The Twilight of the Grey Gods. Features Turlogh Dubh O’Brien, “once a chief of Clan na O’Brien”.
“Spears of Clontarf” was rejected by SOLDIERS OF FORTUNE and 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”
Alternate titles:
THE GREY GOD PASSES
THE SPEARS OF CLONTARF (a non-fantastic version)
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.
Published in:
- EONS OF THE NIGHT, Baen, March 1996 (restored text)
