The problem of Cthulhu

Andy Robertson · 20 Jun 2007, 07:31 · from 2007-June.txt.gz

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From: andywrobertson at clara.co.uk (Andy Robertson)
Date: Wed, 20 Jun 2007 08:31:17 +0100
Subject: (urth) The problem of Cthulhu
In-Reply-To: <11530.67.142.130.61.1182296319.squirrel at brunians.org>
References: <135522.2581.qm at web32402.mail.mud.yahoo.com>
	<E1I0mli-0006te-N4 at oceanus.uk.clara.net>
	<11530.67.142.130.61.1182296319.squirrel at brunians.org>
Message-ID: <E1I0ues-000F8m-49 at oceanus.uk.clara.net>

brunians at brunians.org writes: 

> 
>> The GOO are simply a modern analog of the Greek Titans or the Norse Jotuns
> 
> I'm not sure if this is strictly accurate. 

The actual literary progression in HPL's writing was 1) pseudo-Dunsanaica, 
with "the little gods of Earth" a close analog of the neo-greek Gods of 
Pegana  2) intrusion in the neo-Dunsanies of the Other gods or Outer Gods as 
powerful external enemies of these gods  3) equation of these Outer gods 
with the GOO, Cthulhu etc. 

So I think the linkage is pretty firm. 

Also, the titans and the
> jotunsn are not analagous. The titans are more analagous with the Vanir.
> The jotuns are, I can't think of a Greek equivalent,

Typhon maybe.  The Titans are supposed to have been the previous generation 
of gods, but as you mention below the norse gods are descended from the 
jotuns, where is the difference? 

> but the Indian
> equivalent would be the Rakshasas probably. 
>

Another IE derived mythology 

> It gets a little complicated, because the aesir and the vanir are all
> related to the jotuns, in fact they are racially identical, they split off
> at some time in the past.

And we all have Deep ONe blood / are the leavings of the Antarctic GOO's 
laboratories. 

It all fits - except that HPL was discarding the archaic elements and 
remythologising things on contemporary lines. Or in a nutshell: 

LOVECRAFT WAS RIGHT 

http://www.thenightland.co.uk 

01273-488272 / 0777-214-9545

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