The Lurker at the Threshold.
The Gate and the Key.
The Opener of the Way.
Yog-Sothoth.
In the previous video we discussed Azathoth, the most powerful deity within the Cthulhu mythos.
But if Azathoth is the most powerful entity,
then Yog-Sothoth is certainly the most knowledgeable.
Yog-Sothoth has been featured in a number of Lovecraft's stories,
starting with "The Case of Charles Dexter Ward", in which its name was a part of various incantations.
In "The Dunwich Horror", Old Whateley calls upon Yog-Sothoth to impregnate his daughter, Lavinia.
Lavinia goes on to have twin sons,
one who is the titular Dunwich Horror.
Yog-Sothoth's name was mentioned in other incantations and rituals,
particularly ones involving gaining knowledge.
Finally, Yog-Sothoth was featured in the story "Beyond the Gates of The Silver Key",
in which the protagonist actually speaks with the Outer God as he passes through the multiverse.
Yog-Sothoth is described most often as a bubbling mass of eyes, tendrils and especially many glowing orbs.
Much like Nyarlathotep, Yog-Sothoth possesses the ability to take various forms beyond this,
although not nearly as numerous as Nyarlathotep.
These forms range from similar to his normal form
to appearing almost human-like,
albeit hidden behind a shimmering veil.
Yog-Sothoth is often said to "know all and see all".
According to the mythos, it is coterminous with all space and time,
and yet for some reason is also locked out of our physical universe unless summoned in some manner.
Yog-Sothoth views all existences in all dimensions simultaneously,
and because of His omnipresence He is worshipped by many different species across many different times.
Worshippers of Yog-Sothoth call to him to gain forbidden knowledge,
and sorcerers seek to gain limited control over space and time.
It is said that those who speak to Yog-Sothoth find Him not specifically evil,
although practically none of the mythos entities conform to our human notions of good and evil.
Ultimately, however, those who seek to interfere with the nature of space and time end up with Yog-Sothoth...
... which is said to be a fate worse than death.
There are few theories regarding Yog-Sothoth, although none have much credence to them.
The first is that Yog-Sothoth is the eternal enemy of Nodens,
though this has little evidence to support it.
We will discuss Nodens in a later video.
Another theory suggests that Yog-Sothoth was actually trapped beneath Mount Sinai under an Elder Sign,
and that Moses freed him,
implying that Yahweh is actually a form of Yog-Sothoth.
This seems more fanciful thinking in my opinion,
and is somewhat short-sighted in the grand scheme of things.
A final theory states that Yog-Sothoth is comprised of three beings,
who, when summoned,
will allow the combined being to remain in the physial dimension forever.
Again, this theory lacks any sort of concrete literary evidence.
Yog-Sothoth is another interesting entity in the Cthulhu mythos,
since it has a bit more of an involved presence than one like Azathoth.
A being that is completely outside our realm of understanding,
and yet also can be convinced to impregnate a mortal woman, if the terms are right.
Yog-Sothoth is an oddity, for sure,
but humans are often obsessed with gaining knowledge,
and it's essential to that concept.
Yog-Sothoth does not get as much publicity as a deity like Cthulhu,
but it has been written about and referenced a decent amount.
One notable example in recent years is the PlayStation4 game "Bloodborne",
"Bloodborne" features a great deal of Lovecraftian themes and references
and while it's unlikely that any entity in that game is a direct analogy of Yog-Sothoth,
characters such as Odeon and the Moon Presence have many similarities to what we know of Yog-Sothoth.
A seperate video discussing the Lovecraft references in "Bloodborne" may follow.
While Yog-Sothoth is a very pivotal figure in the mythos in regards to the universe,
ultimately that means, much like Azathoth,
we just don't know much about it.
What we do know, however, is that Yog-Sothoth is aware of us,
is watching us,
and is thinking about our every move.