Elric: The Eternal Exception?

[Martin]

When you're talking with people about what is typical for Sword & Sorcery and its protagonist, it seems to be a pretty regular thing that someone will point out that Elric doesn't fit the description; whatever it is.
But is this really the case? I've only read a few stories with little context, but the only thing really unusual that I am aware of is that Elric is somehow involved in a cosmic struggle between the forces of Order and Chaos, which makes the series not really about small scale personal issues as is usually considered typical of Sword & Sorcery. But in the stories that I have read there wasn't even that?

Is there really something truly unusual and unique about Elric? When you compare him with Conan and Fafrd and Gray Mouser he does stand out a bit, not being a big strong barbarian only interested in simple pleasures. But that would be a much too narrow guideline for what Sword & Sorcery is.

[Charles]

It's been quite a while since I read the Elric books, but as I remember, the biggest difference between Elric and folks like Conan, Brak, Fafrd, etc is that Elric tends to hesitate more in taking action because he spends time considering the complexities of any action. This makes him, to me, a more wishy-washy character than the others. Maybe it makes him seem smarter than the others, but I don't know that Conan etc aren't smart enough to understand the complexities, they just realize that they can't understand them all no matter what and take whatever action seems most natural to them at the moment.

[Martin]

Yeah, that's a good point. Elric seems to be a lot less about action adventures than commonly seen. But then, Kane can also go for pretty long stretches without fight scenes.

[Dan]

Some observations of the top of my head:

Elric's origins are almost the polar opposite of most S&S heroes, he is born royalty, he's not a barbarian (as you pointed out Martin).

He's also a sorcerer (though perhaps not in the traditional sense) and often will use magic instead of simply battling with his soul stealing sword.

He is not good, nor moral. In fact many of his decisions are even pointed out to be decisions of necessity, not morality. I'm not sure he has a specific moral or honor code. Though I think he means well in general, his point of view is generally skewed compared to the straight ahead notions of the barbaric heroes. Ultimately he is a betrayer and kills many of his friends and family.

Elric is a weakling, he is addicted to a draught that keeps him alive (or the soul stealing sword which strengthens him but he is loath to use), at least in some earlier works.

As mentioned he is on a grander quest against/for the gods, though I don't find that a deciding difference between him and other S&S heroes. As that's the over-arcing story, throughout are mostly smaller adventures. And Brak, as an example, is also on a quest against dark gods.

I think most of these were intentional traits written by Moorcock to make Elric the antithesis of most protagonists of heroic fantasy.

[Martin]

Those are things that look very unusual at first, but when you look below they surface he still is very much in line with standard expectation.

Elric is royalty, but he rejects his culture. Conan also sat on a throne without being part of the society of powerful people.

Elric is weak in body, but in practice he still dashes out plety of slaughter to anyone who gets into a fight with him.

[Dan]

Agreed. As for royalty Kull is another example. Not all of it is completely genre defying, just somewhat twists on previous S&S tropes.

[Lee]

Dan wrote: "I'm not sure he has a specific moral or honor code. Though I think he means well in general, his point of view is generally skewed"

I think you'll probably find the context to this in Critique of Pure Reason.

[C.T.]

I think Moorcock has been quite clear he created Elric as a contrast to the traditional barbarian hero. Elric being a weak elf-like figure who is addicted to drugs and a sorcerer-philosopher versus a strong barbarian. It's just Elric is still a protagonist who lives in a grimdark fantasy world where he's the only one who acts while others are victimized so he's very much a S&S protagonist.