Cthulhu Mythos Encyclopedia

by Harms, Daniel

  The Necronomicon includes a chapter on creating the Scimitar of Barzai, a bronze weapon used to inscribe magical symbols and frighten spirits. Its connection with the historic Barzai is unknown.

  See Atal; Hatheg-Kla; Pnakotic Manuscripts. (The Necronomicon, Hay, ed.; “The Other Gods”, Lovecraft (O); The Complete Dreamlands, Williams and Petersen.)

  BAST. Egyptian goddess who took the form of a woman with the head of a cat. Bast was originally worshiped in Atlantis, and her worship was probably carried from that land to Egypt along with much of the sunken continent’s lore. The center of Bast’s cult in the land of the Nile was the city of Bubastis. The people of Bubastis revered felines, and many cats were mummified upon their deaths to please the goddess. Bast was also the goddess of pleasure, and was thus one of Egypt’s most popular deities.

  During the reign of Nephren-Ka, the cult of Bast was subverted and her priests joined the Black Pharaoh in his dark worship. Prinn writes in De Vermis Mysteriis that the city of Bubastis was destroyed by the other religious factions of the Nile valley, due to the repulsive nature of Bast’s rites. Most of the cult was put to the sword, but rumor has it that some escaped to Britain, keeping their practices a secret. Bast’s worship underwent a reformation, with her priests taking it upon themselves to destroy those who threatened the pharaohs. Cults of Bast may survive in the modern world, though most of them have gone underground if this is so.

  [Bast was an actual Egyptian deity, though there is no evidence linking her to any dark and evil rituals.]

  See Black Rites; Luveh-Keraphf; Nephren-Ka; Saracenic Rituals. (“The Brood of Bubastis”, Bloch; “The Mannikin”, Bloch; “The Suicide in the Study”, Bloch (O), “Cults Exposed!: The Sacred Flame of Bubastis”, Harms.)

  THE BEAST. See Nyarlathotep (The Beast).

  BEINGS FROM IB. See Thuun’ha.

  BEL YARNAK (also YARNAK?). City on the planet Yarnak. The city was beautiful, consisting of many high minarets of silver and streets paved with precious metals. Bel Yarnak was brought to its doom due to the actions of the wizard Thorazor, and no one lives there now.

  See Vorvadoss; Yarnak. (“The Eater of Souls”, Kuttner (O); “The Jest of Droom-Avista”, Kuttner.)

  BELED EL-DJINN. See Kara-Shehr.

  BENDAL-DOLUM. Fabled city in the depths of the Belize jungle. Various expeditions to find Bendal Dolum, especially that of Dr. Eric Williamson, have failed to find any sign of it.

  (A Resection of Time, Johnson; “The Pits of Bendal-Dolum”, Lyons (O).)

  BERKELEY TOAD. See Byatis.

  BETHMOORA. City located somewhere beyond the hills of Hap in the Dreamlands. Bethmoora was once a thriving city with green copper gates where song and dance filled the streets.

  One day, when a festival was held in Bethmoora, three men riding mules came from the desert, bringing a message whose exact nature and origin remains unknown. Some say it came from the desert itself, which desired to overrun the fair city; others assert that the messengers brought a decree from the emperor Thuba Mleen or the gods, or even a warning of the plague. Upon hearing the words of these men, the entire population of Bethmoora deserted their city in one day, leaving it empty and shunned by all travelers. A drug-crazed madman who visited the court of Thuba Mleen in his dreams claims that this emperor was to blame, but he is hardly a credible source.

  Rumor has it that the priests of Bethmoora periodically mated a human woman with the gods Lloigor and Zhar to create tyrants who ruled Bethmoora for millennia before being overthrown. The departure of the people from the city left the cycle incomplete, and the gods wait inside Bethmoora’s gates for the prophecy to be fulfilled. This does not explain the message of the three men on mules, however.

  In one incantation, Bethmoora is referred to as a conscious being.

  (“The Isle of Dark Magic”, Cave; “Bethmoora”, Dunsany (O); “The Hashish-Man”, Dunsany; “The Whisperer in Darkness”, Lovecraft; “Meet Me on the Other Side”, Navarro.)

  BHOLES. Creatures that dwell in the Dreamlands’ Vale of Pnath. No one has ever seen a bhole, but Randolph Carter’s encounter with them suggests that they are worm-shaped. Some say that bholes are a subspecies of dhole, or that the bholes give birth to the dholes and then send them through wormholes to other worlds.

  [This word originally appeared as “Dholes”, but S. T. Joshi’s corrected versions of Lovecraft’s texts show that the word is “Bholes”. It seems that one of the creators of the Dreamlands sourcebook for Call of Cthulhu read a corrected version of “Dream-Quest” and thought that “bholes” were a new creature, thus leading to the creation of two different creatures. The most recent edition has corrected this, however.]

  See Carter, Randolph; dholes; Pnath. (“The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath”, Lovecraft; H. P. Lovecraft’s Dreamlands, Petersen et. al.; S. Petersen’s Field Guide to Cthulhu Monsters, Petersen et. al.)

  BILLINGTON, ALIJAH. Descendant of Richard Billington who dwelt on the family estate during the first years of the nineteenth century. He took exception to what was written about his forebear in Reverend Phillips’ Thaumurgatical Prodigies in the New-English Caanan. A lively debate ensued, during which Phillips and his allies charged that Alijah was carrying on the dark practices of his ancestor in secret. After a few months of this controversy, John Druven, one of the Reverend’s fellow advocates, disappeared following an inspection of the Billington estate. Shortly thereafter, Alijah left with his son Laban and an Indian servant, Quamis, for England, and Reverend Phillips, now surprisingly penitent, attempted to purchase and destroy all copies of his book. Billington died in England, far from his homeland.

  See Bilington, Richard; Billington’s Wood; Dewart, Ambrose; Misquamacus; Thaumaturgatical Prodigies. (“The Lurker at the Threshold”, Derleth and Lovecraft (O).)

  BILLINGTON, RICHARD. Wealthy landowner who dwelt near New Dunnich, later known as Dunwich, in colonial times. Billington was reputed to be a wizard who worshiped Satan in an old stone circle near his house and learned a great deal from the Wampanoag shaman Misquamacus. After several murders in the area, Billington himself dropped out of sight and was not heard from thereafter.

  See Billington, Alijah; Billington’s Wood; Misquamacus; Of Evill Sorceries Done in New England; Thaumurgatical Prodigies. (“The Lurker at the Threshold”, Derleth and Lovecraft (O).)

  BILLINGTON’S WOOD. Virgin forest north of Arkham, near the Aylesbury Pike. This place was once the property of Richard and Alijah Billington. In its depths stood the Billington house, along with a stone tower and ring on an island in a dry streambed. The latter was destroyed in 1924. The deeper parts of the woods are rumored to hold even stranger wonders.

  See Dewart, Ambrose. (“Arkham Pets”, Ambuehl; “The Lurker at the Threshold”, Derleth and Lovecraft (O).)

  THE BLACK. Dark, flaky substance which serves as blood for the Great Old One Yibb-Tstll. Sorcerers sometimes call the Black itself to assault their foes. To do so, the caster must first inscribe the Sixth Sathlatta in its original Ptetholite characters (shown in the Cthaat Aquadingen) on a wafer of flour and water. This wafer then must be given to the intended victim. Some say that the victim must touch the wafer for the spell to take effect, but evidence from one attack suggests otherwise. Then, when the target can hear the caster, the wizard must recite the Hoy-Dhin Chant from the Necronomicon.

  As the sorcerer chants, the Black will manifest itself, falling upon and adhering to the spell’s target. Soon the victim will be completely covered and suffocate. The Black will then return to Yibb-Tstll with the person’s soul, leaving behind no trace. If a person afflicted by the Black is able to reach running water, the spell will cease and return to its caster, taking full effect upon the would-be murderer.

  See Hoy-Dhin chant; Ptetholites; Sixth Sathlatta; Yibb-Tstll. (“The Black Recalled”, Lumley; “The Caller of the Black”, Lumley (O); “The Horror at Oakdeene”, Lumley.)

  BLACK BOOK. See Unaussprechlichen Kulten.

  BLACK BOOK OF THE SKULL (
originally SURTHAGGITH: VTHAEGGAISH EAERTH). Volume written long ago by J’Cak Igguratian, the court sorcerer to the Vang, or King, of the lost continent of Quy. J’Cak vanished after he killed five women to attain immortality, in accordance with the book’s instructions.

  The first known edition of the Black Book of the Skull was in Greek, but the Inquisition burned almost all of these. Later, the Black Book of the Skull was translated into Latin, although the translators refused to transcribe certain passages. The occultist Aleister Crowley translated the book into English. Starry Wisdom Press issued this translation during the 1920s, but this one is slightly inaccurate on several points. The only known surviving copy of the Greek edition is kept at Dwayne University in Amoston, Kansas, and a Latin edition may be found at Miskatonic University.

  This book gives a history of the earth’s beginnings account of the author’s occult experiments and his warnings on dealing with the Great Old Ones. The beings Othuyeg and Quyagen are discussed.

  (“Huitloxopetl VI: Lieutenant August Investigates”, Burnham; “History of the Empire of the Continent of Quy”, Burnham; “Invocation”, Burnham (O); “The Seven Cities of Gold”, Burnham; “Huitloxopetl XI: The Ripening of Huitloxopetl”, Davey.)

  BLACK BROTHERHOOD. International terrorist organization devoted to the cause of the Old Ones. Some claim that the group dates back to the reign of Nitocris, who once commanded them, and that they were also connected with the Assassins. The members of the Black Brotherhood, who come from all backgrounds and ethnicities, carry out covert assassination attempts against various government officials, choosing their targets in no discernible pattern. The perpetrators of these attacks usually die shortly thereafter, so very few interrogations of its members have taken place. Those of the Brotherhood believe that the Great Old Ones will awaken soon, and that their actions will make the earth ready for their masters.

  (“Coming of Age”, Ballon; Strange Eons, Bloch (O).)

  BLACK DEMON. See Nyarlathotep (Black Demon).

  BLACK GOAT OF THE WOODS WITH A THOUSAND YOUNG. See Shub-Niggurath.

  BLACK GOD OF MADNESS, (THE). Novel by Amadeus Carson, a one-time romance novel writer whose writing took on sinister overtones after living in a witch-house in Salem. No publisher accepted the book, and most authorities in the field consider it to be lost, though it has turned up in at least one private collection.

  (“The Winfield Heritance”, Carter; “The Land of the Reflected Ones”, Collins; “The Salem Horror”, Kuttner (O).)

  BLACK GODS OF R’LYEH. Oath spoken in both Pictish Britain and Hyperborea. To which gods of the corpse-city it refers is unknown.

  (“The Fear of Liqoimkh”, Cornford; “Worms of the Earth”, Howard (O).)

  BLACK LITANIES OF NUG AND YEB. Rituals of worship for the twin entities Nug and Yeb which include references to the “Black Fire.” The only complete rendering of Yeb’s Litany was found on a wall in ancient Irem, though the inhabitants of K’n-yan are known to practice both rites. One composite litany may be found in the Book of Eibon.

  See Nug and Yeb. (“The Mound”, Lovecraft and Bishop (O); “To Clear the Earth”, Murray; “The Black Litany of Nug and Yeb”, Pulver.)

  BLACK LOTUS. Ebon-hued flower from Khitai, an eastern country of the Hyborian Age. Only the priests of the mysterious god Yun who dwelt in that land’s jungles could harvest the Lotus. Its scent could induce slumber in even the most ferocious beast, and the priests of Stygia made use of its properties to control the minds of others. The only ones who dared to take the black lotus powder knowingly were the necromancers of the Black Ring, though its use became more prevalent in later times.

  After the end of the Hyborian Age the flower was taken to the Plateaus of Leng and Sung, where the priests of forgotten religious orders cultivated it. Legend has it that the Black Lotus was the basis of the poison used to kill the Buddha, inspiring his final, suppressed teachings. Its effects became so notorious that the khans of the East attempted to ban its use. It is still grown by the Tcho-tcho people, who consider it vital in the worship of Zhar and Lloigor.

  Modern cults occasionally use the lotus to create drugs such as Liao which open up the mind to dreams of other dimensions. Dosages, methods of application, and precise effects may vary. Taken improperly, however, it may incite the user to homicidal frenzies or provide them with terrifying and uncontrolled hallucinations. The black lotus itself is sometimes seen in these visions, and it could be that the flower itself exerts a malign influence through them.

  See Liao. (“Black Lotus”, Bloch; “The Black Lotus”, Carter; “Dreams of the Black Lotus”, Carter; “The Madness Out of Time”, Carter; Secrets of Japan, Dziesinski; “The Hour of the Dragon”, Howard; “Red Nails”, Howard; “The Tower of the Elephant”, Howard (O); “Dope War of the Black Tong”, Price.)

  BLACK MAN. See Nyarlathotep (Black Man).

  BLACK PHARAOH. Individual, sometimes named “Khotep”, who lived at the end of the Sixth Dynasty. This title has also been given to both Nephren-Ka and Nyarlathotep, often referring to individuals in vastly different periods. The Black Pharaoh is often symbolized by an inverted ankh, or cross of life.

  See Nephren-Ka; Nyarlathotep (Black Pharaoh). (“Fane of the Black Pharaoh”, Bloch (O); Curse of the Black Pharaoh, Carter; S. Petersen’s Field Guide to Cthulhu Monsters, Petersen et. al.)

  THE BLACK RITES. Section of the Scroll of Bubastis written by the Atlantean or Egyptian high priest Luveh-Keraphf, who worshiped Bast. The oldest copy known dates to the Thirteenth Dynasty. The Black Rites were usually omitted from the scrolls, but copies were secretly kept at Egypt’s most powerful temples. The original was written in Khemite hieratic script, and a Greek translation may also exist. The book may have been passed down to the present day, though finding a copy in these times is nearly impossible.

  The book contains a great deal of information on Bast’s worship, a general overview of the other Egyptian gods, the tale of the discovery of Sebek’s Golden Crocodile, and a cautionary note on Nyarlathotep and the Black Pharaoh.

  (“The Suicide in the Study”, Bloch (O); “Zoth-Ommog”, Carter; Complete Masks of Nyarlathotep, DiTillio and Willis; “The Curse of the Crocodile”, Tierney; “The Treasure of Horemkhu”, Tierney.)

  BLACK RITUALS OF KOTH-SERAPIS. See Koth-Serapis.

  BLACK SEAL OF IRAAN. Item brought to earth by the mi-go which came into possession of the wizard Iraan of Mu. Zanthu later acquired it, and used it in his bid for power in the temple of Ythogtha. Carved on its surface are the Seven Lost Signs of Terror, which can command obedience from any creature. It may be that this stone bears a relation to the Black Stone or the Ixaxar.

  (“The Offering”, Carter; “The Whisperer in Darkness”, Lovecraft (O).)

  BLACK STONE. 1) Monument near the town of Stregoicavar, Hungary. The Black Stone is shaped like an obelisk and carved from a strange translucent stone. This monument is engraved with indecipherable carvings, but most of these have been chipped or weathered away.

  No one knows what civilization erected the Black Stone. Some say that the Huns left it, but others, including Friedrich von Junzt, insist that it is a remnant of an even earlier time.

  For hundreds of years, the Black Stone was the site of rituals for the hill people of the region. In 1526, a Muslim army marched into the area. When its commander, the scribe Selim Bahadur, discovered the locals’ practices, he ordered all the tribesmen killed and their village destroyed, ending the cult’s reign of terror over the region.

  Even though over four centuries have passed since the land’s purging, those who live nearby shun the Black Stone. Gazing at the stone for any length of time causes insanity, and those who have slept nearby are haunted in their dreams for the rest of their lives. At one time, the natives set out to destroy the Stone, but all those who attempted to do this were cursed and the people allowed it to stand. This monument might have inspired Justin Geoffrey’s poem “People of the Monolith”, as the poet is known to have visited this area
. Another visitor is said to have constructed a replica of the Stone in the Sesqua Valley.

  See Magyar Folklore; Remnants of Lost Empires; Stregoicavar; Terrible Old Man; Unaussprechlichen Kulten; Xuthltan. (“The Black Stone”, Howard (O); “Your Metamorphic Moan”, Pugmire.)

  2) A smaller object revered by the Worms of the Earth. These creatures kept it at Stonehenge until the invasion of the Picts, after which they bore it away into their underground caverns. A person who is able to steal the Black Stone from its keepers may request a service in return, though doing so will doom the thief after many years. The description of this stone seems to be quite similar to that of the Ixaxar, and the two might be the same object. See Black Seal; Zegrembi Seals. (“The People of the Dark”, Howard (O); “The Worms of the Earth”, Howard.)

  BLACK SUTRA. Volume written by U Pao, one of Burma’s earliest scholars, around the year 700. His Black Sutra shows great insight into the nature of life on Earth, including passages suggesting the theory of evolution. In addition, it deals with Yidhra at some length. Some say that von Junzt’s last manuscript indicated he had read this book.

  (“Where Yidhra Walks”, DeBill (O); Keeper’s Compendium, Herber, Nightmare’s Disciple, Pulver.)

  BLACK TOME OF ALSOPHOCUS (also THE BLACK TOME). Book written by the great wizard Alsophocus of Erongill. An unknown monk partially translated the Tome into Latin in 1517, entitling it Extractus Alsophocus. No one knows where any surviving copies of this book might be found, though Miskatonic University may hold one. The Black Tome held such powerful information as the citing of Boromir, the secrets of the Shining Trapezohedron, and the calling of Cthulhu from his tomb.

  See Hounds of Tindalos. (“Coming of Age”, Ballon; “The Black Tome of Alsophocus”, Lovecraft and Warnes (O); Ex Libris Miskatonici, Stanley.)

  BLACK TOWER OF LENG. See Pharos of Leng.

  BLACK WIND. See Nyarlathotep (Black Wind).

  BLAINE, (DOCTOR) HENRY STEPHENSON. Manuscript curator at the Sanbourne Institute. In 1928, while cataloging and publishing the papers of Harold Hadley Copeland, Blaine suffered a mental breakdown and was confined.