Charles worked at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
It was the 90s', and he loved his job. It would sometimes be a bit tedious,
but he still loved learning about each and every new creature that they sighted. He was happy.
Suddenly, on a summer day, during one of the many explorations they carried out,
they heard a huge boom… a very strange sound. It seemed to be an animal way bigger than all
the animals they had ever seen before, which were a lot. They were completely confused,
but they immediately started investigating, trying to find a logical explanation of what happened.
His co-workers, after a few weeks, decided to close the case since they couldn't find an
explanation. However, Charles started pondering about it, and remembered his favorite author:
Howard Phillips Lovecraft. That strange sound came from the same location as the underwater
city of R’lyeh, the place where, at least in theory, lies the monstrous creature Cthulhu.
He opted to not say anything to his co-workers – he didn't want to alarm them,
let alone seem like a crazy man. However, in that moment, his life changed forever.
He started suffering constant anxiety attacks, and started having trouble sleeping. At first
he wouldn't remember what he dreamed about… but he eventually identified the monster in
his nightmares: Huge like a mountain, with a head that resembled an octopus or a squid.
He knew the story to heart… but he always thought it was just fiction. And now, he was experiencing
all the misfortunes he had read about so many times. Cthulhu started to control his dreams,
producing in him feelings of hate and sadness that were very hard to explain…
Charles tried to be reasonable, and tell himself that it was all a product of his imagination…
but he became so obsessed that he ended up losing his job and his family.
Meanwhile, he experienced nightmares more and more frequently, and would constantly repeat
that at any moment, that monster would wake up, and take both him, and the entirety of humanity.
He couldn't stand that psychological pressure, and in one of his outbursts,
he gouged (gáulld) out his own eyes. That way, he would never be able to see that horrible creature…
On today's new #ScaryTuesday we want to talk to you about Cthulhu, tiktakers! Isn't
it terrifying that a being can get into our dreams, and influence our decisions? Because
that's something this character from the works of H.P. Lovecraft can do. Through his stories,
Lovecraft created a horror mythology based on the existence of parallel universes, and beings
originating from those places, which he called The Primordials. In Lovecraft's universe, they lived
on Earth before humans came along, and that's why they are trying to reconquer the planet.
These creatures cause terrible damage to humanity, and the best known of all of them is Cthulhu.
There are different ways to refer to it, and there is no consensus about the way its name
is actually pronounced. However, what the experts on Lovecraft's works do agree on
is that this creature has characteristics and abilities that make it as powerful as a god.
This being comes from a far away galaxy, and arrived on Earth thousands of years ago. It and
its followers, similar in physical appearance but smaller, fought against other creatures.
At one point they reached a peace agreement, and in that moment the great Cthulhu and its minions
locked themselves in the underwater city of R'lyeh,
in the Southern Pacific ocean. However, the story says that Cthulhu will eventually
reawaken to reconquer Earth, which will happen when the stars align in its favor.
Physically, this god-like being is comparable to a mountain: Very big and strong. Its head
could be compared to an octopus or a squid, and part of its body is similar to that of a dragon:
It has wings, and it seems to be composed of some sort of jelly-like mass covered in scales.
Some say that it can change its shape, and that it's an indestructible creature. Even if you were
to throw a nuclear bomb at Cthulhu, this monster would just rise from its ashes to keep attacking.
This character was first introduced in the story "The Call of Cthulhu",
published in 1928 in the magazine Weird Tales. According to the story, it is said that whatever
is known about Cthulhu comes from the Text of R'lyeh, an ancient sacred book. Among the
abilities we already mentioned, Cthulhu also has the power to contact people through their dreams,
affecting them subconsciously, and leading them towards hate and self-harm. Moreover, if you look
at Cthulhu directly into its eyes, it will be able to control you forever. And in Lovecraft's work,
it's precisely that ability that makes Cthulhu an object of worship in different cults.
This acclaimed horror author included this character in many of his consecutive works,
which then inspired many other authors.
The Cthulhu Mythos encapsulates different works by Lovecraft which were then completed by other
authors within his circle. And Lovecraft's work not only inspired the literary world,
since there are many games based on this creature, or which make references to its mythos.
Among them there's the role-playing game "The Call of Cthulhu", where we'll have to face
this beast and its other-wordly powers. This creature has also appeared on the big screen,
and has inspired many characters such as the famous Davy Jones from Pirates of the Caribbean.
Cthulhu has also appeared in TV shows, of course! It spread chaos in Springfield,
one of the world's most famous cities, when it appeared on a Simpsons' episode.
We have also seen it in South Park, Gravity Falls, and many other shows! Cthulhu has also appeared
in many other animes, video games, etc… and it definitely entráps anyone who learns about it!
So tiktakers, we hope that you don't find Cthulhu in your dreams anytime soon…