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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 (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", and this says 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.
1 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.
- Abhoth, The Unclean One, Source of Uncleanness
- Aphoom-Zhah, the Cold Flame, Lord of the Pole
- Atlach-Nacha , the Spider God
- Baoht Z'uqqa-Mogg , the Bringer of Pestilence
- Bokrug , the Great Water Lizard, the Doom of Sarnath
- Bugg-Shash , The Drowner
- Byatis , The Berkeley Toad, the Serpent-Bearded
- Chaugnar Faugn, Horror from the Hills, The Feeder
- Cthugha, the Living Flame, the Burning One
- Cthulhu, the Sleeping God, Master of R'lyeh, Kthulhut
- Cthylla, Secret Seed of Cthulhu
- CyäeghaCyaegha is an obscure deity from the fictional Cthulhu Mythos of H. He has existed since the dawn of time and held a nihilistic perspective. He appears as a great tentacled eye. Cthulhu Mythos., the Great Tentacled Eye
- Cynothoglys , The Mortician God
- DagonThe ancient god Dagon Dagon was a major northwest Semitic god, the god of grain and agriculture according the few sources to speak of the matter, worshipped by the early Amorites, by the people of Elba, by the people of Ugarit and a chief god (perhaps the
- Dweller in the Gulf , Eidolon of the Blind
- Eihort , the Pale Beast, God of the Labyrinth
- GhatanothoaIn Robert E. Howard's Cthulhu Mythos works, Ghatanothoa was a Great Old One, first born son of Cthulhu. He was supposedly trapped beneath four-peaked Mount Voormithadreth in Mu. He was feared, respected, and worshipped by the ancient Muvians because of hi, The Usurper, God of the Volcano
- GhizguthGhizghuth in the Cthulhu Mythos stories of Clark Ashton Smith, was a fictional character, mate of the being Zystulzhegmni and father of Tsathoggua. Cthulhu Mythos.
- Ghroth ,Whom Passeth in Darkness
- GlaakiOne of the Great Old Ones featured in Cthulhu Mythos fictions. Glaaki resides primarily in a Severn Valley lake near Brichester in England. Glaaki first appeared in The Inhabitant of the Lake an early story by Ramsey Campbell. Glaaki has the appearance of, 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
- HasturHastur is a fictional character from the Cthulhu Mythos of H. Lovecraft's short stories; the name was borrowed from Robert W. Chambers, who, in turn, had borrowed it from Ambrose Bierce. In Bierce's short story Haita the Shepherd Hastur is the god of shep, the Unspeakable, He Who is Not to be Named
- Hydra, Mother
- HzioulquoigmnzhahHzioulquoigmnzhah is a fictional character in the Cthulhu Mythos works of Clark Ashton Smith. He was "son" of Cxaxukluth (An avatar of Yeb from Nug and Yeb), "brother" to Cthulhu and Ghizguth, and probably "half-brother" of Hastur. He has had many homes i
- Idh-Yaa
- Iod , The Shining Hunter
- IthaquaIthaqua, the Wind-Walker, the Wendigo Ithaqua is reported from the Arctic to the Sub-Arctic, where Native Americans encountered him. He is known to stalk the wastes, tracking down hapless travelers and carrying them off. Such unfortunates are found weeks, the Wind Walker, the Wendigo, God of the Cold White Silence
- Juk-Shabb , God of Yekub
- Lloigor (Great Old One), The Star-Treader
- Lrogg , Bat God of L'Gy'Hx
- MNagalah , The Great God Cancer
- Mnomquah
- Mordiggian , The Charnel God
- 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
- Saaitii , The Hogge
- Sfaticlip
- Shathak
- Shudde M'ell, the Great Chthonian
- Tsathoggua, the Sleeper of N'kai, the Toad-God, Zhothaqqua, Sadagowah
- Tulzscha, the Green Flame
- The Worm that Gnaws the Night , Doom of Shaggai
- Vorvadoss , Troubler of the Sands, Whom Waiteth in the Outer Dark
- Vulthoom , Gsarthotegga, the Sleeper of Ravermos
- Y'Golonac, The Defiler
- Yibb-Tstll, The Patient One, Watcher in the Glade
- Yig, Father of Serpents
- Ythogtha, the Thing in the Pit
- Zhar
- Zoth-Ommog
- Zushakon, Old Night
- Zvilpoggua, Ossadagowah, the Sky-Devil
- Zystulzhemgni, Matriarch of Swarms
