Conan Stories · Chapter
VII: The Devil in the Fire explained
Conan, having left the Velitrium road, encounters a group of settlers fleeing the Pictish invasion.
What happens
Conan, having left the Velitrium road, encounters a group of settlers fleeing the Pictish invasion. He guides them southeast through the timber, but is then confronted by a supernatural entity—a demonic fire-being summoned by the shaman Zogar Sag. The creature, a son of Jhebbal Sag, taunts Conan and attacks him. Conan fights fiercely, wounding the demon with his sword and ax, and eventually decapitates it before fleeing into the woods, wounded but alive.
Themes in this chapter
Supernatural and Ancient Evil
The chapter features a demonic fire-being summoned by Zogar Sag, representing ancient, primal forces that threaten human life.
Survival and Individualism
Conan's solitary battle against the demon and his guidance of the settlers highlight his self-reliance and will to survive.
Nature and the Wild
The dark forest setting and the demon's association with Jhebbal Sag, a god of beasts, emphasize the wild and untamed aspects of nature.
Characters to notice
- Conan
Conan leads settlers away from the Picts, confronts and battles a demonic fire-being summoned by Zogar Sag, and ultimately slays it despite being wounded.
- Balthus
Balthus is mentioned when the demon mimics his voice to lure Conan, but he is not physically present in the chapter.
- Zogar Sag
Zogar Sag is the shaman who summoned the fire-demon; the demon speaks of him as its brother and reveals their mystical connection.
Key passages
“You dared make the sign which only a priest of Jhebbal Sag dare make.”
Conan made a sacred sign reserved for priests of Jhebbal Sag, invoking the wrath of the old gods.
This act triggers the demon's attack and reveals Conan's defiance of supernatural taboos.
“But fear had fought for it when it slew its other victims, and Conan was not afraid.”
The demon relied on fear to defeat its previous victims, but Conan's courage rendered it vulnerable.
Conan's lack of fear is key to his victory, emphasizing his barbaric bravery.
“He knew that any being clothed in material flesh can be slain by material weapons, however grisly its form may be.”
Conan understood that even a demon, if made of flesh, could be killed with physical weapons.
This pragmatic belief allows Conan to fight the supernatural entity without superstition.