The God in the Bowl

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This article is about a short story. For the protagonist and principal character, see Conan the Cimmerian.
An illustration of a dramatic scene in The God in the Bowl as depicted by Mark Schultz in The Coming of Conan the Cimmerian (Del Rey, 2003). The original short story was written by Robert E. Howard and first appeared in a 1952 issue of Space Science Fiction magazine.
An illustration of a dramatic scene in The God in the Bowl as depicted by Mark Schultz in The Coming of Conan the Cimmerian (Del Rey, 2003).

The original short story was written by Robert E. Howard and first appeared in a 1952 issue of Space Science Fiction magazine.

"The God in the Bowl" is one of the original short stories about Conan the Cimmerian, written by American author Robert E. Howard, but not published during his lifetime. It is set in the pseudo-historical Hyborian Age and concerns Conan robbing a temple museum only to be ensnared in bizarre events and be deemed the prime suspect in a murder mystery. The story first saw publication in September 1952 in Space Science Fiction and has been reprinted many times since, notably in the collections The Coming of Conan (Gnome Press, 1953) and Conan (Lancer Books, 1967). It has most recently been republished in the collections The Conan Chronicles Volume 1: The People of the Black Circle (Gollancz, 2000) and Conan of Cimmeria: Volume One (1932-1933) (Del Rey, 2003).

[edit] Plot Overview

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

“ "Arus the watchman grasped his crossbow with shaky hands, and he felt beads of clammy perspiration on his skin as he stared at the unlovely corpse sprawling on the polished floor before him. It is not pleasant to come upon Death in a lonely place at midnight..." ”
 
— Robert E. Howard, "The God in the Bowl"

One night in the degenerate municipality of Numalia, the second largest Nemedian city, Conan enters a fantastic establishment: a great museum and antique house which laymen call the Temple of Kallian Publico.

In the midst of robbing this temple museum, Conan finds himself embroiled in a murder investigation when the strangled corpse of the temple's owner and curator, Kallian Publico, is found by a night watchman. Though the Cimmerian is the prime suspect, the investigating magistrate and the prefect of police show remarkable forebearance, allowing Conan not only to remain free, but also to keep his unsheathed sword while their nervous men search the shadowy premises.

As the on-scene investigation unfolds, the magistrate soon learns Publico had received from distant Stygia a strange bowl-like sarcophagus that now lies unsealed, open, and empty. This sarcophagus was said to be a priceless relic found among the darkened tombs far beneath the Stygian pyramids and sent to Kalanthes, a denizen of Numalia, "because of the love the sender bore the priest of Ibis." Intercepting this rare item meant for Kalanthes, Kallian Publico had believed the sarcophagus contained the fabled diadem of the giant-kings whose primordial kin dwelt in that dark southern land before the ancestors of the Stygians came there. However, clearly, the object contained within was not the diadem, but something of a more insidious nature.

While the magistrate and his men are baffled when uncovering this aforementioned information, the reader quickly begins to suspect the murderer may have been something other than entirely human and was contained within the now-opened sarcophagus.

A scream, a death, and the police retreat from the temple museum; thus, leaving Conan to fend for himself with the roaming "murderer." Conan eventually locates the culprit whom he hesitantly dispatches with his long sword, learning only in the final sentence the true horror of "the god in the bowl."

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Conan the Barbarian

Original stories by Robert E. Howard: Beyond the Black River • Black Colossus • The Black Stranger • Cimmeria • The Devil in Iron • Drums of Tombalku • The Frost Giant's Daughter • The God in the Bowl • The Hall of the Dead • The Hand of Nergal • The Hour of the Dragon • Iron Shadows in the Moon • Jewels of Gwahlur • The People of the Black Circle • The Phoenix on the Sword • The Pool of the Black One • Queen of the Black Coast • Red Nails • Rogues in the House • The Scarlet Citadel • Shadows in Zamboula • The Snout in the Dark • The Tower of the Elephant • The Vale of Lost Women • A Witch Shall be Born • Wolves Beyond the Border • Xuthal of the Dusk

Collections: Black Colossus • The Bloody Crown of Conan • The Coming of Conan • The Coming of Conan the Cimmerian • The Complete Chronicles of Conan • Conan • The Conan Chronicles • The Conan Chronicles, 1 • The Conan Chronicles 2 • The Conan Chronicles, 2 • Conan of Aquilonia • Conan of Cimmeria • Conan the Adventurer • Conan the Avenger • Conan the Barbarian • Conan the Freebooter • Conan the Swordsman • Conan the Usurper • Conan the Wanderer • Conan the Warrior • The Conquering Sword of Conan • The Devil in Iron • The Essential Conan • Jewels of Gwahlur • King Conan • The People of the Black Circle • Pool of the Black One • Queen of the Black Coast • Red Nails • Rogues in the House • Sagas of Conan • The Sword of Conan • Tales of Conan • The Tower of the Elephant • The Treasure of Tranicos

Novels: Conan and the Amazon • Conan and the Emerald Lotus • Conan and the Death Lord of Thanza • Conan and the Gods of the Mountain • Conan and The Grim Grey God • Conan and the Manhunters • Conan and the Mists of Doom • Conan and the Shaman's Curse • Conan and the Sorcerer • Conan and the Spider God • Conan and the Treasure of Python • Conan at the Demon's Gate • Conan, Lord of the Black River • Conan of the Isles • Conan of the Red Brotherhood • Conan of Venarium • Conan, Scourge of the Bloody Coast • Conan the Barbarian • Conan the Bold • Conan the Buccaneer • Conan the Champion • Conan the Defender • Conan the Defiant • Conan the Destroyer • Conan the Fearless • Conan the Formidable • Conan the Freelance • Conan the Gladiator • Conan the Great • Conan the Guardian • Conan the Hero • Conan the Hunter • Conan the Indomitable • Conan the Invincible • Conan the Liberator • Conan the Magnificent • Conan the Marauder • Conan the Mercenary • Conan the Outcast • Conan the Raider • Conan the Rebel • Conan the Relentless • Conan the Renegade • Conan the Rogue • Conan the Savage • Conan the Triumphant • Conan the Unconquered • Conan the Valiant • Conan the Valorous • Conan the Victorious • Conan the Warlord • The Hour of the Dragon • The Return of Conan • The Road of Kings • The Sword of Skelos

Scholarship: The Blade of Conan • The Conan Grimoire • The Conan Reader • The Conan Swordbook • The Spell of Conan •

Authors: Poul Anderson • Leonard Carpenter • Lin Carter • L. Sprague de Camp • Roland J. Green • John C. Hocking • Robert E. Howard • Robert Jordan • Sean A. Moore • Björn Nyberg • Andrew J. Offutt • Steve Perry • John Maddox Roberts • Roy Thomas • Harry Turtledove • Karl Edward Wagner

Other media: Conan and the Young Warriors • Conan the Adventurer • Conan (comics) • Conan (Dark Horse comic) • Conan the Barbarian (film) • Conan the Destroyer • Red Sonja (film)

Characters: Bêlit • Conan the Barbarian • Crom • Kulan Gath • Red Sonja • Serpent Men • Serpent people • Set • Thoth-Amon • Thulsa Doom • Valeria • Vammatar • Xaltotun

Other: Conan (books) • Conan Chronologies • Hyborian Age • The Hyborian Age • The Shadow of the Vulture • Aquilonia • Cimmeria • Stygia
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