Cthylla

Cthylla, "Cthulhu's Secret Daughter"

Origin: Cthylla appears in the Xothic Legend Cycle, written by Lin Carter, and/or The Transition of Titus Crow by Brian Lumley, and described in "In his Daughter's Darkling Womb" by Tina L. Jens.

In the Mythos

Like most octopods, its from the side of its head more than two feet in any direction. Unlike most octopods, it had three sets of eye stalks, far more than necessary given the telescopic range of each eye. The examination revealed retractable claw hooks on the underside of each tentacle, five inches in length, curved, and tapered to a deadly point. There were also tiny growths at the base of its two back legs where the tentacles joined the body. They looked like wing buds.
— Tina L. Jens, "In His Daughter's Darkling Womb"

Cthylla is a Great Old One and is the youngest progeny of Cthulhu and his androgynous mate Idh-yaa. She came from the star Xoth, but now dwells on Earth in the Abyss of Yhe where she is guarded by Cthulhu's minions. Cthylla is destined to give birth to Great Cthulhu again when he is destroyed in the distant future. She is essential for Cthulhu's plans, and is thus vigilantly guarded by countless Yuggya and Deep Ones.

Cthylla was not physically described by Lumley, but was featured in Tina L. Jens's short story In His Daughter's Darkling Womb. Cthylla has the appearance of a gigantic, red-bodied, black-ringed, and six-eyed octopus with small wings. Like her father, she is able to alter her body proportions at will, such as by enlarging her wings to enable her to fly. While she normally has eight arms like any octopus, she can extrude or retract additional ones at will (she has been known to sport as many as twelve arms). Each arm is equipped with dozens of razor sharp claws, each about five inches in length.

Jens's short story narrates the capture of Cthylla by researchers who mistakenly believe her to be a rare specimen of a previously undiscovered octopus species. For the sake of preserving and studying the species, they then attempt to impregnate her through artificial self-insemination.

Heresies and Controversies

Claimed in Lin Carter's Xothic Cycle to be the "Secret Daughter" of Cthulhu, brother of Zoth-Ommog, Ythogtha, Ghatanothoa. In Tina L. Jens' "In His Daughter's Darkling Womb", Cthylla will also be Cthulhu's mother after he dies, on the day of his resurrection.

Cult

Description of Cult:

Associated Mythos Elements

• race: Deep Ones
• race: Ubb and the Yuggs
• race: Star-Spawn of Cthulhu
• location: Abyss of Yhe, near Ponape and R'lyeh
• tome: The Ponape Scripture
• planets: Xoth, home planet, which is clustered with Abbith, Ymar, and Zaoth
• deities: Claimed in Lin Carter's Xothic Cycle to be the daughter of Cthulhu and Idh-yaa, sister of Zoth-Ommog, Ythogtha, Ghatanothoa

References

• fiction: Lin Carter, Xothic Legend Cycle
• fiction: Brian Lumley, The Transition of Titus Crow
• fiction: Tina L. Jens, "In His Daughter's Darkling Womb"