Who is Queen Taramis?

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Queen Taramis is the elegant, treacherous ruler who sets all of Conan the Destroyer in motion. In my view she’s a classic sword‑and‑sorcery villain – a queen who mixes political power, hidden sorcery and ruthless manipulation in pursuit of a god’s favour.

BUT! Taramis is not exactly who she appears to be – there are two Queen Taramis. Read on…

Taramis in Conan the Destroyer

In the 1984 film, Taramis rules the city of Shadizar and commands its soldiers and priests. She first appears when Conan and Malak are ambushed by her guards; impressed by their prowess, she offers Conan a quest: escort her niece Princess Jehnna to retrieve a magical key and a jewelled horn, promising to resurrect Valeria as payment.

To ensure the mission’s success – and to keep Conan under control – she sends her champion Bombaata along as Jehnna’s bodyguard, secretly ordering him to kill Conan and his companions once the horn is secured. Throughout the film she remains in Shadizar, plotting, sending soldiers to shadow the party, and preparing the ritual that will raise Dagoth, the “Dreaming God”.

The Plot to Resurrect Dagoth

Taramis is revealed as a devoted worshipper of Dagoth, believing that restoring his horn will grant her immense power or perhaps divine consort status. The ritual requires two things: the horn itself and the sacrifice of a virginal princess of royal blood – Jehnna.

When Bombaata returns with both Jehnna and the horn, Taramis imprisons her niece in the palace and begins the ceremony, fully intending to sacrifice her own kin. Zula’s timely spear strike kills the Grand Vizier before he can complete the rite, which corrupts the process: Dagoth awakens not as a serene god but as a rampaging horned monster.

Horrified by what she has unleashed, Taramis approaches Dagoth as if to embrace a beloved deity – only to be impaled on his horn and killed. In my opinion it’s a fitting end for a queen who gambled everything on a god she never truly understood.

You can read more about the Hyborian Age gods here.

Taramis vs. the Original Taramis from A Witch Shall Be Born

Film‑Taramis should not be confused with the Taramis of Khauran, who appears in Robert E. Howard’s novella A Witch Shall Be Born and its Savage Sword of Conan adaptations.

In my opinion, and I’m sure in many others’ too – the true Taramis is the one envisioned by REH.

In the prose and comics, Taramis is a good queen overthrown and imprisoned by her witch‑twin Salome, who impersonates her while Conan leads the Khauran guard.

That earlier Taramis is a victim rather than a villain; Conan eventually helps restore her to the throne after defeating Salome and the demon Thaug.

I think it’s interesting that the film essentially flips the dynamic – making Taramis herself the scheming antagonist and leaving Jehnna as the innocent royal in danger.

For Howard‑Verse readers, both versions showcase different facets of sword‑and‑sorcery royalty: the beleaguered but just queen in the prose, and the power‑hungry cultist in the film.

A Witch Shall Be Born is a truly excellent story. If you haven’t read it yet, then The Bloody Crown of Conan book is a great place to start.

There was also an excellent comic adaption in the Savage Sword of Conan Omnibus Vol 1 – beautifully drawn and inked by John Buscema and The Tribe.

It’s also the story where the famous crucifixion scene came from and that was replicated in the 1982 Conan film.

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