El Borak
Encyclopedia
El Borak, otherwise known as Francis Xavier Gordon, is a fictional character created by Robert E. Howard
. Gordon was a Texan
gunfighter from El Paso
who had travelled the world and settled in Afghanistan
. He is known in Asia for his exploits in that continent.
The character was originally created when Howard was only ten years old but he did not see print until The Daughter of Erlik Khan
in the December 1934 issue of Top-Notch. He is likely to have been inspired by real people such as Richard Francis Burton
, John Nicholson
, "Chinese" Gordon
and Lawrence of Arabia
as well as the fiction of Talbot Mundy
.
Although Howard best known for his fantasy fiction, the El Borak stories are straight adventure fiction and only Three-Bladed Doom
contains a fantasy element.
for "The Swift". It is the name given to him in Afghanistan due to his speed and quickness. This is most often represented as his speed in drawing his pistol or attacks with another weapon but can also represent his mental agility as well. Both are the defining traits of the character.
, he has black hair but has black eyes instead of the blue typical of the Black Irish.
Robert E. Howard
Robert Ervin Howard was an American author who wrote pulp fiction in a diverse range of genres. Best known for his character Conan the Barbarian, he is regarded as the father of the sword and sorcery subgenre....
. Gordon was a Texan
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
gunfighter from El Paso
El Paso, Texas
El Paso, is a city in and the county seat of El Paso County, Texas, United States, and lies in far West Texas. In the 2010 census, the city had a population of 649,121. It is the sixth largest city in Texas and the 19th largest city in the United States...
who had travelled the world and settled in Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
. He is known in Asia for his exploits in that continent.
The character was originally created when Howard was only ten years old but he did not see print until The Daughter of Erlik Khan
The Daughter of Erlik Khan
The Daughter of Erlik Khan is an El Borak short story by Robert E. Howard. It was originally published in December 1934 issue of the pulp magazine Top-Notch.-External links:*...
in the December 1934 issue of Top-Notch. He is likely to have been inspired by real people such as Richard Francis Burton
Richard Francis Burton
Captain Sir Richard Francis Burton KCMG FRGS was a British geographer, explorer, translator, writer, soldier, orientalist, cartographer, ethnologist, spy, linguist, poet, fencer and diplomat. He was known for his travels and explorations within Asia, Africa and the Americas as well as his...
, John Nicholson
John Nicholson (general)
Brigadier-General John Nicholson was a Victorian era military officer known for his role in British India. A charismatic and authoritarian figure, Nicholson created a legend for himself as a political officer under Henry Lawrence in the frontier provinces of the British Empire in India...
, "Chinese" Gordon
Charles George Gordon
Major-General Charles George Gordon, CB , known as "Chinese" Gordon, Gordon Pasha, and Gordon of Khartoum, was a British army officer and administrator....
and Lawrence of Arabia
T. E. Lawrence
Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Edward Lawrence, CB, DSO , known professionally as T. E. Lawrence, was a British Army officer renowned especially for his liaison role during the Arab Revolt against Ottoman Turkish rule of 1916–18...
as well as the fiction of Talbot Mundy
Talbot Mundy
Talbot Mundy was an English writer. He also wrote under the pseudonym Walter Galt.-Life and work:...
.
Although Howard best known for his fantasy fiction, the El Borak stories are straight adventure fiction and only Three-Bladed Doom
Three-Bladed Doom
Three-Bladed Doom is an El Borak short story by Robert E. Howard. It was not published within Howard's lifetime.There are two different versions of this story. The first is shorter than the second words. The short version was printed first, in issue #4 of the magazine REH Lone Star Fictioneer ....
contains a fantasy element.
Character introduction
El Borak is the central character of the series, frequently attempting to minimise tribal wars and conflict in the region through guile or direct violence.Explanation of the character's name
El Borak is ArabicArabic language
Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
for "The Swift". It is the name given to him in Afghanistan due to his speed and quickness. This is most often represented as his speed in drawing his pistol or attacks with another weapon but can also represent his mental agility as well. Both are the defining traits of the character.
Appearance
El Borak described as shorter than other characters and he has a slender figure. Nevertheless, he is described as "compact" and quite strong. His defining physical ability, however, is the quickness that inspired his pseudonym. El Borak describes his ancestry as Highland Scot and Black IrishBlack Irish
Black Irish is an ambiguous term used mainly outside of Ireland. Over the course of history, it has been subject to several distinctive ascriptions, including religious affiliation and poverty. Modern traditionalists, however, maintain the term to be synonymous with a dark-haired phenotype...
, he has black hair but has black eyes instead of the blue typical of the Black Irish.
Stories
Only five El Borak stories were published during Howard's life. The remainder have been printed in the years since his suicide by various publishers.Published during Howard's life
- "The Daughter of Erlik KhanThe Daughter of Erlik KhanThe Daughter of Erlik Khan is an El Borak short story by Robert E. Howard. It was originally published in December 1934 issue of the pulp magazine Top-Notch.-External links:*...
" — First published in Top-Notch, December 1934. This was the first published appearance of El Borak. - "Hawk of the HillsHawk of the Hills (short story)Hawk of the Hills is an El Borak short story by Robert E. Howard. It was originally published in June 1935 issue of the pulp magazine Top-Notch, one of only five of the El Borak stories published within Howard's lifetime...
" — First appeared in Top-Notch, June 1935 - "Blood of the GodsBlood of the GodsBlood of the Gods is an El Borak short story by Robert E. Howard. It was originally published in July 1935 issue of the pulp magazine Top-Notch.-Plot:...
" — First published in Top-Notch, July 1935 - "The Country of the KnifeThe Country of the KnifeCountry of the Knife is an El Borak short story by Robert E. Howard. It was originally published in August 1936 issue of the pulp magazine Complete Stories. The story is also known as Sons of the Hawk.-External links:*...
" — First published in Complete Stories, August 1936. Alternate title: Sons of the Hawk - "Son of the White WolfSon of the White WolfSon of the White Wolf is an El Borak short story by Robert E. Howard. It was originally published in December 1936 issue of the pulp magazine Thrilling Adventures.-External links:*...
" — First published in Thrilling AdventuresThrilling AdventuresThrilling Adventures was a monthly American pulp magazine from 1931 to 1943.Thrilling Adventures was created by editor Leo Margulies and was patterned after the pulp Adventure. It was one of 16 pulps that Margulies founded that incorporated the adjective "Thrilling" in the title...
, December 1936
Posthumous publications
- "The Lost Valley of IskanderThe Lost Valley of IskanderThe Lost Valley of Iskander is an El Borak short story by Robert E. Howard. It was not published within Howard's lifetime, the first publication was in the FAX Collector's Editions hardback The Lost Valley of Iskander in 1974...
" — First published in The Lost Valley of Iskander 1974. Alternate title: Swords of the Hills - "Three-Bladed DoomThree-Bladed DoomThree-Bladed Doom is an El Borak short story by Robert E. Howard. It was not published within Howard's lifetime.There are two different versions of this story. The first is shorter than the second words. The short version was printed first, in issue #4 of the magazine REH Lone Star Fictioneer ....
" — First published in REH: Lone Star Fictioneer #4, Nemedian Chronicles, Spring 1976, note there are two versions of different lengths. - "Intrigue in Kurdistan" — First published in the chapbookChapbookA chapbook is a pocket-sized booklet. The term chap-book was formalized by bibliophiles of the 19th century, as a variety of ephemera , popular or folk literature. It includes many kinds of printed material such as pamphlets, political and religious tracts, nursery rhymes, poetry, folk tales,...
Pulse Pounding Adventure Stories #1 (December 1986) published by Cryptic Publications - "The Coming of El BorakThe Coming of El BorakThe Coming of El Borak is an El Borak short story by Robert E. Howard. First printed in the chapbook The Coming of El Borak , it was not published in Howard's lifetime.-External links:*...
" — First published in The Coming of El Borak, September 1987 - "El Borak" - This was the title of two different short stories, neither of which was published within Howard's lifetime. The first story was printed in the chapbook The Coming of El Borak (September 1987). The second story was printed shortly afterwards in the chapbook North of Khyber (December 1987). This story also features another of Howard's characters, The Sonora KidThe Sonora KidThe Sonora Kid, also known as Steve Allison, is a fictional cowboy created by Robert E. Howard. The stories were not printed until more than fifty years after the author's death...
. Both were published by Cryptic Publications. - "The Iron Terror" — First published in the chapbook The Coming of El Borak (September 1987).
- "Khoda Khan's Tale" — First published in the chapbook The Coming of El Borak (September 1987).
- "The Land of Mystery" — First published in the chapbook North of Khyber (December 1987). The story also features another of Howard's characters, The Sonora Kid.
- "North of KhyberNorth of KhyberNorth of Khyber is an El Borak short story by Robert E. Howard. It was not published within Howard's lifetime - it was first printed in the chapbook North of Khyber . The story also features another of Howard's characters, The Sonora Kid.-External links:*...
" — First published in North of the Khyber, December 1987 - "A Power Among the Islands" — First published in the chapbook North of Khyber (December 1987). The story also features another of Howard's characters, The Sonora Kid.
- "The Shunned Castle" — First published in the chapbook North of Khyber (December 1987). The story also features another of Howard's characters, The Sonora Kid.