Robert E. Howard Readers discussion
REH: His Life & Times
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Howard's Acuity
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Ó Ruairc
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Apr 13, 2015 10:51AM
Thought I read somewhere once that said something about R.E.H. having a photographic memory. If I remember correctly, I think he memorized the "Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner" after one reading. Has anyone else read something of the sort, or am I confusing Howard with another writer?
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No you are right although I think it was after 2 readings. I could read it 10 times and memorize it.
Thanks for clarifying that, Michael. I don't know much about "photographic memory" but it must be an extraordinary gift to possess. I'd venture to observe that this special ability was one of the reasons why Howard was such a great writer. One could only imagine the vast amount of words, colorful descriptions, history, stories, and images he had stored in his head.
Yes. He was amazingly prolific for such a young age. He was so far ahead of me at that age when it came to his knowledge of history too! And I always loved history. As a matter of fact one reason I loved it was because of reading his stories as a teenager. He infused so much history into the Conan stories it was fun to try to figure out where he got everything from. I think I told you before it was because of his stories about the Battle of Clontarf and Brian Boru that got me interested in Irish History as well. Of course that and my ancestry (O'Byrne Clan) :)
Prolific, indeed. I wish I had half of REH's ability to remember history. Hell, whenever I complete a lengthy volume of history, I seem to forget most of what I read a month later.It's a fact, one cannot study the life and works of R.E.H. without encountering Irish history. Howard certainly had a passion for the Gaels. The Battle of Clontarf and Brian Boru, yes! An intriguing battle, and an even more intriguing historical figure. By the by, Howard got the name for one of his characters, Turlough Dubh Ó Brien, from Irish history - Turlough Ó Brien was Brian Boru's grandson.
Many of Howard's letters are suffused with references to Ireland and Irish history; and, I suppose, if I had a photographic memory like he did, I'd remember most of them. Instead, I have to go back and reread the letters over and over again. Keep in mind, R.E.H. grew up during a time when there was great turmoil in Ireland - the Easter Rising of 1916, the Irish Civil War, the Anglo/Irish Treaty, etc, etc, etc - and he doubtless kept up with current affairs, as evidenced by his personal correspondence.
If memory serves me right, Howard claimed he had some Ó Tyrell blood in his veins. By all accounts, R.E.H. seemed to take the side of the Irish Republicans; however, upon reading his letters - especially the ones to Harold Preece - one gets the impression that some of his views are paradoxical. For instance, Howard states that he has a "violent hatred for all things Orange", and that the song, 'The Boyne Water' "puts my teeth on edge in spite of myself". For all of that, R.E.H. had an incongruously strong dislike for Catholics.
Apropos to the Ó Byrne Clan, Howard makes mention of the Irish writer, Brian Donn-Byrne in Selected Letters 1923 - 1930, P. 37. Seems Harold Preece recommended that R.E.H. read Byrne's book, Destiny Bay, and, in the letter, Howard replies to Preece by sending him a scathing review. I guess Howard didn't care for the piece because it had Orangemen from Northern Ireland acting as the main protagonists for the story. This is interesting because, based upon my own research, Byrne himself was a Nationalist.
Anyway, REH's letters do resonate with Irish history. He spews forth more interesting history on pages 40-42 in a February, 1930 letter to Harold Preece. Additionally, in his first letter to H.P. Lovecraft (9 August 1930), Howard again displays his Irish history acumen on pages 49 - 52. It's all very fascinating.
I haven't read the first volume of REH letters. I started on the third volume for some reason and have been working my way through it slowly. The letter to HPL- was that about some Gaelic that HPL used in his story "The Rats in the Walls"? I remember that is what prompted REH to write to HPL in the first place. Of course on the Irish History I've kind of sided more with the Catholic side since that is where my family came from. I've read about Feach McHugh O'Byrne who defeated Lord Grey at Glenmalure during the Elizabethan conquest of Ireland. You would call him Fiach Mac Aodha Ó Broin, The Lord of Ranelagh and sometime leader of the Clann Uí Bhroin. I don't know how direct an ancestor he was to me personally but my family all came from that general area. (Bray, a seaside resort town, in County Wicklow. I even have the address of my grandfather's parents house from the early 1900s on a SS application by my great uncle. A famous Irish Folk song was written about the battle called "Follow Me Up to Carlow". I'll bet you know it. If I am not mistaken, Edmund Spenser, the author of Faerie Queen served under Lord Grey in that battle.
Michael wrote: "I haven't read the first volume of REH letters. I started on the third volume for some reason and have been working my way through it slowly. The letter to HPL- was that about some Gaelic that HPL ..."Indeed, the Gaelic lines Lovecraft used in "Rats in the Walls" are "Dia ad aghaid's ad aodann". I think the quote translates to - "God against thee and in thy face, and may a death of woe be yours", or some words to that effect. The phrase comes from "The Sin-Eater" which is in 'The Writings of Fiona Macleod'.
In July 1930, Howard wrote a letter to Farnsworth Wright where he discusses Lovecraft's "Rats in the Walls". He writes... “and I note from the fact Mr. Lovecraft has his character speaking Gaelic instead of Cymric, in denoting the Age of the Druids, that he holds to Lhuyd’s theory as to the settling of Britain by the Celts.” A month after sending a note to Wright, REH began his long correspondence with HPL by sending him a letter replete with Irish history and Celtic linguistics. Oddly enough, HPL made mention of his Celtic-lingo gaffe just after "Rats in the Walls" was published. Lovecraft wrote “...the only objection to the phrase is that it’s Gaelic instead of Cymric as the south-of-England locale demands. But as with anthropology – details don’t count. Nobody will ever stop to note the difference". Ha, ha, ha, enter Robert E. Howard, the Gaelic scholar.
I know well the song 'Follow me up to Carlow'; it's a goodly air, and I have read of Fiach Mac Aodha Ó Broin and the Battle of Glenmalure. Verily, the Elizabethan Age was a turbulent time in Irish history, but it's also one of the most fascinating eras to read about. It was the time of the Desmond Rebellions, the Spanish Armada, the Nine Years' War, and Donal Ó Sullivan's famous ill-fated march. I often read about the heroes, the great kings, and the unknown crowns of 16th century Éire. Howard must've too, for he once stated in a letter to Lovecraft "how many times has my blood tingled to read of the deeds of Shane and Hugh Eoghain Ruadh!" I'm not too sure what Howard means, though. He is apparently talking about the great Ó Neill clan. Of that clan, the most famous were, in fact, Shane, Hugh, and Owen Roe (Eoghain Ruad) Ó Neill. I guess REH should've wrote it like this: ..."of the deeds of Shane, Hugh, and Eoghain Ruad!" - that would've made more sense, I reckon.
I did not know Edmund Spenser fought at Glenmalure. It's a wonder he did not come to grief during that battle. Interesting. I will have to read more about it.
I read a great fictionalized account of Donal O Sullivan's march by Morgan Llewelyn titled "The Last Prince of Ireland" that I enjoyed very much. I would love to have read more Irish History stories by REH. As noted I love his take on The Battle of Clontarf...all 3 of them!
