Valeria (Conan the Barbarian)

Valeria is a pirate and adventuress (a member of "The Red Brotherhood" of pirates) in the fictional universe of Robert E. Howard's Conan the Barbarian stories. She appears in Robert E. Howard's Conan novella "Red Nails", serialized in "Weird Tales" 28 1-3 (July, August/September & October 1936). This was the last Conan story written by Howard, and published posthumously. The name was also used for Conan's love interest in the Conan movies of the 1980s.

Events of the short story

In "Red Nails", she was wandering through the jungles of Africa after running from a mercenary camp. She had signed up with the mercenaries to guard the Stygian from raids by Darfar. However, she killed a Stygian officer for making unwanted sexual advances and was forced to escape quickly. Conan, who was also serving as a mercenary on the border, follows her due to his own lust, killing the Stygian officer's brother (who was seeking revenge on Valeria) en route. Both end up in the lost city of Xuchotl. It ends with Conan and Valeria as lovers set to return to piracy.

Description

Robert E. Howard's description of Valeria in "Red Nails" is:

She is also described as a superior swordswoman. Valeria is faster and more agile than Conan.

Movie version

Another Valeria had a major role in the 1982 movie "Conan the Barbarian", where she was played by Sandahl Bergman, although the character portrayed in the movie differed from Howard's character, having a romantic relationship with Conan and borrowing characteristics from Bêlit, another character by Howard.