Zanthu Tablets

“The shocking discoveries made since we first opened the tomb should be more than enough to inform us. The knowledge lingering in those ancient tablets may wither our souls.” — from the introduction, by Harold Hadley Copeland, 1916.

Sub-titled "A Conjectural Translation", this slim, 32-page brochure was printed in 1916 by the Sanborne Institute in a limited edition of 400 copies. Written by the noted American archaeologist Harold Hadley Copeland, it purports to be a translation of carvings found on a series of black jade tablets discovered somewhere in Indo-China. The author claims the carvings are hieratic Naacal, the high language of ancient Mu. The text briefly describes the discovery of the stones and the methods used to translate them. The translated text contains a running commentary by the author. Originally written by the wizard Zanthu, in whose tomb the tablets were found, it is a partial history of the lost Pacific continent of Mu. It describes the worship of Ghatanothoa, Shub-Niggurath, and Cthulhu, and also mentions Nug and Yeb, the supposed offspring of Yog-Sothoth and Shub-Niggurath. Zoth-Ommog, Yig, Dagon, and Hydra are also discussed. Certain passages hint that insubstantial beings such as the Lloigor and Yuggs are "servants" to the Muvian pantheon of deities.

The Ancient Tablets

The original twelve tablets are held in the archives of the Sanborne Institute for Pacific Studies in Santiago, California. They are stolen in 1933, but the Institute retains facsimiles of the originals. The tablets contain more information than Copeland chose to publish.

Copeland’s Publication

The published Zanthu Tablets is partially expurgated and contains no spells.

Spells

The original Muvian tablets contain:

• Contact Deity/Cthulhu
• Contact Deity/Ghatanothoa
• Contact Lloigor
• Contact Yugg

May also contain information for:

• Contact Deity Zoth-Ommog and Ythogtha
• Contact Deity Gloon
• Contact Deity Chaat
• Contact Star-Spawn of Cthulhu
• Contact Deep Ones