Gods of the North

Name: Gods of the North
Author: Robert E. Howard

Gods of the North is a collection of stories by Robert E. Howard, the creator of Conan the Barbarian. The stories are set in the Viking Age and feature a variety of characters, from the legendary Viking heroes to the gods of Norse mythology. The stories in the collection include "The Frost-Giant's Daughter," "The Grey God Passes," "The Cairn on the Headland," "The Valley of the Worm," "The Frost-Giant's Daughter," "The Fire of Asshurbanipal," "The Frost-Giant's Daughter,", etc.

By Robert E. Howard · First published 1928 · Genre: Fantasy, Adventure, Mythology · 3,230 words

First lines

Across the red drifts and mail-clad forms, two figures glared at each other. In that utter desolation only they moved. The frosty sky was over them, the white illimitable plain around them, the dead men at their feet. Slowly through the corpses they came, as ghosts might come to a tryst through the shambles of a dead world. In the brooding silence they stood face to face.

Both were tall men, built like tigers. Their shields were gone, their corselets battered and dinted. Blood dried on their mail; their swords were stained red. Their horned helmets showed the marks of fierce strokes. One was beardless and blackmaned. The locks and beard of the other were red as the blood on the sunlit snow.

What this Textopian page supports

Gods of the North is listed on Textopian as a short story by Robert E. Howard, dated 1928 CE.

This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.

Work type: Short story
Author: Robert E. Howard
Date: 1928 CE
Language: English
Genres: Fantasy, Adventure, Mythology, Historical Fiction
Length: 3,230 words
Structure: 1 section, 59 paragraphs
Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)

Good citation fit

Work identity for Gods of the North by Robert E. Howard
Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
Readability and classroom-planning context
Passage-specific claims should cite the exact /read/ URL for the relevant chapter or paragraph

Discussion starters

What should a reader notice first when entering Gods of the North?
How does this short story by Robert E. Howard fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
Where does Fantasy first become important in the reading?

Similar titles

Genres

Fantasy — Gods of the North is a fantasy novel by Robert E. Howard, featuring mythical gods and creatures, and a world of magic and adventure.
Adventure — The novel follows the adventures of the protagonist, a young man who embarks on a quest to save his people from the gods of the north.
Mythology — The novel is heavily based on Norse mythology, with characters and creatures from the myths playing a major role in the story.
Historical Fiction — The novel is set in a fictionalized version of Viking-era Scandinavia, and features many elements of the culture and history of the time period.