Great Cthulhu

p4Samwisep4Samwise Join Date: 2002-12-15 Member: 10831Members
in Off-Topic
<div class="IPBDescription">for the Lovecraft scholars out there...</div> All right, I know there are a few other Lovecraft fans on this board, so I'll pose the question here...

What's the "current" relationship between Cthulhu and the Outer Gods (eg Azathoth, Nyarlathotep, Shub-Niggurath)? In some places I've seen Cthulhu referred to as Azathoth's most powerful priest, and of Nyarlathotep giving messages and guidance to Cthulhu's followers. In others, it sounds like Cthulhu was imprisoned in R'lyeh and sealed with an Elder Sign because he had defied the gods and taken on aspects of godhood himself. And in yet others, Cthulhu actually sealed himself and his kin in R'lyeh so that he could slumber there agelessly while biding his time to come back and rule Earth.

Obviously, no one version is "right", but which one seems most consistent with what you've read personally?
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Comments

  • Relic25Relic25 Pixel Punk Join Date: 2002-01-24 Member: 39Members, Retired Developer, NS1 Playtester, Contributor
    If I remember correctly, there were two major sets of gods in the Lovecraft mythos that at one time in pre-history had fought for control of the dominion of earth. I always had the impression that Cthulhu was imprisoned, not in self-exile, and that the whole purpose of the deep ones (along with the shoggoths, etc.) was to bide time and prepare for the day when Cthulhu would re-awaken and leave his prison. Most of Lovecraft's writings involving his mythos (and August Derleth's too) were so esoteric, and probably deliberately so, that it makes it difficult to tell for certain.
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  • OttoDestructOttoDestruct Join Date: 2002-11-08 Member: 7790Members
    And this is exactly why every Lovecraft fan needs to:
    A) Listen to The Darkest of the Hillside Thickets
    B) Get in their yahoo group

    Uh.. lessee.. the thickets are a canadian garage band basically, and pretty much all their music is dedicated to figures of H.P. Lovecraft... and now to be on topic...

    I always thought Cthulhu was one of the 'lesser' Great Old Ones. Oh and the thing about ruling the earth... ? Didn't it explain that the Great Old Ones created humans (or was it the shoggoths, or mi-go? been a while since I read) as their play toys. Either way, the personally I think Yog-Sothoth is the "Al Capone" of the GOO's, being as he's mentioned as the gatekeeper in the Necronomicon a la The Dunwich Horror.
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  • p4Samwisep4Samwise Join Date: 2002-12-15 Member: 10831Members
    <!--QuoteBegin--Relic25+Apr 19 2003, 04:58 PM--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (Relic25 @ Apr 19 2003, 04:58 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> If I remember correctly, there were two major sets of gods in the Lovecraft mythos that at one time in pre-history had fought for control of the dominion of earth. I always had the impression that Cthulhu was imprisoned, not in self-exile, and that the whole purpose of the deep ones (along with the shoggoths, etc.) was to bide time and prepare for the day when Cthulhu would re-awaken and leave his prison. <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
    So which gods were the ones that put Cthulhu into exile?
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