View source for Cthulhu Mythos

{{Cleanup|reason=Too long see Discussion page for other remarks.|date=Jan 17, 2006}}
 
[[Image:cthulhu.jpg|thumb|Cthulhu in R'lyeh]]

'''Cthulhu mythos''' is the term coined by the writer [[August Derleth]] to describe the shared themes, characters, and elements in the works of [[H.P. Lovecraft]], his protegés, and writers influenced by him. Together, they form the mythos that authors, writing in the Lovecraftian [[wikt:milieu|milieu]], have used&mdash;and continue to use&mdash;to craft their stories ['''''1'''''].
Although this mythology is sometimes called the ''Lovecraft Mythos''&mdash;most notably by the Lovecraft scholar [[S.T. Joshi]] ['''''2''''']&mdash;it has long since moved beyond Lovecraft's original conception. Still, purists who wish to discuss Lovecraft's work, rather than the modifications and expansions of it written by others, consider this to be the most accurate term. Lovecraft himself occasionally referred to it as the ''[[Arkham]] cycle'' ['''''3'''''], after the main fictional town in his world, or ''[[Yog-Sothoth]]ery'' ['''''4'''''], after one of its primary gods.

==Lovecraft and the mythos==

In his essay "The Lovecraft Mythos", S. T. Joshi defines four key elements in Lovecraft's mythos: (1) the fundamental principle of ''cosmicism'', (2) an imaginary New England setting, (3) recurring "pseudomythological" entities, and (4) works of arcane literature. Joshi points out, however, that Lovecraft never fully realized his mythos at any time in his career, but instead developed it gradually, adding elements to it with each story he wrote ['''''5'''''].

===Cosmicism===

Common themes in Lovecraft's fiction are the insignificance of humanity in the universe ['''''6'''''] and the search for knowledge ending in disaster ['''''7''''']. Humans are often subject to powerful beings and other cosmic forces, but these forces are not so much malevolent as they are indifferent toward humanity ['''''8''''']. Lovecraft called this viewpoint ''Cosmicism'', a doctrine which holds that humankind's religious beliefs are a mere conceit and that ultimately humanity is alone and defenseless in an uncaring universe ['''''9'''''].

===Imaginary New England setting===

Many of Lovecraft's tales take place in a fictional New England setting which may be connected to what Lovecraft called his "Arkham cycle". These ficticious locales may also parallel real-life places in Massachusetts (see table below) ['''''10'''''].

{|class="wikitable"
|+'''Lovecraft's parallels to real places'''
!Fictional town or city
!Actual location in Massachusetts
|-
|[[Arkham]]||Salem
|-
|[[Dunwich]]||Vicinity of Hampden, Wilbraham, and Monson
|-
|[[Innsmouth]]||Newburyport
|-
|[[Kingsport]]||Marblehead
|}
----

===Lovecraft's pantheon===

[[Image:CthulhumythosShrefflerchart.gif|frame|right|Lovecraft's original pantheon]]
When Lovecraft conceived his imaginary mythology, he apparently never laid out a definitive plan to follow. Instead, he simply launched into writing his stories, adding matter-of-fact references to the various deities and monsters of the mythos. Furthermore, Lovecraft often used these references capriciously, indicating that he probably favored drama over consistency (a noteworthy example is Lovecraft's use of ''[[Old One]]s'', a term whose meaning varied from story to story). Nonetheless, Phillip A. Schreffler, in his book ''The H. P. Lovecraft Companion'', argues that by carefully scrutinizing Lovecraft's writings a workable framework emerges for a pantheon of beings (see figure at right) ['''''11''''']. Not included in this chart is [[Nodens (Cthulhu mythos)|Nodens]] ['''''12'''''], a member of a rival group of potent deities known as the "Elder Gods" (never expanded by Lovecraft) that were more or less benign ['''''13'''''].

Lovecraft's central deities are [[Azathoth]] and [[Yog-Sothoth]], both  representing opposing cosmic principles. Azathoth, the "blind and idiotic" ruler of the pantheon, occupies the literal center of the universe, whereas Yog-Sothoth, Azathoth's co-ruler, embodies the infinite, existing in all places and in all times. Next in the hierarchy is [[Shub-Niggurath]] (whom Lovecraft mentions but never describes in his stories), representing a kind of pagan fertility god. Attending Azathoth at his court are the Other Gods, mysterious beings that dance mindlessly around Azathoth's throne in cadence to the piping of a demonic flute, and [[Nyarlathotep]], the avatar and messenger of Azathoth and the Other Gods. Nyarlathotep is the only being that can interact intelligently with human beings, though he often manifests himself in human form to disguise his true appearance.

The topmost tier of deities is served by earthbound, non-human beings. [[Cthulhu]] is regarded as the priest of the gods, while [[Dagon and Hydra]] appear to be his subordinates. The lowest tier consists of the [[Elder Thing]]s and the [[Mi-go]], both extraterrestrial races, and the [[Deep One (Cthulhu mythos)|Deep Ones]], ocean-dwelling humanoids, which serve Cthulhu, Dagon, and Hydra ['''''14'''''].

Because of the additions of later authors, the mythos pantheon has grown considerably and is now populated by deities and beings never conceived of by Lovecraft. Nevertheless, the original schema, which places Azathoth and Yog-Sothoth at the top of the pantheon, is still widely recognized by many mythos writers.

====Gods and devils====

According to [[Robert M. Price]] in his essay "Lovecraft's 'Artificial Mythology'", Lovecraft never intended his pantheon of beings&mdash;occasionally referred to as the ''Old Ones''&mdash;to be supernatural creatures but instead powerful extraterrestrials. For naive humans to worship these beings as ''gods'' or to deride them as ''devils'' was to feebly attempt to [[wikt:anthropomorphize|anthropomorphize]] them and thus render them into  mundane and explainable terms. What early humans could not understand they characterized as divine; thus, prescientific cultures deified incomprehensible entities like [[Azathoth]]. Though humans might try to placate or earn the favor of these beings by worshiping them, the Old Ones were not welcoming of such veneration and moreover were quick to exploit the  gullibility of their worshipers to further their own agenda.

Lovecraft's inspiration was to tear humanity from its supposedly vaunted place in the universe by forcing his characters to confront alien beings far older and wiser than humankind. Unfortunately, August Derleth, as well as other writers who followed after him, misinterpreted Lovecraft's original conception and took the Old Ones to be literally supernatural and godlike. Derleth further distorted Lovecraft's vision by concocting a parallel to the Christian narrative of Satan warring against Heaven, pairing the ''devils'' of Lovecraft's mythos (the Old Ones) against a race of benevolent ''[[Elder God]]s'' with humanity's fate hanging in the balance. In Price's view, "religious fiction" of this sort could not be further from Lovecraft's fundamental notion of an indifferent, nihilistic universe ['''''15'''''].
<!--
====The revision mythos===
...to be expanded...
-->
----

===Cthulhuian pseudobiblia===

A hallmark of Lovecraft's mythos is the various mystical books and other writings of arcane lore which Edward Lauterbach calls "Cthulhuian pseudobiblia" ['''''16''''']. These tomes were invented by Lovecraft and his imitators to lend more believability to their stories. A good measure of humor was also employed in their creation; for example, ''Cultes des Goules'' is credited to the fictional writer [[Comte d'Erlette]], an obvious pun of August Derleth's name ['''''17'''''].

{|class="wikitable"
|+'''Selected fictional works'''<br>'''created by mythos authors'''
!Author
!Fictional book
|-
|[[Robert Bloch]]||[[Cultes des Goules]],<br>[[De Vermis Mysteriis]]
|-
|[[Ramsey Campbell]]||[[Revelations of Glaaki]]
|-
|[[Lin Carter]]||[[Ponape Scripture]],<br>[[Zanthu Tablets]]
|-
|[[August Derleth]]||[[Celaeno Fragments]],<br>[[R'lyeh Text]]
|-
|[[Robert E. Howard]]||[[Unaussprechlichen Kulten]]
|-
|[[H.P. Lovecraft]]||[[Dhol Chants]],<br>[[Necronomicon]],<br>[[Pnakotic Manuscripts]],<br>[[Seven Cryptical Books of Hsan]]
|-
|[[Brian Lumley]]||[[Cthäat Aquadingen]],<br>[[G'harne Fragments]]
|-
|[[Clark Ashton Smith]]||[[Book of Eibon]]
|}

==Structure of the mythos==
The mythos is centered on the [[Great Old Ones (Deities)|Great Old Ones]], a fearsome assortment of ancient, powerful deities that once ruled the Earth. They are presently [[wikt:quiescent|quiescent]], having fallen into a death-like sleep at some time in the distant past ['''''18''''']. The most well-known of these beings is [[Cthulhu]], who currently lies "dead [but] dreaming" in the submerged city of [[R'lyeh]] somewhere in the Southeast Pacific Ocean. One day, "when the stars are right", R'lyeh will rise from beneath the sea, and Cthulhu will awaken and wreak havoc on the earth ['''''19'''''].
Despite his notoriety, Cthulhu is not the most powerful of the deities nor is he the theological center of the mythos ['''''20''''']. Instead, this position is held by the demon-god [[Azathoth]], an [[Outer God]], ruling from his cosmically-centered court. Nonetheless, [[Nyarlathotep]], who fulfills Azathoth's random urges, has intervened more frequently and more directly in human affairs than any other Outer God. He has also displayed more blatant contempt for humanity, including his own worshipers, than almost any other Lovecraftian deity.

A number of different authors have applied different methods of structuring the entities of the Mythos. In part, this is an excellent manifestation of the ideas originated by Lovecraft, where contradictions were deliberately introduced to make the Mythos feel more naturalistic. However, some individuals like to choose one particular structuring form for their own use, whether private, for gaming, for fiction, or for whatever other use. To this end, a number of articles describing some of these structuring forms will be linked from here.


<center><b>Mythos Structures</b></center>
{| class="wikitable" style="margin: 1em auto 1em auto"
|-
| bgcolor=silver|[[Chaosium Mythos]] ||bgcolor=silver| [[Derleth Mythos]] || bgcolor=silver|[[Lumley Mythos]] || bgcolor=silver|[[Tierney Gnostic Mythos]] || bgcolor=silver|[[Tynes Mythos]]
|}

==Derleth's involvement==

Derleth had his own take on the mythos and tried to make it conform to his own Catholic values and dualism. Instead of a universe of meaninglessness and chaos, Derleth's mythos is a struggle of ''good versus evil'' ['''''21''''']. Derleth once wrote:

<blockquote>
<!--
NOTE: The following is quoted VERBATIM from the Arkham House edition -- please do not copyedit (except for adding/changing links).
-->
As Lovecraft conceived the deities or forces of his mythos, there were, initially, the Elder Gods... [T]hese 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...
<br>&mdash;August Derleth, "The Cthulhu Mythos"
</blockquote>

Lovecraft was an atheist ['''''22'''''] and claimed that Immanuel Kant's ethical system "is a joke."  ['''''23'''''] Because of this, Derleth's theories about the ''Cthulhu mythos'' are inconsistent with Lovecraft's design. The mythos was never intended to be a cohesive, singular entity; instead, it should be regarded as simply a collection of ideas that can be used in separate works to provoke the same emotions ['''''24'''''].
Another problem with Derleth's mythos is that the Elder Gods never appear in Lovecraft's writings; except for one or two who appear as "Other Gods", such as [[Nodens]] in Lovecraft's "[[The Strange High House in the Mist]]" (though perhaps this is an example of how "very rarely [they stir] forth"; i.e., usually never).  Furthermore, the Great Old Ones, or ''Ancient Ones'', have no unified pantheon ['''''25''''']. Indeed, the term "Ancient Ones" appears in only one Lovecraft story, "[[Through the Gates of the Silver Key]]" (moreover, the story is actually a collaboration between Lovecraft and his friend and correspondent [[E. Hoffman Price]]).

Derleth also introduced the concept of ''elementals'', tying the deities of the mythos to the four elements of "air", "earth", "fire", and "water". This system left gaps which Derleth filled in by creating the beings [[Cthugha]] and [[Ithaqua]], representing the spheres of "fire" and "air", respectively. However, the system is fraught with problems. For example, Derleth classified Cthulhu as a ''water elemental'', but if this were so, how could he be trapped beneath the ocean and how could his psychic emanations be blocked by water? Another problem is that Derleth matched the  "earth" beings against the "fire" beings and the "air" beings against the "water" beings, which is not consistent with the traditional elemental dichotomy (namely, that ''air'' opposes ''earth'' and ''fire'' opposes ''water'') ['''''26'''''].

{|class="wikitable"
|+'''Derleth's elemental deities'''{{Ref|Price-72}}
!Air
!Earth
!Fire
!Water
|-
|[[Hastur]]<br>[[Ithaqua]]<br>[[Zhar and Lloigor]]
|[[Nyarlathotep]]<br>[[Shub-Niggurath]]<br>[[Tsathoggua]]<br>[[Yog-Sothoth]]
|[[Cthugha]]
|[[Cthulhu]]
|}

To his credit, Derleth became a publisher of Lovecraft's stories after his death ['''''27''''']. Lovecraft himself was very critical of his own writings and was often easily discouraged, especially when faced with any rejection of his work ['''''28''''']. Were it not for Derleth, Lovecraft's writings and the Cthulhu mythos might have remained largely unknown.

== Elements of the mythos ==

====Overview====

Tables appearing under these entries are organized as follows:

* ''Name''. This is the commonly accepted name of the being or mythos element.
* ''Epithet(s), Other name(s)''. This field lists any epithets or alternate names. These are names sometimes mentioned in books of arcane literature, but may also be the names preferred by cults.
* ''Description''. This entry gives a brief description of the being or mythos element.
* ''References''. This field lists the stories in which the being or mythos element makes a ''significant'' appearance or otherwise receives important mention. A simple two-letter code is used (the key to the codes is found '''[[Cthulhu mythos reference codes and bibliography|here]]'''). If a code appears in '''bold''', this means that the story introduces the being or mythos element.

===Beings===
<!-- NOTE that HEADINGS are NOT alphabetized but instead are organized in order of IMPORTANCE -->
----
====Great Old Ones====
{{main|Great Old Ones (Deities)}} (includes a table listing all the Great Old Ones in the mythos)

The Great Old Ones are powerful and ancient creatures worshiped by deranged human cults.  Many of the Great Old Ones are made of an unearthly substance having properties unlike normal matter.  A Great Old One's influence is often limited to the planet on which it dwells. If a Great Old One is based on a planet outside the solar system, it can only extend its influence to earth when the star of its planetary system is in the night sky. In such cases, the help of cultists performing various rituals may be required.
----

====Outer Gods====
{{main|Outer God}} (includes a table listing all the Outer Gods in the mythos)

The Outer Gods have unlimited influence, unlike the Great Old Ones, and function on a cosmic scale ['''''29''''']. They include a subgroup known as the Lesser Outer Gods, or Other Gods.
----
==== Elder Gods ====
{{main|Elder God (Cthulhu mythos)}} (includes a table listing all the Elder Gods in the mythos)

The Elder Gods are beings who oppose the Outer Gods and the Great Old Ones. Many consider them to be non-Lovecraftian, because they introduce a "good versus evil" dichotomy into the cosmic indifference of Lovecraft's fiction ['''''30''''']. However, others argue that these beings have no more concern for human notions of morality than the beings they oppose, and that humanity and the human world are beneath their regard ['''''31'''''].
----

====Great Ones====
{{main|Dreamlands#The Great Ones}} 

The Great Ones are the so-called "gods" of the [[Dreamlands]], but they are not as powerful as the Great Old Ones and are not even as intelligent as most humans. However, they are protected by the Outer Gods, especially Nyarlathotep ['''''32'''''].
----

====Other supernatural beings====
<!-- NOTE:
Some of these may be Great Old Ones, Outer Gods, Elder Gods, or Great Ones; if so, please move them to the appropriate category.
 -->

{|class="wikitable"
|+ '''Supernatural beings'''
|-
!Name
!Epithet(s),<br>Other name(s)
!Description
![[Cthulhu mythos reference codes and bibliography|References]]
|-
| [[Alala]] || ? || Being made of living sound that dwells in the [[S'glhuo|Gulf of S'glhuo]]. || PL, '''WP'''
|-
| [[Ammutseba]] || ''Devourer of Stars'' || ? || ?
|-
| [[Beast in the Pit]] || ? || ? || ?
|-
| [[Beast of Averoigne]] || ? || ? || '''BA'''
|-
| [[Droom-Avista]] || ? || ? || '''JD'''
|-
| [[Son of Yog-Sothoth|The Dunwich Horror]] || ''[[Son of Yog-Sothoth]]'' || An invisible monstrosity with some human features.  || '''[[The Dunwich Horror (fiction)|DH]]'''
|-
| The [[Eater of Souls]] || ? || ? || EA
|-
| [[Fthaggua]] || ''Lord of Ktynga'' || Appears as a bluish ball of energy. || '''FV''', [[The Horror in the Gallery (fiction)|HG]]
|-
| [[Gnoph-Keh]] || &mdash; || Appears as huge [[gnophkeh]]; possibly an avatar of [[Rhan-Tegoth]]. || '''HM'''
|-
| [[God of the Red Flux]] || ? || Monstrous, red flowing creature. || '''TR'''
|-
| [[The Green God]] || ? || Appears as a [[moai]] covered with foliage. || '''HR'''
|-
| The [[High Priest Not To Be Described]] || &mdash; || Humanoid wearing a silken mask. || '''[[Celephaïs|CE]]''', [[The Dream Quest of Unknown Kadath (fiction)|DQ]]
|-
| The [[Hoppwood Tenant]] || ? || ? || ?
|-
| [[Kali (supernatural being)|Kali]] || ? || ? || ?
|-
| [[Knygathin Zhaum]] || &mdash; || Appears as a quasi-humanoid Voormi. || FT, '''TM'''
|-
| [[K'thun]] (female) <br>and <br>[[Noth-Yidik]] (male) || ? || Abhorrent, [[wikt:malodorous|malodorous]] beings whose mating spawned the Hounds of Tindalos. || '''HM''', MT
|-
| [[Mappo no Ryujin]] || ''Coatlicue'', <br> ''Mother of All Serpents'' || A gigantic, [[wikt:serpentine|serpentine]] monstrosity covered in small white snakes || ?
|-
| [[M'Bwa]] || ? || ? || '''TR'''
|-
| [[Million Favored Ones]] || &mdash; || Beings said to be [[Nyarlathotep]]'s spawn. || MF, '''WD'''
|-
| [[Mlandoth_and_Mril_Thorion|Mlandoth and Mril Thorion]] || ''The Source'', <br>''The One'' || Unknown. || '''WY'''
|-
| [[Our Ladies of Sorrow]] || ? || ? || ?
|-
| [[Pharol the Black]] || &mdash; || Appears as a black, fanged [[demon]] with tentacles instead of arms. || '''HY''', AG
|-
| The [[Prisoner of Vornai]] || ? || ? || ?
|-
| [[Saboth the Elder]] || ''The Grinning Ghoul'' || ? || ?
|-
| [[Shaurash-Ho]] || ? || ? || ?
|-
| [[Sss'haa]] || Sssaaa || Leader of the serpent people of Valusia. || [[The Horror in the Gallery|HG]], '''TH''', VY
|-
| [[Sthood]] || ? || ? || ?
|-
| The [[Thing Hanging in the Void]] || ? || ? || ?
|-
| [[Ubb (Cthulhu mythos)|Ubb]] || ''Father of Worms'' || Leader of the Yuggs. || '''OA''', PI, UV, [[The Thing in the Pit|TP]]
|-
| [[Cyäegha|The five Vaeyen]] || &mdash; || Quintet of [[vulture]]-like statues that both guard and sequester the Great Old One [[Cyäegha]] || '''DM'''
|-
| The [[Vale Which is the Night]] || ? || ? || ?
|-
| [[Vibur]] || ? || A green, [[wikt:tendril|tendril]] covered orb. || ?
|-
| [[The Dunwich Horror (fiction)#Wilbur Whateley|Wilbur Whateley]] || &mdash; || Mostly-human twin of the aforementioned Dunwich Horror. || '''[[The Dunwich Horror (fiction)|DH]]'''
|-
| [[Wuthoqquan's Bane]] || ? || A large, shapeless beast lurking in the sewers of [[Commoriom]]. || '''WQ'''
|-
| [[Xathagorra]] || ? || Vile, multiform creature with a vast wingspan. || '''CH'''
|-
| [[Xexanoth]] || ''Bane of Aforgomon'' || ? || '''CM'''
|-
| [[Xiurhn]] || ''Guardian of the Dark Jewel'' || A slothlike, winged thing with a terrible face. || '''XI'''
|-
| [[Yegg-Ha]] || ''Lord of Nightgaunts'' || A huge, faceless humanoid with tiny wings. || '''IE''', TC, WI
|-
| [[Y'hkmaat]] || ''Queen of One Thousand Eyes'' || ? || ?
|-
| [[Zyhumé]] || ? || A gigantic, spectral elk. || ?
|-
|}

====Non-human species of the mythos====

=====Table-a (A–F)=====
{|class="wikitable"
|+ '''Non-human species A–F'''
|-
!Name
!Description
![[Cthulhu mythos reference codes and bibliography|References]]
|-
| [[Adumbrali]] || [[wikt:extradimensional|Extradimensional]] beings that appear as orbs of darkness. || '''AB'''
|-
| [[Aihais]] || Humanoids from [[Mars (planet)|Mars]]. || '''VU'''
|-
| [[Antehumans]] || Slender, tall, gaunt proto-humans of great intelligence. || SG
|-
| [[Being of Xiclotl|Beings of Xiclotl]] || Horrifying, oddly plant-like, carnivorous giants, native to the planet Xiclotl, and the slaves of the Insects from Shaggai (the Shan). || '''IS'''
|-
| [[Dhole (Cthulhu mythos)|Bhole]]s || Gigantic, worm-like creatures that inhabit the earth's Dreamlands. || DL, '''[[The Dream Quest of Unknown Kadath (fiction)|DQ]]'''
|-
| [[Blupe]]s || Translucent, bluish, oval-shaped creatures that can float through the air. || DL
|-
| [[Brothers of Chaugnar Faugn]] || Beings that resemble smaller versions of [[Chaugnar Faugn]]. || '''HF'''
|-
| [[Byakhee]] || Resemble bat-like, hornet-like human corpses. || '''FE''', GS, HC, WS
|-
| [[Cat from Saturn|Cats from Saturn]] || Cat-like beings from the Dreamlands with abstract, multi-hued bodies. || DL, '''[[The Dream Quest of Unknown Kadath (fiction)|DQ]]'''
|-
| [[Cat from Uranus|Cats from Uranus]] || Like those from Saturn, but far more terrible. || DL
|-
| [[Chatoka]] or [[Chakota]] || ? || ?
|-
| [[Children of the Sphinx]] || Sub-cult of the [[Brotherhood of the Black Pharaoh]]. || ''n/a''{{Ref|DiTillio-a}}
|-
| [[Chthonian]]s <br>(''The Burrowers Beneath'') || Gigantic, squid-like worms. || BU, '''CS'''
|-
| [[Colour Out Of Space]] || Appears as a shapeless, plastic entity glowing with the colors of an unknown [[Optical spectrum|spectrum]]. || '''CO''', CT
|-
| [[Crawling One]]s <br>(''The Worms that Walk'') || Appear as human-sized worms. || '''FE'''
|-
| [[Dark Young of Shub-Niggurath]] || Appear as ropy, black tentacles on a pair of stumpy, hooved legs. || MK, '''NF'''
|-
| [[Deep One (Cthulhu mythos)|Deep One]]s || Ocean-dwelling humanoids that appear to be half-frog and half-fish. || BU, DO, GS, HC, [[The Horror in the Gallery|HG]], RD, SA, '''[[The Shadow Over Innsmouth (fiction)|SI]]'''
|-
| [[Dhole (Cthulhu mythos)|Dhole]]s || Gigantic, worm-like creatures. || DR, TG, '''WP'''
|-
| [[Dimensional Shambler]]s || [[Dimension]]-hopping humanoids with rough, leathery bodies and huge claws. || '''HM'''
|-
| [[Doel]]s || Tiny, extradimensional, flesh-eating creatures. || '''HN'''
|-
| [[Elder Things]]<br>(''Old Ones'') || Appear as five-sided, oval-shaped barrels with starfish-like appendages at each end. || '''[[At the Mountains of Madness (fiction)|AM]]''', IV, PW
|-
| rowspan=2 | [[Fire vampires]]
| 1. (Flame Creatures of Cthugha) Appear as tiny points of light that ingite everything they touch. || '''DD'''
|-
| 2. (Fire Vampires of Fthaggua) Appear as bursts of crimson lightning that set fire to sentient beings. || '''FV''', [[The Horror in the Gallery (fiction)|HG]]
|-
| [[Fishers from Outside]] || Enigmatic, prehistoric, flying race associated with [[Gol-Goroth]] and the Shantaks. || '''FO'''
|-
| [[Flying polyp]]s || Appear as floating, semi-visible, polypous horrors capable of controlling great winds. || PW, '''ST''', SY, WF
|-
| [[Formless Spawn]] of [[Tsathoggua]] and Knygathin Zhaum || Appear as gelatinous, shape-shifting, black goo. || MO, '''TS'''
|}

=====Table-b (G–M)=====
{|class="wikitable"
|+ '''Non-human species G–M'''
|-
!Name
!Description
![[Cthulhu mythos reference codes and bibliography|References]]
|-
| [[Ghasts]] || Fearsome, underground-dwelling humanoids with kangaroo-like legs that inhabit the earth's Dreamlands. || '''[[The Dream Quest of Unknown Kadath (fiction)|DQ]]'''
|-
| [[Ghoul]]s || Corpse-eating, [[wikt:canine|canine]]-like humanoids. || DQ, IC, '''PM'''
|-
| rowspan=2 | [[Gnophkeh]]
| 1. Six-legged, furry, [[rhinocerous]]-like creatures with an affinity for cold climes. || '''HM''', LT, SM
|-
| 2. Hairy cannibals that once dwelt in Lomar. || '''PO''', DQ
|-
| [[Gnor|Gnorri]] || Resemble [[Merman|mermen]] with possibly one or two additional arms. || '''SK'''
|-
| [[Shub-Niggurath|Gof'nn hupadgh Shub-Niggurath]] || [[wikt:transmogrified|Transmogrified]], once-human cultists of Shub-Niggurath. || '''ML'''
|-
| [[Great Race of Yith]] || Resemble tall, rugose cones with four appendages: two claws, a trumpet-like limb, and a yellow, globe-like organ. || CF, PW, SO, '''ST''', SY
|-
| [[Gugs]] || Horrifying, furry giants of the Dreamlands with a mouth that opens sideways. || '''DQ'''
|-
| [[Gyaa-yothn]] || Quasi-human,  rhinocerous-like [[wikt:quadruped|quadrupeds]] used as [[wikt:beast of burden|beasts of burden]] by the denizens of K'n-yan. || '''MO'''
|-
| [[Haemophores]] || Small, vampiric creatures with webbed hands and feet. || DL
|-
| [[Hounds of Tindalos]] || Extradimensional horrors that can enter our universe through any three-dimensional corner. || EL, '''HN''', MT, TC
|-
| [[Hunters from Beyond]] || ? || ?
|-
| [[Hunting Horrors]] || Resemble huge, immaterial serpents with bat wings. || '''DQ''', LT
|-
| [[Hyperboreans]] || A race of early pre-humans. || DS, SG, '''TS''', UB
|-
| [[K'n-yan|K'n-yan, Natives of]] || Technologically and psychically advanced  humanoids who dwell underground. || OE, '''MO'''
|-
| [[Kyresh]] || Vicious, wolven creatures of the Dreamlands. || '''YG'''
|-
| [[Larvae of the Other Gods|Larvae of the Outer Gods]] || [[Proteus|Protean]] beings spawned by the Outer Gods. || DQ
|-
| [[Lamp-Eft]]s || Resemble small, flying [[iguana]]s. || DL
|-
| [[Leeches of Yoh-Vombis]] || Parasitic Martian creatures. || ?
|-
| [[Cthulhu mythos celestial bodies#L'gy'hx|L'gy'hx, Natives of]] || Cube-shaped, multi-legged, metallic beings that inhabit the planet L'gy'hx (Uranus). || '''IS'''
|-
| [[Lloigor]] || Beings that may alternately appear as vortices of energy or dragon-like dinosaurs (Ghatanothoa may be a particularly powerful one). || IU, '''RL'''
|-
| [[Man of Leng|Men of Leng]] || [[Satyr]]-like beings that inhabit the Plateau of Leng. || DQ
|-
| [[Mi-go]]<br>(''Fungi from Yuggoth'',<br>''Outer Ones'') || Resemble human-sized, winged [[crustacean]]s with globular heads covered with [[cilia]]. || DT, OW, '''WD'''
|-
| [[Miri Nigri]] || Amphibious humanoids created by Chaugnar Faugn. || '''HF'''
|-
| [[Moon-beasts]] || Plump, toad-like humanoids. || '''DQ''', MD
|}

=====Table-c (N–Z)=====
{|class="wikitable"
|+ '''Non-human species N–Z'''
|-
!Name
!Description
![[Cthulhu mythos reference codes and bibliography|References]]
|-
| [[Nagäae]] || Toadish servants of Cyäegha. || '''DM'''
|-
| [[The Nameless City|Nameless City, Denizens of]] || Alligator-like, seal-like humanoids. || '''NC'''
|-
| [[Great Race of Yith|New Great Race of Yith]] (''Coleopterous Race'') || Resemble human-sized beetles. || '''ST'''
|-
| [[Nightgaunt]]s || Faceless, bat-like humanoids. || '''DQ''', HE, OK, WI
|-
| rowspan=2 | [[Nioth-Korghai]]
| 1. Extraterrestrial, carnivorous monster held in captivity by king Ossaru in Zothique. || '''TB'''
|-
| 2. Extraterrestrial, aquatic creatures that feed on the life-force of human beings. || '''PS'''
|-
| [[Ny’ghan Grii]] || Extradimensional spheres covered in tentacles, with a large central eye. || '''IN'''
|-
| [[Rat-Thing]]s || Tiny, rat-like creatures with human-like faces. || '''DW'''
|-
| [[Sand-dweller]]s || Appear as sand-encrusted, skeleton-like humanoids with large claws. || '''GW'''
|-
| [[Serpent people]] || Serpent-like humanoids. || [[The Horror in the Gallery (fiction)|HG]], '''HK''', IU, OW, SG, 
|-
| [[Servant of Glaaki|Servants of Glaaki]] || Undead [[zombie]]s that serve the being Glaaki. || '''IL'''
|-
| [[Servitors of the Outer Gods]] || Beings of varied form that dance mindlessly about Azathoth's throne at the center of the universe. || '''AZ'''
|-
| [[S'glhuo|S'glhuo, Denizens of]] || Tall, bluish humanoids with blank eyes and boneless fingers; actually entities made of living sound. || '''PL'''
|-
| The [[Shan]]<br>(''[[Insects from Shaggai (fiction)]]'') || Resemble large insects. || '''IS''', QU
|-
| [[Shantaks]] || Elephantine, reptilian birds of the Dreamlands. || '''DQ''', FO, RY
|-
| [[Shoggoth]] || Resemble gigantic amoebae with numerous floating eyes. || '''[[At the Mountains of Madness (fiction)|AM]]''', GC, NE, PG, [[The Shadow Over Innsmouth|SI]], TC
|-
| The [[Space-Eaters]] || Appear as shimmering columns of twisting shafts of light that eat brains. || '''PE'''
|-
| [[Spawn of Ubbo-Sathla]] || Large, formless, black [[wikt:protean|protean]] beings. || '''UB'''
|-
| [[Spiders of Leng]] || Giant purple spiders that inhabit the Plateau of Leng. || DL
|-
| [[Star-spawn of Cthulhu]]<br>(''Cthulhi'') || Resemble smaller versions of Cthulhu himself. || '''AM''', PW, TC
|-
| [[Star vampire]]<br>(''Shambler from the Stars'') || Invisible, levitating, vampiric horror with a myriad of suckers and two huge claws. || '''SF'''
|-
| [[Tcho-Tcho]] || Mutated humanoids descended from the Miri-Nigri. || BK, EH, '''LS''', MH
|-
| [[Terror from Beyond|Terrors from Beyond]] || ? || ?
|-
| [[Thuum'ha]] <br>(''Beings of Ib'') || Green, toad-like humanoids with gelatinous bodies and emerald eyes || BM, '''DC''', NL
|-
| [[Tree Men of M'Bwa]] || ? || '''TR'''
|-
| [[Voonith]] || Huge lizards of the Dreamlands. || DL
|-
| [[Voor]] || Degenerate wormlike creatures; survivors of a now-fallen civilisation in Hyperborea. || ?
|-
| [[Voormis]] || Yeti-like bipeds that inhabit Mount Voormithadreth in Hyperborea. || AF, SG, SM, '''TM'''
|-
| [[Xo Tl'mi-go]] || Pale, eyeless, leech-mouthed, and sterile [[hominid]]s. || '''CK'''
|-
| [[Cthulhu mythos celestial bodies#Yaddith|Yaddith, Natives of]] || Humanoid inhabitants of the planet Yaddith that resemble a cross between mammals and reptiles. || DR, [[The Horror in the Gallery|HG]], '''TG''', VI
|-
| [[Yekubians]] || Technologically-advanced, centipede-like beings that inhabit the planet [[Cthulhu mythos celestial bodies#Yekub|Yekub]]. || '''CF'''
|-
| rowspan=2 | [[Yuggya]]
| 1. (Yuggs or Yuggya) Beings that resemble white, [[planarian]]-like flatworms. || '''OA''', WI
|-
| 2. (Yuggya) The offspring of a mating between a Yugg and a Deep One hybrid. || PI, WF 
|-
| [[Zoogs]] || Creatures of the Dreamlands that resemble small, [[elf]]in rodents. || '''DQ''', HE
|}

===Cults in the mythos===

''See'' [[Cthulhu Mythos Cults]]

===Arcane literature and other media===

{|border=0 width=100% 
|+'''Arcane media'''
|valign=top width=48%|
{|class="wikitable"
|-
!Name
![[Cthulhu mythos reference codes and bibliography|Ref.]]&#42;
|-
|[[Book of Azathoth]]
!DW
|-
|[[Book of Dzyan]]<br>(the Stanzas of Dzyan)
!S4
|-
|[[Book of Eibon]]<br>(Liber Ivonis, Livre d'Eibon)
!UB
|-
|[[The Book of Iod]]
!BH
|-
|[[Celaeno Fragments]]
!HC
|-
|[[Cthäat Aquadingen]]<br>(possibly Things of the Water)
!YE
|-
|[[Cultes des Goules]]<br>(Cults of the Ghouls)
!SU
|-
|[[De Vermis Mysteriis]]<br>(Mysteries of the Worm)
!SF
|-
|[[Dwellers in the Depths (tome)|Dwellers in the Depths]]
!AQ
|-
|[[The Eltdown Shards]]
!EC
|-
|[[The Ford Translation]] of the [[Voynich Manuscript]]
!RL (?)
|-
|[[G'harne Fragments]]
!CS
|-
|[[The King in Yellow (tome)|The King in Yellow]]
!YS
|}
|valign=top width=48%|
{|class="wikitable"
|-
!Name
!Ref.
|-
|[[Massa di Requiem per Shuggay]]<br>("Requiem for Shaggai")
!''n/a''{{Ref|Aniolowski-MM}}
|-
|The [[Necronomicon]]<br>("An Image [or Picture ''sic''] of the Law of the Dead")
!HO
|-
|[[Kitab Al-Azif]]<br>(equivalent to the Necronomicon)
!LA
|-
|[[The Pnakotic Manuscripts]]<br>(Pnakotic Fragments)
!PO
|-
|[[Ponape Scripture]]
!OA
|-
|[[Revelations of Glaaki]]
!IL
|-
|[[R'lyeh Text]]
!RH
|-
|[[Saracenic Rituals]]<br>(infamous chapter from ''De Vermis Mysteriis'')
!SF
|-
|[[The Testament of Carnamagos]]
!XE
|-
|[[Unaussprechlichen Kulten]]<br>(interpreted as "Unspeakable Cults",<br>also: Black Book, Nameless Cults)
!CN
|-
|[[Zanthu Tablets]]
!DT
|}
|}
&#42; Reference to first appearance.

===Fictional locations===

{|border=0 width=100%
|+'''Locations'''
|valign=top width=48%|
{|class="wikitable"
!Name
!What or where
![[Cthulhu mythos reference codes and bibliography|Ref.*]]
|-
|[[Arkham]]
|A city in [[Massachusetts]].
!PH
|-
|[[Brichester]]
|A town in [[England]].
!UH
|-
|[[Carcosa]]
|On the shores of [[Lake Hali]], on a [[planet]] in the [[Hyades (star cluster)|Hyades]].
!IH
|-
|[[Celephaïs]]
|A city in the Dreamlands.
!CE
|-
|[[Commoriom]]
|The capital of Hyperborea.
!TS
|-
|The [[Court of Azathoth]]
|At the center of the universe.
!AZ
|-
|[[Cykranosh]]
|The planet [[Saturn (planet)|Saturn]].
!DS
|-
|The [[Dreamlands]]
|In another [[dimension]].
!CE
|-
|The mountain [[Cyäegha|Dunkelhügel]]
|Near [[Cyäegha|Freihausgarten]], [[Germany]].
!DM
|-
|[[Dunwich (H. P. Lovecraft)|Dunwich]]
|A village in Massachusetts.
!DH
|-
|[[Elysia]]
|The homeland of the Elder Gods.
!TC
|-
|[[G'harne]]
|A primeval city in Africa.
!CS
|-
|[[Cthulhu mythos celestial bodies#Glyu-Uho|Glyu-Uho]]
|The star [[Betelgeuse]].
!S4
|-
|[[Hyperborea (Cthulhu mythos)|Hyperborea]]
|A now-vanished kingdom in [[Greenland]].
!TS
|-
|[[Ib]]
|A pre-human settlement in Mnar.
!DC
|-
|[[Innsmouth]]
|A coastal town in Massachusetts.
!SI
|-
|[[Kadath]]
|The home of the Great Ones.
!OG
|-
|[[Kingsport (fictional town)|Kingsport]]
|A coastal town in Massachusetts.
!FE
|-
|[[K'n-yan]]
|Blue-litten realm beneath [[Oklahoma]].
!MO
|-
|[[Cthulhu mythos celestial bodies#Ktynga|Ktynga]]
|A large comet near [[Arcturus]].
!FV
|-
|[[Cthulhu mythos celestial bodies#Kythanil|Kythanil]]
|A double planet.
!TG
|-
|The [[Plateau of Leng]]
|A cold, arid [[plateau]].
!HO
|-
|[[Lomar]]
|An ancient region.
!PO
|-
|[[Cthulhu mythos celestial bodies#L'gy'hx|L'gy'hx]]
|The planet [[Uranus (planet)|Uranus]].
!IS
|-
|[[Miskatonic University (Location)|Miskatonic University]]
|In Arkham, Massachusetts.
!WR
|-
|[[Mnar]]
|Probably in the Dreamlands.
!DC
|-
|[[Mu (Cthulhu mythos)|Mu]]
|A sunken continent.
!OE
|-
|[[Naat (fictional)|Naat]]
|?
!?
|-
|[[The Nameless City]]
|A buried city.
!NC
|-
|[[N'kai]]
|A lightless cavern beneath Yoth<br>(or possibly underneath Mt. Voormithadreth).
!MO
|-
|[[Olathoë]]
|A city in Lomar.
!PO
|-
|[[Pnakotus]]
|A [[wikt:primeval|primeval]] city in the [[Great Sandy Desert]] in [[Australia]].
!ST
|}
|valign=top width=48%|
{|class="wikitable"
!Name
!What or where
!Ref.
|-
|[[Underworld#Vale_of_Pnath|Vale of Pnath]]
|In the [[Underworld (Dreamlands)|Underworld]].
!EM
|-
|[[R'lyeh]]
|The sunken island/city where Cthulhu is entombed.
!CC
|-
|[[The Doom that Came to Sarnath|Sarnath]]
|A destroyed city in Mnar.
!DC
|-
|[[Cthulhu mythos celestial bodies#Shaggai|Shaggai]]
|A planet orbiting twin emerald suns.
!HD
|-
|[[Gulf of S'glhuo|S'glhuo, Gulf of]]
|An alternate dimension.
!PL
|-
|The [[Plateau of Sung]]<br>(or "Tsang"?)
|Possibly a region of Leng.
!HF
|-
|[[Cthulhu mythos celestial bodies#Thuggon|Thuggon]]
|A planet.
!IS
|-
|[[Cthulhu mythos celestial bodies#Thyoph|Thyoph]]
|A planet.
!IS
|-
|[[Ulthar]]
|A cat-laden town in the Dreamlands.
!CU
|-
|[[Uzuldaroum]]
|A city in Hyperborea.
!TS
|-
|[[Valley of Do-Hna]]
|In Xinaián (K'n-yan).
!MO
|-
|[[Valusia]]
|The ancient land of the Serpent people.
!HK
|-
|[[Mount Voormithadreth]]
|Four-coned extinct volcano in Hyperborea; contains the Cavern of Archetypes and the Web of [[Atlach-Nacha]].
!SG
|-
|[[Xiccarph]]
|?
!?
|-
|[[Cthulhu mythos celestial bodies#Xiclotl|Xiclotl]]
|The sister planet to Shaggai.
!IS
|-
|[[Xinaián]], or K'n-yan
|Composed roughly of the kingdom of [[Tsath]].
!MO
|-
|[[Cthulhu mythos celestial bodies#Xoth|Xoth]]
|A [[binary star]].
!FT
|-
|[[Yaanek]] / Yarak
|Legendary mountain/[[volcano]] at the [[North Pole]].
!UL
|-
|[[Cthulhu mythos celestial bodies#Yaddith|Yaddith]]
|A planet.
!TG
|-
|[[Mount Yaddith-Gho]]
|Dwelling place of [[Ghatanothoa]] in Mu.
!OE
|-
|[[Cthulhu mythos celestial bodies#Yaksh|Yaksh]]
|The planet [[Neptune (planet)|Neptune]].
!FT
|-
|[[Cthulhu mythos celestial bodies#Yekub|Yekub]]
|A planet in a distant [[galaxy]].
!CF
|-
|[[Plateau of Leng|'Ygiroth]]
|In the Dreamlands.
!YG
|-
|[[Y'ha-nthlei]]
|An undersea city.
!SI
|-
|[[Abyss of Yhe]]
|In a Muvian province.
!HC?
|-
|[[Yian-Ho]], or Yian
|A deserted city.
!TG
|-
|[[Cthulhu mythos celestial bodies#Ylidiomph|Ylidiomph]]
|The planet [[Jupiter (planet)|Jupiter]].
!UA
|-
|[[Yoth]]
|Red-litten cavern beneath K'n-yan.
!MO
|-
|[[Hyperborea (Cthulhu mythos)|Y'quaa]]
|A gray-litten cavern, the dwelling place of [[Abhoth]].
!HG
|-
|[[Cthulhu mythos celestial bodies#Yuggoth|Yuggoth]]
|The planet [[Pluto (planet)|Pluto]](?).
!FY
|-
|[[Underworld#Vaults_of_Zin|Vaults of Zin]]
|In N'kai.
!EM
|-
|[[Zothique]]
|A continent in the distant future.
!EN
|}
|}
&#42; Reference to first appearance.

===Non-fictional elements of the mythos ===

The Cthulhu mythos incorporates many historical, astronomical, and mythological elements from the real world.

* [[Aldebaran]], a star
* [[Bast_(goddess)|Bast]], cat goddess of ancient [[Egypt]]
* [[Book of Dzyan]]
* [[Celaeno]], a star in the [[Pleiades (star cluster)|Pleiades]]
* [[Dagon and Hydra|Dagon]], the [[Mesopotamia]]n fish god of vegetation and fertility
* [[John Dee]], a historical person
* [[Fomalhaut]], a star
* [[H. P. Lovecraft]], as himself
* [[Hypnos]], the god of [[sleep]] in [[Greek mythology]]
* [[Irem of the Pillars|Irem]], City of Pillars, a legendary buried city from [[Islamic mythology]] (possibly the lost city of [[Ubar]])
*[[Lemuria (continent)|Lemuria]], a fabled land bridge, but a lost continent in the mythos
* [[Nodens]], the Hunter, a [[Celtic mythology|Celtic]] deity worshiped in [[Britain]]
* [[Olaus Wormius]], Danish antiquary cited as translator of the Necronomicon
* [[Pluto (planet)|Pluto]], identified by Lovecraft as Yuggoth
* [[Ponape]], an island, spelled "Pohnpei" in modern orthography
* The [[Severn Valley]], in England
* [[Tunguska]], in [[Siberia]]
* The [[Voynich Manuscript]]
* [[Wendigo]], borrowed from [[Native American mythology]]

==See also==

* Elements of the Cthulhu mythos have become part of [[popular culture]]. See [[References to the Cthulhu mythos]] for a list.

* For a list of characters, see [[Cthulhu mythos biographies]].

==References==

===Books===

*Bloch, Robert. "Heritage of Horror" (1982) in ''The Best of H.P. Lovecraft: Bloodcurdling Tales of Horror and the Macabre'' (1st ed.), Ballantine Books, 1982. ISBN 0-345-35080-4.

*Derleth, August. "The Cthulhu Mythos" in ''Tales of the Cthulhu Mythos'', Sauk City, WI: Arkham House, 1969.

*DiTillio, Larry and Lynn Willis. ''Masks of Nyarlathotep'', Oakland, CA: Chaosium, 1996. ISBN 1-568-82069-0. 

*Harms, Daniel. ''The Encyclopedia Cthulhiana'' (2nd ed.), Chaosium, Inc., 1998. ISBN 1-56882-119-0.

*Joshi, S.T.
**''H. P. Lovecraft'' (1st ed.), Mercer Island, WA: Starmont House, 1982. ISBN 0-916-73236-3 / ISBN 0-916-73235-5 (paper).
**(ed.) ''H. P. Lovecraft: Four Decades of Criticism'', Athens, OH: Ohio University Press, 1980. ISBN 0-821-40442-3 (cloth) / ISBN 0-821-40577-2 (paper).
:&mdash;and David E. Schultz. ''An H.P. Lovecraft Encyclopedia'', Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 2001. ISBN 0-313-31578-7.

*Mosig, Yozan Dirk W. ''Mosig at Last: A Psychologist Looks at H. P. Lovecraft'', 1st printing, West Warwick, RI: Necronomicon Press, 1997. ISBN 0-940-88490-9.

*Price, Robert M.
**(ed.) ''Black Forbidden Things: Cryptical Secrets from the "Crypt of Cthulhu"'', San Bernardino, CA: The Borgo Press, 1992. ISBN 1-557-42248-6 / ISBN 1-557-42249-4.
**"Introduction" in ''The New Lovecraft Circle'', Robert M. Price (ed.), New York, N.Y.: Random House, Inc., 1996. ISBN 0-345-44406-X.
**"Lovecraft's 'Artificial Mythology'" in ''An Epicure in the Terrible: a centennial anthology of essays in honor of H.P. Lovecraft'', David E. Schultz and S.T. Joshi (ed.), Rutherford, NJ: Fairleigh Dickinson University Press; Cranbury, NJ: Associated University Presses, 1991. ISBN 0-838-63415-X.

*Shreffler, Phillip A. ''The H. P. Lovecraft Companion'', Westport, CT / London, England: Greenwood Press, 1977. ISBN 0-837-19482-2.

*Turner, James. "Iä! Iä! Cthulhu Fhtagn!" in ''Tales of the Cthulhu Mythos'' (1st ed.), Random House, 1998. ISBN 0-345-42204-X.

===Web sites===

* {{Web reference | author=Harms, Daniel | title=Part 2: Mythos Lore | work=The Official Cthulhu Mythos FAQ | url=http://www.necfiles.org/part2.htm | date=August 19 | year=2005 }}

* {{Web reference | author=Joshi, S. T | title=H. P. Lovecraft | work=The Scriptorium | url=http://www.themodernword.com/scriptorium/lovecraft.html | date=July 20 | year=2005 }}

* Tremlett, J. Edward. {{Web reference | title=A Color Out of Space, A Shadow Out of Time: H.P. Lovecraft & His Works | url=http://www.nocturnis.net/articles/genwod/printable/51/page1.html | date=October 14 | year=2005 }}

===Notes===
#{{Note|Harms-viii-a}}Harms, "A Brief History of the Cthulhu Mythos", ''The Encyclopedia Cthulhiana'', pp. viii&ndash;ix.
#{{Note|Joshi-31ff}}Joshi, "The Lovecraft Mythos", ''H. P. Lovecraft'', pp. 31ff.
#{{Note|Joshi-50}}Although Lovecraft sometimes mentioned the "Arkham cycle" in his correspondence, he never explained its meanings; it is possible that he was referring to his stories that take place in his mythical [[New England]] setting. (Joshi & Schultz, ''An H.P. Lovecraft Encyclopedia'', pp. 50.)
#{{Note|Joshi-51}}Lovecraft's flippant use of ''Yog-Sothothery''&mdash;a veiled reference to [[Yog-Sothoth]], one of the mythical beings in his tales&mdash;probably indicates that he never took his mythos very seriously. In a letter to [[Frank Belknap Long]] in early 1931, Lovecraft wrote "that 'Yog-Sothoth' is a basically immature conception [and] unfitted for really serious literature". (Joshi & Schultz, ''An H. P. Lovecraft Encyclopedia'', pp. 51.)
<!--Lovecraft and the mythos-->
#{{Note|Joshi-32}}Joshi's characterizations are a followup to George T. Wetzel's assertion that Lovecraft's mythos stories can be thought of as chapters of a long novel (Joshi, "The Lovecraft Mythos", pp. 32). See also Wetzel's essay "The Cthulhu Mythos: A Study" (''H. P. Lovecraft: Four Decades of Criticism", pp. 79&ndash;95).
#{{Note|Price-247}}Price, "Lovecraft's 'Artificial Mythology'", ''An Epicure in the Terrible'', pp. 247.
#{{Note|Price-xviii}}Price, "Introduction", ''The New Lovecraft Circle'', pp. xviii&ndash;xix. Price writes: "One seeks forbidden knowledge, whether wittingly or, more likely, unwittingly, but one may not know till it is too late... The knowledge, once gained, is too great for the mind of man. It is [[Promethean]], [[Faustian]] knowledge. Knowledge that destroys in the moment of enlightenment, a [[Gnosis]] of damnation, not of salvation."
#{{Note|Price-249}}Price, "Lovecraft's 'Artificial Mythology'", pp. 249.
#{{Note|Tremlett-tum}}Tremlett, 'The Unknown Mind', "A Color Out of Space, A Shadow Out of Time: H.P. Lovecraft & His Works".
#{{Note|Joshi-31}}Joshi, "The Lovecraft Mythos", pp. 31.
<!--chart-->
#{{Note|Shreffler-156}}Shreffler, "The Hierarchy of Monsters", ''The H. P. Lovecraft Companion'', pp. 156&ndash;7.
#{{Note|Shreffler-157}}Nodens, the Lord of the Abyss, holds a singular place in Lovecraft's writings because he is the only god to intervene on behalf of human beings. (Shreffler, pp. 158.) Examples of this are found in ''[[The Dream Quest of Unknown Kadath (fiction)]]'' (1926) and "The Strange High House in the Mist" (1931).
#{{Note|Mosig-24}}This view of the "Elder Gods" conflicts with those held by Dirk W. Mosig. In his essay "H. P. Lovecraft: Myth-Maker", Mosig asserts that Lovecraft never intended the "Elder Gods" to be benign, protective deities; instead, they are actually ineffectual beings synonymous with Lovecraft's "weak gods of the earth". (Mosig, "H.P. Lovecraft: Myth-Maker", ''Mosig at Last'', pp. 24&ndash;5.)
#{{Note|Shreffler-158}}Shreffler, pp. 158&ndash;162.
<!--Lovecraft's gods&devils-->
#{{Note|Price-248}}Price, "Lovecraft's 'Artificial Mythology'", pp. 248&ndash;50.
<!--Arcane literature-->
#{{Note|Lauterbach-96ff}}Edward Lauterbach, "Some Notes on Cthulhuian Pseudobiblia", ''H. P. Lovecraft: Four Decades of Criticism'', pp. 96ff.
#{{Note|Lauterbach-96}}Ibid, pp. 96&ndash;97.
<!--Structure of the mythos-->
#{{Note|Harms-viii-b}}Harms, "A Brief History of the Cthulhu Mythos", pp. viii.
#{{Note|Lovecraft-tcoc}}Lovecraft, "The Call of Cthulhu" (1928).
#{{Note|Mosig-25}}Mosig argues that Cthulhu "is perhaps one of the weakest and least important of the main entities [in the mythos]&mdash;save for his immediacy". He also notes that in the Necronomicon passage in Lovecraft's "The Dunwich Horror" (1929), Cthulhu is demoted to "their cousin". (Mosig, "H.P. Lovecraft: Myth-Maker", ''Mosig at Last'', pp. 25.)
<!--Derleth's involvement-->
#{{Note|Bloch-9}}Bloch, "Heritage of Horror", pp. 9.
#{{Note|Derleth-vii}}Derleth, "The Cthulhu Mythos", ''Tales of the Cthulhu Mythos'', pp. vii.
<!-- -->
#{{Note|Joshi-II}}Joshi, ''The Scriptorium'', "H. P. Lovecraft", section II.
#{{Note|Derleth-unknown}}This quote lacks a reference. You can improve this article by providing one.
# {{Note|Turner-x}}Turner, "Iä! Iä! Cthulhu Fhtagn!", ''Tales of the Cthulhu Mythos'', pp. viii. Turner writes: "Lovecraft's imaginary [[wikt:cosmogony|cosmogony]] was never a static system but rather a sort of [[wikt:aesthetic|aesthetic]] construct that remained ever adaptable to its creator's developing personality and altering interests... [T]here was never a rigid system that might be posthumously appropriated by the [[wikt:pasticheur|pasticheur]]... [T]he essence of the mythos lies not in a pantheon of imaginary deities nor in a cobwebby collection of forgotten tomes, but rather in a certain convincing cosmic attitude."
<!-- -->
#{{Note|Tremlett-tbq}}Tremlett, 'The Big Question', "A Color Out of Space, A Shadow Out of Time: H.P. Lovecraft & His Works".
#{{Note|Harms-101}}Harms, "Elemental Theory", pp. 101.
#{{Note|Price-72}}Price, "August Derleth: Myth-Maker", ''Black Forbidden Things'', pp. 72.
<!--conclusion-->
#{{Note|Bloch-8}}Bloch, "Heritage of Horror", pp. 8.
#{{Note|Joshi-I}}Joshi, ''The Scriptorium'', "H. P. Lovecraft", section I.
<!--Great Old Ones-->
<!--Outer Gods-->
#{{Note|Harms2-2.1-para4}}Harms, ''The Official Cthulhu Mythos FAQ'', "Part 2: Mythos Lore", section 2.1, "Outer Gods".
<!--Elder Gods-->
#{{Note|Harms2-2.1-para6}}Harms, "Part 2: Mythos Lore", section 2.1, "Elder Gods".
<!-- -->
#{{Note|misc-eldergods}}Harms, Ibid. Harms writes: "Others consider their inclusion proper and fitting within their own interpretation of Lovecraft." Lovecraft views humanity as being insignificant in the universe; thus, the Elder Gods share little concern for humankind's fate.
<!--Great Ones-->
#{{Note|Harms2-2.1-para7}}Harms, "Part 2: Mythos Lore", section 2.1, "Great Ones", "Other Gods".
<!--Supernatural beings-->
# {{Note|DiTillio-a}}These beings appear in the [[role-playing game]] supplement ''Masks of Nyarlathotep'' (DiTillio & Willis).
<!--Cults-->
#{{Note|Herber-FY}}Keith Herber, ''The Fungi from Yuggoth'' (1984). Role-playing game material.
# {{Note|DiTillio-b}}This cult appears in ''Masks of Nyarlathotep'' (DiTillio & Willis).
#{{Note|DiTillio-c}}Ibid.
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#{{Note|Aniolowski-MM}}Scott D. Aniolowski, "Mysterious Manuscripts" in ''The Unspeakable Oath #3'', John Tynes (ed.), Seattle, WA: Pagan Publishing, August 1991. Periodical (role-playing game material).

==External links==

* [http://www.hplovecraft.com/ The H.P. Lovecraft Archive]
*[http://www.tmoct.co.uk/lovecraftlibrary.html The Online Lovecraft Library at The Ministry of Certain Things]
* [http://lovecraft.cjb.net The ULTIMATE Cthulhu Mythos Book List], listing of all mythos novels, anthologies, collections, comic books, and more
* [http://www.clare.ltd.new.net/cryptofcthulhu/ Crypt of Cthulhu], online version of the magazine
* [http://www.catb.org/~esr/jargon/html/C/cthulhic.html cthulhic],  entry in the Jargon File
* [http://www.cthuugle.com/ Cthuugle], the H.P. Lovecraft search engine
* [http://www.oocities.org/clorebeast/lurker.htm The Lurker at the Threshold of Interpretation: Necronomicon Hoaxes and Paratextual Noise]
* [http://members.fortunecity.com/johnsilence/issue.htm Mythos Online], short stories relating to the Cthulhu mythos
* [http://www.necfiles.org/mythos.htm The Official Cthulhu Mythos FAQ], by Daniel Harms
* [http://www.epberglund.com/RGttCM/contents.htm Reader's Guide to the Cthulhu Mythos], maintained by E.P. Berglund
* [http://members.shaw.ca/csstrowbridge/Tulzscha/MainPage.htm Servants of Tulzscha], information about the gods and creatures of the Cthulhu mythos
* [http://www.shoggoth.net/ Shoggoth.net], a Cthulhu mythos blog
* [http://www.templeofdagon.com/ The Temple of Dagon], general Lovecraftian information and repository for Cthulhu mythos stories by modern writers
* [http://www.macguff.fr/goomi/unspeakable/home.html Unspeakable Vault (of Doom)], WebComic drawn by French artist Francois Launet

==Further reading==

* Carter, Lin.  ''Lovecraft: A Look Behind the Cthulhu Mythos'', New York, NY: Ballantine Books, 1972. ISBN 0-345-25295-0-150.

[[Category:Cthulhu Mythos]]