The Cthulhu Mythos is a fictional universe created by HP Lovecraft featuring deities called the Great Old Ones and Old Gods. Other authors have expanded upon Lovecraft’s ideas, with August Derleth portraying the Old Gods as benevolent beings. The mythos has gained notoriety in various forms of media, including rock bands, tabletop RPGs, and independent films.
The Cthulhu Mythos is a fictional universe created by famed American horror author HP Lovecraft in the 1920s. Although originally created by Lovecraft, the Cthulhu Mythos has been sampled and expanded upon by numerous other authors. Generally, stories set in the Cthulhu mythos feature the ideas and themes originally created by Lovecraft, and many authors writing in the mythos attempt to expand on or clarify Lovecraft’s original ideas. The myth received its name from Cthulhu, an aquatic demigod referred to in many stories and is considered the most popular of Lovecraft’s creations.
Stories set in the Cthulhu Mythos generally involve mankind’s theological ignorance. The universe is ruled by deities called the Great Old Ones or simply Old Ones, and their counterparts, the Old Gods. Though in most stories, these Outer Gods once ruled the Earth and are now dormant, it is promised that one day they will awaken and rule the world once more.
A common theme of stories set in the Cthulhu Mythos is a person being exposed to the fact that humanity is just a pawn in the greater scheme of things, with no divine spark or special spiritual significance. This usually occurs with voluntary or unwilling contact with the Great Old Ones or their human followers. Often, upon learning the truth, these individuals go mad.
During Lovecraft’s lifetime, his mythos was sampled by other famous writers of the period, such as Robert E. Howard and Henry Kuttner. Often, Lovecraft and his correspondences borrowed materials from each other, such as places or demigods. After Lovecraft’s death, other writers, such as August Derleth, worked to continue the Cthulhu Mythos.
August Derleth was the next principal author of the Cthulhu Mythos. Because Lovecraft was an atheist, many of his stories portrayed the Ancients and Old Gods as generally neutral about the fate of humanity. In the continuation of the Cthulhu mythos, Derleth attempted to portray the Old Gods as benevolent beings who had imprisoned the Old Ones for cosmic transgressions.
Other lesser-known writers who tried the Cthulhu Mythos again expanded upon Lovecraft’s mythology. The stories they produced introduced a larger pantheon of gods and demigods, as well as additional sources that fictional characters used to build their knowledge of the hidden occult world of the Ancients. Based on the stories of Lovecraft and Derleth, these writers helped the Cthulhu Mythos gain a small degree of notoriety.
The Cthulhu Mythos has expanded into many other forms of media. References to the Ancients or to places and characters from Lovecraft’s stories are often referenced by rock bands. Several tabletop RPGs have been created over the years by game companies looking to expand and profit from the Cthulhu Mythos. Additionally, a large number of independent films have been created based on some of the most popular stories.
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