Overview
This summary explores the mythological and cosmological underpinnings of H.P. Lovecraft's fiction, detailing the origins, nature, and significance of his cosmic entities. The analysis connects Lovecraft's creations to ancient mythologies and highlights his challenge to traditional religious and anthropomorphic views of divinity.
Origins and Nature of Lovecraftian Entities
- Extraterrestrial and interdimensional beings predate humanity, arriving on Earth billions of years ago.
- These entities possess advanced technology, including interstellar and temporal travel.
- Life on Earth was created by these beings for servitude, sustenance, or by accident.
- Some factions practiced black magic, resulting in their imprisonment within Earth or the void.
- The entities are grouped (Old Ones, Great Race of Yith, Elder Things), lacking a rigid hierarchy or pantheon.
Human Interpretation and Mythification
- Humanity encounters ancient ruins and remnants, inspiring myths, religions, and legends to rationalize these beings.
- Lovecraft's entities are deified only by human characters; the author presents them as indifferent or alien.
- The mythology is intentionally vague and ever-evolving, mixing terms and roles without systematic structure.
Comparisons with Ancient Myths and Religions
- Lovecraft draws heavily on Greek, Mesopotamian, and other ancient cosmogonies, especially the concept of primordial chaos.
- Entities such as Azathoth resemble figures like Astaroth, Yaldabaoth, and Thoth, merging mythology with fiction through syncretism.
- Many Lovecraftian locations (cosmic voids, sunken or cyclopean cities) parallel legendary places like Tartarus or Atlantis.
Major Cosmic Entities and Their Roles
- Azathoth: Nuclear chaos at the universe's center; source of existence, unconscious and destructive.
- Yog-Sothoth: Guardian of cosmic doors, representing omniscience, time, and space, possibly tied to Gnostic ideas.
- Nyarlathotep: Servant and messenger, anthropomorphic, connects with Egyptian myths and acts as intermediary.
- Shub-Niggurath: Fertility deity linked to pagan figures, embodying wild nature and enigmatic motherhood.
- Nodens and Hypnos: Anthropomorphic ‘elder gods’ echoing Zeus, Odin, or Hypnos, aiding or guiding humans.
- Great Old Ones (e.g., Cthulhu, Dagon): Imprisoned titanic beings with deep mythological and oceanic symbolism, reminiscent of primordial monsters and dragons.
Evolution and Structure of the Mythos
- Lovecraft’s stories were created piecemeal, resulting in inconsistencies and fluid categorizations.
- Terms like "pantheon" or clear divisions are human constructs, not inherent to the entities themselves.
- Other creatures (Mi-go, Yithians, Elder Things, Shoggoths, Earth gods) populate the mythos as separate, often competing races.
Symbolism and Thematic Implications
- Lovecraftian monsters symbolize the unknown, chaos, and cosmic indifference.
- They challenge anthropocentrism, religious anthropomorphism, and humanity’s sense of importance.
- Gigantism and deformity emphasize the primal, pre-human, and unfathomable nature of these entities.
Literary Influence and Cultural Context
- Myths from various cultures (Sumerian, Greek, Celtic, Biblical, etc.) are reinterpreted as manifestations or misinterpretations of Lovecraft’s entities.
- The mythos reflects cosmicism, materialism, and the insignificance of humanity in a vast universe.
- Lovecraft’s fiction destabilizes traditional boundaries between science fiction, horror, and mythology.