You have to acknowledge that the medieval period was fascinating, especially during the 16th and 17th centuries. It was a time when religion and superstition wielded as much authority as today’s science, which led to some strange customs and surprising incidents. The fantasy sci-fi genre, in particular the sword and sorcery genre, benefited greatly from this.
Robert E. Howard is a legend in his own right, and he was the one who first saw the enormous potential of pulp fiction during this time period. Fans have adored his timeless creations such as Conan the Barbarian, and he is sometimes referred to as the “Father of the Sword and Sorcery” genre.
Solomon Kane and the adventures that revolve around him are another of his outstanding inventions. This was a Puritan who traveled the world just to combat evil forces, so his travels and exploits were numerous. Weird Tales, an American fantasy and horror fiction pulp magazine that published promising writers like Lovecraft and Clark Ashton Smith, published the majority of the Solomon Kane stories. Aside from several amazing stories, a live-action adaption was made, and Solomon Kane became a brand. We will look at the origins of this mystery hero, his adventures, and the feature film based on him in this video.
A little something about Solomon Kane
So who is Solomon Kane and what is he all about! Well, the similarities with Conan are stark, but they are also very different in many ways. You could say that Solomon Kane was a puritan version of Conan, and this skilled warrior has the sole mission of righting all wrongs. He abides by the Puritan code of ethics, and thus, he has a strong sense of morality that dictates his actions. He was born in Devonshire, in West England sometime around 1530. He was brought up in the Puritan orthodoxy, which strengthened his belief system.
Great sword masters taught him fencing and made him so lethal with the sword in hand. However, it is to be noted that he didn’t exactly have a Turkish stature. He stood tall at six feet, but he appeared to be moderately built. He did have incredible strength and it was because of his undying determination and belief in his cause. He dressed in black, wore a trademark slouch hat, and carried a well-equipped arsenal complete with pistols, daggers, and the magical Staff of Solomon!
The Puritan sects were regarded as hostile by the Tudor rulers of England, and they were openly persecuted for their beliefs and practices. Thus, his homeland was not hospitable enough for him, and Solomon Kane had a restless nature that never allowed him to settle in one place. His endless crusade to destroy all forms of evil in the name of God made him fight everything from terrible men to cultists to monsters. The stories surrounding him are marvelously innovative and they feel quite real in many ways.
It almost feels like the author has witnessed the events that he describes, and this is what makes the stories feel so real. Yes, Solomon Kane is an interesting character, but it is Robert E. Howard’s credit that he created such depth in the stories even within the limits of the pulp story format.
The Solomon Kane Stories Published In Weird Tales
We have already mentioned that most of the Solomon Kane stories were first published in Weird Tales. This magazine introduced us to some brilliant stories featuring this iconic character and all of them are a must-read for the fans of this genre. Let us look into some of the most popular stories that were published during this time.
Red Shadows: During one of his travels through France, Solomon Kane stops due to a sudden movement among the trees. When he goes ahead to examine, he finds a young girl mortally wounded. He wants to know who or what harmed the innocent little girl, and she narrates the horrors faced by her. Le Loup and his men raided their village and robbed and killed everyone in sight. One of the men, the Wolf, caught hold of this little girl and stabbed her with his dagger. She dies in the arms of Solomon Kane and he swears to avenge the killing of this innocent soul. He eventually catches up with the gang, slaying the members one by one, eventually hunting down Le Loup as well. The events soon take him to Africa, and this is where he meets his dear friend N’Longa!
Skulls in the Stars: This particular story is premised in England, where Solomon Kane is headed for the hamlet of Torkertown. There are two paths that lead to the hamlet and one of them passes through moor and it is supposedly haunted. Over the years, several travelers have taken that road, but none of them came out alive. Kane is warned about the dangers of the moor road, but the braveheart decides to investigate the matter nonetheless. This leads to one of the deadliest battles for Kane, where his enemy is like a mist. The sword is useless in the fight, and it takes much more than his strength to win this fight!
Rattle of Bones: This time the adventures take Solomon Kane to Germany, where he comes across a fellow traveler named Gaston L’Armon. He seems quite familiar and the two decide to stay together for the night at the Cleft Skull Tavern. As you would expect, things don’t stay peaceful for much longer, and Solomon Kane soon has to deal with some dark forces on the prowl!
The Moon of Skulls: Kane has also encountered vampires in the course of his adventures and this one happens to be one of those instances. He is investigating the mysterious kidnapping of an English girl called Marylin Taferal. She has been kidnapped from her home, and Solomon Kane picks up her trail all the way to Africa. Apparently, she has been sold to Barbary pirates by one of her cousins, and she is currently in grave danger. This adventure leads Kane to face the vampire queen of the hidden city of Negari. Fighting evil forces doesn’t get much tougher than this!
Hills of the Dead: We tread further into vampire territory as this story is once again premised in Africa. N’Longa, Kane’s dear old friend is once again introduced in this narrative and he offers some valuable help to the righteous hero. He hands him a magic wooden staff that is supposed to protect him from the evil powers. It comes in handy when he encounters a city of vampires inside a jungle!
There are many other notable stories surrounding Solomon Kane. The Footfalls Within, Wings in the Night, Blades of the Brotherhood, The Right Hand of Doom, and some fragmented shorts like The Castle of the Devil and Death’s Black Riders are some of the popular ones. Other authors have also stepped in to pen down the incomplete shorts, but none of their works were as impactful as the original creator, Robert E. Howard.
Solomon Kane – Origin and Personality
We have seen Solomon Kane as the righteous, moral hero, but his origin stories shed more light on the depths of his character. His determination to rid the world of all evil comes not only from his desire to protect the world. It is also indicated that he is atoning for his past sins, and the fights and altercations give him an opportunity to unleash his inner rage on the unfortunate baddies.
His name is also fairly indicative of his personality. Solomon is the Biblical judge and Cain was the first assassin in human history. Put together, Solomon Kane is a man who judges right from wrong and punishes the evil with furious anger. If there is one vice in this man, it has to be his uncontrollable rage. However, this has also allowed him to defeat enemies far more superior than him, simply because of his determined anger. It is also to be noted that his rage has never caused harm to the innocent so he has successfully used his flaw as his strength!
It is thoroughly entertaining to read about a man with no superpowers, fighting powerful forces of evil. Solomon Kane is a mighty swordsman and his strength and stamina are more than the average man’s. But he is still a mortal, simply powered by his faith and beliefs. It is fascinating how he defeated even the supernatural forces and enemies way more powerful than him. The Staff of Solomon was quite a handy weapon in his arsenal.
This was offered to him by his friend N’Longa, and it was rumored that the staff was older than the Earth. It had a magical item inside that could scare away paranormal forces, and holding it allowed Kane an enhanced sensitivity to supernatural powers. It was made of a type of wood that no longer exists on the planet, and the staff is covered with ancient hieroglyphs inscriptions. The staff has a sharp pointed end and ahead of a cat on the other end. We learn more about the magical staff when he is taken prisoner by slavers during one of his adventures. The cat-head represents Bast, the Egyptian goddess, and priests used it in ancient Egypt to fight evil forces.
A tribute to the creator
Words fall short of expressing our admiration for the creator of Solomon Kane – the one and only Robert E. Howard. He passed away at the age of thirty, but in his short life, he has immortalized himself with some evergreen characters. The father of sword and sorcery was born in Texas, and he grew up as an avid reader. He always wanted to become a writer of fiction and tasted success by the time he was only twenty-three years old. Several magazines and newspapers published his works, but Weird Tales has to be the most important one that published most of his stories.
The one who entertained us with his magical stories did not have a perfect life himself! His mother suffered from tuberculosis, and it left a deep impact on his mental health. In fact, he committed suicide in the prime of his life, when he learned that his mother had slipped into a coma and would not recover. We were deprived of many more of these gems, but what he created is still regarded as gold in the world of fantasy fiction! His characters like Conan and Solomon Kane became a part of pop culture many years after his death, and Robert E. Howard will always have a special place in our hearts!
Live Action Adaptation
It has been a long journey for the fans that were eagerly waiting for a movie adaptation of Solomon Kane. The rights were acquired in 1997, but it took nine more years to start filming. Eventually, the action-adventure movie titled Solomon Kane was released in 2008, and it got a decent response from the audience. However, it wasn’t exactly a commercial success and that got the future films in line canceled. Initially, this movie was perceived to be the first in a trilogy, but a box office flop meant that the plans never materialized.
This movie is directed by M.J Bassett and she chose her own original story instead of picking up from the available Solomon Kane storylines. The film begins in the year 1600 when Solomon Kane is leading his men to fight the Ottoman occupiers. In an intense battle, most of his men are killed, and he encounters a powerful demon. It tells him that his soul is forfeited to Satan because of his life of sin, and a defiant Solomon jumps out of the window to escape. Many years later, he has renounced his life of violence and he seeks redemption. He is expelled from the monastery where he took shelter, and thus begins his life as a traveler. After he is attacked by robbers on the road, a Puritan family takes him in. They even come across Meredith Crowthorns, a witch, but their peaceful life is interrupted by an evil sorcerer named Malachi. Meredith is kidnapped and her family is killed. Kane gives up on his non-violent vows in order to rescue her from Malachi’s clutches.
His journey takes him through the countryside, and he takes down several of Malachi’s minions. Many of that held captive are freed by him, but there are no signs of Meredith. He learns that Malachi has been corrupting his followers into becoming slaves and soldiers, and during one of his attacks he finds out that Meredith is dead. Solomon is distraught and goes off to drink at a country inn. He meets some of his old followers, the men who fought alongside him, and they offer him to lead them against the oppressive Malachi. All of a sudden, Malachi’s forces attack, and everyone along with Solomon himself is crucified. Just when he is about to give up all hope, he hears the voice of Meredith from one of the cages in the raider’s wagon. With a new zeal, he frees himself, and the raiding group is slaughtered by him and the men of the resistance.
It all boils down to an intense final confrontation with Malachi. The latter tries to use Meredith’s blood to summon a demon and claim Solomon’s soul, but his plans are foiled when Solomon shoots him dead. He sacrifices himself to close the portal to the hellish dimension, and he survives because through his good deeds he finally redeems his soul.
Our take on the movie
It is a typical old-fashioned sword and sorcery flick that entertains as an excellent dark adventure. What we loved the most about this film is how it managed to rise above the usual formula for such movies. The protagonist is a much darker and more conflicted character than the average hero and the story is not just a maze of mindless action. The gritty and monochromatic look of the movie has to be appreciated, and it is in perfect sync with the ambiance. The visuals are simply mind-blowing and the shots in the dark are worth watching again and again.
The slow pacing of the narrative is not a negative for this movie, but in fact, it enhances the experience as you relish the complex storyline minus any loopholes. It is predictable at times, but what do you really expect from such a plot! One of the strongest assets for the movie would have to be the remarkable acting performances, and James Purefoy as Solomon Kane is a treat to watch. He is perfect as the ruthless killer with a troubled past, and he is effortless in the fight sequences. Coming to the fight scenes, they are well-choreographed and look remarkably real.
The special effects, make-up, and near-perfect sets helped Solomon Kane become an unforgettable experience and we would love a continuation to the journey! The sets have been designed by Ricky Eyres, the man who worked in classics like Saving Private Ryan, and his expertise shows. Basset does a great job of balancing the tender moments and all the action. It is unfortunate that the film only collected half the production cost at the box office. Don’t go by the negativity surrounding the movie, and we bet you will be pleasantly surprised by the end result!
Future Of The Solomon Kane Franchise
As of now, we don’t see a movie or a TV show in sight in the near future. However, the franchise might be continued through games. It has been learned that Funcom, a Norwegian gaming company, has acquired the full rights to Conan and Solomon Kane. There has been some news about a game that they are developing, which will have a combination of Robert E. Howard’s iconic characters. Conan is easily the more popular character among the two, and from a Conan series on Netflix to Marvel comic books featuring Conan, the franchise is up and running. It is to be seen if fusing multiple characters work for Solomon Kane, but as fans we are enthusiastic about the effort.
Going by the great wealth of Solomon Kane stories, it has to be said that some of them are ripe for being adapted into a short series or a feature film. The live-action adaptation did not really make use of the available stories and with some modifications, it could work wonders. For the time being, it is going to be a long waiting game, hoping that the unique character of Solomon Kane is brought back to the big screen once again!