The Night of the Wolf

Introduction

“The Night of the Wolf”, a Cormac Mac Art adventure. Unpublished during Howard’s lifetime. It got rejected by Argosy on June 3, 1930 (see below).

This is one of a handful of short stories Howard wrote about yet another in his large clan of ferocious Irish warriors. Cormac Mac Art is an outlawed Gael, a pirate, and a Reiver. He is very similar to Turlogh O’Brien.

In a letter (#130) to Tevis Clyde Smith, circa May 1930 we learn:

I am confronted with the enigma of editors. They say they want action-stuff. Well, I have a story with Argosy which I am as certain they will reject as I am that I’m sitting here. Yet it bristles with fast, well-written action. There is a perfect shimmer of swords from the opening scene where Thorwald Shield-hewer throws a drinking-horn of ale in the face of Chief Brulla of Hjaltlands, to the scene on Hakon Skel’s dragon-ship where Cormac Mac Art unmasks the Mysterious Stranger and Wulfhere Hausakliufr roars: “Aim her prow east, carles, we go to set a new king on the throne of Dane-mark!”
By golly, whatever else they may say about that story, they can’t kick about the action. I consider it my best attempt of the sort, to date. But will I sell it? Like Hell I will.

Howard was correct in his assumption. The rejection letter from Archibald Bittner, editor of Argosy (The Frank A. Munsey Company), dated June 3, 1930, said:

Dear Mr. Howard:
I’m afraid “The Night of the Wolf” is a lot too vague and slow moving for Argosy.
Very sincerely yours,
Archibald Bittner
Editor
ARGOSY

The story

The story “The Night of the Wolf” by Robert E. Howard is a tale of treachery, battle, and the quest for power, set in the Viking Age. Thorwald Shield-hewer, a Norse sea king, confronts a Pictish chief named Brulla who demands that Thorwald and his Vikings leave the Shetland Islands, which they have been terrorizing. Thorwald arrogantly refuses and humiliates Brulla, who swears vengeance.

Cormac Mac Art, known as the Wolf and right-hand man to the Viking Wulfhere, comes to Thorwald seeking to purchase a captured Dane named Hrut, who is part of a scheme to exchange prisoners with the Danes holding his cousin. However, Thorwald sees through Cormac’s disguise and captures him, intending to kill both him and Hrut.

Brulla, having survived his beating, returns and frees Cormac, hoping to ally against Thorwald. Cormac and Hrut escape during a massive attack by the Picts on Thorwald’s steading, which is engulfed in battle and fire. They join forces with Wulfhere, who has arrived with his men to aid in the fight and escape.

As they flee on a ship, they reveal Hrut’s true identity as Thorfinn, the rightful king of Denmark. With Wulfhere and Cormac’s support, Thorfinn sets his sights on reclaiming his throne, which is now vulnerable after the fall of Jarl Anlaf, Eric’s main supporter.

Characters

  • Thorwald Shield-hewer: A Viking sea king, ruler of the Norsemen on the Shetland Islands.
  • Brulla: A Pictish chief from Hjaltland, seeking to drive Thorwald and his men from the islands.
  • Cormac Mac Art: An Irish pirate, known as the Wolf, and the story’s protagonist who is allied with Wulfhere.
  • Hrut: A Dane initially held captive by Thorwald, later revealed to be Thorfinn, the rightful king of Denmark.
  • Wulfhere: A Viking, known as Skull-splitter, and an ally of Cormac.
  • Aslaf Jarl’s-bane, Grimm Snorri’s son, Osric, Hakon Skel: Viking chiefs and warriors loyal to Thorwald.
  • Eric: The current ruler of Denmark, cousin, and rival to Thorfinn.
  • Jarl Anlaf: A powerful Jarl whose death weakens Eric’s hold on the throne of Denmark.

A bit of history

Erik is a common name in Danish history, and there have been several Danish kings with that name. For instance, Erik I of Denmark, known as Erik Ejegod, ruled from 1095 to 1103. There was also Erik II of Denmark, Erik Emune, who ruled from 1134 to 1137, and Erik III, Erik Lam, who abdicated in 1146. Later, there was Erik V, known as Erik Klipping, who ruled from 1259 to 1286, and Erik VI, Erik Menved, from 1286 to 1319. Erik VII of Denmark was also known as Eric of Pomerania and ruled from 1396 to 1439.

There were several Danish kings named Erik, but Erik V and Erik XIV are among the most notable ones from historical records. Erik V, also known as Erik Glipping, was King of Denmark from 1259 to 1286. He was involved in power struggles with the nobility and faced conflicts that ultimately led to the royal charter of 1282, which formalized the power of the magnates and prelates. This charter was significant as it marked a loss of power for the peasantry and enabled the nobles to exert greater influence over domestic and foreign policy. Erik V was eventually murdered in 1286 [source] and [source]

On the other hand, Erik XIV was King of Sweden from 1560 to 1568 and was known for his expansion of royal powers and aggressive foreign policy. He pursued control over Baltic trade and was involved in the Seven Years’ War of the North against Denmark. His reign was marked by internal strife within his family and eventual mental illness, which led to his deposition [source].

Without specific dates or additional context to link the character Thorwald Shield-hewer to a historical figure, it is difficult to place him accurately in the timeline of the Eriks who ruled in Scandinavia. The stories of Robert E. Howard are fictional and do not necessarily align with historical events or figures. However, the character’s context seems to suggest a period of Viking activity and the era of powerful chieftains and kings, which could loosely fit within the Viking Age or early medieval period, although this is purely speculative.

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