Crom (fictional deity)

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Crom is a fictional deity created by American author Robert E. Howard. He is mainly mentioned in swearing by his character Conan the Cimmerian, and "worshipped," it is presumed, by the bulk of the Cimmerian people. His name is probably derived from the ancient Irish deity Crom Cruach, with the fictional Cimmerians functioning as proto-Celts in Howard's pre-historic Hyboria.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Nature of the god

Howard's Crom is a grim and gloomy god, ever watching from atop his mountain in dark clouds and obscuring mists, ready to pass a disapproving judgment on any and all. However he is also said to approve of courage and tenacity in mortals, even if the human ultimately proves too frail to succeed. He is the only member of the Cimmerian pantheon named with any regularity, although another Celtic deity, Manannán mac Lir, is mentioned by Conan in one story.

The followers of Set placate their deity with human sacrifice and actively venerate serpents, while Derketo's worshippers follow the pleasures of the flesh, and the devotees of Mitra merge ascetism with a commitment to justice. By contrast, Conan remarks in conversation that it is best to avoid doing anything that would draw Crom's attention, as the god brings down only trouble and doom^[1]. As a result, he is not so much worshipped in Howard's works as invoked in curses and expletives (for instance, Conan exclaims things like "Crom and his devils"), or when trying to gather one's courage. This does not however imply that he ever does anything, good or bad, to mortals; it is said that his sole gift to men is to bestow them at birth with the courage to survive, persevere, and vanquish adversity.

Crom never directly intervenes or otherwise explicitly causes any event to occur in the original Conan stories by Robert E. Howard. In fact, there is no evidence in his works that Crom, or any other deity, actually exists (although the existence of demons and highly advanced aliens are confirmed, while the story "The Phoenix on the Sword" implies that Set is one of H.P. Lovecraft's Great Old Ones).^[2]

[edit] In other media

Crom is frequently mentioned in Conan the Barbarian, a 1982 film directed by John Milius and co-written by Oliver Stone. He is similar to the god described in Howard's works, although elements of Norse, in particular the mythos of Odin, are introduced. During a theological discussion, Conan says that when he dies, he will go in front of Crom, who will ask him the Riddle of Steel, and if he does not know the answer, Crom will mock him and cast him away from Valhalla. The Riddle of Steel is not mentioned in Howard's stories.

At numerous points in the film, Conan murmurs "Crom" as an expletive or expression of surprise and is not shown as particularly religious. He admits to Crom that he has never prayed to him saying, "I have no tongue for it." In fact the only time he sincerely prays through the film, (and it is implied through his entire life) is when he faces his enemies and tells the deity "Valour pleases you, Crom, so grant me one request: grant me revenge! And if you do not listen, then to hell with you!"

He is also mentioned in Conan the Adventurer animated series. There, despite many differences in other things, Crom is also mostly portrayed as he is Howard's stories, a distant deity that Conan more invokes in exclamations than formal worship such as saying "By Crom!" in times of danger. ^[3] Not irreligious, though, Conan is seen to make solemn vows in the name of his god--or in the case of the cartoon guardian spirit of his tribe--such as when his family is turned to stone, he swears in Crom's name to free them.

Crom, on the other hand, is portrayed very differently in the Conan the Adventurer television show. Crom in this version is not a remote, unseen god as in previous storylines, but an accessible deity who at times provides Conan direct divine assistance, and Conan is outright devout in his worship.

The trailer music studio X-Ray Dog, who composed trailer music for Harry Potter, Pirates of the Carribbean, the Star Wars prequels, No Country for Old Men, and many other movies, has a piece called "Hammer of Crom" from their CD K-9 Empire.

[edit] References