Spears of Clontarf

Introduction

Features Turlogh Dubh O’Brien, “once a chief of Clan na O’Brien”.

“Spears of Clontarf” was rejected by Soldiers of Fortune. It was also submitted to Strange Tales on June 1, 1931, and later rejected. It was sent to Adventure on June 19, 1931, but later rejected. On July 1, 1931, he sent it to Argosy where it also was rejected.

Howard rewrote the story, adding more of a weird atmosphere. It was more than just changing a name here and there, he actually rewrote the story, giving it a new title, “The Grey God Passes.” Under this title, it was rejected by WEIRD TALES. In hopes of salvaging *something* from the whole affair, REH wrote an entirely new, contemporary horror tale titled “The Cairn on the Headland” which was based on some of the same elements. Baen published “The Grey God Passes” under its working title, “The Twilight of the Grey Gods”

From the letters

In a letter (#165) dated May 18, 1931 to Tevis Clyde Smith, Howard writes:

I should have answered your letters before, but I’ve been working pretty hard. In the time I’ve been back from Marlin — a little more than two weeks — I’ve written three Costigan stories, a Kid Allison tale, a western adventure yarn and a long historical novelet. Also been studying the crusades and the Irish-Danish wars.

The long historical novelet is most likely Spears of Clontarf.

To Harry Bates (letter #167), June 1, 1931 we learn a lot:

I’m hoping you can use this tale — “Spears of Clontarf” which I am enclosing. It deals with a phase in history too much neglected by writers — that of the Dano-Irish wars which culminated in the final shattering of the Viking power at the battle of Clontarf. Those days of war and rapine represent an age crammed with vital drama, enough to supply a hundred thrilling volumes.
In writing this tale, I have dipped deeply into both history and legendry, striving to interweave historical facts and folk-lore myths in a realistic and logical manner. It is my belief that practically all legends have some solid foundation of fact, though they may be so changed and distorted as to be unrecognizable. Thus, in the case of Dunlang O’Hartigan, and his sweetheart, Eevin of Craglea, the guardian faery-spirit of the O’Briens, I honestly believe the legend had some such basis of fact as I have presented in this story. As you know, the legend represents Eevin as presenting her lover with a magic mantle making him invisible; he threw it off in the heat of battle, Murrogh crying out to him, and was instantly slain as she had predicted. It is my honest belief that the girl who later became the wife of Craglea in the legends, persuaded Dunlang to wear some sort of armor — the Irish of that day generally wore none at all — and in the legends that sprang up about the great battle, that armor became a “mantle of darkness.”
In gathering material for this story I have drawn on such sources as Joyce’s History of Gaelic Ireland, The Saga of Burnt Nial Spenser’s View of the State of Ireland, The Wars of the Gaels with the Galls and other histories.
I hope you can use this story; if not, I would, as I’ve said, highly appreciate any tips you can give me as to making the new market.

Alternate title:

THE TWILIGHT OF THE GREY GODS
THE GREY GOD PASSES

Howard’s first version (as Spears of Clontarf) finally saw print in a chapbook in 1978, and his Grey God Passes version was also published posthumously in the anthology collection titled Dark Mind, Dark Heart in 1962.

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