The Frost-Giant's Daughter

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"The Frost-Giant's Daughter" is a short story by Robert E. Howard first published in Rogues in the House (Donald M. Grant 1976).

When the original story was not accepted, REH rewrote it with a different hero (Amra of Akbitana), and changed the title to "The Frost King's Daughter". This version was published in The Fantasy Fan (March 1934) as "Gods of the North".

L. Sprague de Camp found the original manuscript, but extensively rewrote it, and called it "The Frost Giant's Daughter" (no hyphen); this was first published in Fantasy Fiction (August 1953).

Contents 1 Synopsis 2 Characters 3 Locations 4 Publication history 5 "The Frost Giant's Daughter" 5.1 Differences from "The Frost-Giant's Daughter" 5.2 Publication history 6 Adaptations 7 References

[edit] Synopsis

Young Conan fights against one of the Vanir. They are the only combatants left on the battlefield. After Conan slays his opponent, a woman appears, with red and yellow hair, and teases him. She says he can never have her, that he should just lay down and die, and runs away laughing. He chases her, and is led further away from the battlefield. Finally, two frost-giants who she calls brothers appear. She bids them kill Conan, so they can offer his heart on their father’s board. Conan kills the frost-giants, and begins chasing the woman again. She runs in earnest this time, gaining the lead, but his dietermination closes the distance again. He seizes her, and says he’ll warm her blood with his kisses. Breaking free, she calls on her father, Ymir, the god of the Nordheim, and disappears in a pillar of blue flame. Conan collapses unconscious. Later, he is revived by Bragi’s men, and tells them of her. They think he’s delerious from a blow to the head, but Gorm says he saw her at Wolraven and she’s real. Doubting, Conan looks down at his left hand and sees the gossamer garment she wore grasped therein.

[edit] Characters

• Atali the daughter of Ymir -- billowy hair a glorious compound of red and yellow. Her eyes were likewise neither wholly blue nor wholly grey -- shifting colors -- ivory body
• Conan black hair blue eyes dark scarred face mailed feet
• Heimdul red locks and beard
• Wulfhere's warrior band of reavers
• Vanir
• Ymir the frost-giant (mentioned, apparent but unseen)
• Aesir
• the wolves of Bragi
• Niord
• Atali's Brothers
• Horsa
• Gorm
• Crom (mentioned)

[edit] Locations

• Vanaheim (mentioned)
• Valhalla (mentioned)
• Asgard
• Poitain (mentioned)
• bloody field of Wolraven (mentioned)

[edit] Publication history

• Rogues in the House (collection) • Robert E. Howard • Donald M. Grant 1976
• Echoes of Valor II (anthology), edited by Karl Edward Wagner, Tor 1989
  • revised from "Gods of the North"
  • the anthology also contains that story under Howard's original title, "The Frost King's Daughter"
• Conan of Cimmeria: Volume One (1932-1933) (collection) • Robert E. Howard • Wandering Star 2003
• The Coming of Conan the Cimmerian (collection) • Robert E. Howard • Del Rey 2003

Note: One source (The Barbarian Keep) asserts that the version published in Rogues in the House was the de Camp version, making the Wagner anthology the first publication of Howard's original.

[edit] "The Frost Giant's Daughter"

[edit] Differences from "The Frost-Giant's Daughter"

No hyphen in the title! -- to the frustration of Howard bibliographers everywhere.

[edit] Publication history

• "The Frost Giant's Daughter" (short story) • Fantasy Fiction August 1953
• The Coming of Conan (collection) • Robert E. Howard (and L. Sprague de Camp) • Gnome Press 1953
• Conan of Cimmeria (collection) • Robert E. Howard, L. Sprague de Camp and Lin Carter • Lancer 1969

[edit] Adaptations

• "The Frost-Giant's Daughter" • Kurt Busiek • Cary Nord (art), Dave Stewart (colors) and Richard Starkings (lettering) • cover by Joseph Michael Linsner • Conan (comic) #2 24 March 2004 32pp
• Conan: Volume 1: The Frost Giant's Daughter and Other Stories (graphic collection) • Kurt Busiek and Cary Nord • Dark Horse Books 2005

[edit] References

• Miskatonic University Library Periodical Reading Room - Weird Tales • anon.
• The Locus Index to Science Fiction (1984-1998) • Charles N. Brown & William G. Contento
  • (1999) (2000) (2001) (2002) (2003) (2004)
• The Encyclopedia of Fantasy • edited by John Clute and John Grant • Orbit 1997 ISBN 1857233689
• Robert E. Howard :Short Story Bibliography • Robert E. Howard : UK Publications • Ian Davy
• Howard Works: Robert E. Howard Bibliography • Paul Herman and Todd A. Woods • winner of The 2004 Stygian Award for best REH-related website
• A Complete Conan Bibliography • Bruce L. Precourt
  • A Complete Conan Bibliography • Expanded, edited, and reformatted by William Galen Gray et al.
• The Hyborian Age of Conan the Barbarian • Dale Rippke
• Robert E. Howard – Bibliography (Alphabetical) • Al von Ruff (isfdb)
• The Barbarian Keep • Edward A. Waterman
• International Superheroes: Conan • "Loki"