For those who don't know who Cthulhu is;)

Ancient gods

The Ancients (Great Old Ones) are incredibly powerful beings, presumably the same age as the Universe. Members of mystical sects and cults revere them as gods. The Ancients live in other star systems or even beyond our dimension. It is very likely that many of them are incorporeal, or rather, they do not consist of matter.
Their power is based on forces unknown to mankind, which are traditionally considered magical. It is not limitless and has its limits, often extending to the entire planet. The ancients can influence earthly affairs only under certain astronomical conditions (a special arrangement of stars in the sky) and only when they are helped by their followers - cultists.

Aphoom-Zhah - aka “Cold Flame”. This monster is a descendant of Cthugha. Like another monster - Ithaqua - he sleeps under the ice of the Arctic, waiting for his “finest hour”. During the Ice Age, Aptum-Zhakh often visited Hyperborea. To humans, it looks like a huge, cold column of gray fire.

Cthugha - This creature looks like a huge ball of fire. His servants are a race of fire vampires.

Cthulhu is an evil god who rests in the sunken city of R'Lyeh and waits in the wings when the stars take the right position and he returns to life to wreak chaos and destruction. This is a giant (he was able to chase the ship into Atlantic Ocean, standing in the water). Its head resembles an octopus - the skull is devoid of hair, and numerous tentacles grow around its mouth. To complete this cute picture, Cthulhu has two wings on his back, like a bat.

Cthulhu's main opponent is his half-brother Hastur, who lives in the Hyades star cluster in the constellation Taurus.

Cthulla - Secret daughter of Cthulhu. As is clear from her middle name, this young (by cosmic standards) lady is own daughter Cthulhu himself. Being a complete copy of her daddy, she hides in some secret place called Yth. Its purpose is to revive Cthulhu if he dies. In this regard, she presents great value for the father, Cthulla is carefully guarded by his servants.

Dagon - in reality, Dagon was the deity of grain and agriculture (dagan, Jud. - grain), revered by the northwestern Semitic tribes. Mentions of it are found even in the Bible - for example, in the fifth chapter of the first book of Kings.
Some researchers also believe that Dagon was the patron saint of fishermen and was therefore depicted as a bearded man with a fish tail instead of legs. Dagon's appearance is unknown to anyone, as are the details of his existence. We only know that, even if we wanted to, we couldn’t call him kind and philanthropic. Yes, he can really patronize fishermen, but the payment for successful fishing will be, to put it mildly, excessive.

Ghatanothoa - Usurper, God of Volcanoes and first son of Cthulhu. He is believed to be buried under Mount Voormithadreth on Mu (a mythical continent sunk in the Pacific Ocean). Ghatanotoa was revered by the inhabitants of Mu for his ability to turn people into living statues.

Glaaki - Dweller of the lake, Lord of dead dreams. Lives in the Severn Valley near Brichester in England. Glaaki looks like a huge slug completely covered in metal spikes. The latter are not just a stylish accessory - they are alive and grow from the body, like hair. Glaaki can sprout tentacles with eyes at the ends to peer out of the water.
The cult of Glaaki is quite strong - mainly due to the magical knowledge that this deity provides its followers. The latter, according to the authors of the Cthulhu myths, are systematized and recorded in 12 volumes of the book “Revelations of Glaaki”.
People come to this cult for eternal life, which Glaaki promises them. The deity always keeps this promise - it sticks its steel spike into the next newcomer, fills his body with poison and turns the person into a special kind of zombie - “servants of Glaaki”.

Hastur - Unpronounceable; He who must not be named. According to the Cthulhu Mythos, anyone could summon Hastur by saying his name three times (hence all the above nicknames). The appearance of this deity is amorphous, but he appears to people in a standard “Cthulchian” form - something resembling a giant octopus.

Hzioulquoigmnzhah - this creature is no different. According to some vague references in the Cthulhu Mythos, it is a distant relative of Cthulhu and Hastur. Does not have a permanent habitat. He can be found in the world of Xoth, on Yaksh (aka planet Neptune), and on Cykranosh (Saturn).

Ithaqua - Running wind, God of cold white silence, aka Windigo (in the legends of North American Indians - a formidable cannibal spirit). The indigenous inhabitants of the northern regions of the planet (Siberia, Alaska) worship this terrible deity, placating him with human sacrifices. Ichtaqua is believed to attack people in snowstorms. Later they are found dead and lying in such positions as if they had fallen from a great height. The facial features are distorted by a wild grimace of agony, some parts of the body are missing.

Nyoghta - The Thing That Shouldn't Be, Dweller of the Red Abyss. Lives in voids deep underground, occasionally appears on the Leng plateau (in the dialect of the Chinese province of Fujian - “cold”) - a place in Central Asia. You can drive it back underground only with the help of the “Vash-Viray” spell and the Tikkun elixir.

Yig - Father of snakes. The deity itself is not evil, but rather irritable. Punishes his offenders by sending snakes to them.

Outer Gods

Outer Gods. Unlike others, they do not represent specific beings, but rather universal principles of existence. That is why their power has no physical limits.

Abhoth - Source of impurity. Lives in the underground kingdom of N'kai and appears before people as a disgusting gray mass of living flesh. Various monsters are born from it, but Abhot releases tentacles, grabs his children and devours them. This god is cynical, angry and mad. He has strong telepathic abilities, allowing him to communicate with others.

Azathoth - Sultan of Demons, Seething Nuclear Chaos. Azathoth is a blind idiot god who has no specific physical form (although he can incarnate into the creature Xada-Ngla). This god could almost only be worshiped by a madman - in fact, it is so, because those few daredevils who dared to choose him as their patron paid for it with mind, body and soul.

Nyarlathotep - Creeping Chaos, Messenger of Azathoth, Black Man. This deity is very different from his brothers. Unlike Hastur, who lives in the stars, or Cthulhu, who sleeps in the depths of the sea, Nyarlathotep is full of life and actively intervenes in the fate of the universe. His favorite appearance is A tall man with dark hair and a good sense of humor. He speaks ordinary human language, has no cult of his own, and serves as Azathoth's messenger, implementing his will on Earth. Nyarlathotep is often associated with the ancient Egyptian god Set, as well as the Aztec deities Tezcatlipoca (“smoking mirror”) and Xipe Totec (“man without skin”).

Shub-Niggurath - Black goat from the forests with a thousand young. Outwardly, this creature looks like a huge shapeless mass, dotted with tentacles, slobbering mouths - and all this moves on crooked goat legs.

Yog-Sothoth - All in one; One who is from outside; The one who will open the Path. Lovecraft himself said it best about this deity:
The Boundless Being embodied the All-in-one and the One-in-all, which the waves told him about. It contained not only time and space, but also the entire universe with its immeasurable scope, knowing no limits, and surpassing any imagination and calculations of mathematicians and astronomers. Perhaps in ancient times the priests of secret cults called him Yog-Sothoth and whispered this name from mouth to mouth, and he was known to the crayfish-like aliens from Yuggoth as the One-Beyond-the-Edge. His flying messengers with spiraling brains were recognized by an untranslatable sign, but Carter understood how relative and imprecise all these definitions were.
H. P. Lovecraft, "The Gate of the Silver Key"

Elder Gods

The Elder Gods are a group of supernatural beings who oppose the Great Old Ones, as well as other, lesser divine "factions" - the Outer Gods and Great Ones.
Literary scholars do not associate the Elder Gods with the work of Lovecraft himself, since they were created by his followers and, in fact, are a compilation of a number of myths of antiquity.

Bast, or Bastet, is a deity borrowed from the Egyptians. Traditionally associated with the sun, fertility and successful childbirth in women. Bast has two incarnations - a woman with a cat's head (kind essence) and a lion's head (aggressive). It is believed that while in his second form, Bast turns into Sekhmet, the lioness who once nearly destroyed all of humanity. She was pacified only with the help of cunning - beer, tinted red with mineral dyes, was spilled on the ground. The lioness mistook this liquid for blood, got drunk and fell asleep.

Hypnos is a personification of sleep from Greek mythology. Hypnos' mother is Nyx (Night), brother is Thanatos (Death). His palaces are in a cave that cannot be penetrated sunlight. Poppies and other sleepy plants grow at the entrance. The children of Hypnos are the so-called Oneros: Morpheus (dreams), Phobetor, aka Iselus (nightmares) and Phantasos (appears in dreams in the form of inanimate objects).

Endymion, a young shepherd, fell in love with the moon goddess Selene and received from Hypnos a rare gift - the ability to sleep with his eyes open, so that even in his sleep he could look at his beloved.

N'tse-Kaambl is a minor Elder female deity introduced by writer Gary Myers. It is sometimes identified with Minerva (the Roman goddess of craft and wisdom). There are suggestions that the name of this deity is a homonym for the name of Nancy Campbell, however, the identity of this lady is unknown to anyone except Myers himself.

Nodens - Hunter, Lord of the Great Abyss. Represents an elderly man with a long thick beard And gray hair. Nodens travels the world in a chariot made from a huge seashell. His calling is hunting, and as victims he most often chooses creatures belonging to the pantheon of the Ancients. This does not mean that Nodens is not a defender of good. It’s just that evil monsters represent the most difficult and, therefore, attractive prey for him.

Ulthar is a deity mentioned by Lovecraft in the novel “The Somnambulistic Search for the Unknown Kadath” and the story “Cats of Ulthar”. In addition, the Cthulhu mythos features a city of the same name. How exactly he is connected with this deity is still unknown.

Non-divine beings

Subterraneans (Chtonians) are cute little animals that resemble large squids and differ from them in their elongated bodies covered with slippery mucus (this morphological feature allows them to easily move underground). It is known about the Underground Ones that they live for thousands of years, jealously protect their offspring from people and emit viscous sad sounds, by which it is easy to determine their approach. More information about these creatures can be found in Brian Lumley's collection of short stories, Out of the Deep (1974).

Deep Ones are fish-frog-like creatures that live deep in the ocean. Being amphibians, they feel good on land and sometimes come out to people. In exchange for human sacrifices, the Deep may give gold, jewelry, and fill their nets with fish.
The Deep Ones can also mate with humans, creating hybrids. In their youth, such children look completely normal, but with age they gradually turn into Deep Ones. Their eyes become bulging, their eyelids atrophy, their heads become narrow, their hair falls out, and their skin becomes scaly.
The Deep Ones worship Dagon and Cthulhu. Lovecraft described them in detail in his novel The Shadow Over Innsmouth.

The Elder Things are aliens who inhabited the Earth before humans. They were a cross between a plant and an animal. The elders built gigantic cities on land and under water, fought with the gods (without special success) and probably gave birth to those creatures that inhabit the planet to this day. The civilization of the Elders perished during the Ice Age; their frozen city in Antarctica was discovered only in 1931.

Ghouls are creatures that were once human, but have turned into humanoid monsters hiding from the sun underground. The reason for this metamorphosis is cannibalism. It is logical that the ghouls retain their former culinary preferences and feed on human corpses. You can learn more about them from the novel “The Somnambulistic Search for the Unknown Kadath.”
Tuta stole

Even the most terrible monsters, opposing the heroes of science fiction, perform prosaic functions: suddenly jump out of the darkness, bite the most sensitive place and disappear into nowhere. Vampires, werewolves, ghosts, and zombies fall under this pattern. These creatures were born from myths and legends, superstitions and prejudices, in a word, humanity invented them to justify its natural fear of everything unexpected and incomprehensible.

But there are other legends. Myths about incredible monsters, much more terrible than a bunch of the living dead, and much more mysterious than translucent creatures walking along the corridors of ancient castles. Unlike European legends, these stories cannot boast of antiquity. They were invented by one single person - a poor American who suffered from nightmares. But modern fantasy (and especially mysticism and horror) is completely unthinkable without them.

Music for the mood: Nox Arcana, album Necronomicon

Father of monsters

Howard Phillips Lovecraft (08/20/1890 - 03/15/1937) is rightfully considered one of the fathers of the horror genre. He took a lot from Poe and Lord Dunsany, but even more was taken from him. Clive Barker, Stephen King, Hans Rudi Giger, Neil Gaiman, Guillermo Del Toro, Sam Raimi and Alan Moore do not hide the fact that they draw inspiration from the work of the man who invented the legend about the “book of the dead” - the Necronomicon.

Lovecraft's merit also lies in the fact that he was the first to cross two previously independent genres - science fiction and horrors. Howard created a large-scale pantheon of gods, demigods and monsters - otherworldly and at the same time real creatures, living either in another dimension or on other planets, but actively interfering in the affairs of people with the help of their supernatural powers.

However, Lovecraft was not a crazy mystic. He treated the monsters in his books with humor. Howard was an atheist and viewed his creations solely as a means of earning money - by the way, very modest, barely allowing him to make ends meet.

Yes, I agree that Yog-Sothoth is based on an immature concept, ill-suited to truly serious literature.

Lovecraft was born in a small American town with the meaningful name of Providence. Father - Winfred Scott Lovecraft - worked as a traveling salesman. Three years after the birth of his son, he fell ill with syphilis, went crazy and was hospitalized.

Grandfather Whipley forced young Howard to read Tales of the 1001 Nights, Bulfinch's The Birth of a Tale, and Homer's Iliad and Odyssey. In addition to this, his grandmother told him every evening Gothic European fairy tales (not the ones we know from children's books, but real ones, not adapted for children - where Cinderella's sisters, who cannot fit into the glass slipper, have their heels cut off; and the handsome prince, having reached the sleeping the beauty, before waking her, “takes off the flowers of love”).

In his youth, Lovecraft was constantly ill and almost never went to school. He was never able to obtain a high school diploma or enter a university. His marriage to Ukrainian Jew Sonya Green lasted only a few years.

Lovecraft's sketch of Cthulhu. Well, the writer couldn't draw

Although Lovecraft's works were published and sold well, the writer was poor. He conducted an unprecedented correspondence (it is believed that this is the largest author's correspondence in the world) with his colleagues, among whom were Forrest Ackerman (famous science fiction writer in the USA), Robert Howard (creator of Conan the Barbarian) and Robert Bloch (Psycho).

Lovecraft died of cancer and malnutrition. Fans sometimes leave an epitaph on his grave (it is quickly erased, but it appears again): “That which lives in eternity is not dead. With the death of time, death will die."

Where do myths come from?

In fact, the codified “Lovecraft mythos,” better known as the “Cthulhu Mythos,” emerged after Lovecraft’s death. His close friend and colleague August Derleth(1909-1971) took the unfinished works of the “father of horror”, edited them, summarized them, added something of his own - and published them in his own publishing house, Arkham House.

August Derleth, famous photo on the background of comics

Lovecraft's unified mythological picture of the world is a figment of the imagination of his followers, primarily Derleth. He diluted the “Cthulhu myths” with Christianity, turning them into a description of the traditional struggle between good and evil. This was alien to Lovecraft himself - the writer called Kant’s ethics a joke and created in his books a universe full of chaos, nightmares and painful uncertainty.

According to Lovecraft's ideas about deities in his myths... there were originally Elder Gods - kind and peaceful, who lived on the star Betelgeuse (or near it) in the constellation Orion. They extremely rarely interfered in earthly affairs - in the struggle between good and evil, which are the Ancients (Great Old Ones, or, otherwise, Ancient Ones).

August Derleth, from the preface to Tales of the Cthulhu Mythos

Lovecraft himself never explicitly mentioned the Elder Gods (except, perhaps, for the very similar Nodens, Master of the Great Abyss from the story “The Mysterious House on the Misty Cliff”). He also did not have a systematized pantheon of the Ancients. And the term “Ancient Ones” itself is used only once - in the story “The Gate of the Silver Key”.

It should be noted that the monsters of the Cthulhu Mythos do not display deliberate hostility towards humanity - rather, they are that indifferent and indifferent force of the universe, which can most clearly be compared to a human foot accidentally trampling thousands of tiny insects.

Ancients

Ancients(Great Old Ones) - incredibly powerful beings, presumably the same age as the Universe. Members of mystical sects and cults revere them as gods. The Ancients live in other star systems or even beyond our dimension. It is very likely that many of them are incorporeal, or rather, they do not consist of matter.

Their power is based on forces unknown to mankind, which are traditionally considered magical. It is not limitless and has its limits, often extending to the entire planet. The ancients can influence earthly affairs only under certain astronomical conditions (a special arrangement of stars in the sky) and only when they are helped by their followers - cultists.

Ancient and outer gods in the comic webcomic The Unspeakable Vault (Of Doom)

Aphum-Zhakh(Aphoom-Zhah) - aka "Cold Flame" - a deity invented by Lovecraft's friend Clark Ashton Smith (1893-1961). This monster is a descendant of Cthugha. Like another monster - Ithaqua - he sleeps under the ice of the Arctic, waiting for his “finest hour”. During the Ice Age, Aptum-Zhakh often visited Hyperborea (Lovecraft considered it an analogue of Atlantis). To humans, it looks like a huge, cold column of gray fire.

Chhaugnar Faugn(Chaugnar Faugn) - “The Elephant God”, “Terror from the Hills” - the creation of Frank Belknap Long (1903-1994).

Others (monsters - approx. MF) originated from much darker and more mysterious, passed down only from mouth to mouth, secret legends of antiquity - such were, for example, the black, shapeless Tsathoggua, possessing many tentacles of Cthulhu, equipped with a terrible trunk Chhaugnar Faugn and other monstrous creatures familiar to selected people from forbidden books like the Necronomicon, the Book of Eibon or von Junzt’s work “The Hidden Cults”.

Howard Lovecraft, "Horror in the Museum"

Kthugha(Cthugha) - created by August Derleth and first appears in the story "The House on Crooked Street" (1962). This creature looks like a huge ball of fire. His servants are a race of fire vampires. In Derleth's story "Dweller in Darkness" main character attempts to summon Cthugha to drive out the incarnation of Nyarlathotep from a forest in Canada.

Cthulhu(Cthulhu) is the most famous of Lovecraft's monsters, created by the author himself. There are different opinions about the pronunciation of his name (in general, about the names of Lovecraft’s creatures one can rightfully say “you’ll break your tongue”). The writer himself said that the name of this deity is rooted in a certain ancient language, completely alien to people. The closest pronunciation, according to Lovecraft, is: “Khlul’Hluu.”

As mentioned above, Cthulhu is an evil god who rests in the sunken city of R'Lyeh and is waiting in the wings when the stars take the right position and he returns to life to wreak chaos and destruction.

Famous portrait of Cthulhu by Raymond Bayless

Cthulhu's appearance is known to all fans of Lovecraft - he is a giant (he was able to chase a ship in the Atlantic Ocean while standing in the water) of a humanoid shape with slippery scaly green skin and claws on his hands (presumably his feet). Its head resembles an octopus - the skull is devoid of hair, and numerous tentacles grow around its mouth. To complete this cute picture, Cthulhu has two wings on his back, like a bat.

Both the Eskimo sorcerers and the swamp priests from Louisiana sang, addressing similar-looking idols, the following: “Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh vgah'nagl fhtagn” (“In his home in R’lyeh, the dead Cthulhu sleeps, awaiting his hours").

Howard Lovecraft, "The Call of Cthulhu"

August Derleth in his stories slightly changed the role of Cthulhu, making him far from the most important figure in the pantheon of transcendental beings. The primacy in the hierarchy of the Ancients belongs to Yog-Sothoth and Azathoth, but the cult of Cthulhu, nevertheless, is the most widespread (and most influential) on Earth.

Cthulhu's main opponent, according to Derleth, is his half-brother Hastur, who lives in the Hyades star cluster in the constellation Taurus. Interestingly, the story "The Return of Hastur" (1939) describes the physical, real contact of these two deities.

Cthulla- Secret daughter of Cthulhu. As is clear from her middle name, this young (by cosmic standards) lady is the natural daughter of the most famous monster from Lovecraft’s books. Being a complete copy of her daddy, she hides in some secret place called Yth. Its purpose is to revive Cthulhu if he dies. In this regard, she is of great value to her father - Cthulla is carefully guarded by his servants (including the Deep Ones, who will be discussed below).

Some believe that Dagon should be similar to the Deep Ones and look something like this.

Dagon- another “superstar” of the Cthulhu mythos. In reality, Dagon was the deity of grain and agriculture (dagan, Jud. - grain), revered by the northwestern Semitic tribes. Mentions of it are found even in the Bible - for example, in the fifth chapter of the first book of Kings.

Some researchers also believe that Dagon was the patron saint of fishermen and was therefore depicted as a bearded man with a fish tail instead of legs. The latter, apparently, inspired Lovecraft to create the frightening image of the underwater deity, which first appeared in the novel The Shadow Over Innsmouth (1936).

Dagon as imagined by Jeff Rimmer

Dagon's appearance is unknown to anyone, as are the details of his existence. We only know that, even if we wanted to, we couldn’t call him kind and philanthropic. Yes, he can really patronize fishermen, but the payment for successful fishing will be, to put it mildly, excessive.

Ghatanothoa- Usurper, Volcano God and first son of Cthulhu. He is believed to be buried under Mount Voormithadreth on Mu (a mythical continent sunk in the Pacific Ocean). Ghatanotoa was revered by the inhabitants of Mu for his ability to turn people into living statues.

Glaaki- Dweller of the lake, Lord of dead dreams. Lives in the Severn Valley near Brichester in England. First appeared in Ramsay Campbell's short story "The Inhabitants of the Lake". Glaaki looks like a huge slug completely covered in metal spikes. The latter are not just a stylish accessory - they are alive and grow from the body, like hair. Glaaki can sprout tentacles with eyes at the ends to peer out of the water.

The cult of Glaaki is quite strong - mainly due to the magical knowledge with which this deity supplies its followers. The latter, according to the authors of the Cthulhu myths, are systematized and recorded in 12 volumes of the book “Revelations of Glaaki”.

People come to this cult for the eternal life that Glaaki promises them. The deity always keeps this promise - it sticks its steel spike into the next newcomer, fills his body with poison and turns the person into a special kind of zombie - the “servants of Glaaki” (another little-known creature from the Cthulhu myths).

Hastur- Unpronounceable; He who must not be named. Lovecraft borrowed it from Ambrose Bierce (the story “The Shepherd of Gaita”), where Hastur was the patron saint of shepherds - a purely good entity, in contrast to the evil creature that appeared on the pages of Lovecraft’s story “Whispers in the Darkness.”

Hastur, fig. artist Nuberoja

According to the Cthulhu Mythos, anyone could summon Hastur by saying his name three times (hence all the above nicknames). The appearance of this deity is amorphous, but he appears to people in a standard “Cthulchian” form - something resembling a giant octopus.

Repeating the words “Hastur, Hastur, Hastur” is just entertainment and cannot harm you. However, the editors of World of Fantasy are not responsible for possible consequences.

Hzioulquoigmnzhah- a deity invented by Clark Ashton Smith, for whose name alone the author should have a monument erected. There is nothing special about this creature. According to some vague references in the Cthulhu Mythos, it is a distant relative of Cthulhu and Hastur. Does not have a permanent habitat. He can be found in the world of Xoth, on Yaksh (aka planet Neptune), and on Cykranosh (Saturn).

Ithaqua- Running wind, God of cold white silence, aka Windigo (in the legends of North American Indians - a formidable cannibal spirit). The indigenous inhabitants of the northern regions of the planet (Siberia, Alaska) worship this terrible deity, placating him with human sacrifices. Ichtaqua is believed to attack people in snowstorms. Later they are found dead and lying in such positions as if they had fallen from a great height. The facial features are distorted by a wild grimace of agony, some parts of the body are missing.

Nyoghta- A thing that should not exist, Inhabitant of the Red Abyss. Described in Henry Cuttler's book The Salem Horror (1937). Lives in voids deep underground, occasionally appears on the Leng plateau (in the dialect of the Chinese province of Fujian - “cold”) - a fictional place in Central Asia. You can drive it back underground only with the help of the “Vash-Viray” spell and the Tikkun elixir.

Yig- Father of snakes. The deity itself is not evil, but rather irritable. Punishes his offenders by sending snakes to them. Interestingly, in the early 1990s, this character (or rather, his name) became the subject of a real cult. In Connecticut (USA), teenagers became fashionable to scare passers-by by jumping out at them and shouting “Whig!”, and they had to shout as loudly as possible. However, such fun quickly ceased to be fashionable. Now there are only 2-5 cases of “wigging” per year.

* * *

This is just a short list of the Ancients spoken of in the Cthulhu Mythos. If you wish, you can find information about their other “colleagues” (for convenience, we will mention only the original names):

Atlach-Nacha, Baoht Z'ugga-Mogg, Bokrug, Bugg-Sash, Byatis, C'thalpa, Cynothoglys, Dweller of the Gulf, Eihort, Gloon, Gol-Gorgoth, Hydra, Idh-Yaa, Iod, Juk-Shabb, Lloigor, L'rog'g, M'Naglah, Mnomquah, Mordiggian, Nag and Yeb, Oorn, Othuum, Othuyeg, Rhan-Tegoth, Saa'itii, Sfatclip, Shathak, Shudde'Mell, Tsathoggua, Vulthoom, Y'Golonac, Yhondeh, Ythgotha, Zhar, Zoth-Ommog, Zushakon, Zvilpoggua, Zustulzhemgni.

Outer Gods

We will not dwell in detail on the creatures called in myths Great Ones. They live in a special world - Dreamlands, and are much weaker (magically) than the Ancient or Elder Gods. Their intellectual abilities also leave much to be desired.

Much more interesting are the Outer Gods. Unlike others, they do not represent specific beings, but rather universal principles of existence. That is why their power has no physical limits.

Abhoth- Source of impurity. Lives in the underground kingdom of N'kai and appears before people as a disgusting gray mass of living flesh. Various monsters are born from it, but Abhot releases tentacles, grabs his children and devours them. This god is cynical, angry and mad. He has strong telepathic abilities, allowing him to communicate with others.

Azathoth- Sultan of Demons, Boiling Nuclear Chaos. This god stands at the head of the pantheon of Cthulhu myths. Lovecraft describes it in detail in the novel “The Somnambulistic Search for the Unknown Kadath”, the stories “Dreams in the Witch House” and “The Whisperer in the Night”. According to the author, Azathoth is a blind idiot god who does not have a specific physical form (although he can incarnate into the Xada-Ngla creature).

Azathoth, artist Micah Stone

The term "nuclear" was used by Lovecraft to refer to the central role of Azathoth in our universe, and not to hint at its radioactivity. Only a madman can worship this god - in fact, it is so, because the few daredevils who dared to choose him as their patron paid for it with mind, body and soul.

Nyarlathotep- Creeping Chaos, Messenger of Azathoth, Black Man. This deity is very different from his brothers. Unlike Hastur, who lives in the stars, or Cthulhu, who sleeps in the depths of the sea, Nyarlathotep is full of life and actively intervenes in the fate of the universe. His favorite appearance is that of a tall man with dark hair and a good sense of humor. He speaks ordinary human language, has no cult of his own, and serves as Azathoth's messenger, implementing his will on Earth.

Nyarlathotep is often associated with the ancient Egyptian god Set, as well as the Aztec deities Tezcatlipoca (“smoking mirror”) and Xipe Totec (“man without skin”).

Nyarlathotep, Douzen artist

Shub-Niggurath- A black goat from the forests with a thousand young. As such, this monster was not found in Lovecraft's novels, but its name could be found in several spells (Ia! Shub-Niggurath) - see "Whispers in the Dark", "Dreams in the Witch's House", "Nightmare in the Museum". Outwardly, this creature looks like a huge shapeless mass, dotted with tentacles, slobbering mouths - and all this moves on crooked goat legs.

Shub-Niggurath, fig. Khannea Suntzu

Yog-Sothoth(Yog-Sothoth) - All in one; One who is from outside; The one who will open the Path. Lovecraft himself said it best about this deity:

The Limitless Being embodied the All-in-one and the One-in-all, which the waves told him about. It contained not only time and space, but also the entire universe with its immeasurable scope, knowing no limits, and surpassing any fantasies and calculations of mathematicians and astronomers. Perhaps in ancient times the priests of secret cults called him Yog-Sothoth and whispered this name from mouth to mouth, and he was known to the crayfish-like aliens from Yuggoth as the One-beyond-the-edge. His flying messengers with spiraling brains were recognized by an untranslatable sign, but Carter understood how relative and imprecise all these definitions were.
H. P. Lovecraft, "The Gate of the Silver Key"

Yog-Sothoth

In addition to those already listed, the Cthulhu myths occasionally mention other Outer Gods: Daoloth, Groth, Hydra, Mlandoth, Tulzuscha, Ubbo-Sathla, Vordavoss ) and Xiurhn.

Elder Gods

Elder Gods- a group of supernatural beings opposed to the Great Old Ones, as well as other, smaller divine “factions” - the Outer Gods and Great Ones.

Literary scholars do not associate the Elder Gods with the work of Lovecraft himself, since they were created by his followers and, in fact, are a compilation of a number of myths of antiquity.

Bast, or Bastet, is a deity borrowed from the Egyptians. Traditionally associated with the sun, fertility and successful childbirth in women. Bast has two incarnations - a woman with a cat's head (kind essence) and a lion's head (aggressive). It is believed that, being in the second form, Bast turns into Sekhmet - the lioness who once almost destroyed all of humanity. She was pacified only with the help of cunning - beer, tinted red with mineral dyes, was spilled on the ground. The lioness mistook this liquid for blood, got drunk and fell asleep.

Hypnos- personification of a dream from Greek mythology. Hypnos' mother is Nyx (Night), brother is Thanatos (Death). His palace is located in a cave where sunlight does not penetrate. Poppies and other sleepy plants grow at the entrance. The children of Hypnos are the so-called Oneros: Morpheus (dreams), Phobetor, aka Iselus (nightmares) and Phantasos (appears in dreams in the form of inanimate objects).

Endymion- a young shepherd, fell in love with the moon goddess Selene and received from Hypnos a rare gift - the ability to sleep with his eyes open, so that even in his sleep he could look at his beloved.

N'tse-Kaambl- an insignificant female deity from the category of Elders, introduced into the Cthulhu myths by the writer Gary Myers (the story “House of the Worm”). It is sometimes identified with Minerva (the Roman goddess of craft and wisdom). There are suggestions that the name of this deity is a homonym for the name of Nancy Campbell, however, the identity of this lady is unknown to anyone except Myers himself.

Nodens, artist Mark Foster

Nodens- Hunter, Lord of the Great Abyss. As mentioned earlier, he first appeared in Lovecraft's story "The House on Misty Cliff." He is an elderly man with a long thick beard and gray hair. Nodens travels the world in a chariot made from a huge seashell. His calling is hunting, and as victims he most often chooses creatures belonging to the pantheon of the Ancients. This does not at all mean that Nodens is a defender of good. It’s just that evil monsters represent the most difficult and, therefore, attractive prey for him.

Ulthar- a certain deity mentioned by Lovecraft in the novel “The Somnambulistic Search for the Unknown Kadath” and the story “Cats of Ulthar”. In addition, the Cthulhu mythos features a city of the same name. How exactly he is connected with this deity is still unknown.

There is a rather interesting comic about “The Unknown Kadath”

Non-divine beings

In addition to terrible monsters with tentacles and formless creatures from the dark depths of deep space, the Cthulhu Mythos boasts a good collection of simpler and more understandable creatures.

Underground (Chtonians)- cute little animals that resemble large squids and differ from them in their elongated bodies covered with slippery mucus (this morphological feature allows them to easily move underground). It is known about the Underground Ones that they live for thousands of years, jealously protect their offspring from people and emit viscous sad sounds, by which it is easy to determine their approach. More information about these creatures can be found in Brian Lumley's collection of short stories, Out of the Deep (1974).

Chthonian, artist Borja Pindao

Deep Ones- fish-frog-like creatures that live deep in the ocean. Being amphibians, they feel good on land and sometimes come out to people. In exchange for human sacrifices, the Deep Ones can give gold, jewelry, and fill their nets with fish.

Deep sea. 3D model by artist Stefano Bernardi

Deep Ones can also mate with humans, producing hybrids. In their youth, such children look completely normal, but with age they gradually turn into Deep Ones. Their eyes become bulging, their eyelids atrophy, their heads become narrow, their hair falls out, and their skin becomes scaly.

The Deep Ones worship Dagon and Cthulhu. Lovecraft described them in detail in his novel The Shadow Over Innsmouth.

The Deep One from the film "Dagon", a very loose but good adaptation of "Shadow over Innsmouth"

Elder Things- aliens who inhabited the Earth before humans. They were a cross between a plant and an animal. The elders built giant cities on land and under water, fought with the gods (without much success) and probably gave birth to those creatures that inhabit the planet to this day. The Elder civilization perished during the Ice Age; their frozen city in Antarctica was discovered only in 1931 (Lovecraft's novel The Ridges of Madness).

Elders, thin. Jeff Remmer

Ghouls- creatures that were once human, but turned into humanoid monsters hiding from the sun underground. The reason for this metamorphosis is cannibalism. It is quite logical that ghouls retain their former culinary preferences and feed on human corpses. You can learn more about them from the novel “The Somnambulistic Search for the Unknown Kadath.”

Among other, less colorful monsters of the Cthulhu myths can be called dogs of Tindalos(something reminiscent of Stephen King's Langoliers), mi-go(crustacean aliens living on Pluto), shoggoths(beings from protoplasm) and Zoogs(small elf-like creatures living in the world of Dreamlands).

It's scary, it's creepy!

Not all representatives of the “menagerie” of the Cthulhu mythos were presented to you, but this is quite enough to draw several important conclusions. The first thing you’ve probably been thinking about for a long time is that only a hereditary schizophrenic could have written this. The second conclusion is more serious - it was these creatures that became the foundation of everything modern genre"mystical horrors"

The Necronomicon became the plot basis for the entire Evil Dead series.

Nowadays, such monsters may seem monotonous, boring and even funny, and the legends associated with them - at least, naive. But we should not forget that at the beginning of the 20th century such stories were read with a bang and were the real action thrillers of that era. The Cthulhu mythos can now be viewed in different ways, but only one thing is indisputable: it is a classic that has stood the most difficult test - time.

On the occasion of the 128th birthday of the great master of horror, Howard F. Lovecraft , we remember his pantheon of creatures.

According to ideas Lovecraft about deities in their myths...

were originally Elder Gods- kind and peaceful, who lived on the star Betelgeuse(or near it) in the constellation Orion. They extremely rarely interfered in earthly affairs - in the struggle between good and evil, which they are Ancients (Great Old Ones, or, otherwise - Ancient Ones).

Systematized "Lovecraft myths", better known as "Cthulhu Mythos", appeared after death Lovecraft. His close friend and colleague August Derleth(1909-1971) took the unfinished works of the “father of horror”, edited them, summarized them, added something of his own - and published them in his own publishing house "Arkham House".

Ancients

Ancients(Great Old Ones) - incredibly powerful beings, presumably the same age as the Universe. Members of mystical sects and cults revere them as gods. Ancients live in other star systems or even beyond our dimension. It is very likely that many of them are incorporeal, or rather, they do not consist of matter.

Their power is based on forces unknown to mankind, which are traditionally considered magical. It is not limitless and has its limits, often extending to the entire planet. The ancients can influence earthly affairs only under certain astronomical conditions (a special arrangement of stars in the sky) and only when they are helped by their followers - cultists.

Ancient and outer gods in the comic webcomic The Unspeakable Vault (Of Doom)

The Ancients were, the Ancients are, and the Ancients will be. Not in those spaces that we know about, but between them. They go unperturbed and original, dimensionless and invisible to us. Yog-Sothoth knows the gate. Yog-Sothoth is the gate. Yog-Sothoth is both the key and the guardian of the gate. Past, present, future, everything is in Yog-Sothoth. He knows where the Ancients came from in the past, and He knows where They will come from in the future.

- “The Dunwich Horror”, H. P. Lovecraft

Dagon

In real Dagon was the deity of grain and agriculture (dagan, Jud. - grain), revered by the northwestern Semitic tribes. Mentions of it are found even in the Bible - for example, in the fifth chapter of the first book of Kings.

Some researchers also believe that Dagon was the patron saint of fishermen and was therefore depicted as a bearded man with a fish tail instead of legs. The latter apparently inspired Lovecraft to create a frightening image of an underwater deity who first appeared in the novel "Shadow over Innsmouth" (1936).

Along with his wife Hydra, Dagon is a direct patron deep sea who respectfully call them Father Dagon and Mother Hydra. Looks like Dagon similarly deep sea(a humanoid with the features of a fish and an amphibian), but is distinguished by its gigantic size. Dagon mentioned in several works H. P. Lovecraft, including as a character in the story "Dagon" .

Huge, reminiscent Polyphemus and with his whole appearance evoking a feeling of disgust, he rushed, like a monster appearing in nightmares, towards the monolith, grabbed it with giant scaly hands and bowed his disgusting head to the pedestal, while emitting some indescribable rhythmic sounds.

Cthulhu

Cthulhu- the most famous of the monsters Lovecraft created by the author himself. There are different opinions about the pronunciation of his name. The writer himself said that the name of this deity is rooted in some ancient language, completely alien to people. The closest pronunciation option, according to Lovecraft, is: "Khlul'Hluu".

Cthulhu- an evil god who rests in a sunken city R'Lyeh and is waiting in the wings when the stars take the right position and he returns to life to wreak havoc and destruction. He's a brother Ancient and the driver of Their slaves.

Appearance Cthulhu known to all fans of creativity Lovecraft is a giant (he was able to chase a ship in the Atlantic Ocean while standing in the water) of a humanoid shape with slippery scaly green skin and claws on his hands (presumably - and feet). Its head resembles an octopus - the skull is devoid of hair, and numerous tentacles grow around its mouth. To complete this cute picture, on the back Cthulhu there are two wings, like a bat.

IN Cthulhu Mythos describes an ancient religious tradition worship (cult) Cthulhu. According to Lovecraft, worshipers are present in the most different corners Earth; in particular, both among the Eskimos of Greenland and among the inhabitants of Louisiana. During the rituals, the clergy perform human sacrifices, rage and recite a mantra “Ph’nglui mglw’nafh Cthulhu R’lyeh vgah’nagl fhtagn”, which roughly means "In the depths of the waters under R'lyeh lies Cthulhu, waiting in the wings".

Cthulhu is able to influence the minds of people, but his abilities are drowned out by the thickness of the water, so that only the dreams of especially sensitive people remain subject to him. IN "Call of Cthulhu" dreams created Cthulhu, terrify those who see them and sometimes drive them to madness. The entire history of mankind is just a moment for Cthulhu. Admirers Cthulhu convinced of the great power of their idol, and the destruction of civilization seems to them a very likely, albeit insignificant, consequence of the awakening Cthulhu.

Cthulla- Secret daughter Cthulhu. As is clear from her middle name, this young (by cosmic standards) lady is the daughter of Cthulhu. Being a complete copy of her daddy, she hides in some secret place called Yuth(Yth). Its purpose is to revive Cthulhu in case he dies. In this regard, she is of great value to her father - Cthullu carefully guarded by his servants.

Azathoth

Azathoth- disembodied spirit that commands Ancient, which Ancient (Elder) Gods hidden from the earth in chaos, behind 11 seals.

His epithets include “blind mad god”, “eternally chewing sultan of demons” and “nuclear chaos”. First Azathoth mentioned in the work "Somnambulant Search for the Unknown Kadath" .

...that last formless nightmare in the midst of chaos, which ungodly swirls and seethes in the very center of infinity - the boundless sultan of demons Azathoth, whose name no one’s lips dare to utter, who greedily chews in incomprehensible, dark chambers outside of time to the dull, maddening eerie beat drums and quiet monotonous sobs of cursed flutes, under whose vile roar and lingering pipes the giant Absolute gods, eyeless, voiceless, gloomy, insane Other gods, whose spirit and messenger are the creeping chaos Nyarlathotep, slowly, clumsily and bizarrely dance.

This god can almost only be worshiped by a madman - in fact, it is so, because those few daredevils who dared to choose him as their patron paid for it with mind, body and soul. The term "nuclear" was used Lovecraft to indicate a central role Azathoth in our universe, and not for the sake of a hint of its radioactivity.

Nyarlathotep

Nyarlathotep- Creeping Chaos, Messenger Azathoth, Black man. This deity is very different from his brothers. Unlike Hastura living in the stars, or Cthulhu sleeping in the depths of the sea, Nyarlathotep full of life and actively intervenes in the fate of the universe.

His favorite appearance is that of a tall man with dark hair and a good sense of humor. He speaks ordinary human language, has no cult of his own and serves as a messenger Azathoth, realizing his will on Earth.

Nyarlathotep often associated with the ancient Egyptian god Seth, as well as Aztec deities: Tezcatlipoka("smoking mirror") and Xipe Totekom(“a man without skin”).

Hastur

Hastur- Unpronounceable; He who must not be named. Lovecraft borrowed it from Ambrose Bierce(story "Shepherd Gaita" ), Where Hastur was the patron saint of shepherds - a purely good essence, in contrast to the evil creature that appeared on the pages of the story Lovecraft "Whispers in the Dark" .

Howard Lovecraft, having read "Yellow sign" Chambers in 1927, highly appreciated the story and decided to combine the symbolism used by the British writer with his own Cthulhu mythos. As a result, he created a "classic" image Hastura as one of Ancient Gods, appearing in the guise of a black whirlwind and capable of stealing the soul and mind of anyone who sees it.

Probably the only work Lovecraft, in which Hastur acts directly - this is a story "Dweller in Darkness" , where, in addition, mention is made of the cult of his followers and a certain sacred object of theirs - a “sparkling trapezohedron” capable of causing Hastura. Also the name of this deity appears in the story "The Whisperer in the Dark" , which again speaks of the existence of a cult of his admirers and briefly mentions Yellow Sign from story of the same name Chambers. Lovecraft didn't describe the role Hastura in the pantheon he invented in any detail.

According to Cthulhu mythos, anyone could call Hastura, saying his name three times (hence all the above nicknames). The appearance of this deity is amorphous, but he appears to people in a standard “Cthulchian” form - something resembling a giant octopus.

Yog-Sothoth

Yog-Sothoth- All in one; One who is from outside; The one who will open the Path. The best thing about this deity was said by himself Lovecraft:

The Limitless Being embodied the All-in-one and the One-in-all, which the waves told him about. It contained not only time and space, but also the entire universe with its immeasurable scope, knowing no limits, and surpassing any fantasies and calculations of mathematicians and astronomers. Perhaps in ancient times the priests of secret cults called him Yog-Sothoth and whispered this name from mouth to mouth, and he was known to the crayfish-like aliens from Yuggoth as the One-beyond-the-edge. His flying messengers with spiraling brains were recognized by an untranslatable sign, but Carter understood how relative and imprecise all these definitions were.

– H. P. Lovecraft "Gate of the Silver Key".

Role Yog-Sothoth in the pantheon - a neutral (false) deity, the keeper of the Gates between worlds, the physical embodiment of the universe. In the story Lovecraft "Gate of the Silver Key" the hero calls it “Genesis”. Yog-Sothoth locked outside our Universe, it exists simultaneously in all times and in all space. This is an all-knowing god, whose power almost surpasses Azathoth, and with wisdom - Yib-Tstlla. According to the writer Clark Ashton Smith, Yog-Sothoth in one of his incarnations he could control time.

From Yog-Sothoth from an earthly woman Dunwich Lavinia Whately twins are born. In his inhuman nature the son Yog-Sothotha Wilber had a scaly shell and gray-green tentacles with red suckers emanating from the stomach. His inhuman twin was shaped like a huge, many-eyed chicken egg with a dozen legs and consisted of a jelly-like substance. The description compares the monster to an octopus (octopus) and a centipede (centipede).

U Yog-Sothoth there have been several incarnations. Among them:

Aforgomon

Aforgomon, is controversially argued by some to be the embodiment Yog-Sothoth. God Aforgomon was invented by a writer Clark Ashton Smith as a super being revered by many nations. Aforgomon- god of time, ruler of time and space. About the appearance of this incarnation Yog-Sothoth nothing is known because Aforgomon is shown only to those who angered him, and after his appearance, those who were angry can no longer tell anything. It is known, however, that its appearance is accompanied by a blinding light. Aforgomon- mortal enemy Xexanota apparently one of Ancient Gods or from Outer Gods, also invented Clark Ashton Smith.

Tawil at-Umr

Tawil at-Umr(Tawil at-U'mr), otherwise called Umr at-Tawil, The Most Ancient and Oldest of the Living - incarnation Yog-Sothoth. Rules over the vast spaces beyond the Gate of the Silver Key, in which there is no time, and over the almost omnipotent Ancient, living there. Described as a humanoid creature under a strange, foamy veil. If he decides to remove the veil, then whoever looks at him will go crazy. Tawil at-Umr considered a benign god, as opposed to an evil one Aforgomona.

Dweller on the Threshold

As the name suggests, this is the main incarnation Yog-Sothoth.

Shub-Niggurath

Shub-Niggurath(English: Shub-Niggurath), also the Black Goat of the Woods with a Thousand Young, “Iä! The Black Goat of the Woods with a Thousand Young!”) - a character in the mythical pantheon, classified as a “deity of the perverted fertility”, fictional Howard Lovecraft.

First mentioned in his story "The Final Test" (“The Last Test”, 1928). At the very Lovecraft is never described, unlike his successors, but is repeatedly mentioned in spells and appeals. Shub-Niggurath described as a misty, cloud-like mass with many long, black tentacles, slime-spewing mouths, and short goat-like legs. She is accompanied by many small monstrous creatures generated by her, which she constantly spews out of herself, and then again devours and digests.

Of all the creatures of the mythical pantheon Cthulhu Mythos, cult Shub-Niggurath described as the most common. Perhaps because of all Ancient she is the only one who shows some favor to her flock: for example, it was she who gave the priest T'yuogu a scroll with a spell to cast down Gatanoa. Even extraterrestrials worship her Mi-go. Having carried out the ritual properly, you can call Shub-Niggurath in any forest on a new moon, and sometimes she appears in the form of a beautiful woman.

In the work "The Thing on the Threshold" the main character retells the prayers of the occultists, whom he unwittingly visited:

My brain! My brain! God, Dan, what pressure! This devil is knocking and scratching from somewhere outside! Even now Ephraim! Camogue! Camogue! Pool of Shoggoths! Ya! Shub-Niggurath! A goat with a legion of young ones!.. Flame, flame on the other side of the body, on the other side of life... inside the earth, oh God!

In the work "Horror in the Museum" A similar phrase is also used:

It needed nutrition - and It will no longer lack it. He is God, and I am the High Priest in His new priestly hierarchy. Eeyore! Shub-Niggurath! Almighty Goat with the Legion of the Young!

Also in the work “Window in the attic” :

No vegetation, like on a dark star. Circle of worshipers at a stone pillar. Their cries: Ee! Shub-Niggurath!

Ghatanotoa/Gatanoa

Ghatanothoa- Usurper, Volcano God and First Son Cthulhu. Supposedly he is buried under the mountain Voormithadret(Voormithadreth) on mu(mythical continent sunk in the Pacific Ocean). Ghatanotoa revered by the inhabitants mu for his ability to turn people into living statues.

Gatanoa- the central mythical deity of the work Howard Lovecraft "Out of Time" left on Earth by aliens Mi-go from the planet Yuggoth long before the beginning of human civilization.

Gatanoa immortal and lives in the dungeon of a fortress that was once located on the mountain Yaddith-Gho, in the kingdom K'naa, on a vanished continent Mu. Geographically, the mountain is located near New Zealand. According to legend, anyone who sees an ancient deity or even his image will fall into a state of petrification, while the brain and internal organs will remain intact and continue vital activity until a certain external factor will not destroy the petrified shell. To avoid waking up Gatanoa, people of the kingdom K'naa Twelve young warriors and twelve girls were sacrificed annually. Their bodies were burned at the stake in the marble temple at the foot of the mountain, since not a single person dared to climb to the fortress at the top of the mountain.

The most significant speech by a person against Gatanoa was committed by a temple servant Shub-Niggurath by name T'yuog what is discussed in "Nameless Cults" Frederic von Juntz. T'yuog created a scroll that was supposed to protect him from the destructive effect of the sight of a deity, but due to substitution by priests Gatanoa scroll on the fake one, he failed. The events described refer to the Year of the Red Moon, which according to von Juntz corresponds to 173148 BC.

Based on a series of stories Lin Carter “Xothic legend cycle” , Gatanoa is the firstborn Cthulhu.

Glaaki

Glaaki(Glaaki)- Dweller of the lake, Lord of dead dreams. Lives in the Severn Valley near Brichester in England. First appeared in a story Ramsay Campbell "Lake Inhabitants" . Glaaki looks like a huge slug, completely covered with metal spikes. The latter are not just a stylish accessory - they are alive and grow from the body, like hair. Glaaki can produce tentacles with eyes at the ends to look out of the water.

The character appeared quite well on the cover of the music. album by the Belgian death/doom band Tyrant’s Kall. The team is known for its passion for the works of Lovecraft. Art by Paolo Girardi.

Cult Glaaki quite strong - mainly due to the magical knowledge with which this deity supplies his followers. The latter, according to the authors of the Cthulhu myths, are systematized and recorded in 12 volumes of the book “Revelations” Glaaki».

People come to this cult for the sake of eternal life, which it promises them Glaaki. The deity always keeps this promise - it sticks its steel spike into the next newcomer, fills his body with poison and turns the person into a special kind of zombie - “servants.” Glaaki"(another little-known creature from Cthulhu mythos).

In addition to those already listed, Cthulhu mythos others are occasionally mentioned Outer Gods: Daolot(Daoloth) Grotto(Groth) Hydra(Hydra), Mlandot(Mlandoth), Tulzucha(Tulzuscha), Ubbo-Sathla(Ubo-Sathla), Wordavoss(Vordavoss) and Xiurn(Xiurhn).

Aphoom-Zhah- aka “Cold Flame” - a deity invented by a friend Lovecraft - Clark Ashton Smith(1893-1961). This monster is a descendant Kthughi(Cthugha). Like another monster - Ithaquah(Ithaqua) - he sleeps under the ice of the Arctic, waiting for his “finest hour”. During the Ice Age Aptum-Zhakh often visited Hyperborea (Lovecraft considered it an analogue of Atlantis). To humans, it looks like a huge, cold column of gray fire.

Chaugnar Faugn- "God of the Elephants", "Terror from the Hills" - creation Frank Belknap Long (1903-1994).

Others (monsters - approx. MF) originated from much darker and more mysterious, passed down only from mouth to mouth, secret legends of antiquity - such were, for example, the black, shapeless Tsathoggua, possessing many tentacles of Cthulhu, equipped with a terrible trunk Chhaugnar Faugn and other monstrous creatures familiar to selected people from forbidden books like the Necronomicon, the Book of Eibon or von Junzt’s work “The Hidden Cults”.

– Howard Lovecraft "Horror in the Museum"

Cthugha- created August Derleth and first appears in the story "House on Crooked Street" (1962). This creature looks like a huge ball of fire. His servants are a race of fire vampires. In the story Derleta "Dweller in Darkness" the main character is trying to call Kthughu so that he would expel the incarnation Nyarlathotepa(Nyarlathotep) from a forest in Canada.

Elder Gods

Elder Gods- a group of supernatural beings opposing Ancient (Great Old Ones), as well as other, smaller divine “factions” - To the outer gods (Outer Gods) And Great (Great Ones).

Literary scholars do not connect Elder gods with creativity itself Lovecraft, since they were created by his followers and, in fact, are a compilation from a number of myths of antiquity.

Bast, or Bastet- a deity borrowed from the Egyptians. Traditionally associated with the sun, fertility and successful childbirth in women. Bast has two incarnations - a woman with a cat's head (kind essence) and a lion's head (aggressive). It is believed that while in the second form, Bast turns into Sekhmet - a lioness who once almost destroyed all of humanity. She was pacified only with the help of cunning - beer, tinted red with mineral dyes, was spilled on the ground. The lioness mistook this liquid for blood, got drunk and fell asleep.

Hypnos- personification of a dream from Greek mythology. Mother Hypnos - Knicks(Night), brother - Thanatos(Death). His palace is located in a cave where sunlight does not penetrate. Poppies and other sleepy plants grow at the entrance. Children Hypnos- so called Oneroi: Morpheus(dreams), Phobetor, aka Iselus(nightmares) and Phantasos(appears in a dream in the form of inanimate objects).

Endymion- a young shepherd fell in love with the moon goddess Selena and received from Hypnos a rare gift - the ability to sleep with his eyes open, so that even in his sleep he could look at his beloved.

N'tse-Kaambl- an insignificant female deity from the category Seniors, introduced in Cthulhu mythos writer Gary Myers(story "House of the Worm" ). Sometimes it is identified with Minerva(Roman goddess of crafts and wisdom). There are suggestions that the name of this deity is a homonym of the name Nancy Campbell, however, the identity of this lady is unknown to anyone except herself Myers.

Nodens- Hunter, Lord of the Great Abyss. As mentioned earlier, he first appeared in the story Lovecraft "House on Misty Cliff" . He is an elderly man with a long thick beard and gray hair. Nodens travels the world in a chariot made from a huge seashell. His calling is hunting, and as victims he most often chooses creatures belonging to the pantheon Ancient. This does not mean at all that Nodens- defender of good. It’s just that evil monsters represent the most difficult and, therefore, attractive prey for him.

Ulthar- a certain deity mentioned Lovecraft in the novel "The Somnambulistic Search for the Unknown Kadath" and story "Cats of Ulthar" . Besides, in Cthulhu mythos there is a city of the same name. How exactly he is connected with this deity is still unknown.

Non-divine beings

Underground

Underground (Chtonians)- cute little animals that resemble large squids and differ from them in their elongated bodies covered with slippery mucus (this morphological feature allows them to easily move underground). ABOUT underground it is known that they live for thousands of years, jealously guard their offspring from people and emit viscous sad sounds, by which it is easy to determine their approach. You can learn more about these creatures from the collection of stories Brian Lumley "From the depth" (1974).

deep sea

Deep Ones- fish-frog-like creatures that live deep in the ocean. Being amphibians, they feel good on land and sometimes come out to people. In exchange for human sacrifices deep sea can give gold, jewelry and fill nets with fish. deep sea They can also mate with humans, producing hybrids. In their youth, such children look completely normal, but with age they gradually turn into deep sea. Their eyes become bulging, their eyelids atrophy, their heads become narrow, their hair falls out, and their skin becomes scaly.

deep sea worship Dagon And Cthulhu. Lovecraft described them in detail in the novel "The Shadow Over Innsmouth" .

Elders

Elder Things - aliens who inhabited the Earth before humans. They were a cross between a plant and an animal. Elders built giant cities on land and under water, fought with the gods (without much success) and probably gave birth to those creatures that inhabit the planet to this day. Civilization Elders died in the Ice Age, their frozen city in Antarctica was discovered only in 1931. Described in detail in “The Ridges of Madness” .

Elders were the first to come from the distant depths of space to the young Earth. At that time, they were a highly technologically advanced race, but they used their knowledge only when absolutely necessary. Elders left their planet due to a man-made crisis. They considered their past mechanistic civilization to be detrimental to emotional sphere. Initially Elders inhabited only the underwater spaces of the Earth, but later settled on land.

Early Settlers - Elders created the first “native” living organisms on Earth, which then evolved to the modern state, and also artificially selected interesting species and limited the development of harmful ones, from the point of view Startsev, species. Thus, the prototype of humans and monkeys is the result of selection, with the aim of breeding tasty meat and as a decorative toy. One of the unique species of organisms created Elders, were shoggoths, creatures of protoplasm capable of taking any form upon telepathic command, and used Elders to perform various physical tasks.

During the development of its civilization Elders were forced to fight with their descendants Cthulhu, With Mi-go, with the creators out of control Shoggoths.

Reproduction Startsev occurred through controversy, but was encouraged only when new spaces were populated. Upbringing and education Startsev was on the highest level. As the novel's protagonist suggests "The Ridges of Madness" , state structure Startsev was socialist.

Over a long period of stay on Earth, technical and physiological capabilities Startsev were fading away. Thus, they lost the initially available ability for space travel and were unable to leave the Earth, and also lost control over shoggoths.

One of the most significant and last known land settlements Startsev was located in Antarctica. Surrounded by mountains, the city flourished throughout entire geological epochs, but over time, climate change (severe cooling) forced Startsev move into caves warmed by geothermal waters underneath. The ruins of the city were discovered in 1931 by an expedition from Miskatonic University. Judging by the corpses discovered by researchers Startsev and some other signs that are out of control shoggoths still won Startsev and even occupied an underwater Antarctic city.

Guli

Ghouls- creatures that were once human, but turned into humanoid monsters hiding from the sun underground. The reason for this metamorphosis is cannibalism. It's quite logical that ghouls retain their former culinary preferences and feed on human corpses. You can learn more about them from the novel “Somnambulant search for the unknown Kadath” .

Variety of creatures Cthulhu mythos This list is not limited. In other articles we will talk about lower races, numerous monsters, locations and characters in works Lovecraft.

Elders.

The Elders are a race of highly developed alien creatures. Once upon a time, a long time ago, they were the first to come from the distant depths of space to the still young Earth. The Elders had to leave their home planet due to a man-made crisis. Therefore, on Earth they did not apply their knowledge unless absolutely necessary, considering their own past civilization to be detrimental to the emotional sphere.

It was the Elders in Lovecraft’s mythology who created all life on earth, including prototypes of humans and monkeys, who were bred for tasty meat and as decorative toys. The reproduction of the Elders occurred through disputes, but was encouraged only when populating new spaces. Originally, the Elders had the ability to fly through interstellar space with the help of their wings. But later they lost these skills and were unable to leave the Earth.

Shoggoth.

These are shapeless, eel-like bubbles of protoplasm. Shoggoths are able to move and form temporary organs to perform necessary actions. Their size is indicated by the fact that if Shoggoth takes a spherical shape, then its diameter will be five meters. Shoggoths were created by the Elders to perform auxiliary and physically demanding work. Shoggoths did not have their own consciousness and, under the influence of hypnotic suggestions, could take any form and perform any actions.

However, subsequently the Shoggoths gained will and intelligence, learned to remember hypnotic commands and, based on them, independently control their form. The natural result of this was a fierce war between the Elders and the Shoggoths, which the Shoggoths lost, submitting to the Elders. However, during the next or one of the following wars, the Elders were defeated and the Shoggoths gained freedom.

Gatanoa.

The central mythical deity in the work "Out of Time". It is known that Gatanoa was left on Earth by the Mi-go aliens from the planet Yuggoth long before the existence of mankind. Gatanoa is immortal by nature and lives in the dungeon of a fortress that was once located on Mount Yaddith-Gho, in the kingdom of K'naa, on the disappeared continent of Mu. Geographically, this mountain is located near New Zealand. Legend has it that anyone who sees an ancient deity, or even his image, will fall into a state of petrification, while the brain and internal organs will remain intact and continue physical activity until some external factor destroys the petrified shell.

To avoid the awakening of Gatanoa, the people of the kingdom of K'naa annually sacrificed twelve young warriors and twelve girls. Their bodies were burned at the stake in the marble temple at the foot of the mountain, since not a single person dared to climb to the fortress at the top of the mountain. One day, a servant of the temple of Shub-Niggurath named T'yuog created a scroll that was supposed to protect him from the destructive effect of the sight of the deity and intended to enter the fortress. But the priests of Gatanoa replaced the scroll with a fake one and it failed.

Dagon.

One of the lesser deities of the Cthulhu mythos pantheon. Dagon and his wife Hydra are the direct patrons of the Deep Ones race, who respectfully call them Father Dagon and Mother Hydra. Like the Deep Ones themselves, Dagon appears humanoid with fish and amphibian features, but is gigantic in size.

Googie.

The Gugs are huge giants who live in the underground world of the land of dreams. Distinctive feature are a huge, vertically opening mouth and front legs that bifurcate at the elbow. The curse of the gods limits their diet to terrible ghasts and does not allow them to leave underworld. Nevertheless, an encounter with a gug is deadly for humans. But it is known that the Gugs shun ghouls, even though they are many times stronger than them.

Hounds of Tindal.

They were created by Tyndal, one of the Ancient Gods. But after Tindal was drowned by Dagon, the Dogs were adopted by Shub-Niggur. She taught them hunting skills: cunning, dexterity, strength and, naturally, cunning. But after several thousand years, the Dogs kidnapped Cthulhu and took them to R'lyeh. From then on, He began to use Dogs to find His victims.

Because of their connection with space-time intersections, Dogs can penetrate the material world through the angle between any two planes as long as it is 120º or less. When the Hound enters our world, smoke begins to smoke from the corner, gradually weaving into the head, followed by the body. It is said that if a person somehow allows himself to be scented by these creatures, the Hounds of Tyndal will follow their victim through space and time indefinitely until they are finally reached. Time travelers risk attracting the attention of these creatures.

Tsathoggua.

Legend has it that the hideous and powerful Tsathoggua lives in the black abyss of N'kai. Little is known about Him, despite frequent mention in works about the Ancients. Outwardly, Tsathoggua resembles a huge black toad, sitting on a throne in the darkness of huge caves, surrounded by a retinue. According to other sources, he does not rule in the abyss, but is chained and waiting in the wings. It is also known that He was worshiped in Hyperborea, where He was one of the supreme deities. He also had admirers among other races: there was a cult in Atlantis, as well as among the Iota civilization, known as the children of Yig.

Cthulhu.

Perhaps the most famous of all the creatures created by Lovecraft. Cthulhu is a deity, the Beast of the Worlds, sleeping at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean, but, nevertheless, capable of influencing the human mind. Looks like Cthulhu in different parts The body is similar to an octopus, a dragon and a man: the monster has a head with tentacles, a humanoid body covered with scales, and a pair of vestigial wings. Cthulhu belongs to the family of the Ancients. He lies in his sleep like death, on top of the underwater city of R'lyeh in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. “When the stars are in the right position,” R'lyeh appears above the water, and Cthulhu is freed.

Cthulhu is able to influence the minds of human beings, but his abilities are drowned out by the thickness of water, so that only the dreams of especially sensitive people remain subject to him. In “Call of Cthulhu,” the dreams conjured by Cthulhu greatly terrify those who see them, and sometimes drive them to madness. Cthulhu is an alien creature completely alien to human nature, and the entire history of mankind is just a moment of his sleep.

Azathoth.

Azathoth is the supreme deity of the Cthulhu mythos pantheon. According to legend, Azathoth lives in the very center of the Universe, and around him the younger gods dance to the sounds of godless flutes. His epithets include “blind mad god”, “eternally chewing sultan of demons” and “nuclear chaos”. It is believed that he himself does not even understand what he himself creates. Definitely, Azathoth is the most monstrous entity in the entire universe. He does not leave his throne, but comes to many heroes in dreams or mad visions, and the very sound of his name makes them shudder with horror. As expected, the mad Arab Abdul Alhazred also wrote about him in his Necronomicon.

Yog-Sothoth.

Yog-Sothoth is the all-containing god of the pantheon of the Old Gods. Despite the fact that the most powerful of the supreme gods is Azathoth, Yog-Sothoth is, as it were, above everyone. He is called the Guardian of the Gates between worlds and is the physical embodiment of the universe itself. Yog-Sothoth is locked outside our Universe, he exists simultaneously in all times and in all space. This is an all-knowing god, almost superior to Azathoth in strength, and Yiga in wisdom. In one of his incarnations, Yog-Sothoth could even control time.

Encyclopedic YouTube

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✪ HOW DID LOVECRAFT WRITE? 20 creepy English words [PEM #37]

✪ Howard Phillips Lovecraft - Call of Cthulhu

✪ August Derleth - "The Cthulhu Mythos" - Beyond the Threshold (read by Freshman)

✪ Howard Phillips Lovecraft - Book

✪ Howard Phillips Lovecraft - "The Call of Cthulhu" [Audiobook]

Subtitles

Origin of the term

This literary movement is named after Cthulhu, a fantastic being first introduced to the public in Lovecraft's story The Call of Cthulhu in 1928. Interestingly, Cthulhu is neither one of the main nor one of the most terrible deities of the Cthulhu Mythos pantheon.

Peculiarities

In Myths, it is possible to use the gods and creatures described by Lovecraft, heroes and places, ancient books and artifacts. Although, by and large, this is not so necessary - in the infinite Universe there is enough room for other gods. Lovecraft's followers, particularly August Derleth, made attempts to categorize the fictional group of creatures. However, it is believed that there is no single mythological picture of Lovecraft's world, and the writer himself did not seek to create a pantheon. In contrast, Lovecraft's universe is full of chaos and suspense. One of the researchers of the work of the writer S. T. Joshi notes that Lovecraft’s cosmogony was never a rigid system and is a kind of aesthetic construction.

An important element of Myths is the creation of an atmosphere of supernatural horror in a person’s collision with something that is outside the world he is familiar with, with something that he cannot explain. The author does not point out anything specific, but invites the reader to independently imagine the essence of the inexplicable. The Myths constantly emphasize the irrelevance of humanity in the face of cosmic horror. People with limited abilities cannot understand the Universe, and this ultimately leads them to madness.

Despite the fact that Lovecraft worked in the 20th century (and the peak of his work was in the 1920s), his works are closer in style to the Gothic of the 18th-19th centuries. (taking into account linguistic archaisms) rather than to the current “masters of horror” such as Stephen King and Clive Barker (with their characteristic naturalism). The Cthulhu Mythos influenced modern literature and culture in general. Their contribution to the development of the “mystical horror” genre, which exploits many of the creatures created by Lovecraft, is especially significant.

Some elements of Lovecraft's mythology

Places

• Arkham is a city in Massachusetts. A frequent setting for the Cthulhu Mythos.
• Dunwich is a settlement in Massachusetts, near Arkham.
• Innsmouth (Innsmouth) is a small port community in Massachusetts.
• Yuggoth (Yuggoth, Yuggoth) is a planet of the solar system unknown to science (Lovecraft identifies it with Pluto), a colony of the Mi-go civilization.
• Kingsport is a community in Massachusetts.
• The Miskatonic is a river that flows through Arkham; Miskatonic University, which constantly appears in the Cthulhu Mythos, is named after her.
• Mu is a sunken continent.
• Rue d'Auseil is a street in an unknown city, the scene of the story “The Music of Erich Zann.”
• R"lyeh (R"laikh) - the sunken city of Cthulhu and his descendants.
• The abandoned city of Startsev in Antarctica.

Mythical creatures

• Azathoth is an ethereal spirit who commands the ancients, whom the Ancient Gods hid from the earth in chaos, behind 11 seals.
• Gatanoa (also known as Ghatanothoa) is an immortal creature left on Earth by aliens from the planet Yuggoth.
• Hydra (Mother Hydra) - together with Father Dagon, is the patron of the Deep Ones. A younger ancient creature.
• Deep Ones are intelligent humanoid amphibians. They live in the depths of the ocean, where they have cities, and extract gold and fish from the bottom, often luring women out to continue their species.
• Dagon (also Father Dagon) is an underwater deity similar to a giant amphibian. Together with Mother Hydra, he is the patron of the Deep Ones.
• Ancients - ancient and terrible deities who came to Earth from the stars and other dimensions
• Yog-Sothoth is a deity who connects different dimensions and worlds (“I am the gate. I am the key”).
• Cthulhu (also Cthulu) is the brother of the Ancients and the driver of Their slaves.
• The Mi-Go (also “mushrooms from Yuggoth”) are a race of insect-like aliens (presumably from Pluto) that have an interesting different psychology and morality. Sometimes Mi-go kidnap people and take them on space travel.
• Nyarlathotep (also Nyarlathotep) is the embodiment of chaos, the messenger of the gods.
• The Elders (Elders) are extinct alien creatures who long possessed the Earth. They were at enmity with the Descendants of Cthulhu and Mi-Go, and created Shoggoths and humans as their servants.
• Shub-Niggurath (also the Black Goat of the Forests with a Thousand Young) is a fertility deity.
• Shoggoths are a mass capable of changing shape and possessing a semblance of intelligence.
• Hastur is a deity who lives outside of space and usually comes in the form of a whirlwind. Capable of sucking out the caller, leaving only a shell. Also known as Hastur the Ineffable. Mentioned in some stories by H. Lovecraft and A. Derleth.
• Descendants of Cthulhu - mentioned in the novel “The Ridges of Madness”, as a race of space octopus-like aliens who came to Earth led by Cthulhu, during the reign of the Elders, with whom they waged fierce wars for the spaces of the Earth.

Characters

• Abdul Alhazred - Mad Arab, author of the Necronomicon.
• Randolph Carter is a traveler and dreamer, that is, a person who knows how to penetrate the world of dreams.
• Kuranes, the dreamer who created the city of Selefais in the Os-Nargai valley, after his death forever became the king of this city.
• Erich Zann is a mute musician.
• Richard Pickman is a mad artist who depicted ghouls in his paintings and later became one of them.
• Kezia Mason - Salem Witch classic look the ominous ghost of a witch, sending darkness in a dream.

Books

• Necronomicon - aka al-Azif, a forbidden book written by Abdul Alhazred.
• Unaussprechlichen Kulten - occult book by Friedrich Wilhelm von Juntzt.
• Book of Eibon - ancient book, telling about the cults of Hyperborea.
• Cultes des Goules is an occult book by Count d'Erlet, dedicated to the phenomenon of ghouls (the living dead).
• De Vermis Mysteriis is a demonological book by Ludwig Prien.