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Necronomicon Info Source, Good File on Research
Necronomicon Info Source
Contents:
Part I: The Necronomicon Mythos According to HPL Lovecraft's
ideas on his myth-cycle
Part II: The Necronomicon and Ancient Arab Magick Arab magick
as a possible source for HPL's fiction
Part III: Sources on Ancient Magick Research sources and some
more data
Part IV: The Necronomicon Mythos and Modern Magick A.
Crowley, Anton LaVey, Kenneth Grant, A.Spare and Dr. Dee
------------------------------------------------------------------------
PART I
THE NECRONOMICON MYTHOS ACCORDING TO HPL
This section is a short summary of some of horror writer H.P.
Lovecraft's major ideas relating to the Necronomicon and its
associated Myths. The Necronomicon is perhaps the most infamous
book related to the magick (whether real or fictional). Please note
that I am not claiming that the information presented in part is
historical fact. Rather I am simply summarizing what HPL had to
say in his fiction and other sources about the Necronomicon. After
reading ALL parts of this post AND doing your own research, you
will be the judge about what may or may not be historical fact.
Perhaps the best way to start is by Quoting HPL from _The History
and Chronology of the Necronomicon_. "Original title Al Azif-Azif
being the word used by the Arabs to designate that nocturnal sound
(made by insects) supposed to be the howling of demons."
"Composed by Abdul Alhazred, a mad poet of Sanaa, in Yemen,
who is said to have flourished in the time of the Ommiade Caliphs,
circa A.D. 700. He visited the ruins of Babylon and the
subterranean secrets of Memphis and spent ten years alone in the
great southern desert of Arabia-the Roba el Khaliye or 'Empty
Space' of the ancients and 'Dahna' or 'Crimson Desert' of the
modern Arabs, which is held to be inhabited by protective evil
spirits and monsters of death. Of this desert many strange and
unbelievable marvels are told by those who pretend to have
penetrated it. In his last years Alhazred dwelt in Damascus, where
the Necronomicon (Al Azif) was written... Of his madness many
things are told. He claimed to have seen the fabulous Irem or city of
Pillars, and to have found beneath the ruins of a certain nameless
desert town the shocking annals and secrets of a race older than
mankind."
Later the Al Azif was translated into Greek under the Greek title
Necronomicon (the title is definitely not in Latin as is often
claimed). This title is translated as "the Book (or image) of the
Practices of the Dead"; Necro being Greek for "Dead" and Nomos
meaning "practices", "customs" or "rules" (as in astronomy). The
title Necronomicon absolutely does not translate as Book of Dead
Names (as Colin Wilson has mistakenly and repeatedly stated). In
order for it to mean Dead Names it would have to be Latin/Greek
hybrid (besides HPL flatly indicated the first translation is the
correct one). Still later (possibly in the 1200's) it was translated
into Latin but retained it's Greek title. The Latin text came into the
possession of Dr. John Dee in the sixteenth century. Dr. Dee made
the only English translation of the Necronomicon known.
The Necronomicon contains dark secrets about the real nature of
the Earth and the universe. According to the Necronomicon the
Earth was once ruled by the Old Ones, powerful beings from other
worlds or other dimensions. HPL in _The Dunwich Horror_
attributes this quote to the Necronomicon "Nor is it to be thought,
that man is either the oldest or the last of Earth's masters, or that
the common bulk of life and substance walks alone. The Old Ones
were, the Old Ones are, the Old Ones shall be not in the spaces we
know but between them, They walk serene and primal
undimensioned and to us unseen. Yog-Sothoth is the gate. Yog-
Sothoth is the key and guardian of the gate. Past, present, future all
are one in Yog-Sothoth. He Knows where the Old Ones broke
Through of old, and Where They shall break through again. He
knows where They have trod earth's fields, and where They still
tread them, and why no man can behold Them as They tread. By
their smell can men sometimes know them near, but of their
semblance can no man know, saving only in the featurs of those
They have begotten on mankind; and of those are there many sorts,
differing in likeness from mans truest eidolon to that shape without
sight or substance which is Them. They walk unseen and foul in
lonely places where the Words have been spoken and the Rights
howled through at their seasons...Yog-Sothoth is the key to the
gate whereby the spheres meet. Man rule now where They rule
once; They shall soon rule where man rule now. After summer is
winter, after winter summer. They wait patient and potent, for here
they shall reign again."
The Necronomicon STRONGLY hints that there is a cult or group
of cults that worships the Old Ones and seeks to aid them gain
control of this planet. One of the tactics attempted by this cult is to
breed human and Old One offspring that will then multiply and
ingress into terrestrial life until the Old Ones return to their pre-
ordained position.
Some branches of the cult venerate a deity called Cthulhu. Cthulhu
is a dragon-like "god" with a face that is a mass of tentacles.
Cthulhu is dead (dormant) but dreaming in the abyss (the Pacific
Ocean). It is not certain whether or not Cthulhu is an Old One. At
one point Cthulhu is referred to as Cousin of the Old Ones. At
another the deity is called the high priest of the Old Ones; both of
these labels might imply that Cthulhu may not be exactly like the
Old Ones. The cult seeks to raise Cthulhu in order to usher in the
day when the Old Ones will control the world. When Cthulhu rises
men will be wild and free beyond good and evil. If Cthulhu rises
partly from the ocean but it is not yet the correct time there are
terrible bouts of madness. The center of the Cthulhu cult "lay amid
the pathless deserts of Araibia, where Irem, City of Pillars dreams
hidden and untouched." The cult places special emphasis on
dreams, which they say can sometimes contain the thoughts of the
"deity."
There are many other important gods mentioned in the
Necronomicon. One group of these deities, the Other Gods seem to
be true Gods (unlike the Old Ones and Cthulhu who seem simply
to be very powerful entities).
Most important among the Other Gods are Yog-Sothoth and
Azathoth. Yog-Sothoth is coterminous with ALL time and space. In
_Through the Gates of the Silver Key_ Lovecraft (who, despite the
fact that E. Hoffman Price appears as co-author, wrote nearly every
word of this story) describes Yog-Sothoth thus:"an All in One and
One in All of limitless being and self-the last, utter sweep which
has no confines and which outreaches fancy and mathematics alike.
" Past, present, future all are one in Yog-Sothoth. Of equal or
greater importance is Azathoth. Evidence that Azathoth is at least
equal with Yog-Sothoth is that Azathoth is "Lord of All" while
Yog-Sothoth is "All in One, One in All" Azathoth is the "ultimate
nuclear chaos," at "the center of infinity." It is from the Throne of
Azathoth that the aimless waves, "whose chance combining gives
each frail cosmos its eternal law," originate from. It is Extremely
noteworthy that Azathoth is very closely related to the latest models
in Quantum Physics. There are also some notable parallels between
HPL's ideas about Chaos and the new Chaos Mathematics.
Azathoth the ultimate nuclear chaos that emits the random waves
that govern the universe seems to be the principle opposite of Yog-
Sothoth who embraces the expanses of infinity. Whereas Yog-
Sothoth is infinitely large, Azathoth seems to be infinitely compact
(e.g., the quantum center). HPL researcher Philip A. Shreffler states
in _The H.P. Lovecraft Companion_ that the acting principles of
Yog-Sothoth and Azathoth are "infinite expansion and infinite
contraction" respectively.
The heart and soul of the Other Gods is Nyarlathotep the mighty
messenger. It is as their messenger that Nyarlathotep makes the will
of the Other Gods known on Earth. It is through Him that all traffic
with Azathoth must go. Nyarlathotep has a thousand forms. He is
called the Crawling Chaos.
Shub-Niggurath the Black Goat of the Woods is a type of "perverse
fertility deity." Shub-Niggurath also is called the Goat with a
thousand young. It is apparently a very important deity in the
Necronomicon mythos, judging by how frequently It is mentioned.
There is obviously a connection between the cult of Shub-
Niggurath and the many Goat cults of antiquity.
Besides Cthulhu, the Old Ones and the Other Gods there are
numerous minor races of creatures in the Necronomicon such as the
shoggoths. A shoggoth is a shapeless congerie of "protoplasmic
bubbles." The shoggoths were created by the Old Ones as servitors.
They can assume any form they need to accomplish their assigned
task. They are unruly servants, becoming more intelligent with time
eventually gaining a will of their own. Shoggoth are sometimes,
according to HPL, seen in drug-induced visions.
Another race is the Deep Ones who are a type of amphibious
creature resembling a mixture of a fish, a frog and man. The Deep
Ones worship a god called Dagon. Dagon is a deity resembling a
giant Deep One. Dagon and the Deep Ones seem to be Allied in
some way with Cthulhu.
Another minor race is ghoul. Ghouls are corpse eating monsters
that are very manlike except for their canine or monstrous facial
features. It is possible for a man to be transformed into a ghoul
under the right circumstances.
This concludes my short summary of HPL's major ideas on the
Necronomicon and it's Associated myths. This is by no means
exhaustive but it should give you enough general information to
address the rest of this post with a good point of references.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
PART II
THE NECRONOMICON AND ANCIENT ARAB MAGICK
HPL's accounts of the Necronomicon provide a number of dramatic
parallels with actual Arab myths and magickal techniques. These
parallels are too specific and detailed for it to be a case of
coincidence. Much of the material in this section was NOT
available in the books printed in English before 1930. This would
seem to mean that Lovecraft either was given the information in his
stories by someone initiated in Arab magickal traditions (which is
VERY unlikely) or that Lovecraft had a written source of
information on Arab myths and magick not publicly available. The
second option is rather plausible as Lovecraft was an
extraordinarily erudite bibliophile who Loved Arab mythology
when young. Lovecraft Almost certainly had an unprinted, probably
rare, book (or some other form of manuscript), on Arab myths or
magick. This is the most economical explanation as to how VERY
OBSCURE information on Arab magick could appear in his
stories. Lovecraft probably owned a book much like Al Azif
(Necronomicon) in content if not in title. To some people this may
sound like a difficult assertion to accept without support. I am just
that type of person. The reason I am making this assertion is that I
feel it is very well supported. I hope you will share this feeling
when you are done reading this post.
I will now detail some of the rare information, referred to above,
that connects HPL's accounts of the Necronomicon and its myths
with real Arab mystical and magickal traditions.
HPL wrote that the Necronomicon was written Abdul Alhazred,
who was called the "Mad Poet." Alhazred visited the lost city "Irem
of the Pillars" (the center or the cult of Cthulhu) and encountered
many strange and magickal things there. Lovecraft placed Irem in
the Rub al Khali. When he was very old, Alhazred recorded what
he had learned in his book of poetry _Al Azif_ (later retitled
Necronomicon).
Irem is very important to Arab magick. "Irem Zhat al Imad" (Irem of
the Pillars) is the cities name in Arabic. It is popularly believed by
the Arabs that Irem was built by the Jinn under the direction of
Shaddad, Lord of the tribe of Ad. The tribe of Ad, according to
legend, was a race roughly equivalent to the Hebrew "Nephlim"
(giants). In some version of this myth Shaddad and the Jinn built
Irem before the time of Adam. The Muqarribun (Arab magicians)
have important beliefs about Irem and it's significance. The
Muqarribun, whose traditions predate Islam, believe that Irem is a
locale on another level of reality, rather than a physical city like
NY or Tokyo. (Why Irem is important to the Muqarribun and how
they use it will be more fully explained shortly.) The "Pillars" in
"Irem of the Pillars has a hidden meaning. Among Arab mystics
pillar is a code name for "elder" or "old one." Thus "Irem of the
Pillars" is really "Irem of the Old Ones." (It is noteworthy that
several Lovecraft "scholars" erroneously claim that HPL created
Irem, just as they claim he created the Necronomicon, as part of his
fiction.)
In Arab legend Irem is located in the Rub al Khali just as HPL said
it was. To the Muqarribun the Rub al Khali also has a "hidden"
meaning (incidentally the art of encoding and decoding "hidden"
meanings in Arab mystical or magickal writing is called Tawil).
Rub al Khali translates as "the EMPTY Quarter." In this case
Empty refers to the VOID and is the same as AIN in the Cabbalistic
traditions. Rub al Khali is the "secret" door to the Void in Arab
magickal traditions. It is the Exact Arab equivalent to DAATH in
the Cabbala. To the Muqarribun the Rub al Khali is the secret gate
(Daath) to the Void (Ain) in which is the "city of the Old Ones."
This is Incredibly close to Lovecraft, who made many references to
a gate connected with the "Old Ones." Further Lovecraft claimed
that the Old Ones were from Outside (another dimension of reality)
and linked them with the "infinite void." By making these claims
about the "Old Ones" and connecting them to Irem and the Rub al
Khali Lovecraft tapped into the very core of an almost unknown
(but important) area of ancient Arab magick. What makes this even
more interesting is that there is no way to know about the "hidden"
meaning of Irem unless you have done some serious research into
Arab magickal and mystical traditions. Thus Lovecraft either made
one of the luckiest guesses in history or actually did some research
into the deeper aspects of the Muqarribun magickal traditions (to
my knowledge there were no publicly available books with this
information in Lovecraft's time).
The "Rub al Khali" (not the physical desert, but the Arab equivalent
of Daath) was entered in an altered state of consciousness (some
where between dreams and the complete absence of thought) by the
Muqarribun. Irem represents that part of the "Empty Quarter" that
acts as the connection to the Void. It is from this place (Irem) that
the communion with the Void and that which inhabits it can
happen. The "monsters of death" and protective spirits Lovecraft
mentions are the Jinn (see below). The Muqarribun can interact
with these entities when he is in the "Rub al Khali" or "Irem."
When the Muqarribun passes through Irem to the Void he achieves
Annihilation (fana). Annihilation is the supreme attainment in Sufi
and Muqarribun mysticism. During Annihilation the magicians
entire being is devoured and absorbed into the Void. The self or
"soul" (nafs i ammara) is utterly and completely destroyed by this
process. This is probably the sources of stories regarding the soul
eating demons (associated with Irem) in Arab legend. This should
be compared to Lovecraft in _Through the Gates of the Silver Key_
in which Irem is a type of portal to the Outside. A close comparison
of this story with the Muqarribun ideas, discussed above, will again
show that HPL had a knowledge of Arab magick that was not
publicly available.
Next let's look at Alhazred's title. HPL wrote that Alhazred's title
was "Mad Poet." "Mad" is usually written "majnun" in Arabic.
Majnun means "mad" today. However, in the eighth century
(Alhazred's time) it meant "Possessed by Jinn." To be called Mad or
Possessed by Demons would be highly insulting to orthodox
Muslims. The Sufis and Muqarribun regard Majnun as
complimentary title. They even go so far as to call certain Sufi
heroes Majnun.
Jinn were powerful creatures of Arab myth. The Jinn, according to
legend, came down from heaven (the sky) in the time before Adam.
Therefore, they pre-exist mankind and thus called "Preadamites."
"Infidel pagans" worship these incredibly powerful beings. The Jinn
can "beget young on mankind." The Jinn are usually invisible to
normal men. They apparently want great influence on Earth. Much
of the magick used in Arab countries concerns the Jinn (protection
spells against, or spells to call them up). The Jinn are thus virtually
identical with Lovecraft's Old Ones.
Let's look at the title "Mad Poet" some more. Jinn inspire poets in
popular Arab myth. This is why Mohammad was so vehement in
denying that he was a poet. He wanted it known that his revelation
came from "God" and not the Jinn. So the title "the Mad Poet"
indicates that Alhazred had made "Contact" with the Jinn (the Old
Ones). It also Implies that his writings were directly inspired by
them. This is entirely consistent with what Lovecraft wrote about
Alhazred. Anyone unfamiliar with Arab magick and mysticism
could not know the significance of "the Mad Poet" in Arabic. This
again seems to indicate that Lovecraft probably had a source of rare
information on Arab magick.
Lovecraft wrote that Alhazred's Necronomicon was a book of
poetry originally titled _Al Azif_. This also shows a deep
connection to Arab magick and mysticism that would not be
apparent to someone unfamiliar with these subjects. Al Azif is
translated as "the book of the howling of the Jinn." This title is
remarkably consistent with the meaning of "the Mad Poet" in
Arabic (The One Possessed by Jinn and Whose Writings Are
Inspired by the Jinn). It is Also important that the Al Azif was said
to be written in poetic verse. The Necronomicon (Al Azif) was
concerned with many religio-magickal and mystical subjects.
Nearly all Arabic Books on religion or mysticism were written as
poems. This includes orthodox works (such as the Quran) as well
as Sufi and Muqarribun writings.
The name Cthulhu provides an Important and fascinating parallel
with Arab magickal practice. Cthulhu is very close to the Arabic
word Khadhulu (also spelled al qhadhulu). Khadhulu (al qhadhulu)
is translated as "Forsaker" or Abandoner." Many Sufis and
Muqarribun writings make use of this term (Abandoner). In Sufi
and Muqarribun writings "abandoner" refers to the power that fuels
the practices of Tajrid "outward detachment" and Tafrid "interior
solitude." Tajrid and Tafrid are forms of mental "yoga," used in
Arab systems of magick, to help the magician free himself from
(abandon) cultural programming. In Muqarribun texts Khadhulu is
the power that makes the practices of Tafrid and Tajrid possible for
the magician. Although I was familiar with the use of "abandoner"
in Arab mystical and magickal writings I was unaware (until about
two years ago) that Khadhulu appears in the Quran. I owe the
knowledge Khadhulu shows up in the Quran (in a very significant
way) to William Hamblin. In the Quran chaper 25 verse 29 it is
written, "Mankind, Shaitan is Khadhulu." This verse has two
orthodox interpretations. The first is that Shaitan will forsake man.
The other orthodox interpretation is that Shaitan causes men to
forsake the "straight path of Islam" and the "good" ways of their
forebears. The orthodox Muslim would view forsaking Islamic
culture as sinful and ungodly. However, Muqarribun and Sufis, as
already discussed feel abandoning culture is vital to spiritual
growth. The identification of Shaitan of the Islamic tradition is very
important. By the time Mohammad was writing Shaitan was being
called "the Old Serpent (dragon)" and "the Lord of the Abyss." The
Old Serpent or Old Dragon is, according to experts such as E.A.
Budge and S.N. Kramer, Leviathan. Leviathan is Lotan. Lotan
traces to Tietan. Tietan, we are told by the authorities on Near
Easern mythology is a Later form of Tiamat. According to the
experts the Dragon of the Abyss called Shaitan is the same Dragon
of the Agyss named Taimat. Scholars specializing in Near Eastern
mythology have stated this time and again. Why is this important?
Its importance lies in the fact that HPL described Cthulhu as
dragon-like and sleeping in the abyss (ocean). Leviathan/Tiamat is
also said to be sleeping or dormant. The identification of Shaitan
the Old Dragon Lord of the Abyss with Khadhulu in the Quran is
thus a very fascinating parallel with Lovecraft. The connection of
the "Abandoner" with the Dragon is strengthened somewhat by a
line from "The Book of Annihilation" an Arabic text on magick.
This line translates as, "the dragon is an abandoner for he leaves all
that is sacred. The dragon goes here and there without pause."
While this line is obviously symbolic (most likely referring to the
practice of Tafrid) it does serve to establish a connection between
the Dragon of Near Eastern myth with Khadhulu in Arab magick.
The ancient dragon of the abyss (Tiamat) traces back to Sumeria.
Sumeria was the oldest civilization known to have existed. If
Khadhulu of Arab mysticism is synonymous with the Dragon of
mythology (which the evidence suggests it might be) then Khadhulu
has been "worshipped" for a very long time. The numerous parallels
between Cthulhu and the Muqarribun's Khadhulu are strong
enough to suggest that Lovecraft expanded on Arab myth to create
his deity Cthulhu.
There is another interesting bit of information related to the Dragon
of the Abyss (which originated in Sumeria) and Khadhulu. This
data quite possibly is simple coincidence. On the other hand, it may
not be coincidence; there is simply no way to tell yet. It concerns
one of the titles of the Dragon, namely the Lord of the Abyss. The
title Lord of the Abyss translated into Sumerian is "Kutulu." Kutu
means "Underworld" or "Abyss" and Lu is Sumerian for "Lord" or
"Person of importance." Let's consider this for a moment: the
Sumerian Kutulu is quite similar to Khadhulu in Arabic. Khadhulu
is associated with the Dragon in Arab magickal texts. Khadhulu is
also Identified with the Old Dragon (Shaitan) in the Quran. One of
the titles of this Dragon (Lord of the Abyss) is Kutulu in Sumerian.
The word Kutu (abyss) is connected with the dragon Sumerian
mythology. Indeed the ruler of the Abyss (kutu) in Sumeria was the
Old Dragon Mumu-Tiamat. There is, it would seem, quite a bit of
connection here and it may indicate that Kutulu and Khadhulu are
on in the same. I first became aware of the similarity of Cthulhu
and "Kutulu" reading a publication of L.K. Barnes. I was quite
skeptical at first but I did not make a knee-jerk dismissal of the
information. Instead I researched until I was able to confirm all the
above information, related to the word Kutulu. The fact that the
above information on Kutulu is accurate and very suggestive does
not PROVE anything. It does, however, generally SUPPORT the
idea that Kutulu/Khadhulu has been a part of the magickal
traditions of the Near East for a very long time. The only thing that
can be accepted as proof will be the discovery, in a Sumerian text,
of the direct mention of the name or word Kutulu in the context
discussed. To my knowledge this has not yet happened. Until it
does (if it does) the Kutulu/Khadhulu equivalence will have to
remain tenative.
Let's closely examine the material on Arab magick. I believe it leads
to one conclusion. Lovecraft had access to rare material on Arab
magick and myths. Ignoring the possible coincidental equivalence
of Kutulu and Khadhulu there is still overwhelming evidence
supporting this proposal. Lovecraft used Irem in a manner that
Parallels the Muqarribun use before this information was generally
available. The Rub al Khali (Roba el Khaliye) is in truth important
to the Muqarribun. The Jinn are exact counter parts of the "Old
Ones." Lovecraft's description of Alhazred is VERY consistent
with the Arabic Meaning of the "Mad Poet" even though this also
was generally unknown in the 1930's. The Al Azif (the howling of
the Jinn) is obviously related to Alazred's title: "The One Who is
Possessed by Jinn and Whose Writings Are Inspired by Jinn." Al
Azif being a book of poetry is consistent with the fact that almost
all mystical or prophetic writings in Arabic are poems. Khadhulu's
association with the sleeping Dragon of the Abyss is VERY close
to Lovecraft's Cthulhu who lays Dreaming in the Abyss (ocean). To
my knowledge there was nothing available (in print) about Khdhulu
in English in the 1930's. All this seems to indicate that Lovecraft
had a source of information of Arabic magick and myths not
commonly accessible. It appears HPL expanded on some of the
material, in this source, in his fiction. Please note that this in no
way detracts from his considerable creastivity. HPL's stories are
great not because of few isolated elements but rather because of the
way Lovecraft could blend the individual pieces into a whole.
In addition to the material above there are numerous other instances
in which Lovecraft borrowed from Arab and Near Eastern
mythology. Lovecraft probably expanded on Arab and other Near
Eastern myth when creating his Deep Ones and Dagon. Arab myth
mentions mysterious fish-men from the sea of Karkar. These fish-
men are probably derivative of the myths related to the actual Near
Eastern god Dagon. Dagon is a Philistine deity that appears as a
giant fish-man. Dagon is a later version of the Babylonian Oannes.
Oannes (Dagon) was the head of group of semi-divine fish-men.
The Fish-man Zootype still plays an important role in some systems
of magick. Clearly Dagon and the Deep Ones are direct expansions
on Arab and Near Eastern mythology familiar to Lovecraft.
The Ghoul is another obvious example of Arab mythology that has
worked its way into Lovecraft's fiction. The Ghoul is derived from
the Arabic Ghul. The Ghul is a man-like creature with monstrous
facial features. It inhabits desolate and lonely places especially
graveyards. The Ghuls which inhabit graveyards feast on the
corpses there. This obviously is the source of Lovecraft's Ghouls.
To this day the corpse eating Ghul has a distinct role in the
magickal practices of Arabs and others.
The Black Goat of the Woods with a Thousand Young traces back
to ancient Egypt and Sumeria. While both Egypt and Sumeria had
Goat cults it was probably the Egyptian version that was most
influential. The so-called Goat of Mendes was a "black" incarnation
of Asar. The cult was fertility based. Aspects of these Goat cults
were absorbed into Arab magickal systems. For instance, the Aniz
tribe is designated as the Goat Anz. (Anz and Aniz are cognates.)
The Aniz are called the Goat because their founder practiced
fertility based magick. The Symbol of this cult is a torch between
two Goats horns. This symbol has become important in Western
magickal traditions.
BARBAROUS NAMES
Alhazred is said (by HPL) to have journeyed to Egypt in search of
occult secrets. This is consistent with the time frame that it was
supposed to have ocured in. Between the fourth century and the
tenth century Near Eastern scholars interested in magickal matters
viewed Egypt as an invaluable source of information. During this
time many corrupt Egyptian words and phrases entered magical
writings. Gnostic, Coptic, and Greco-Egyptian word formulas were
incorporated in great number into existing Arab magickal systems.
The barbarous names often only vaguely resemble their Egyptian
forefathers. For instance, Asar Un Nefer became Osorronophris.
Although the name has been badly corrupted the original can still
be deciphered. Often Egyptian words and their corrupt counter
parts can have even less phonetic similarity than this example. It
has been suggested that some of the Barbarous names used in
Lovecraft's fiction might indeed be corrupt Egyptian word formulas.
Particularly Yog-Sothoth, Azathoth, and Nyarlathotep are said to
have an Egyptian origin. (Note the obviously Egyptian endings
"hotep" and "thoth.")
I was given a privately printed document called _The Rites of the
Gods_. This document consists of seven short rituals and an
introduction. It is said to be a translation of an Arabic document. I
feel that this, however, is very unlikely. I will have to remain
skeptical of this booklet's Arabic origin and its antiquity until I
have some solid evidence (such as an Arabic Original). It is more
probably a modern attempt to reconstruct "ancient rituals"
dedicated to the Other Gods. Although I regard this document as
probably apocryphal the introduction contains some very
interesting and possibly accurate speculation on the origin of the
names Yog-Sothoth and Azathoth. _The Rites of the Gods_
suggests the following origins for these names.
AZATHOTH
Azathoth is said to be derived from Asa-thoth. _The Rites of the
Gods_ states that Asa translates as "source" from ancient Egyptian
and Thoth (Tehut) is of course the popular god name. Asa is an
alternate name of Thoth. A friend who knows much more about
Egyptian mythology than I do assures me that Asa the god is indeed
closely associated with the concept of "source" (he is considered
the "source" because of his association with the beginning of time).
Ausaa-Thoth or Aasaa-Thoth is translated as the intelligence of
Thoth.
YOG-SOTHOTH
According to _The Rites of the Gods_ Yog-Sothoth is derived from
Yak-Set Thoth. This is supposed to translate as follows Yak means
"one" or "union" (Yak, or perhaps more correctly Iak, and Yog seem
on the surface to be quite different. This is an illusion the "og" in
Yog is pronounced like dog. The vowel sound "a" in Yak is
pronounced "ah." Thus the vowel sound in both words is identical.
K and G are based on the same root sound. K and G are formed in
exactly the same way by the tongue and pallet. The only difference
is the way the air is released at the end. Yak and Yog are phonetic
equivalents. To prove this to yourself try saying Yog (as in dog)
then Yak (as in hawk) alternately. They sound quite similar.) Set is,
of course, the deity Set and Thoth is again the god Thoth. Thus
Yak-Set Thoth translates as "Set and Thoth are one" or "the union
of Set and Thoth." Set and Thoth are the dark and light aspects of
the moon respectively in Egyptian mythology. According to _The
Rites of the Gods_ the magical significance of the name Yak-Set
Thoth is "the union of opposites in lunar-vaginal context."
NYARLATHOTEP
No translation for Nyarlathotep was offered in the introduction to
_The Rites of the Gods_. I first realized, many years ago, that Ny
and Hotep were Egyptian words meaning "not" and "peaceful"
respectively. "Not peaceful" certainly seemed to fit Lovecraft's
Nyarlathotep. I still didn't know what "Arlat" could mean. I am
again indebted to William Hamblin for the complete translation. Ny
means "not" Har means "at" or "through" Lut "gateway" or "place of
judgement" and Hotep means "peace" or "rest." Thus Nyharluthotep
translates as "there is no peace through the gateway" or "there is no
peace (rest) at the place of judgment." The magickal functions of
Nyharluthotep are very close to those of Thoth (Teht). In face, some
people suggest that they may indeed represent the same force. The
Thoth-Nyharluthotep equivalence will probably clarify the meaning
of the name Asa-Thoth. (Please note that just because I used
information from William Hamblin's writings in this post does
NOT mean that Mr. Hamblin shares any of the views in this post.)
It is very interesting that the Barbarous names associated with the
Necronomicon do not only have an Egyptian word and obey
Egyptian sound but seem to made of actual Egyptian words and
obey Egyptian Grammar. Corrupt Egyptian words and phrases often
appear in Arab magickal texts. The appearance of what certainly
seems to be real barbarous names in Lovecraft's fiction should
cause one serious thought. Did HPL derive these names from a rare
book on Arab magick? Could it be Coincidence?
------------------------------------------------------------------------
PART III
RESEARCH SOURCES AND SOME MORE DATA
I've been researching Arab magick (and it connection to Lovecraft)
for nearly 10 years so I won't be able to list every source I've used.
However I should be able to give resource in which people
interested can verify ALL the claims I make.
But first let me say a word about what I didn't use as sources. I did
NOT use ANY of A. Crowley's ideas on Near Eastern mythology or
language as a source for the information on Arab magick and
mysticism. Nor did I use any of Crowley's ideas in my suggestions
on the Egyptian meaning of the barbarous names (I did use W.
Hamblin Ideas about Nyarlathotep though). Crowley was NOT a
source. I did not use any of Colin Wilson's "research" at all. Nor
did I use the Simon "Necronomicon" as a major resource. I adapted
ONE idea from that book only after I CAREFULLY VERIFIED it
in other more reputable sources
IREM OF THE PILLARS
Those of you looking for general sources should begin with these.
A Dictionary of mythical places by Robin Palmer. Arabian Night
ed. by R.F. Burton (get the 10 Vol. set) For those who want to
research how Irem fits into Arab magick and Mysticism should try
to find this book_The Muqarribun: Arab Magic and Myth_ by
Steve Lock and Jamal Khaldun.(it talks about the "hidden" meaning
of Irem etc.) I believe Idries Shaw also mentions how Irem fit into
Sufi mysticism in one of his books but I can't remember which. Mr.
Shaw briefly talks about the double meaning of "Pillars" in Arabic
(which means Old Ones) in _The Sufis_.(the art of
encoding/decoding "hidden" meaning in Arab mystical writings is
called Tawil)
RUB AL KHALI
The sources for the Rub al Khali are mostly the same as Irem. You
can also Check out Kenneth Grant' Hecates Fountain. Note that I
am NOT saying Grant should be read as a good historical source,
he is not. HOWEVER his ideas on the Rub al Khali are nearly the
same with those of the ancient Muqarribun.
MAD POET
If you want a short cut to verify that the Arabic word for mad
"majnun" also means "possessed by Jinn" and that poets are said to
be inspired by Jinn just look up Jinn in Man, Myth, and Magic. If
you'd like to go to the original source find Notes on the Arabian
Nights and The Modern Egyptians by Lane. The Sufis by Idries
Shaw also briefly mentions Majnun
THE JINN
Again the short cut to check out the validity of what was posted on
the Jinn is to look up Jinn in Man, Myth, and Magic. If you want a
more detailed source look up Genii in A Dictionary of Islam. This
book has much information not covered in M.M.M. In A
Dictionary of Islam Jinn are said to have come the Earth ages
before man existed. They were the first of Earths masters. They
built huge cities whose ruins still stand in forgotten places. Aeons
later many Jinn were forced to flee Earth while other were
imprisoned. Still other roam desolate places to this day. The Jinn
are said to be invisible to normal men. They are, however able to
interbreed with humans but the human parent may suffer when the
dark offspring is born (shade of the Dunwich Horror.) The Jinn
will, according to legend survive mankind (the last of Earths
masters?) I don't need to point out the parallels to Lovecraft's Old
Ones. If you want more information than is provided in A
Dictionary of Islam try Notes on Arabian Nights by Lane also try
using the term search (Jinn) through ILL. There are whole books on
the Jinn.
KHADHULU
Khadhulu is the Arabic word meaning "abandoner" or "forsaker."
The primary source to read to research the role of "the Abandoner"
in Arab magick is The Muqarribun: Arab Magic and myth by Steve
Lock and Jamal Khaldun. In this book the transliteration of "the
Abandoner" is "al qhadhulu." (I use the transliteration "Khadhulu"
because I've been told it is more correct.) In this book the authors
state that al qhadhulu (Khadhulu) is a type of spiritual force that
powers the practices of Tafrid and Tajrid. These are exercises that
are used to transcend (abandon) normal cultural programming. The
idea is that by transcending (abandoning) Dogma and fixed beliefs
a person can see reality as it is. al qhadhulu is stimulated by the
Nafs (breath or soul.) The stimulated "abandoner" then causes the
Hal or spiritual state. the relationship between Nafs, al qhadhulu
and Hal is very intricate and this is very oversimplified. Lock and
Khaldun state that the abandoner is mentioned some Sufi poetry.
Another source that you may want to read is Further Notes On the
Necronomicon by William Hamblin. Mr. Hamblin Compares
Cthulhu with Khadhulu in this article. I hate to admit it but I had
owned The Muqarribun... for at least three years before I read Mr.
Hamblin's article and I never noticed how close al qhadhulu
(Khadhulu) is to Cthulhu. I also did not know that Khadhulu apeers
in the Quran (25:29) until I read Mr. Hamblin's article. I have since
talked to several Muslims about this verse. The verse translates as
"Mankind, Shaitan is al khadhulu." They have explained two
orthodox interpretations of this verse to me the first is that Shaitan
will abandon man. the other is that Shaitan causes men to forsake
Islam and its culture. You'll note that this second interpretation is
fairly consistent with the spiritual meaning the ancient Muqarribun
give al qhadhulu. (Obviously an orthodox Muslim would think
Muqarribun practices Sinful.) This verse in the Quran is important
because it links the "abandoner" Khadhulu with Shaitan the Old
Dragon, Lord af the Abyss.
SHAITAN LEVIATHAN AND TIAMAT
The Image of Shaitan as The Dragon was well established by the
writing of the Quran. The old Dragon is Leviathan. Leviathan traces
to Lotan. Lotan to Tietan. And Tietan is Tiamat. This can be
verified in MANY sources. One standard one is The Gods of the
Egyptian by E.A. Budge. S.N. Kramer is another. (see below)
KUTULU
Kutulu is a Sumerian translation of the title Lord of the Abyss.
KUTU means Abyss. LU means lord or person of importance.
L.K.Barnes was first to note the similarity of Cthulhu and Kutulu
in Simon's "Necronomicon." I was therefore quite skeptical of it
accuracy. I carefully read History Begins at Sumer and Sumerian
Mythology by S.N.Kramer as well as several other books on
Sumerian mythology/culture. I discovered that the translation given
to Kutulu is TOTALLY ACCURATE. I also verified that KUTU is
closely tied to the Sleeping Dragon (Tiamat) in Sumerian myth.
ARAB MYSTICAL POETRY
Arabic mystical poetry is a complete field of study in itself. The
Pre-Islamic prophets used the Sadj style of verse. This is the same
style that the Quran is written in. The early Muqarribun poetry is in
the Ruba'i style which is faily simple. Later Muqarribun and Sufi
poetry was written in the Mathnawi form of verse. Idries Shaw talks
about the role of poetry in Arab mysticism in The Way of the Sufi.
Lelah Bakhtiar has a short chapter on poetry in Sufi Expressions of
the Mystic Quest. Another more detailed source is Structural
Continuity in Poetry. A Linguistic study of five PreIslamic Odes by
Mary C. Bateson
THE BARBAROUS NAMES
I have to admit I haven't done enough research into this area YET.
This is my next big project. I'll post anything of interest I learn in
my research. The translations for Yak-Set Thoth and Asa-Thoth are
from _The Rites of the Gods_. The translation of Nyharluthotep is
from _further Notes on the Necronomicon_ by William Hamblin. If
you want more information on corrupt Egyptian word formulas in
general try using the term search through ILL (Gnostic Coptic or
Greco-Egyptian). The best books available on Egyptian mythology
are by E.A. Budge.
RECOMMENDED READING AND RESEARCH GUIDE
ARAB MYTHOLOGY, MYSTICISM AND MAGICK
The Book of a Thousand Nights and a Night trans. by R.F. Burton.
This is the huge 10 Vol. set. The Sufis and Muqarribun say these
books contain many mystical and magickal secrets. A. Crowley
calls them a "valuable storehouse of oriental magick-lore. VERY
GOOD. Much of the material in this is very Lovecraftian.
The Secret Lore of Magic by Idries Shaw. this is an interesting and
very useful book if you can read BETWEEN THE LINES. Shaw
almost never comes directly out and say anything of importance. He
does hint in the right directions though. Contains some good
general info. on Arab magick.
The Muqarribun: Arab myth and Magic by Steve Lock and Jamal
Khaldun. This is a nice little source on Arab magick. Some of the
material on Irem and the "abandoner" is relevant to HPL. This
books main drawback is that it is too short.
Fabled Cities, Princes and Jinn from Arab Myth by Khiray Al
Salem. Although this book is also short and is for young readers it
contains some information that is hard to find elsewhere. It is most
useful if you keep your eyes open for double meanings.
Notes on Arabian Night by Lane. This contains some information
on the Jinn that is quite good
Sufi Expressions of the Mythic Quest by Laleh Bakhtiar. this is an
intriguing book that touches on such subjects as mystic poetry,
dreams, the Dragon, the Jinn etc. The chapters are to short and it
hints more than it says.
The Sufis by Idries Shaw. This book contains scattered gems of
information. Not very detailed. Shaw's attempt to show that every
western mystical group was influenced by the Sufis is silly.
The Way of the Sufi by Idries Shaw. This is a good book if you are
interested in Arab mysticism Per Se. Otherwise don't bother.
Tales of the Prophets of al-Kisai by Muhhammad ibn abd Allah
Kisai 11th century. Good for its data on preIslamic prophets.
Interesting stuff if you have enough background in Arab magickal
studies.
The Book of Annihilation author unknown. This is a short Arabic
book on magick. It is not of much use if you don't have a friend to
translate. It is in general not unlike HPL style grimoire. No Yog-
Sothoth or Azatoth here though.
Making of the Last Prophet by Mohammad Ibn Ishaq. This book
has some interesting material on PreIslamic prophets
Hajar bin Humeid by Gus Willa VanBeek this is a good source on
PreIslamic culture in general.
below are some resource on Near-Eastern mythology etc. that might
be useful in your research.
SUMERIA AND RELATED
Sumerian Mythology by S.N. Kramer
History Begins at Sumer. by S.N. Kramer
Sumer by Andre Parrot
Cuneiform Texts by Giorgio Buccellat
EGYPTIAN MYTHOLOGY AND MAGICK
The Gods of the Egyptians Vol .1+2 by E.A. Budge
Isis and Osiris Vol. 1+2 by E.A. Budge
Egyptian Magic by E.A. Budge
The Egyptian Language by E.A. Budge
An Egyptian Hieroglyphic Dictionary by E.A. Budge
------------------------------------------------------------------------
PART IV
THE NECRONOMICON MYTHOS AND MODERN MAGICK
ALEISTER CROWLEY
Aleister Crowley's writings show many parallels to the
Necronomicon Mythos. Some of these parallels are listed below.
Yog-Sothoth is coterminous with all time and space. (see Part One
under Yog-Sothoth.) Crowley's Nuit is "infinite space" Azathoth is
the infinitely compact "nuclear Chaos at the center of infinity"(see
part one uner Azathoth Crowley's Hadit is "the infinitely small and
atomic" point. Here we see that the Two most important Gods of
the Necronomicon correspond exactly with Crowley's Two most
important Gods. Crowley received the BOOK OF LAW, which
foretold the return of the ancient deities, from the messenger of the
Gods Aiwaz. The Necronomicon states that the return of the Old
Ones will be heralded by Nyarlathotep the Mighty Messenger.
Crowley states that the ascension and fall of deities is governed by
a process he called the Equinox of the Gods. The Necronomicon
states that the rises and fall of the Old Ones is also Governed by an
Eon spanning cycle (After summer is winter. After winter,
Summer). The Dragon (draconian current) is important to Crowley's
Magick. Cthulhu the dragon-like god is of great importance in the
Necronomicon. Crowley sometimes referred to the Stele of
Revealing as CTH^H666. Note the similarity between CTH^H and
CTHULHU. There are a great many more similarities but this
should give you the general idea.
ANTON SZANDOR LAVEY
Anton LaVey is the head of the Church of Satan. In _The Satanic
Bible_ LaVey asserts that the Shew Stone used by Dr. John Dee is
the same as the Shining Trapezohedron of the Necronomicon
Mythos. Mr. LaVey also asserts in _The Satanic Bible_ that the
Goat God worshipped through the eons is The Black Goat of the
Woods with a Thousand Young from the Necronomicon. In the
sequel to the Satanic Bible, The Satanic Rituals, Lavey presents
two rituals concerned entirely with the HPL mythos. The first is the
Call to Cthulhu. The second is the Cermony of the Nine Angels.
Here is a brief quote from Ceremony of the Nine Angels.
CELEBRANT:
Kzs'nath r'n As-Athoth bri'nwe
sz'g elu'khnar rquorkwe w'ragu
mfancgh' tiim'br vau. Januf a
wrugh kod'rf kpra kybini sprn'aka
ty'knu El-aka gryenn'h krans huehn
TRANSLATED:
Azathoth, great center of the Cosmos,
let thy flutes sing unto us, lulling
us against the terrors of thy domain
thy merriment sustains our fears, and
we rejoice in the World of Horrors in
thy name
PARTICIPANTS:
Ki'q Az-Athoth r'jyarh wh'fagh
zhasa phr-tga nyena phragn'glu
TRANSLATION:
Honor to Azathoth, without who's
laughter this world should not be.
In the Laws of the Trapezoid LaVey mentions the "Hounds of
Time" and in several rituals mentions the Old Ones.
KENNETH GRANT
Kenneth Grant is the head of a U.K. branch of the O.'.T.'.O.'..Grant's
system of Magick is just that: Grant's system. His Cabbala is highly
unique to him. Grant feels that the Great Old Ones and Other Gods
are quite real. He has developed a new interpretation of Crowley's
book of law in light of what he calls the "Necronomicon Gnosis."
Grant is perhaps known for his unique approach to dream control
and sex magick. Grant's interpretation of the Roba el Khaliye (Rub
al Khali) is very close to that used by the Muqarribun. Hecates
Fountain by Grant contains the most HPL/Necronomicon related
material of all his books. Grant was friends with Austin Spare.
Spare was a brilliant artist as an occultist. Grant once gave Spare a
copy of one of Lovecraft books. Spare was very disturbed by what
he read. He felt that there were really dark forces being tapped by
HPL's stories. Spare created several Magickal pieces of artwork
based on HPL. Spare is thought to have said that HPL had many
more things right than he knew.
ENOCHIAN MAGICK
Enochian magick was discovered by John Dee in the sixteenth
century. It is appearantly based on a previously unknown language.
Many magicians assert that the Enochian language predate all
human languages. Gerald J. Schueler is widely considered one of
the foremost experts on Enochian magick. Mr. Schueler state that
Enochian magick is "the powerful system of Magick used by
Aleister Crowley, and the Golden Dawn, and of the Necronomicon,
to contact intelligences from other dimensions." John Dee is said to
have made the only known English translation of the
Necronomicon. It has been suggested that Dee may have first
established contact with the Enochian entities using Magick
adapted from the Necronomicon. The Enochian system has many
parallels with HPL. Schueler asserts that the Enochian tradition
proposes the existence of a God or Force which is the
manifestation of Infinite Space similar to Crowley's Nuit and HPL's
Yog-Sototh. Schueler also contends that The Divine manifestation
of the nuclear point at the center of infinity (equivalent to Hadit or
Azathoth) is also important to Enochian magick. The Enochian
Keys state that the wold is nearing an eon spanning Cycle in which
Ancient Gods will return to there throne and the world will be
forever changed. These keys also mention an imprisoned dragon
(Cthulhu?) The fact that the keys are in an unearthly language said
to predate mankind is in itself very Lovecraftian
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