← Back to Works
Short StoryWritten June 1935

Sons of the Hawk

Published as:The Country of the Knife
7textual states15Characters
PublishedAugust 1936Sale amount$120Recorded income$120
Genre
Desert Adventures

Introduction

"Country of the Knife" is an El Borak short story by Robert E. Howard. It was originally published in the August 1936 issue of the pulp magazine Complete Stories. It was sold for $120.00 to Street & Smith by Binder circa April 1936, where they changed the title to 'The Country of the Knife' from the original 'Sons of the Hawk'.

Textual states

Shown in a practical developmental order where possible: synopsis/outline, numbered drafts, submission states, then published or posthumous states. This display order does not itself assert exact chronology or textual authority.

Draft 1Sons of the Hawk — Draft 1
Open exact text →
Draft 2Sons of the Hawk — Draft 2
Open exact text →
Draft 4Sons of the Hawk — Draft 4
Open exact text →
Draft 5Sons of the Hawk — Draft 5
Open exact text →
Draft 5 false start #1Sons of the Hawk — Draft 5 false start #1
Open exact text →
Primary textSons of the Hawk
Open exact text →
Published versionThe Country of the Knife
Catalogue defaultOpen exact text →

Characters in this Work

Counts are across exact Textual Versions currently represented. Additional textual research may add further appearances.

Abdullah (son of Nureddin)son of Nureddin el Aziz1 textual stateAchmet (Sons of the Hawk)Waziri follower/prisoner of Alafdal Khan1 textual stateAlafdal KhanWaziri chief travelling to Rub el Harami1 textual stateAli Shah (Sons of the Hawk)Ghilzai leader in Rub el Harami1 textual stateDhira Azrailexecutioner of the Black Tigers1 textual stateFrancis Xavier GordonAmerican adventurer known as El Borak (“the Swift”), active throughout Afghanistan and Central Asia.1 textual stateGenghis Khanhistorical Mongol conqueror; his psychic impression is central in King of the Forgotten People and he is mentioned in other AiSF texts.1 textual stateHassan (Sons of the Hawk)Waziri follower/prisoner of Alafdal Khan1 textual stateMuhammad ez Zahirleader of the party taking Brent to Rub el Harami1 textual stateNureddin el Azizmerchant in Rub el Harami1 textual stateRichard Stocktondying adventurer who warns Brent1 textual stateStuart BrentEnglishman drawn into the Black Tigers conspiracy1 textual stateSuleiman (Sons of the Hawk)Waziri follower/prisoner of Alafdal Khan1 textual stateVladimir Jakrovitchprincipal Black Tigers antagonist1 textual stateYar Ali KhanAfridi swordsman and recurring Gordon ally1 textual state

Publication appearances

Complete Stories August 1936Street and Smith PublicationsAugust 1936↗The Savage Sword of Conan Volume 1 Number 11Magazine Management Co. / Marvel ComicsApril 1976↗Son of the White WolfFAX Collector's Editions1977↗Son of the White WolfOrbit1977↗Son of the White WolfBerkleyApril 1978↗Terra Fantasy 77: Im Land der Messer ( In the Land of Knives )Erich Pabel Verlag KG1980↗El Borak le redoutable (El Borak the Formidable)NeOFebruary 1984↗Son of the White WolfAceJanuary 1987↗Conan Saga Volume 1 Number 14Marvel ComicsJune 1988↗E l Borak le redoutable (El Borak the Formidable)Fleuve NoirMarch 1992↗Кровь богов (Krov bogov) (Blood of the Gods) P ublication information courtesy of the Russian website Laboratory of Fantasy .Северо-Запад (Severo-Zapad) (North-West)1998↗Weird Tales de Lhork 27Círculo de Lhork (Spain)2003↗Cобрания Cочинений Том 5. Знак огня (Cobraniia Cochinenii Tom 5. Znak ognia) (Collected Works Volume 5. The Sign of Fire) Cover and p ublication information courtesy of the Russian website Laboratory of Fantasy .Терра — Книжный клуб (Terra - Book Club) Северо-Запад (Severo-Zapad) (North-West)2004↗Blood of the Gods and other storiesGirasol CollectablesApril 2005↗The 'El Borak' StoriesEcho LibraryMarch 2007↗The El Borak AdventuresIgnacio Hills PressNovember 2008↗Сын Белого Волка (Syn Belogo Volka) (Son of the White Wolf) Cover and p ublication information courtesy of the Russian website Laboratory of Fantasy .Терра — Книжный клуб (Terra - Book Club) Северо-Запад (Severo-Zapad) (North-West)2009↗El Borak and Other Desert AdventuresBallantine Books / Del ReyFebruary 2010↗El hijo del lobo blanco y nuevas historias del desierto (Son of the White Wolf and New Stories from the Desert)La Biblioteca del Laberinto (Spain)May 2010↗The El Borak Series: Sons of the HawkParadox Entertainment Inc.June 2010 (Trade paperback) September 2011 (eBook)↗El Borak - L'Intégrale (The Complete El Borak)BragelonneSeptember 2011↗Oriental Stories, Volume 3Nuelow GamesJuly 2012↗Solomon Kane and Other StoriesJame-BooksAugust 2012↗Robert E. Howard's Collected WorksJame-BooksFebruary 2013↗Weird Tales: 101 Weird, Strange, and Supernatural Stories Volume 9Civitas MediaJune 2013↗Robert E. Howard Short Stories & NovellasBusiness and Leadership PublishingJuly 2014↗The Country of the KnifeeStar BooksFebruary 2015↗Tales of El BorakOzymandias PressJuly 2016↗Tales of El BorakJovian PressNovember 2016↗Сын белого волка. Избранные повести (Syn belogo volka. Izbrannye povesti) (Son of the White Wolf. Selected Stories) Cover and p ublication information courtesy of the Russian website Laboratory of Fantasy .1С-Паблишинг (1C-Publishing )February 2017↗El Borak, Avventuriero del DesertoElaraOctober 2018↗Клинки Востока (Klinki Vostoka) (Blades of the East) Cover and publication information courtesy of the Russian website Laboratory of Fantasy.Подсолнухи (Sunflowers)2020↗Кровь богов (Krov- bogov) (Blood of the Gods) Covers and p ublication information courtesy of the Russian website Laboratory of Fantasy. February 2020 November 2021Северо-Запад (Severo-Zapad) (North-West) T8 Rugram (See notes)February 2020 November 2021↗Les Guerriers du ValhallaLe Livre de PocheNovember 2020↗Francis Xavier Gordon, El Borak Volume 3Providence PressMarch 2023↗La maldición de la daga de tres filos. Las aventuras de El Borak. Tomo 2 (Three-Bladed Doom - The Adventures of El Borak Book 2)La Hermandad del Enmascarado (Spain)April 2025↗