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WritingWritten March 1932

The God in the Bowl

4textual states16Characters
Genre
Sword & Sorcery

Introduction

The God in the Bowl was probably completed in March 1932 and was not published during Howard’s lifetime. Set in the Hyborian Age, it follows Conan as an attempted robbery draws him into a murder investigation. The story was first published in Space Science Fiction in September 1952.

Summary (no spoilers) spoilers

Conan breaks into Kallian Publico’s temple-museum in search of valuable treasure but is caught in the wrong place at the wrong time when the body of the wealthy owner is discovered. The city guard, led by the inquisitor Demetrio, arrives to investigate, and Conan finds himself the prime suspect. As the questioning unfolds, secrets about a mysterious artifact recently delivered to the temple begin to surface, raising more questions than answers.

Tensions escalate when new evidence emerges, revealing unexpected connections between those present. With the guards growing more suspicious and danger lurking unseen, Conan must rely on his instincts and strength to survive the night.

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 God in the Bowl — Draft 1
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Draft 2The God in the Bowl — Draft 2
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Draft 3The God in the Bowl — Draft 3
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Primary textThe God in the Bowl
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From the letters:

The rejected story is probably one of the three Howard refers to in a letter (#195) to Tevis Clyde Smith, ca. March 1932:

By the way, Farnsworth rejected the last three yarns I sent him, together with a bunch of verse. No rest for the weary.

A very interesting passage can be seen in a letter (#203) to H.P. Lovecraft, ca. April 1932:

I’ve been working on a new character, providing him with a new epoch — the Hyborian Age, which men have forgotten, but which remains in classical names, and distorted myths. Wright rejected most of the series, but I did sell him one — “The Phoenix on the Sword” which deals with the adventures of King Conan the Cimmerian, in the kingdom of Aquilonia.

Probably the rejected Conan stories are "The Frost-Giant's Daughter" and "The God in the Bowl".

Characters in this Work

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

Aruswatchman at Kallian Publico’s Temple1 textual stateAztrias Petaniusyoung aristocrat and nephew of Numalia’s governor1 textual stateConanCimmerian adventurer who becomes king of Aquilonia1 textual stateDemetriochief inquisitor investigating Kallian Publico’s death1 textual stateDionusprefect of police in Numalia1 textual stateEnaroKallian Publico’s charioteer1 textual stateIbisdeity served by Kalanthes1 textual stateKalanthespriest of Ibis and enemy of Thoth-amon1 textual stateKallian Publicowealthy owner of the museum/antique house called the Temple1 textual stateMitramajor Hyborian deity invoked throughout the Conan texts1 textual statePosthumoyoung aristocrat present during the investigation1 textual statePromeroclerk in Kallian Publico’s Temple1 textual stateSetStygian serpent-god invoked throughout the Conan texts1 textual statethe child of Set from the Bowlserpentine nonhuman being sent in the Bowl to kill Kalanthes1 textual statethe governor of Numaliaunnamed governor of Numalia and uncle of Aztrias Petanius1 textual stateThoth-amonStygian sorcerer of the Ring, enslaved by Ascalante1 textual state

Publication appearances

Space Science Fiction, September 1952Space Publications, Inc.September 1952↗Space Science Fiction Volume 1 Number 1Archer Press Ltd. (UK)December 1952↗The Coming of ConanGnome Press1953↗ConanLancer1968 through 1973 (See Notes)↗ConanWilhelm Heyne Verlag1970 (See notes)↗冒険者コナン(Bōkensha Konan)Hayakawa BunkoJanuary 31, 1971↗コナンと髑髏の都 (Konan to dokuro no miyako)Sōgen Suiri BunkoApril 4, 1971 2001 (2nd edition)↗Conan the Barbarian #7Magazine Management Co. / Marvel ComicsJuly 1971↗ConanEdition SpécialeJune 1972↗ConanEditorial Bruguera (Spain)1973↗Giant-Size Conan #4Marvel ComicsJune 1975↗The Tower of the ElephantDonald M. GrantJuly 1975↗ConanZwarte Beertjes1976↗Conan!Editrice NordJune 1976↗ConanPrestige BooksMay 1977↗Conan in the Tower of the ElephantToday Press / Grosset & DunlapDecember 1978↗Conan the Barbarian Volume 3Tempo BooksApril 1979↗ConanJean-Claude Lattès1st Quarter 1980 April 1983 - Second printing↗ConanAce BooksSeptember 1982 January 1983 May 1983 April 1984 October 1985 March 1986 January 1990↗ConanWilhelm Heyne VerlagMay 1982 (See notes) June 1992↗Conan de barbaar (Conan the Barbarian)W & L Boeken1983↗Conan: Origen de una leyendaEdiciones Forum (Spain)1983↗ConanSphere1984↗KonanNiro Dečje Novine1984↗ConanJ'ai LuDecember 1984 (1st printing) May 1990 (2nd printing) April 1992 (3rd printing) 1996 (4th printing) March 2001 (5th printing) February 2004 (6th printing)↗Conan zdobywcaKlubowe1986↗Feniks 03 (08) 1986Polskie Stowarzyszenie Miłośników Fantastyki1986↗Conan Saga Volume 1 Number 3Marvel ComicsJuly 1987↗ConanSFK Winston1989↗FeniksAS Editor1989↗The Conan Chronicles Volume 1Sphere & Orbit (See Notes)August 1989 (Sphere) 1990 (Sphere, 2nd printing) 1991 (Orbit, 3rd printing) 1992 (Orbit, 4th printing)↗La Leggenda di Conan il CimmeroEditrice NordOctober 1989↗ConanWydawnictwo Atlantis1990↗Conan wojownikWydawnictwo Nakom1990↗Találkozás Number 5Art Phoenix Kft.1990↗Találkozás Number 6Art Phoenix Kft.1990↗Conan: Vĕž Slona a jiné povidky (The Tower of the Elephant)Klub Julese VerneaFall 1990↗Barbárok és varázslókPhoenix Könyvkiadó1991↗ConanWydawnictwo PiK1991↗Конан Варваринът (Konan Varvarinăt) (Conan the Barbarian)Ролис (Rolis)1991↗L'urlo di ConanArnoldo Mondadori Editore / Oscar MondadoriApril 1991↗Багряный жрец (Bagrianyi zhrets) (The Crimson Priest) Cover and p ublication information courtesy of the Russian website Laboratory of Fantasy .Культ-информ-пресс (Kult-inform-press)1992↗Conan a kimmériaiPhoenix Könyvkiadó1993↗Конан и Боги Тьмы (Konan i Bogi T-my) (Conan and the Gods of Darkness) Covers and p ublication information courtesy of the Russian website Laboratory of Fantasy .Северо-Запад (Severo-Zapad) (North-West)1993↗Conan il CimmeroEditrice NordJune 1993↗ConanAFSF1994↗ConanSemic / Nordisk Forlag A/S1994↗Сага о Конане. Том I (Saga o Konane. Tom I) (The Saga of Conan Volume 1) Cover and p ublication information courtesy of the Russian website Laboratory of Fantasy .Мрiя (Mriya)1994↗La Saga di Conan il CimmeroEditrice NordOctober 1994↗Conan Classic #7Marvel ComicsDecember 1994↗ConanEdiciones Martinez Roca (Spain)1995↗ConanEditura Fantasia1995↗Conan: Espada & Magia, Volume 1Unicórnio Azul1995↗Tutti i cicli fantastici - Il ciclo di Conan Tomo INewton Compton EditoriApril 1995↗Конан из Киммерии ( Konan iz Kimmerii) (Conan of Cimmeria) Cover and publication information courtesy of the Russian website Laboratory of Fantasy .Азбука-Терра (Azbuka-Terra) (ABC-Terra)1996↗Conan I: Barbar / Conan II: DobyvatelAFSF1997↗ConanZagrebačka naklada1998↗ConanClaude Lefrancq EditeurOctober 1998↗KonanasEridanas2000↗The Essential Conan Volume 1Marvel ComicsJuly 2000↗The Conan Chronicles Volume 1 - The People of the Black CircleGollancz / MillenniumAugust 2000↗Conan: Vĕž Slona a jiné povidky (The Tower of the Elephant and other stories)BB Art2001↗Κόναν ο βάρβαρος Kónan o várvaros Conan the BarbarianΚατάρτι (Katápti) (Mast)December 2001↗Complete Conan of Cimmeria Volume OneWandering Star2002↗Konan: Η βασίλισσα της Μαύρης Ακτής και άλλα διηγήματα Konan: I vasílissa tis Mávris Aktís kai álla diiyímata Conan: Queen of the Black Coast and Other StoriesΑίολος (Aeolus)July 2002↗Conan Yilliklari 1: Fil Kulesi (Conan Annual 1: The Tower of the Elephant)İthaki Yayınları (Ithaca Publications)2003↗Конан - бессмертный (Konan - bessmertnyi) (Conan the Immortal) Cover and publication information courtesy of the Russian website Laboratory of Fantasy .Эксмо (Eksmo) Домино (Domino) (See Notes)2003 2004 2005 2007↗Conan de Cimmerier (Conan the Cimmerian)De Boekerij - Uitgeverij MMarch 2003↗ConanWilhelm Heyne VerlagSeptember 2003↗The Chronicles of Conan Volume 1: Tower of the Elephant and Other StoriesDark Horse BooksOctober 2003↗The Coming of Conan the CimmerianBallantine Books - Del ReyDecember 2003 ( Trade paperback ) December 2003 (eBook ) November 2005 ( Hardcover )↗The Coming of Conan the CimmerianScience Fiction Book ClubDecember 2003↗összes Conan története I.Szukits Konyvkiado2004↗Conan #10Dark Horse ComicsNovember 2004↗Conan de Cimmeria Volumen I (1932-1933)Timun Mas (Spain)November 2004↗Conan #11Dark Horse ComicsDecember 2004↗Conan - A Rainha da Costa Negra (The Queen of the Black Coast)Saída de Emergência2005↗Conan el cimmerio 1Timun Mas (Spain)March 2005↗Conan Volume 2: The God in the Bowl and Other StoriesDark Horse BooksAugust 2005 (Hardcover) September 2005 (Trade paperback)↗Conan. Il tesoro di TranicosArnoldo Mondadori Editore / Oscar MondadoriSeptember 2005 2008↗Conan, O Cimério Volume 1Conrad Editora2006↗The Complete Chronicles of Conan - Centenary EditionGollancz / BCA (with dustjacket)January 2006↗Conan 1Wilhelm Heyne VerlagFebruary 2006↗黒い海岸の女王 (Shinteiban Konan zenshū 1: Kuroi kaigan no jōō) (The Authorized Conan Chronicles 1: Queen of the Black Coast)Tōkyō SōgenshaOctober 2006↗Conan IAurora2007↗Conan le Cimmérien (Conan the Cimmerian)BragelonneOctober 2007 ( Hardcover ) April 2008 (Trade Paperback, 2nd printing ) 2010 (Trade Paperback, 3rd printing) September 2013 (Trade Paperback, 4th printing)↗Conan - The Frazetta Cover Series #2: The God in the BowlDark Horse ComicsApril 2008↗The Conan Chronicles Volume 1GollanczApril 2008↗Dolazak Konana SimerijancaIPS Media2009↗The Coming of Conan the CimmerianTantor Media Inc.June 2009↗Конан-варвар (Konan-varvar) (Conan the Barbarian) Cover and publication information courtesy of the Russian website Laboratory of Fantasy .Амфора (Amphora)2010↗Конан. Рожденный в битве (Konan. Rozhdennyi v bitve) (Conan. Born in Battle) Cover and publication information courtesy of the Russian website Laboratory of Fantasy .Эксмо (Eksmo) Домино (Domino) (See Notes)2010↗The Barry Windsor-Smith Archives - Conan Volume 1Dark Horse BooksFebruary 2010↗Conan i pradawni bogowieRebisJanuary 2011 (Trade paperback) July 2012 (eBook)↗Сага о Конане. Свиток первый. Конан-Варвар (Saga o Konane. Svitok pervyi. Konan-Varvar) (Saga of Conan. Scroll One. Conan the Barbarian) Cover and p ublication information courtesy of the Russian website Laboratory of Fantasy .ДВД Классика (DVD Klassika) (DVD Classic)2011↗Conan il barbaroNewton Compton EditoriJuly 2011 (Trade paperback) October 2011 (eBook)↗Conan the DestroyerGollanczOctober 2011↗Kimmeryalı Conan Yükselişi (The Rise of Conan the Cimmerian)Arkhelos PublicationsNovember 2011↗Конан-варвар. Легенда о киммерийце (Konan-varvar. Legenda o kimmeriitse) (Conan the Barbarian. The Legend of the Cimmerian) Cover and publication information courtesy of the Russian website Laboratory of Fantasy .Эксмо (Eksmo) Домино (Domino) (See Notes)November 2011↗Conan el cimerioGente Nueva (Cuba)2012↗legjobb Conan történeteiSzukits Konyvkiado2012↗蛮王柯南 (Conan the Barbarian)Chongqing University PressJanuary 2012↗The God in the Bowl (Draft B)Robert E. Howard FoundationSummer 2012 (mailed July 2011)↗Conan Barbarzyńca. Tom 1Code Red / BookRageDecember 2014↗Robert E. Howard - Die Original Erzählungen Band 1 ConanFesta VerlagJune 2015↗Конан. Пришествие варвара (Konan. Prishestvie varvara) (Conan. The Coming of the Barbarian) Cover and publication information courtesy of the Russian website Laboratory of Fantasy .Эксмо (Eksmo)December 2015↗Конан Tom 2 (Conan Volume 2)Изток-Запад (East West)2016↗Conan e il dio nell'urnaDelos DigitalMarch 2016↗Conan il barbaroArnoldo Mondadori EditoreOctober 2016↗Conan le Cimmérien (Stars Edition)BragelonneNovember 2017↗Conan, o Bárbaro - Livro 1Pipoca e NanquimDecember 2017↗Nacerá una brujaSportulaMarch 2018 April 2019 (2nd edition)↗Conan - édition collectorBragelonneSeptember 2018↗Conan ja merirosvot (Conan and the Pirates)OppianJanuary 2019 (Paperback) March 2020 (eBook)↗Le Cimmérien (Conan, Tome 1)Le Livre de PocheJanuary 2019↗A Torre do Elefante (The Tower of the Elephant)Red Dragon BooksMarch 2019 (eBook) April 2019 (Trade paperback)↗Krönikan om Hyboria: Guden i grytan ( Chronicle of Hyboria: The God in the Bowl )YabotJune 2020↗Conan ja jumala maljassa (Conan and the God in the Bowl)OppianJuly 2020↗Kraljica Crne obale Queen of the Black CoastStrahorJuly 2020↗Krönikan om Hyboria ( Chronicle of Hyboria )YabotNovember 2020↗Conan le Cimmérien: Le dieu dans le sarcophageGlénatJanuary 2021 (Full color edition) January 2021 (Black & White Special Edition)↗Conan der Cimmerier: Der Gott in der SchaleSplitter Verlag GmbH & Co. KGMay 2021↗Conan le Cimmérien (Conan the Cimmerian)BragelonneJuly 2021↗Conan il cimmero 11: Il dio nell’uurnaStar ComicsSeptember 2021↗Cònan el bàrbarLaertes (Spain)October 2021↗愛蔵版 英雄コナン全集１: 風雲篇 The Complete Conan Collectors Edition 1: The Caller of StormsShinkigenshaJune 2022 July 2022↗Conan el Cimerio - El dios del cuenco (Conan the Cimmerian - The God in the Bowl)Saga Egmont (Spain)October 2022↗Conan de Cimmeria nº 01/03 1932-1933Minotauro (Argentina)November 2022↗Las Crónicas Nemedias La Saga Completa del CimerioSportulaDecember 2022↗Conan de Avonturier: De God in de sarcofaag (Conan The Adventurer: The God in the Bowl)Dark Dragon BooksApril 2023 (Hardcover) February 2024 (Trade paperback)↗Conan, O Cimério Volume 3Pipoca e NanquimFebruary 2023↗蛮王科南Ⅳ：龙的时代 (Conan the Barbarian IV: Age of Dragons)盖亚文化 (Gaia Culture)February 2023↗蠻王科南套書 (Conan the Barbarian Box Set)盖亚文化 (Gaia Culture)February 2023↗Las Crónicas Nemedias 1 (The Nemedian Chronicles 1)SportulaJuly 2023↗Conan, o Bárbaro Box SetPipoca e NanquimDecember 2023↗Le Cronache Barbariche Volume 1 (The Barbarian Chronicles Volume 1)Providence PressJuly 2024↗Конан-киммериец: Полный дом негодяев. Бог из чаши. Час Дракона ( Konan-kimmeriets: Polnyi dom negodiaev. Bog iz chashi. Chas Drakona) (Conan the Cimmerian: Rogues in the House. The God in the Bowl. The Hour of the Dragon) Cover and p ublication information courtesy of the Russian website Laboratory of Fantasy .Тopcreator PublishingOctober 2024↗Conan ja synkkä uhka (Conan and the Dark Menace)OppianApril 2025↗Conan de Cimmeria Volume 1Portal Ediciones (Spain)May 2025↗#4187