In his house at R’lyeh - dead Cthulhu waits dreaming.
The line first penned in H.P Lovecraft’s 1926 short story - The Call Of Cthulhu, outlining
the machinations of a bizarre cult first found in the misty swamps outside of New Orleans
- worshippers of something beyond the comprehension of human power - Cthulhu - the High Priest
of the Great Old Ones - the Great Dreamer - the Sleeper of the Dead City of R’lyeh.
Well - we said he wasn’t going to make any of our Lovecraftian Monsters list - but that’s
because he’s got a whole video to himself.
What’s going on horror fans - and welcome back to this eldritch episode of The Monster
Files, right here on Top 5 Scary Videos.
As always - I’ll be your humble host Jack Finch - as we once again light up the altar
- don our ceremonial garb - and take a look at the Top 5 Scary Cthulhu Stories.
Roll the clip.
Don’t worry guys - that was just his avatar.
He’s much, much bigger than that.
Now - granted, Cthulhu is only the eldritch horror that we know and love because of the
mystery that surrounds him, and his actual physical appearance only crops up once in
the Lovecraftian Mythos in The Call of Cthulhu.
But with mystery, comes an abundance of fear - and every time we hear Cthulhu’s name
whispered in the works of Lovecraft - we understand the true depth of his cosmic horror.
Well - let’s take a look shall we.
Kicking off at Number 5 - The Shadow Over Innsmouth
Which some would consider to be one of the most defining departures of the Cthulhu Mythos
- building on the majority of the Deep One themes established in Lovecraft’s previous
short story - Dagon.
The Shadow Over Innsmouth is absolutely great - and delivers on Lovecraft’s style of blending
shared-universe references, with mythology and hard history.
It also drew heavily on Lovecraft’s own fear of mental degeneration - harkening back
to the tragic events of both of his parents dying in a mental institution - and the fear
of not being able to escape your own genetic fate.
This story, although - of course - Cthulhu is only ever alluded to - features the creepy
coastal town of Innsmouth, Massachusetts - and it’s bizarre and otherworldly inhabitants.
Well, otherworldly in the sense that the townspeople have been breeding with fishmen for centuries,
offering human sacrifices to remain in good standing.
It fleshes out the concept of the Deep Ones - the custodians of Cthulhu, who maintain
his aquatic realm and the dead city of R’lyeh, living deep beneath the sea and emerging to
claim unsuspecting sacrifices for the Great Old One.
Coming in at Number 4 - The Trail of Cthulhu
Which - granted, is a series of interconnected short stories - by American author August
Derleth, a long time friend and colleague of Lovecraft, who would often flesh out the
Cthulhu Mythos - alongside other authors such as Lin Carter and Brian Lumley - who were
often dubbed the Lovecraft Circle.
If you’ve got some time to kill though - I’d definitely recommend reading the Trail of
Cthulhu - because it’s worth it for the creepy, slow, sinking step into the wider
world of Cthulhu.
The Trail of Cthulhu is comprised of The House on Curwen Street, The Watcher from the Sky
- The Gorge Beyond Salapunco - The Keeper of the Key - and The Black Island.
It focuses on the character of Laban Shrewsbury - an anthropologist and professor of philosophy
at Miskatonic University, who pursues the ancient texts and scriptures of a mysterious
cult and makes it his life's work to combat and expose the Great Old Ones and their grotesque
followers.
It’s cut and shut cosmic horror - wrapped up in an increasingly terrifying mystery - and
of course, there’s no happy ending.
Next up at Number 3 - The Whisperer in Darkness
Which is a different dive of direction into the Cthulhu Mythos - at a time where Lovecraft
would focus more on science fiction and the scope of his universe, rather than mysterious
cults in mysterious towns - doing mysterious … things.
Besides that, though - The Whisperer in Darkness is perhaps Lovecraft’s most startling example
of the futility of mankind against the cycles of the Great Old Ones and Outer Gods.
Also, it’s like one huge - terrifying, cosmic mind-bending acid trip - and first alluded
to the bug-like, fungal alien brain stealing fanatics - the Mi-Go, which were a whole new
level in Lovecraftian horror.
But - what have they got to do with our boy Cthulhu?
Well, of course - he’s their great, tentacled all powerful prophet.
The Whisperer in Darkness focuses on the character of Albert N. Wilmarth, a professor of literature
at the Miskatonic University in Arkham.
He gets wrapped up in the conspiracy of a group of monstrous beings in the foothills
of Vermont, exchanging letters with the mysterious Henry Wentworth Akeley - a man who claims
to know the extraterrestrial origin of those grotesque beings.
In the short story, Akeley states - I learned whence Cthulhu first came, and why half the
great temporary stars of history had flared forth.
Spoilers - it doesn’t end well.
Swinging in at Number 2 - The Nameless City
First published in 1921 - Lovecraft noted that the idea for The Nameless City was based
on a dream - and in that case, it’s no wonder that Lovecraft became the grandfather of cosmic
horror if he was having dreams like this.
As well as his bizarre dreams, it was also inspired on Edgar Rice Burroughs - At the
Earth’s Core - focuses on the themes of alien races more powerful and more intelligent
than mankind - creating ancient civilizations lost deep beneath the Earth’s crust.
The Nameless City describes the ruins of an ancient reptilian civilization, lost in the
desert sands of the Arabian Peninsula - older and more mysterious than any other on the
planet.
And why did they built such a massive, glorious city?
Well, of course - to worship the Great Old Ones and their High Priest.
It’s always that, right?
The Nameless City is a terrifying yet easy read - and is the perfect way to understand
first hand the bizarre mystery that surrounds the Cthulhu Mythos.
It also features the mad Arabian poet himself, Abdul Alhazred - the author of the Necronomicon
and a crazed, fanatical character the heralds the terror of the Great Old Ones.
In it, he says one of my most favourite lines in the whole of Lovecraft’s work - That
is not dead which can eternal lie, and with strange aeons even death may die.
And finally - at our Number 1 spot - The Call of Cthulhu
And of course - it has to be, the only time that we get to fully glimpse Cthulhu’s grotesque,
fleshy head.
Not only that though - but an insanely well written horror story, and the perfect first
step for any Lovecraftian rookies.
The way that it grabs you with intrigue and slowly peels back the horror of the Great
Old Ones and the more powerful forces in the universe at play is one of my favourite components
of cosmic horror.
Part mystery, part manuscript - The Call of Cthulhu is written in documentary style, weaving
together three separate stories that slowly piece together the existence of Cthulhu himself
and his cult of followers.
The story features perhaps the perfect summise of Lovecraft’s work in it’s opening two
sentences.
-- The most merciful thing in the world, I think, is the inability of the human mind
to correlate all its contents.
We live on a placid island of ignorance in the midst of black seas of infinity, and it
was not meant that we should voyage far.
I don’t want to ruin anything about The Call of Cthulhu - because if you’ve never
read it, there’s a certain magic that comes with going into it completely blind.
It’s terrifying, it’s transfixing - and it’s full of insanely grotesque tentacles,
which are the three core elements of anything and everything to do with Cthulhu.
Give it a read.
Well - there we have it folks, our eldritch episode of The Monster Files - the big boy
himself Cthulhu.
Before we depart, though I’d like to read out some of your greatest comments from over
the past few days.
First off - Dreamseeker says - Love your passion for Lovecraft Jack.
Well, much love Dreamseeker.
Some would say passion - others would say that I’ve been indoctrinated by the Esoteric
Order of Dagon.
Cthulhu fhtagn.
Jason Lescorbeau says - Plz explore the Necroscope book series.
So underrated!!
Lovecraftian vampires from another world?! - and nice one Jason, I’ve never actually
read the Necroscope series - but Brian Lumley is enough of a reason for me.
Lovecraftian vampires from another world - say no more.
And finally - Marcus says - I love the word eldritch.
Well - me too buddy, me too.
Maybe we should rename the channel to Top 5 Eldritch Videos?
Kinda got a ring to it.
Well unfortunately folks, that’s all we’ve got time for in today’s episode of The Monster
Files - feel free to hit that thumbs up button and show us some love in the comment section
down below.
As always, I’ve been your host Jack Finch - you’ve been watching Top 5 Scary Videos
- and until next time, you take it easy.