HP Lovecraft is widely recognized as one of the godfathers of the horror genre, creating a vast number of terrifying monsters that still frighten readers generations after his first stories were published. He is mostly known for creating the Cthulhu mythos, a series of monstrous deities that play with the concept of godhood and existence in general. We are going to explore some of the most terrifying gods in Lovecraft’s mythology in this article, so get ready for some good old-fashioned existential dread.
6- DAGON
The first deity introduced by Lovecraft in his famous mythos, originally appearing in the short story “Dagon” published in 1919. Dagon is an underwater god known as the Deep One, who was worshipped thousands of years ago by Mesopotamian priests and more. He is the ruler of a cult of oceanic monsters who constantly worship him and seek to bring forth the destruction of the human race.
5- CTHULHU
The most famous god in Lovecraft’s work, and one of the most iconic monsters in horror literature and fiction, Cthulhu is an underwater god who descends from the Old Ones, the primordial deities of the universe. He acts as a form of priest for this pantheon of deities, and has been sleeping in the bottom of the ocean for thousands of years waiting for the time he will become the herald of the destruction of the human race. Originally introduced in the short story “The Call of Cthulhu”, published in 1928, the character quickly gained popularity for the tremendous dread it brought to readers across the world, cementing Lovecraft’s reputation as a grand master of literary horror.
4- NYARLATHOTEP
One of the few truly evil deities in Lovecraft’s mythos. While the other gods seem to mostly ignore mankind and see them as nothing but insects, Nyarlathotep constantly uses his powers to manipulate humans into servitude and committing horrible deeds. He has the power to control minds and to shapeshift into a million different forms, most of them so terrifying that they can drive the human mind to madness. He usually presents himself as an Egyptian pharaoh, being the only god who presents himself in a humanoid form, and takes pleasure in torturing his victims as much as possible for the glory of the Old Ones. He was introduced to the world in 1920’s prose poem “Nyarlathotep.”
3- SHUB-NIGGURATH
Also known as “The Black Goat of the Forest with a Thousand Young,” Shub-Niggurath is the Lovecraftian goddess of fertility. She was first introduced in the short story “The Last Test”, published in 1928, and she is described as a formless mass of flesh, constantly giving birth to all life in the universe, without even being aware that she is doing so. She represents the ultimate meaninglessness of life, showing that creation has no purpose other than just existing. In Lovecraft’s canon, she was worshipped by several cults who tried to use her powers to give birth to indescribable monsters.
2- YOG-SOTHOTH
One of the most disturbing monsters in Lovecraft’s mythos, Yog-Sothoth is a cosmic entity that takes the form of a conglomeration of glowing spheres. It is omnipresent and omniscient, meaning that it knows all that always occurs in the universe. It was first introduced in “The Case of Charles Dexter Ward”, published in 1941, and represents the image of an all-knowing god who does not care about existence. Those who seek to please or understand this god are faced with disaster and agony.
1 - AZATHOTH
A symbol of primordial chaos, this creature is the ruler of all the gods in the Cthulhu mythos. Known simply as “The Blind Idiot God,” the entirety of reality is contained within his dream, meaning that existence in the Lovecraft canon is merely an illusion created by this monster. Representing pure entropy, and the idea that there is no entity that cares about humanity in the universe other than humans themselves, Azathoth was the first deity of the universe, and will be the last. Originally published in the novella “The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath” of 1927, Azathoth is the most terrifying god of the Cthulhu universe, and the ultimate example of cosmic horror.
Which of these gods scared you the most? Are there any monsters of Lovecraft’s pantheon that I skipped? Let me know in the comments!
Some beautiful art here.