by Gary Romeo
This article nearly completes my series on Bran Mak Morn. I still need to do a review of “Untitled” and I wish to do an overview of Picts in all of Robert E. Howard’s stories. That last idea could take a while.
First up is “Bran Mak Morn.” This was first published in Bran Mak Morn: A Play, and Others, Cromlech Series, 1983. The introduction to this chapbook tells us that, “”Bran Mak Morn” [the play] was written in the dawn of Howard’s career, prior to his first professional sale.” And later, “We are proud to present it here to enable Howard fans to complete their Bran Mak Morn collections.” Robert M. Price edited and published several chapbooks featuring REH stories from around 1983 to 1989. These were all very much appreciated at the time. Robert M. Price played a valuable role in REH publishing.
There are some textual differences between this version and the one published in Bran Mak Morn: The Last King, Ballantine (Del Rey) Books, 2005.
Cromlech: warriors to the forts
Del Rey: warriors to the forth
Cromlech: Mount Atsa
Del Rey: Mount Arsa
Cromlech: thankless
Del Rey: thank-less
Other than the one punctuation change, these are NOT edits, but different interpretations of REH’s handwriting. See the original writing reproduced below:
This unfinished play features some of the things we’ll see later in one of REH’s best stories, “Worms of the Earth.” An ally named Cormac, unrestrained hatred from the Picts for Celts, Scots, and Britons, and Bran’s focus on Rome.
In the play, Bran talks of bringing the Picts “back to the civilization of our fathers. Of the age of Brennus.” [Edited from Wikipedia]: Brennus defeated the Romans at the Battle of the Allia (ca 390 BC). Later that year, he led an army of Cisalpine Gauls in their attack on Rome and captured most of the city, holding it for several months. Brennus’ sack of Rome was the only time in 800 years the city was occupied by a non-Roman army before the fall of the city to the Visigoths in 410 AD.
REH was already imbuing Bran with a hate of Rome. Later, probably influenced by Machen and Irish folk tales, he decided to make the Picts (other than Bran) a short grotesque race that inspired talk of fairies and “the little people.”
Next up is “Synopsis.”
“Synopsis” was first published in Cromlech #3, Cryptic Publications, 1988. This chapbook also reprints “Bran Mak Morn: A Play.” If you weren’t a diligent REH collector in the 1980s you would have missed these chapbook gems. Luckily, the Ballantine (Del Rey) books collected all these items.
There are no textual differences between the Cryptic chapbook and the pure-text version in Bran Mak Morn: The Last King. A note in the Del Rey edition states that the original typescript could not be located in time for publication.
The synopsis is intriguing, and one wishes that REH had completed it. The story revolves around a usurper Roman named Allectus, who has declared himself emperor of Britain. His opposition, Carausius, is preparing to march against him. Bran is allied with Allectus, but a band of Northmen hate the Picts, and kill Bran’s sweetheart. According to the synopsis, Allectus will fail, and the Roman Empire will triumph. Perhaps Rome winning in the end is what disillusioned REH from completing what would have been an exciting story.
spraguedecampfan 
Intriguing, as always. Who knew REH had done a play?
My own impression on the handwriting interpretation would split the difference, going with “forts” and “Arsa.”