“The Hyborian Age” is an essay by Robert E. Howard that forms the literary foundation of Conan the Barbarian’s world. Howard crafts a detailed "prehistory" of civilizations that rose, clashed, and fell in the Hyborian Age – an era rich with magic, ruthless rulers, and bloody conquests. From mystical kingdoms and mysterious continents to untamed hordes of barbarians, this essay reveals the background that became the setting for the legendary adventures of the most iconic hero in fantasy.