Robert E. Howard’s writings
← Back to writings
WritingWritten June 1929

Swords of the Purple Kingdom

2textual states0Characters
Genre
Sword & Sorcery

Introduction

Swords of the Purple Kingdom was written around 1929 and was not published during Howard’s lifetime. It first appeared in the Lancer volume King Kull in 1967. Like Delcardes’ Cat and By This Axe I Rule!, it includes a couple seeking Kull’s help in overcoming obstacles to their marriage.

Plot spoilers

A young couple from different nations asks Kull for permission to marry. Kull is then kidnapped in a coup attempt, and coincidentally taken to the same garden where the young couple was going to meet and elope. When the young man helps Kull fight off the bandits, he finds Kull much more sympathetic to his romantic situation.

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 1Swords of the Purple Kingdom — Draft 1
Open exact text →
Primary textSwords of the Purple Kingdom
Catalogue defaultOpen exact text →

Sources, links and credits

Publication appearances

King KullLancer1967 to 1973↗Kull the Conqueror Volume 1 Number 9Marvel ComicsJuly 1973↗Kull di ValusiaEditrice NordSeptember 1975↗Realms of WizardryDoubleday1976↗Terra Fantasy 29: Herr von Valusien (Lord of Valusia)Erich Pabel Verlag KGDecember 1976 August 1979 (2nd printing)↗King KullSphereOctober 1976↗KullBantam BooksSeptember 1978↗Kull le roi barbare (Kull the Barbarian King)NeO1st Quarter 1980 May 1983 (2nd printing) September 1984 (3rd printing) April 1988 (4th printing)↗A Treasury of FantasyAvenel Books1981↗A Treasury of FantasyChatham River Press1984↗Kull le roi barbare (Kull the Barbarian King)EuredifOctober 1984↗KullDonald M. Grant1985↗The Mammoth Book of Classic FantasyRobinsonMay 1987↗Kull von AtlantisBastei Verlag KGMarch 1989↗The Savage Sword of Conan Volume 1 Number 177Marvel ComicsSeptember 1990↗Král Kull (King Kull)Arla1991↗Kull le roi barbare (Kull the Barbarian King)Fleuve NoirJanuary 1992↗Kadotuksen kuiluWSOY1993↗Rey KullEdiciones Martinez Roca (Spain)1993↗Kull di ValusiaEditrice NordOctober 1993↗KullWydawnictwo Andor1994↗Tutti i cicli fantastici - I Cicli di Kull di Valusia, di James Allison, di Cthulhu e di AlmuricNewton Compton EditoriApril 1995↗KullBaen BooksJuly 1995↗A Treasury of FantasyGramercySeptember 1995↗Κουλ Koul KullΕκδόσεις Πατάκη (Ekdósis Patáki) (Pataki Publications)November 1995↗Hősök KoraValhalla Páholy Könyvklub1997↗Král Kull (King Kull)Kunder Publishing1997↗Конан. Глаз Эрлика (Konan. Glaz Erlika) (Conan. Eye of Erlik) Cover and publication information courtesy of the Russian website Laboratory of Fantasy .Азбука-Терра (Azbuka-Terra) (ABC-Terra)1997↗Кулл и трон Валузии (Kull i tron Valuzii) (Kull and the Throne of Valusia) Covers and p ublication information courtesy of the Russian website Laboratory of Fantasy .Северо-Запад (Severo-Zapad) (North-West)1997↗Царь Кулл (Tsar Kull) (King Kull ) Cover and p ublication information courtesy of the Russian website Laboratory of Fantasy .Азбука-Терра (Azbuka-Terra) (ABC-Terra)1997↗KullLaser Books2000↗Kull: Exile of AtlantisBallantine Books - Del ReyOctober 31, 2006↗Kull: Exile of AtlantisScience Fiction Book ClubNovember 2006↗Καλλ, ο βασιλιάς Kall, o vasiliás Kull the KingLocus 72007↗Kull. Esule di AtlantideArnoldo Mondadori EditoreApril 2008↗Kull: Exile of AtlantisSubterranean PressAugust 2008↗El reino de las sombras y otras historias de un exiliado de la Atlántida (The Kingdom of Shadows and Other Stories of an Exile from Atlantis)La Biblioteca del Laberinto (Spain)November 2009↗The Chronicles of Kull Volume 1: A King Comes RidingDark Horse BooksDecember 2009↗Kull: Exile of AtlantisTantor Media Inc.January 2010↗The Kull Series: Swords of the Purple KingdomParadox Entertainment Inc.January 2010 (Trade paperback) September 2011 (eBook)↗Kull le roi atlante (Kull The Atlantean King)BragelonneJuly 2010↗Kull király és az ősök (Kull and the Ancients)Delta Vision Kft.August 2012 (Trade paperback) November 2012 (eBook)↗Kull: Banita z AtlantydyRebisFebruary 2014 (Trade paperback) February 2014 (eBook)↗Бран Мак Морн, последний король. Кулл, выходец из Атлантиды (Bran Mak Morn, posledniy korol'. Kull, vykhodets iz Atlantidy) (Bran Mak Morn: The Last King. Kull: Native of Atlantis) Cover and publication information courtesy of the Russian website Laboratory of Fantasy .Эксмо (Eksmo)May 2014↗Kull von Atlantis - Die Komplette Saga (Kull of Atlantis - The Complete Saga )Apex VerlagAugust 2016 ( Paperback ) August 2016 (eBook)↗Robert E. Howard - Die Original Erzählungen Band 7 Kull - Verbannt aus AtlantisFesta VerlagAugust 2016↗Альмарик (Al-marik) (Almuric) Cover and p ublication information courtesy of the Russian website Laboratory of Fantasy .Подсолнухи (Sunflowers)2020↗Kull le roi atlante, L'IntégraleBragelonneJune 2020↗Kull di ValusiaGM LibriJuly 2020↗Kull di Valusia. Il ciclo completoFanucci EditoreSeptember 2020↗El exiliado de la Atlántida. La saga completaLa Hermandad del Enmascarado (Spain)November 2020↗Rey KullEdiciones t&t (Spain)February 2023↗El reino de las sombras (The Shadow Kingdom)SportulaMay 2024↗