their social structure, while often oversimplified by outsiders, was a nuanced assemblage of clans and kingships, woven together by bonds of kinship and shared purpose.

In the grand theater of British history, the Picts stood as a bulwark against Roman expansion, their fierce resistance earning them the grudging respect of their would-be conquerors. Yet as the centuries rolled on, their distinct culture would fade, absorbed into the broader lineage of Scottish identity.

It was this tantalizing blend of historical fact and shadowy legend that caught the eye of Robert E. Howard, that master wordsmith of the pulp era. In the Picts, Howard saw a canvas ripe for reimagining, a foundation upon which to build a culture both familiar and novel.

Howard would go on to infuse his fictional Picts with echoes of the Native American tribes he knew of from his upbringing in Texas. The crafty warfare of the Comanches, the fierce pride of the Apache – these elements found new life in the dense forests of Howard’s Pictish wilderness. Yet Howard didn’t stop there. He also wove in strands of Celtic myth and Scottish folklore, creating an identity as rich and complex as any tartan.

Thanks to his alchemical skill of a master storyteller, Howard’s Picts became a primal force, a people out of time, ancient when the world was young, yet persisting into the twilight of empires. In his deft hands, the historical Picts became a lens through which to explore the eternal struggle between civilization and barbarism. 

Howard’s Reimagining of the Picts

In the verdant expanse of Howard’s Hyborian Age, the Picts emerge as a reimagined race, short, compact, and wiry. Howard’s Picts are an amalgam of early 20th century stereotypes, blending elements from Native American, African, and Pacific cultures into something uniquely his own.

The contrast between these fictional Picts and their historical counterparts is stark. While the historical Picts left behind evidence of their foray into artisanal craftsmanship, Howard’s creations are portrayed as more primitive. Yet in this seeming regression, Howard found a wellspring of narrative power.

Howard’s decision to prioritize narrative punch over strict historical accuracy was deliberate. By freeing the Picts from the constraints of recorded history, he transformed them into a versatile literary device. Their presence infuses the Hyborian Age with a sense of lurking danger, particularly in stories like “Beyond the Black River,” where the forest itself becomes an antagonist.

The Picts often serve as both foil and mirror to Conan himself, challenging him to reconcile his own brutal instincts with the complexities of the civilized world. This tension forms the backbone of Howard’s Conan stories, with the Picts embodying the raw, untamed forces that civilization seeks to suppress.

Even among the lesser-known Pictish characters in Howard’s tales, like Gonar the shaman, we find insights into who the Picts were in Howard’s imagination. Through Gonar, whose mystical insights span millennia, we get hints at there being arcane knowledge that is passed down through generations of Picts. The embellishments Howard added to his fictional Picts – their shamanistic magic, their primordial gods like Jhebbal Sag – serve to deepen the fantasy elements of his world and link the Picts to primal forces beyond human comprehension.

As we drive deeper into the intricacies of Howard’s Pictish creation, we find ourselves compelled to draw closer comparisons. How do the lives of fictional Picts measure up against what we know of their historical counterparts? In examining these parallels and divergences, we uncover the true depth of Howard’s creative vision.

Comparing Howard’s Picts to the Real Picts

In terms of daily life, Howard’s Picts appear as stone age hunter-gatherers, contrasted to the more settled agricultural society of the historical Picts. While archaeological evidence points to sophisticated settlements and farming practices among the historical Picts, Howard’s creations skulk through dense forests.

The societal structure of Howard’s Picts mirrors some aspects of what we know about historical Pictish society, particularly in terms of leadership. Both feature prominent chiefs and kings, though Howard adds his own twist with the naming conventions. He gives his royal Picts names with a “b-r” construction (like Bran or Brule), while other Picts often have names with a “g-r” structure (such as Gonar or Gorm).

Cultural practices, especially religious beliefs and rituals, showcase Howard’s imaginative prowess. While historical Picts likely practiced a form of Celtic paganism, Howard’s Picts engage in shamanistic practices with a cosmic horror bent. This evolution in Howard’s writing, from early stories influenced by Theosophical ideas to later tales incorporating Lovecraftian elements, adds a layer of eldritch mystery to his Pictish culture.

The language of Howard’s Picts diverges significantly from what we know of historical Pictish linguistics. While the historical Picts likely spoke a Celtic language, Howard invented his own linguistic elements for his fictional Picts. This creative liberty was explained by Howard in a later letter to Lovecraft, where Howard suggested that his fictional prehistoric Picts were replaced by a later Celtic group that took their name.

In their relationships with other groups, both Howard’s Picts and the historical Picts share a common thread of conflict and trade. The historical Picts famously resisted Roman expansion, while Howard’s Picts engaged in ongoing strife with the encroaching Aquilonian settlers. Yet both groups also participate in extensive trade networks, with Howard’s inland Picts possessing exotic goods like ostrich feathers from distant Kush, mirroring the far-reaching trade connections of the historical Picts.

Howard’s depiction of Pictish women, while sparse, offers a glimpse into his conception of gender roles within Pictish society. The mention of women being sought from other Pictish groups to maintain the purity of the royal line suggests a patriarchal structure with arranged marriages, at least among the elite. This limited portrayal aligns more with the gender norms of Howard’s time than with any historical reality of Pictish society.

This interplay between historical fact and creative fiction sets the stage for a broader exploration of Howard’s literary legacy and invites us to consider the lasting impact of Howard’s visionary world-building on the landscape of fantasy fiction.

The Legacy of Howard’s Picts

In the realm of visual media, Howard’s Picts have undergone a fascinating evolution. The late 1960s saw Frank Frazetta’s interpretation push the Picts further into the realm of the primitive, depicting them as almost caveman-like entities. This visual reimagining found its way into Marvel’s comics of the 1970s, where the Picts were portrayed as near-Neanderthals. Yet, as tastes and sensibilities shifted, so too did the depiction of the Picts. By the 2000s, Dark Horse comics had steered away from this caveman aesthetic, instead imbuing the Picts with a more nuanced, Native American-inspired look.

Moreover, Howard’s Picts provide a through-line that connects various eras of his own fictional history. From the Thurian Age of Kull to the Hyborian Age of Conan, and even into the historical period with figures like Bran Mak Morn, the Picts serve as a constant, evolving presence. This continuity adds depth and richness to Howard’s world-building, creating a sense of vast, sweeping history that has captivated readers for generations.

The legacy of Howard’s Picts, then, stands as a testament to Howard’s creative vision, his ability to blend historical research with pure imagination to create something entirely new. As we continue to explore and reimagine Howard’s worlds, the Picts remain a powerful symbol of the tension between the known and the unknown, a tension that lies at the heart of so much fantasy literature.

In the end, perhaps the true magic of Howard’s Picts lies not in their historical accuracy, but in their ability to ignite our own imaginations, inviting us to explore the savage beauty of worlds both ancient and eternally new.