Hyborian

The Hyborian Age is a fictional prehistoric era created by Robert E. Howard for the Conan the Barbarian stories. It sits in the author’s chronology after a cataclysm that sank ancient civilizations such as Atlantis and Lemuria and before the rise of the historic civilizations known to classical readers. The term Hyborian is used to describe both the age and the peoples who inhabit it.

Time and atmosphere: The setting blends elements of late Bronze Age and early Iron Age technology with remnants of lost civilizations and magic. It spans a relatively long span on a single continental landmass, with cities, kingdoms, and tribal territories coexisting amid deserts, forests, and steppes. It is characterized by political intrigue, frontier warfare, and frequent sorcery.

Geography and notable cultures: The Hyborian world comprises numerous realms, including Aquilonia, Nemedia, Zamora, Brythunia, Turan, Vendhya, Stygia, Ophir, Koth, and Cimmeria, among others. Hyborians, humans descended from the post-cataclysm migrations, form a diverse array of cultures—kingdoms with centralized power, nomadic or semi-nomadic peoples, and mercantile city-states. The era also features rival polities, heroic banditry, and barbarian tribes on the fringes of civilization.

Legacy: Since its creation, the Hyborian Age has become a defining backdrop for sword-and-sorcery fiction, influencing comics, novels, films, and role-playing games. The name Hyborian is commonly used to describe both the setting and its inhabitants.