REH’s Writings

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The Children of the Night

3textual states28Characters

PublishedApril 1931Sale amount$60Howard received$60

Genres

HorrorMythos

Introduction

The Children of the Night was accepted by Weird Tales circa October 1930 and published in the April/May 1931 issue; Howard received $60. The story reflects ideas Howard discussed with H. P. Lovecraft concerning witch-cults and the “little people,” themes also developed elsewhere in his fiction.

The story opens in John Conrad’s study, where Conrad, Clemants, Professor Kirowan, Taverel, Ketrick and narrator John O’Donnel discuss anthropology, prehistoric survivals and forbidden books including von Junzt’s Nameless Cults and the Necronomicon.

Short summary: spoilers

In Conrad’s artifact-packed study, Conrad, Professor Kirowan, Clemants, Taverel, Ketrick, and John O’Donnel argue over racial prehistory and cryptic cult survivals. Conrad displays a sinister flint mallet; Ketrick, whose oblique amber eyes unsettle O’Donnel, test-swings it and accidentally strikes O’Donnel’s head. O’Donnel’s consciousness snaps into a past life as Aryara, an Aryan warrior who awakens in a primeval forest to find his hunting band butchered by the Children of the Night—stunted, reptile-suggestive troglodytes. In a berserk counter-raid, Aryara slaughters scores before dying under their clubs and knives.

O’Donnel awakens in Conrad’s study, instantly attacking Ketrick, whom he now views as a living atavism—tainted by the ancient, reptilian strain. Restrained by the others, O’Donnel records his certainty: time sometimes “meshes,” revealing prior lives; the Children predated Picts in Britain; and Ketrick bears the old brand. He vows to hunt and kill Ketrick on the moors, even at the cost of his own life, to keep faith with his “tribe.”

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 1The Children of the Night — Draft 1

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Draft 2The Children of the Night — Draft 2

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Published versionThe Children of the Night

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From the letters:

In a letter to HPL (#143) Howard writes:

By the way, I recently sold Weird Tales a short story, “The Children of the Night” in which I deal with Mongoloid-aborigine legendry, touch cryptically on the Bran-cult, and hint darkly and vaguely of nameless things connected with Cthulhu, Yog-Sothoth, Tsathoggua and the Necronomicon; as well as quoting lines from Flecker’s9 “Gates of Damascus” and lending them a cryptic meaning which I’m sure would have astounded the poet remarkably!

Lovecraft liked the story and told Howard in a letter. Circa June 1931, we learn from another letter (#169) to Lovecraft:

I’m glad you liked “Children of the Night”. Some remarks of yours in your letters regarding the Mongoloid aborigines gave me many of the ideas. As regards my mention of the three foremost weird masterpieces — Poe’s, Machen’s and your own — it’s my honest opinion that these three are the outstanding tales. Though I consider your “Dunwitch Horror”, “Horror at Red Hook” and “Rats in the Walls” quite worthy of ranking alongside Poe and Machen, also.

And later (letter #220), circa mid-October 1932 we learn:

By the way, you mentioned that my “Children of the Night” got a mention in the O. Henry Memorial prize annual. What is this annual, and is it possible for me to get a copy of it? The reason I ask, is I gather it’s something of a boost to get mentioned in it, and it’s just possible that I might be able to boost myself with an editor sometime. Any information you can give me about this business will be greatly appreciated.

O. Henry Memorial Award Prize Stories of 1931, edited by Blanche Colton Williams, included “The Children of the Night” among “Stories ranking second.”

Introduction

Textual states

From the letters:

Characters in this Work

Publication appearances