Shimmin Beg (he/him)New headcanon. Conan's relationship with the ancestral god Crom is in fact deeply devout. The reason for his oft-expressed scorn and apathy is cultural; a living mortal lacks standing to bargain directly with the ancestor-god, and thus pleas and petitionhs must be cloaked in ritual disavowal for plausible deniability ("If you won't give it, then to hell with you!"). Rather than disrespect, Conan's attitude reveals his adherance to traditional norms of faith.
Roger BW 😷@shimminbeg I seem to remember from one of the stories that Crom isn't held to want worship, like a soft civilised god, but rather respect, grudging or otherwise.
@RogerBW To me this fits with a concept of a stern ancestor in a lot of societies, especially traditionally, where your attitude to The Elders should be respectful and formal but they like it if you show a bit of backbone in the process, and they don't necessarily care about *polite*.
I can picture Conan doing a quick ritual at dawn with the attitude of one begrudgingly attending breakfast because Great-Grandad Likes A Family Meal.
CharnockMy father's ashes were scattered into the Lough at Crom Castle. True story.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crom_Castle#/media/File:Crom_Old_Castle_-_geograph.org.uk_-_36806.jpg
David Cantrell 🏏@RogerBW @shimminbeg I really should read some of the stories. I've only seen the films. Yes, films, plural. Yes, I have regrets.