Conan the Barbarian is a fictional sword and sorcery hero. Robert E. Howard created the character in 1932 for a series of fantasy stories published in Weird Tales. Conan is a Cimmerian, who are descendants of the Atlanteans and ancestors of the modern Gaels, and son to a blacksmith. Characterized as chivalric due to his penchant to save damsels in distress, Conan also displays a humorous nature and enduring loyalty.