This image is of Hastur, equated with the mythical King in Yellow. Hastur isn’t depicted nearly as frequently as his compatriot Cthulhu so I wanted to give him, or her, some press.
Lovecraft’s Great Old Ones were powerful, immortal godlike beings who were worshipped, and in some cases are still being worshipped, on planet Earth. They are present, for the most part, in spirit not body. Certain rites, times of year, or sacrifices are required to manifest them. Their physical forms may live deep in the mantle of the Earth, on other planets of the solar system, or even other worlds, where they snooze in a semiconscious state. Cthulhu, Hastur, Ghatanothoa, and Tsathoggua are the best known of Lovecraft’s own creations. In addition, there are Outer Gods who are even more powerful and less understandable, such as Yog-Sothoth, Azathoth, and Shub-Niggurath. The division between the two is not clear, so for this randomgen, I’ll just lump them in all together.
Lovecraft’s Mythos, while he was writing, was always growing and changing. He cribbed creatures and concepts from earlier writers like Robert Chambers, and, with permission, from writing friends who also borrowed Mythos elements from him. The first Mythos stories I read, in fact, were from borrowers and not Lovecraft’s original ones. Some of their creations, like the Hounds of Tindalos, Lloigor, and Glaaki, proved just as popular as Lovecraft’s own.
As the decades went on, however, the Mythos accrued more and more ancient gods of every stripe until it seemed you couldn’t spit at a sacrifical stone without hitting one, and every author was convinced their Mythos god was the best. Unfortunately, not all of them knew how to name properly. That’s how we wound up with such ridiculous, unpronounceable entities like Zstylzhemghi and Hziulquoigmnzhah. This is just unacceptable.
Lovecraft’s names looked complex, but were easy to say. YOG-sawth-UTH. If they resembled any language, it might by Yiddish, Latin, and certain Polynesian tongues. The many ths and shs makes the words sound soft and slimy. But they’re their own thing, really.
By those standards, a new bath of Great Old Ones to terrorize your dreams.
(Incidentally, Lovecraft pronounced Cthulhu as K’tool-who, NOT K’thool-oo.)
Great Old Ones
| Yarog’n
Yebuth Shablatha Yaggloth Ghataar Ngorgna Quagnu Yarith Zorog’n Cthono Cynothog Umcha M’bakhee Yogshee Zuyiddoth Zashotharagua Xothmoog Azmar Chagla Azhkhee Hsayeb Ghatshee Yorshub Mordyag |
Yurt-yag
M’bachka Nug-yae Tsabthaat Hsaakoth Mythaggua Mnimog Sothya Glysgna Mnathoom Zutrik’i Mnatur Yebglaa Sothn’gor Nyctobra Ngyagog’n Tzu-tho-tho Ubbelath Vullithor Zaalthant Vhusch |
