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Cthulhu mythos is the label coined by the writer August Derleth for the shared world based upon the themes, characters, and story elements found in the works of H. P. Lovecraft, as well as his protegés and later writers influenced by him. Combined, they form a kind of mythos—a system of symbols upon which Lovecraft could craft his dreamy, richly resonant stories. However, it should be noted that much of the mythos published after Lovecraft's death is at great variance with Lovecraft's original concept of a valueless, meaningless universe of chaos. Derleth presents a codified mythos influenced by his own Christian values, a struggle of good versus evil. Lovecraft himself was an atheist who claimed Kant's "ethical system is a joke." Indeed, some Lovecraft scholars contend that the Cthulhu Mythos is merely a theory proposed by Derleth; it was never intended to be a cohesive, singular entity by Lovecraft, but rather a collection of images which can be used in separate works to provoke the same emotions.
Derleth was able to insinuate his own concepts, which were frequently at great variance with those of Lovecraft, into common conceptions of Lovecraft's work in two ways. First, he was the publisher of Lovecraft's texts in book form, and provided them with introductions, giving his ideas greater influence on the reader's experience than they would otherwise have (he also spread these interpretations far and wide in magazine articles). Derleth tells us, for example, that
- "As Lovecraft conceived the deities or forces of his Mythos, there were, initially, the Elder Gods . . . these Elder Gods were benign deities, representing the forces of good, and existed peacefully at or near Betelgeuze in the constellation Orion, very rarely stirring forth to intervene in the unceasing struggle between the powers of evil and the races of Earth. These powers of evil were variously known as the Great Old Ones or the Ancient Ones" -- August Derleth, Introduction to Tales of the Cthulhu Mythos, viii
This is all very unlike Lovecraft, in whose work the Elder Gods never appear (excepting one or two, who appear as Outer Gods, such as Nodens in "The Strange High House in the Mist"; but perhaps this is merely a limit case showing how "rarely" they stir forth -- never), and there is no unified pantheon of Great Old Ones. Indeed, the term "Ancient Ones" only appears in one story, "Through the Gates of the Silver Key", in this quote of the protagonist:
- "He wondered at the vast conceit of those who had babbled of the malignant Ancient Ones, as if They could pause from their everlasting dreams to wreak a wrath upon mankind. As well, he thought, might a mammoth pause to visit frantic vengeance on an angleworm." -- H. P. Lovecraft, Through the Gates of the Silver Key
Derleth's work, on the other hand, is filled with recaps of his basic cosmic good guys vs. bad guys scenario. Derleth further tells us that "To supplement this remarkable creation [the Necronomicon], Lovecraft added . . . the R'lyeh Text". In fact, Lovecraft never referred to the R'lyeh Text, as it was invented by August Derleth after Lovecraft's death. Indeed, it was Derleth who falsely quoted Lovecraft as stating,
- "All my stories, unconnected as they may be, are based on the fundamental lore or legend that this world was inhabited at one time by another race who, in practicing black magic, lost their foothold and were expelled, yet live on outside ever ready to take possession of this earth again." -- attributed to H.P. Lovecraft by August Derleth
If anything, the collection of monsters in Lovecraft's writings are far from consciously hostile to humanity, but rather absolutely indifferent, and as such, causing harm with as little regard as an unaware human foot crushing an insect.
Central to the mythos are the Great Old Ones, a fearsome assortment of deities led by the dreaded Cthulhu (though there are other beings in the mythos that are even more monstrous), who lies in a state of hibernation in the lost and sunken city of R'lyeh. "When the stars are right," Cthulhu will awaken and wreak havoc upon the earth.
Great Old Ones
The Great Old Ones are vastly powerful and ancient creatures who are often worshiped as gods by insane human cultists; many of them are made of unearthly substance which is not like normal matter. They have limits to their influence, even if those "limits" include an entire planet. Those Great Old Ones who are based in other solar systems can only extend their influence to Earth when the star of the solar system is in the night sky, along with the help of cultists performing various rituals.
- Aphoom-Zhah, the Cold Flame, Lord of the Pole
- Atlach-Nacha, the Spider God
- Baoht Z'uqqa-Mogg, the Bringer of Pestilence
- Basatan, Master of the Crabs
- Bokrug, the Great Water Lizard, the Doom of Sarnath
- Bugg-Shash, The Drowner, The Black
- Byatis, The Berkeley Toad, the Serpent-Bearded
- Chaugnar Faugn, Horror from the Hills, The Feeder
- C'thalpa, the Inner One
- Cthugha, the Living Flame, the Burning One
- Cthulhu, the Sleeping God, Master of R'lyeh, Kthulhut
- Cthylla, Secret Seed of Cthulhu
- Cyäegha
- Cynothoglys, The Mortician God
- Dagon, Father of the Deep Ones
- Dweller in the Gulf, Eidolon of the Blind
- Eihort, the Pale Beast, God of the Labyrinth
- Fthaggua
- Ghatanothoa, The Usurper, God of the Volcano
- Ghizguth
- Glaaki, the Inhabitant of the Lake, Lord of Dead Dreams
- Gloon, the Corrupter of Flesh, Master of the Temple
- Gol-Goroth, God of the Black Stone
- Hastur, the Unspeakable, He Who is Not to be Named
- Hydra, Mother, Mother of the Deep Ones
- Hzioulquoigmnzhah
- Idh-Yaa
- Iod, The Shining Hunter
- Ithaqua, the Wind Walker, the Wendigo, God of the Cold White Silence
- Juk-Shabb, God of Yekub
- Knygathin Zhaum
- Lloigor (Great Old One), The Star-Treader
- M’Nagalah, The Great God Cancer, the All-Devouring
- Mnomquah
- Mordiggian, The Charnel God, the Great Ghoul, Lord of Zul-Bha-Zhair
- Nug and Yeb, The Twin Blasphemies
- Nyogtha, The Thing which Should Not Be, Haunter of the Red Abyss
- Oorn
- Othuum
- Othuyeg, the Doom-Walker
- Quachil Uttaus, Treader of the Dust
- Rhan-Tegoth, He of the Ivory Throne
- Rlim-Shaikorth, The White Worm
- Saa’itii, The Hogge
- Sfaticlip
- Shathak
- Shudde M'ell, the Great Chthonian
- Tsathoggua, the Sleeper of N'kai, the Toad-God, Zhothaqqua, Sadagowah
- The Worm that Gnaws the Night, Doom of Shaggai
- Vulthoom, Gsarthotegga, the Sleeper of Ravermos
- Y'Golonac, The Defiler
- Yhoundeh, The Elk Goddess
- Yibb-Tstll, The Patient One, Watcher in the Glade
- Yig, Father of Serpents
- Ythogtha, the Thing in the Pit
- Zhar, The Twin Obscenity
- Zoth-Ommog
- Zushakon, Old Night, Zul-Che-Quon
- Zvilpoggua, Ossadagowah, the Sky-Devil
- Zystulzhemgni, Matriarch of Swarms
Great Ones
The so-called "gods" of the Dreamlands, they are not nearly as powerful as the Great Old Ones, and not even as intelligent as humans. However, they are under the protection of the Outer Gods, especially Nyarlathotep.
- Hagarg Ryonis, the Lier-in-Wait
- Karakal
- Lobon
- Nath-Horthath
- Oukranos
- Tamash
- Zo-Kalar
Elder Gods
A group of beings who oppose the Outer Gods and Great Old Ones. Many people consider them to be un-Lovecraftian, since they bring a good/evil dichotomy to the cosmic indifference of Lovecraft's fiction. However, these beings are no more concerned with such human notions as "good" and "evil" than the things they oppose, and consider humans to be less than fleas.
- Bast, Goddess of cats, Pasht
- Hypnos, Lord of sleep
- Kthanid (according to some sources, an Outer God)
- N'tse-Kaambl (according to some sources, an Outer God), Whose Splendor Hath Shattered Worlds
- Nodens, the Hunter, Lord of the Great Abyss
- Ulthar
- Yad-Thaddag
Outer Gods
These beings have no limits to their influence, unlike the Great Old Ones, and are likely to embody cosmic principles. The Outer Gods are also known as the Other Gods.
- Abhoth, Source of Uncleanliness
- Azathoth, Him in the Gulf, the Daemon Sultan, Seething Nuclear Chaos
- Daoloth, The Render of the Veils
- Ghroth, Whom Passeth in Darkness
- The Hydra, The Thousand-Faced Moon, Mormo
- Lesser Outer Gods
- Larvae of the Outer Gods
- Mlandoth
- The Nameless Mist / Magnum Innominandum
- Nyarlathotep, the Crawling Chaos, Messenger to Azathoth, The Black Man
- Shub-Niggurath, The Black Goat of the Woods with a Thousand Young, wife of the Not-to-Be-Named One
- Tulzscha, The Green Flame
- Ubbo-Sathla, the Unbegotten Source, the Demiurge
- Vordavoss, Troubler of the Sands, Whom Waiteth in the Outer Dark
- Xiurhn, Guardian of the Dark Jewel
- Yog-Sothoth, The All-in-One, The Beyond One, Opener of the Way
Other supernatural beings
Some of these may in fact be Great Old Ones, Great Ones, Elder Gods, Outer Gods or Avatars; if so, please move them to the appropriate category.
- Arwassa, the Quiet One on the Hill, the Howler
- Beast in the Pit
- Beast of Averoigne
- The Dunwich Horror, Son of Yog-Sothoth
- God of the Red Flow
- The Green God
- The High-Priest Not to Be Described
- Kali
- K'thun (female) & Noth-Yidik (male)
- Pharol the Black
- Q'yth-Az
- Saboth the Elder, the Grinning Ghoul
- Shaurash-Ho
- Summanus
- Thing Hanging in the Void
- Vibur
- Xexanoth
- Yccagnissz
- Yegg-Ha
- Yidhra, the Dream Witch
- Zyhumé
Fictitious books in the Mythos
Non-human species of the Mythos
Locations
- Arkham
- Brichester
- Carcosa, on the shores of Lake Hali, on a planet somewhere in the Hyades
- Commoriom, capital of Hyperborea
- Cykranosh (an ancient name for the planet Saturn)
- The Dreamlands
- Dunwich, Massachusetts
- The Gulf of S'lghuo
- Mt. Hatheg-Kla
- Hyperborea
- Innsmouth, Massachusetts
- Irem, City of Pillars (may be the historical lost city of Ubar)
- Kadath
- Kingsport
- K'tynga
- Lemuria, a lost continent
- Lomar
- L'Gy'Hx (a native name for Uranus)
- Miskatonic University
- Mnar, in the Dreamlands. Contains Ib and Sarnath
- Mu, a sunken continent
- Naat
- The Nameless City
- Mt. N'granek
- N'kai, located underneath Yoth
- Olathoë
- Plateau of Leng
- Pnakotris
- Vale of Pnath, in the Dreamlands
- R'lyeh
- The Severn Valley region
- Shaggai
- Subterranean World of Xinaián, or K'n-yan, composed roughly of the kingdom of Tsath
- The Plateau of Tsang
- Tunguska, Siberia
- Ulthar
- Uzaldaroum, a city in Hyperborea
- Valley of Do-Hna, located in Xinaián
- Valusia
- Voormithadreth, Mt., which contains the Cavern of Archetypes
- Xoth
- Yaanek / Yarak
- Mt. Yaddith-Gho
- Yaksh (Ancient name for Neptune)
- Yekub and the surrounding galaxy
- Y'ha-nthlei
- Yian-Ho, or Yian
- Yoth
- Yuggoth
- Abyss of Yhe, in a Muvian province
- the Vaults of Zin, in the realm of N'kai
- Zothique
Non-fictional elements in the Mythos
- Aldebaran, a star
- Bast, cat goddess of ancient Egypt
- Celaeno, also Celano, home of Thomas of Celaeno, author of the Dies Irae
- Fomalhaut, a star
- Hypnos, god of sleep in Greek mythology
- Irem, a legendary buried city from Islamic mythology, possibly based on Ubar
- Olaus Wormius, Danish antiquary cited as translator of the Necronomicon
- Pluto, identified by Lovecraft with Yuggoth
- The Voynich Manuscript
- Wendigo, borrowed from Native American mythology
Cults
- Black Brotherhood
- Brotherhood of the Beast
- Brotherhood of the Black Pharaoh
- Brothers of the Yellow Sign
- Chesuncook Witch Coven
- Chorazos Cult
- Church of Starry Wisdom
- Cult of Bubastis
- Cult of the Bloody Tongue
- Esoteric Order of Dagon
External links
See also
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