A Witch Shall be Born

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The opening panel of A Witch Shall be Born comic adapation by Roy Thomas featuring the art of John Buscema.

The original short story was written by Robert E. Howard and first appeared in a 1934 issue of Weird Tales magazine.

"A Witch Shall be Born" is one of the original stories by Robert E. Howard about Conan the Cimmerian, first published in Weird Tales in 1934. The story was republished in the collections Conan the Barbarian (Gnome Press, 1954) and Conan the Freebooter (Lancer Books, 1968). It has more recently been published in the collections The Conan Chronicles Volume 1: The People of the Black Circle (Gollancz, 2000) and Conan of Cimmeria: Volume Two (1934) (Del Rey, 2005). Due to its powerful themes of religion and sacrifice it is an undisputed classic of Conan lore and is considered by Howard scholars to be one of his best works.^{[citation needed]}

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Queen Taramis of Khauran wakes up one day to find an identical twin sister staring her in the face. It seems that this sister, named Salome, was deemed a witch due to a red crescent birthmark. Salome was cast out into the desert but survived. Salome, along with a Shemite mercenary named Constantius, or Falcon, rape Taramis and throw her in a dark corner of the dungeon. Salome proceeds to assume Taramis' role as queen and taking Falcon as her royal consort. The palace guard is disbanded to be replaced by Falcon's Shemetish mercenaries, which turns violent when the captain of the palace guard, Conan, resists with violence.

Conan is crucified for his defiance. He strains at the iron spikes driven through his hands to no avail. Olgerd Vladislav, leader of a band of smugglers and thieves, rides by. He does not help the Cimmerian; rather he cuts across the base of the cross, leaving it to fate and Conan's toughness that he is not crushed by the heavy wood. After the spikes are removed from his hands he removes the foot spikes himself. Olgerd refuses to let him have any water, saying that he needs to wait until after a ten-mile walk to the camp to prove his worthiness to his band.

Back in Khauran, "Taramis" has taken a 180 degree turn. The farmers suffer under slave-drivers while city folk endure excessive taxation and debauchery of their daighters in the royal court.

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Conan the Barbarian
Original stories by Robert E. Howard: Beyond the Black River • Black Colossus • The Black Stranger • Cimmeria • The Devil in Iron • Drums of Tombalku • The Frost Giant's Daughter • The God in the Bowl • The Hall of the Dead • The Hand of Nergal • The Hour of the Dragon • Iron Shadows in the Moon • Jewels of Gwahlur • The People of the Black Circle • The Phoenix on the Sword • The Pool of the Black One • Queen of the Black Coast • Red Nails • Rogues in the House • The Scarlet Citadel • Shadows in Zamboula • The Snout in the Dark • The Tower of the Elephant • The Vale of Lost Women • A Witch Shall be Born • Wolves Beyond the Border • Xuthal of the Dusk
Collections: Black Colossus • The Bloody Crown of Conan • The Coming of Conan • The Coming of Conan the Cimmerian • The Complete Chronicles of Conan • Conan • The Conan Chronicles • The Conan Chronicles, 1 • The Conan Chronicles 2 • The Conan Chronicles, 2 • Conan of Aquilonia • Conan of Cimmeria • Conan the Adventurer • Conan the Avenger • Conan the Barbarian • Conan the Freebooter • Conan the Swordsman • Conan the Usurper • Conan the Wanderer • Conan the Warrior • The Conquering Sword of Conan • The Devil in Iron • The Essential Conan • Jewels of Gwahlur • King Conan • The People of the Black Circle • Pool of the Black One • Queen of the Black Coast • Red Nails • Rogues in the House • Sagas of Conan • The Sword of Conan • Tales of Conan • The Tower of the Elephant • The Treasure of Tranicos
Novels: Conan and the Amazon • Conan and the Emerald Lotus • Conan and the Death Lord of Thanza • Conan and the Gods of the Mountain • Conan and The Grim Grey God • Conan and the Manhunters • Conan and the Mists of Doom • Conan and the Shaman's Curse • Conan and the Sorcerer • Conan and the Spider God • Conan and the Treasure of Python • Conan at the Demon's Gate • Conan, Lord of the Black River • Conan of the Isles • Conan of the Red Brotherhood • Conan of Venarium • Conan, Scourge of the Bloody Coast • Conan the Barbarian • Conan the Bold • Conan the Buccaneer • Conan the Champion • Conan the Defender • Conan the Defiant • Conan the Destroyer • Conan the Fearless • Conan the Formidable • Conan the Freelance • Conan the Gladiator • Conan the Great • Conan the Guardian • Conan the Hero • Conan the Hunter • Conan the Indomitable • Conan the Invincible • Conan the Liberator • Conan the Magnificent • Conan the Marauder • Conan the Mercenary • Conan the Outcast • Conan the Raider • Conan the Rebel • Conan the Relentless • Conan the Renegade • Conan the Rogue • Conan the Savage • Conan the Triumphant • Conan the Unconquered • Conan the Valiant • Conan the Valorous • Conan the Victorious • Conan the Warlord • The Hour of the Dragon • The Return of Conan • The Road of Kings • The Sword of Skelos
Scholarship: The Blade of Conan • The Conan Grimoire • The Conan Reader • The Conan Swordbook • The Spell of Conan •
Authors: Poul Anderson • Leonard Carpenter • Lin Carter • L. Sprague de Camp • Roland J. Green • John C. Hocking • Robert E. Howard • Robert Jordan • Sean A. Moore • Björn Nyberg • Andrew J. Offutt • Steve Perry • John Maddox Roberts • Roy Thomas • Harry Turtledove • Karl Edward Wagner
Other media: Conan and the Young Warriors • Conan the Adventurer • Conan (comics) • Conan (Dark Horse comic) • Conan the Barbarian (film) • Conan the Destroyer • Red Sonja (film)
Characters: Bêlit • Conan the Barbarian • Crom • Kulan Gath • Red Sonja • Serpent Men • Serpent people • Set • Thoth-Amon • Thulsa Doom • Valeria • Vammatar • Xaltotun
Other: Conan (books) • Conan Chronologies • Hyborian Age • The Hyborian Age • The Shadow of the Vulture • Aquilonia • Cimmeria • Stygia

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A Witch Shall be Born

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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