Nodens (Cthulhu mythos)

Nodens is an old Celtic deity, believed to have originated from the iron age period. Originally associated with healing, the sea, hunting and dogs, he was worshipped in ancient Britain, most notably in a temple complex at Lydney Park in Gloucestershire. He is equated with the Roman gods Mars, Mercury, Neptune and Silvanus, and his name is associated with that of the Irish mythological figure Nuada and the Welsh Nudd.

Arthur Machen's novella The Great God Pan (1890) features a Roman pillar dedicated to Nodens. The dedication is made by one Flavius Senilis "on account of the marriage which he saw beneath the shade", and there is a strong hint that Nodens is in fact Pan.

In H. P. Lovecraft's novella The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath (1926), Nodens is an "archaic" god served by the nightgaunts. He is also depicted as a somewhat benevolent force that opposes the frightening Nyarlathotep.