Deep beneath R’lyeh, the stone city buried at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean, lies a powerful entity with unimaginable strength. Even a glance at this creature’s appearance can overwhelm the sanity of any observer. Legend has it that it lies dormant beneath the waves, waiting for the stars in the sky to align once more, at which point it will rise to reclaim its place on Earth.
This is Cthulhu – a monster from the imagination of H.P. Lovecraft, one of the most renowned authors in the realm of speculative fiction. However, after extensive research, evidence suggests that Cthulhu may be a real creature, possibly part of a series of mysteries tied to extraterrestrial beings whose powers and capabilities transcend human understanding. While Cthulhu is merely a product of Lovecraft’s imagination, the author maintained a relative belief in the existence of Cthulhu, as well as the mystery surrounding the death of his uncle. In fact, many believe that Cthulhu resembles the monster depicted in the famous film Cloverfield.
The Sea Monster Cthulhu
In this article, readers will find a wealth of interesting information about Cthulhu, its origins, the mysteries surrounding it, insights into the worship of Cthulhu, and its position within popular culture.
Before delving into its origins, legends, and methods of contacting humanity, let’s first explore how to pronounce the name of this creature.
How do you pronounce Cthulhu? I say “kuh-THOO-loo,” you say “kuh-TOO-loo.”
Lovecraft explained that the language of the ancients differs significantly from human expression, so any attempt to pronounce Cthulhu correctly seems only approximate. The most commonly suggested pronunciation is “khûl-lhoo“, yet the most popular remains “kuh-THOO-loo.”
What is the Pacific Sea Monster Cthulhu?
The name Cthulhu first appeared in the short story The Call of Cthulhu, written by H.P. Lovecraft in 1926, although no character in the story is confirmed to exist in reality. Cthulhu in this book is merely a product of imagination or only appears in the author’s dreams. The narrator describes the Cthulhu statue as partly resembling a octopus, dragon, and human, or a creature with a human-like form. From this description, artists and sculptors have created various works depicting the monster with an octopus-like head (complete with tentacles) and enormous wings attached to its back.
The Call of Cthulhu
Lovecraft did not elaborate much on the monster Cthulhu. He mentioned that Cthulhu once ruled the Earth and will one day return to continue its mission. As the story unfolds, the narrator discovers that Cthulhu is imprisoned in a stone city deep beneath the ocean, but a sudden earthquake causes part of the city to rise above the water. Although Cthulhu is not awakened, it can transmit signals to the brains of certain beings and special individuals (those with brains capable of being ‘immune’ to Cthulhu’s influence). The story concludes by revealing that after a terrible storm, the city sinks back to the ocean floor, and Cthulhu returns to its rightful place.
H.P. Lovecraft
This story also introduces the worship of Cthulhu by a group of people who believe Cthulhu will undoubtedly return, driven by its mission. They have prophesied the time when Cthulhu will rise and take dominion over the Earth. Humanity will then have to set aside its views on civilization and subjugation. Chaos will ensue, and men will revert to their primal instincts.
The Origins of Cthulhu
According to Lovecraft, humans have never fully understood Cthulhu, as the existence of this monster often equates to death. Lovecraft’s world contains many creatures that are beyond human comprehension. Some of these are known as The Great Old Ones or The Old Ones, grotesque, powerful beings with incredibly long lifespans, rivaling even the stars. Although Lovecraft used the term “The Great Old Ones” in a somewhat contradictory manner, most who subscribe to Lovecraft’s views accept that Cthulhu is one of the extraterrestrial monsters that exist only partially within our limited world.
The Great Old Ones
Because Lovecraft’s stories are almost always narrated in the first person by a storyteller with limited knowledge, what we know is confined to that perspective. Other authors have expanded Lovecraft’s worldview, and the community of interested individuals worldwide has engaged in prolonged debates with perspectives that transcend the mythological system and should not be reiterated. What we do know is that The Great Old Ones come from a planet light-years away from Earth and perhaps, they truly exist, at least in some form – across dimensions that humans cannot yet grasp.
Many monsters from The Great Old Ones have been present on Earth, even when our blue planet was still very young and devoid of life. The Elder Things – another species occasionally referred to by Lovecraft as Old Ones – occupied the Earth, built gigantic cities, and perhaps contributed to the genesis of life on this planet. When The Great Old Ones confronted the Elder Things, a stalemate led to a peace agreement. The Great Old Ones established the stone city R’lyeh, ruling the Earth for millions of years until humanity emerged.
Elder Things
The Worship of Cthulhu
In prehistoric times, Cthulhu connected with humanity telepathically, guiding them to ancient temples and sites where humans discovered statues and artworks from other worlds. The Great Old Ones created these statues from materials that do not exist on Earth, from which the worship of Cthulhu began to take shape.
Not long after humanity appeared, R’lyeh was buried beneath the ocean, trapping The Great Old Ones. A small portion of humanity still remembers how to communicate with Cthulhu telepathically and continues to worship this monster. Lovecraft noted that this practice spread across the Earth, from China to Greenland and the swamps of Louisiana, with the chant “ph’nglui mglw’nafh Cthulhu R’lyeh wgah’nagl fhtagn!”, repeated three times and uttered as quickly as possible.
The Worship of Cthulhu
Lovecraft explained that brain signals cannot penetrate the thick layer of water, isolating The Great Old Ones from the human world, preventing any direct influence. They lie still beneath the stone city, awaiting the day when the stars align again and R’lyeh will rise above the water once more. Lovecraft even specified the coordinates of the ancient city in his work “The Call of Cthulhu”: South 47° 9′ and West 126° 43′ 47″. He also described the architecture of this city as non-Euclidean, filled with angles and strange, warped surfaces that seem to have weathered over time.
Mythology of Cthulhu
Lovecraft created a plethora of bizarre and terrifying creatures in his works and throughout his life, encouraging his friends to craft new stories from their own imaginative realms. He was a prolific writer, and historians have preserved numerous letters he sent to other authors, including lengthy discussions about the content of their works and how others could utilize them.
Fans of Lovecraft regard his stories as a mythology surrounding Cthulhu, despite the fact that this monster is not the most powerful entity in his collection of “weird” creatures. However, it is important to note that Lovecraft wrote many stories and poems that have no connection to the Cthulhu mythology at all. What is truly fascinating is that Cthulhu has transcended Lovecraft’s imagination, and the tales surrounding this creature have flourished immensely.
Here are some other monsters that appear in the Cthulhu mythology:
1. Azathoth: A being of unlimited size and power, ruling at the center of the infinite.
Azathoth
2. Dagon: A creature regarded as the “father” of many other monsters like the Deep Ones, which are half-human, half-fish. Dagon is not a creation of Lovecraft’s imagination – he is a principal deity of the Philistines (ancestors of the Palestinian people).
Dagon
3. Hastur: An evil deity often referred to as the “Unspeakable One” because whenever someone mentions this creature’s name, it appears in a very bad mood.
Hastur
4. Nyarlathotep: The soul and messenger of other gods, with an indeterminate form due to its shapeshifting abilities.
Nyarlathotep
5. Shoggoths: Created by the Elder Things, serving as slaves and able to morph into many different shapes, characterized by their protoplasmic, gooey bodies.
Shoggoths
6. Yog-Sothoth: The supreme god, playing a critical role in existence and time, frequently mentioned in the mystical book Necronomicon.
Yog-Sothoth
Does Cthulhu Emit the Bloop Sound?
Location of the Bloop Sound Detection
In 1977, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) discovered a mysterious sound in the depths of the Pacific Ocean while using microphones to probe Soviet submarines during the Cold War. This sound emitted at an extremely low frequency, approximately at 50° S, 100° W (a remote point in the South Pacific), yet was loud enough to be detected by equipment 5,000 km away. When the recorded sound was accelerated, it appeared to resemble a “bloop.” Some opinions suggest that the Bloop sounds similar to whale vocalizations; however, biologists assert that this whale would have to be much larger than any known whale species. Remarkably, after some time echoing in the depths of the ocean, the Bloop suddenly vanished without a trace. Proponents of Cthulhu’s existence argue that this may be the sound of the creature snoring beneath the sunken city of R’lyeh.
Cthulhu in Popular Culture
Due to its mystery, Cthulhu has appeared in numerous films, television shows, comics, video games, music, and even ancient cultures. Lovecraft made significant efforts to impact readers, despite Cthulhu not being featured prominently in many of his works. Perhaps this is because Cthulhu is linked to Earth and has been imprisoned on this planet for thousands of years, or perhaps a description of the creature’s appearance would evoke feelings of fear, disgust, and obsession. Regardless of the reason (which remains undiscovered), Cthulhu has truly become “The Great Old One.”
Several films have utilized Lovecraft’s horror concepts, such as Re-Animator, In the Mouth of Madness, Dagon, The Dunwich Horror, and Necronomicon.
Cthulhu in Necronomicon
A role-playing horror game titled Call of Cthulhu has also been released. This game features a storyline inspired by the Cthulhu mythos. Additionally, another video game named Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth has also been published. Players assume the role of a character embarking on an adventure to explore Lovecraft’s imagined world, confronting nightmares and striving to survive.
However, everything regarding Cthulhu remains a mystery to this day, and perhaps, it only exists in dreams.
