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Cthulhu mythos
(Redirected from Cthulhu Mythos)
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 Mythos authors could craft their stories.
The common theme in Lovecraft's fiction is the impotence and irrelevence of humanity in the universe. Humans are often subject to powerful beings and other cosmic forces. These forces, in Lovecraft's fiction were not malevolent so much as indifferent toward humanity. Another common theme is the search for knowledge ending in disaster.
Derleth put his own take on the Mythos, organizing and polarizing it. Instead of a valueless, meaningless universe of chaos, Derleth's Mythos system was influenced by his own Christian values and a struggle of good versus evil. Derleth once wrote:
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"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
Another concept introducted by Derleth was elementals.
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.
Elements in the Mythos
Beings
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.
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Aphoom-Zhah, the Cold Flame, Lord of the Pole
- Arwassa , the Silent Shouter on the Hill
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Atlach-Nacha, the Spider God
- Baoht Z'uqqa-Mogg , the Bringer of Pestilence
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Basatan, Master of the Crabs
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Bokrug, the Great Water Lizard, the Doom of Sarnath
- Bugg-Shash , The Drowner, The Black
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Byatis, The Berkeley Toad, the Serpent-Bearded
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Chaugnar Faugn, Horror from the Hills, The Feeder
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Cthugha, the Living Flame, the Burning One
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Cthulhu, the Sleeping God, Master of R'lyeh, Kthulhut
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Cthylla, Secret Seed of Cthulhu
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Cyäegha, the Destroying Eye, the Waiting Dark
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Cynothoglys, The Mortician God
- Dweller in the Gulf , Eidolon of the Blind
- Eihort , the Pale Beast, God of the Labyrinth
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Ghatanothoa, The Usurper, God of the Volcano
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Ghizguth
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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
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Hastur, the Unspeakable, He Who is Not to be Named
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Hzioulquoigmnzhah
- Idh-Yaa
- Iod , The Shining Hunter
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Ithaqua, the Wind Walker, the Wendigo, God of the Cold White Silence
- Juk-Shabb , God of Yekub
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Knygathin Zhaum
- Lloigor and Zhar , The Twin Obscenities
- M’Nagalah , The Great God Cancer, the All-Consuming
- Mnomquah
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Mordiggian, The Charnel God, the Great Ghoul, Lord of Zul-Bha-Sair
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Nug and Yeb, The Twin Blasphemies
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Nyogtha, The Thing which Should Not Be, Haunter of the Red Abyss
- Oorn
- Othuum
- Othuyeg , the Doom-Walker
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Quachil Uttaus, Treader of the Dust
- Q'yth-Az
- Rhan-Tegoth , He of the Ivory Throne
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Rlim-Shaikorth, The White Worm
- Saa’itii , The Hogge
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Sfatlicllp
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Shathak
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Shudde M'ell, the Great Chthonian
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Summanus
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Tharapithia
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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
- X'chll'at-aa , Lord of the Great Old Ones, the Unborn God, Enemy of All That Live
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Y'Golonac, the Defiler
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Yhoundeh, The Elk Goddess
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Yig, Father of Serpents
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Ythogtha, the Thing in the Pit
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Zoth-Ommog
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Zushakon, Old Night, Zul-Che-Quon
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Zvilpoggua, Ossadagowah, the Sky-Devil
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Zystulzhemgni, Matriarch of Swarms, Zsystulzhemgni
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.
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Bast, Goddess of cats, Pasht
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Hypnos, Lord of sleep
- Kthanid (according to some sources, an Outer God)
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N'tse-Kaambl (according to some sources, an Outer God), Whose Splendor Hath Shattered Worlds
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Nodens, the Hunter, Lord of the Great Abyss
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Ulthar
- Vordavoss , (according to some sources, an Outer God), Troubler of the Sands, Whom Waiteth in the Outer Dark
- 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.
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Abhoth, the Source of Uncleanliness, Father and Mother of Abominations
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Azathoth, Him in the Gulf, the Daemon Sultan, Seething Nuclear Chaos
- C'thalpa , the Inner One
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Daoloth, The Render of the Veils
- D'endrrah
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Ghroth, Whom Passeth in Darkness
- The Hydra , The Thousand-Faced Moon, Mormo, the Magna Mater
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Lesser Outer Gods
- Larvae of the Outer Gods
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Mlandoth
- The Nameless Mist / Magnum Innominandum
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Nyarlathotep, the Crawling Chaos, Messenger to Azathoth, The Black Man
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Shub-Niggurath, The Black Goat of the Woods with a Thousand Young, wife of the Not-to-Be-Named One
- Tru'nembra , the Flautist of Azathoth
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Tulzscha, The Green Flame
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Ubbo-Sathla, the Unbegotten Source, the Demiurge
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Xiurhn, Guardian of the Dark Jewel
- Ycnagnnisssz
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Yibb-Tstll, the Patient One, the Watcher in the Glade
- Yidhra , the Dream Witch
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Yog-Sothoth, The All-in-One, The Beyond One, Opener of the Way
- Yomagn'tho , Feaster from the Stars
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.
- Ammutseba , Devourer of Stars
- Beast in the Pit
- Beast of Averoigne
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Coatlicue, Mother of All Serpents
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The Dunwich Horror, Son of Yog-Sothoth
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Father Dagon and Mother Hydra , Father and Mother of the Deep Ones
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Fthaggua
- God of the Red Flux
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The Green God
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The High-Priest Not to Be Described
- The Hoppwood Tenant
- Kali
- K'thun (female) & Noth-Yidik (male)
- M'Bwa
- Our Ladies of Sorrow
- Pharol the Black
- Saboth the Elder , the Grinning Ghoul
- Shaurash-Ho
- Thing Hanging in the Void
- Ubb , Father of Worms
- The Vaeyen
- Vibur
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Xexanoth
- Yegg-Ha
- Y'hkmaat , Queen of One Thousand Eyes
- Zyhumé
Non-human species of the Mythos
Books
Locations
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Arkham
- Brichester
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Carcosa, on the shores of Lake Hali, on a planet somewhere in the Hyades
- Commoriom , capital of Hyperborea
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Cykranosh (an ancient name for the planet Saturn)
- The Dreamlands
- The mountain Dunkelhugel , near Freihausgarten , Germany
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Dunwich, Massachusetts
- G'harne
- Gl'yu-vho
- The Gulf of S'glhuo
- Mt. Hatheg-Kla
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Hyperborea
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Innsmouth, Massachusetts
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Irem, City of Pillars (may be the historical lost city of Ubar)
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Kadath
- Kingsport
- K'tynga
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Lemuria, a lost continent
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Lomar
- L'Gy'Hx (a native name for Uranus)
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Miskatonic University
- Mnar , in the Dreamlands. Contains Ib and Sarnath
- Mu , a sunken continent
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Naat
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The Nameless City
- Mt. N'granek
- N'kai , located underneath Yoth
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Olathoë, in Lomar
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Plateau of Leng
- Pnakotris
- Vale of Pnath , in the Dreamlands
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Ponape
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R'lyeh
- The Severn Valley region
- Shaggai
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Spoleto, Umbria
- Thuggon
- The Plateau of Tsang
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Tunguska, Siberia
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Ulthar
- Uzaldaroum , a city in Hyperborea
- Valley of Do-Hna , located in Xinaián
- Valusia
- Voormithadreth, Mt. , which contains the Cavern of Archetypes and the Web of Atlach-Nacha
- Xiccarph
- Xiclotl , sister planet to Shaggai
- Xinaián , or K'n-yan , composed roughly of the kingdom of Tsath
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Xoth
- Yaanek / Yarak
- Mt. Yaddith-Gho
- Yaksh (Ancient name for Neptune)
- Yekub and the surrounding galaxy
- 'Ygiroth , in the Dreamlands
- Y'ha-nthlei
- Yian-Ho , or Yian
- Yoth
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Yuggoth
- Abyss of Yhe , in a Muvian province
- the Vaults of Zin , in the realm of N'kai
- Zothique
Cults
- Black Brotherhood
- Brotherhood of the Beast
- Brotherhood of the Black Pharaoh
- Brothers of the Yellow Sign
- Chesuncook Witch Coven
- Chorazos Cult
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Church of Starry Wisdom
- Cult of Bubastis
- Cult of the Bloody Tongue
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Esoteric Order of Dagon
Borrowed elements in the Mythos
Many historical and mythological elements were incorporated into Mythos literature.
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Aldebaran, a star
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Bast, cat goddess of ancient Egypt
- Book of Dzyan
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Celaeno, also Celano, home of Thomas of Celaeno, author of the Dies Irae
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Dagon, the Mesopotamian fish god of vegetation and fertility.
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John_Dee
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Fomalhaut, a star
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Hypnos, god of sleep in Greek mythology
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Irem, a legendary buried city from Islamic mythology, possibly based on Ubar
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Olaus Wormius, Danish antiquary cited as translator of the Necronomicon
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Pluto, identified by Lovecraft with Yuggoth
- The Voynich Manuscript
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Wendigo, borrowed from Native American mythology
Derleth's Involvment
Lovecraft was an atheist who claimed Kant's ethical system "is a joke." Some 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. Another point made by those who do not favour Derleth's take on the Mythos is that the Elder Gods never appear in Lovecraft's writings (excepting one or two, who appear as Outer Gods, such as Nodens in The Strange High House in the Mist (Perhaps this is merely a limit case showing how "rarely" they stir forth -- never) 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.
To his credit, Derleth was the publisher of Lovecraft's stories. Simply put, if it were not for him the Mythos and Lovecraft might have remained largely unknown.
External links
See also
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