Hyborian Kingdoms

Origins[]

After the Great Cataclysm,^[1] the snow-apes inhabiting Hyperborea were repelled by savages led by Bori repelled them into the Icy Wastes. That area became the Hyborian homeland.^[2]

First Hyborian Kingdom(s)[]

There were various claims and theories about the first:

• The Hyperboreans were the first Hyborian tribe to discover stone-masonry, abandoned their primitive nomadic way to settle, and crafted huge stone-walled dwellings for themselves.^[3] Circa 16,000 BC, they founded their barbaric kingdom of Hyperborea.^[4] 1500 years after Bori, the Hybori achieved a fairly high culture, and started to conquer and absorb weaker tribes until eventually establishing the first Hyborian kingdom: Hyperborea the Elder.^[5]
• Koth was mentioned as being the first Hyborian kingdom by almost all scholars.^[6]
• Nemedia was also mentioned by others,^[3] including Yag-Kosha, as the first Hyborian kingdom formed after the Fall of Acheron.^[7]
• Ophir was stated to be possibly one of the earliest Hyborian kingdom. Though the scope of the claim was contested on the basis that Ophir was set far from the Hybori's homeland in the North, the assertion that Ophir became a Hyborian kingdom at a very early date was confirmed.^[8]

Due to the statement that Koth, Ophir, and Corinthia "regained their independence with the fall of the empire" of Acheron, a theory asserted that those three kingdoms may had not been founded by the Hyborians (unlikely to have dominated those kingdoms at the dawn of Acheron), but by refugees from Valusia, Thurania, and Zarfhaana.^[6]

The Hybori tribes who resisted or rebelled against Hyperborea migrated southwards in an invading horde.^[5][9]

Hyperborea was overthrown by another tribe,^[10] the Aesir.^[11][5][9] The Aesir settled in the ruins, mingled with the survivors and created a new kingdom,^[9] which retained the name of Hyperborea.^[10][9] This could explain why it is not mentioned as the first