Here are a couple of interesting links, courtesy of our friend Bruce Priddy. Cthulhu in World Mythology is an upcoming book by Jason Colavito. The premise is interesting, to say the least:
Denied by generations of scholars as mere fiction, astonishing new mythological and archaeological evidence proves that an advanced and ancient global cult spread the worship of the octopus-headed Great Cthulhu and his Old Ones to every corner of the prehistoric world—and gives a shockingly eldritch and miasmal cast to some of history’s most important mythological tales. Why is it
that the Greeks feared a terrible monster with writhing tentacles? Why did peoples of the Pacific build cyclopean stone “Houses of the Octopus” to enact the periodic resurrection of that strange mollusk?
Profound and persuasive, Jason Colavito’s historical bombshell Cthulhu in World Mythology is the result of the author’s lifelong pursuit of the truth behind the widespread allusions to Cthulhu, Nyarlathotep, Azathoth, and the Old Ones in world literature. The author masterfully weaves together (in alphabetical order) ancient history, anthropology, archaeology, art history, astrology, astronomy, Atlantis theory, demonology, linguistics, literary theory, mythology, the occult, religious studies, and xenoarchaeology to tell the hidden history of early humanity.
The book claims to have “proof”, which I find hard to believe, but I’m looking forward to reading it. If nothing else, it should be entertaining.
In the meantime, another website asks the question, “Is there a giant monster in the Pacific Ocean?” As I say, interesting reading if nothing else. Visit the website at this link.
Your thoughts? Comment below!
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Larry, maybe that’s why, although we know of course it isn’t literally true, it FEELS like something that is true, and maybe that’s where HPL’s writing gets some of its “otherworldly” power.
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All very fun and interesting stuff. There is a theory that all writers tap into a universal collective unconciousness so it’s possible that Lovecraft was inspired indirectly by information about something that could exist, even if only in an alternate dimension. we may never know for sure, but it is amusing to speculate.
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My experience studying geophysics would tend to support the idea that the “bloop” is probably a presently unidentified seismic or undersea volcanic event, a geomagnetic event, or possibly the mating cry of Father Dagon as he flips-out his polyester butterfly collar over his doubleknit blazer, adjusts his gold love medallion, and strikes a pose in front of his door-length mirror before going out on the town for the evening to get some tail. And gill. And hopefully not catching the ick.
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REMAIN at zero. Stoopid brain.
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There is more evidence for an evil blooping alien under the sea than there is for an invisible benevolent omnipotent bearded man floating in a kingdom somewhere in the sky. For one, the ocean exists. Also, the answer to “the question of evil” (theodicy) is solved — higher beings are themselves evil. And finally, there’s the “bloop,” which, while unexplained, is exactly one more potential piece of evidence for Cthulhu than the pieces for God, which remains at zero.
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Sometimes what we think of as “the dumbest stuff”, actually is real. 🙂
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Try this link if the previous one fails to load.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Henry-Clews-Sculptures-Portfolio-Folio-1939-/250233476370?pt=Antiquarian_Books_UK&hash=item3a4313d512
Henry Clews had his sculptures in a local Providence, RI museum during Lovecraft’s time.
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At the HPLFF Lee Moyers made a convincing argument to some of Lovecraft’s influences in the look of Cthulhu. Lee brought many art books of interest but the most telling was a 1939 Portfolio of sculptor Henry Clews. This cover image alone is convincing enough but with in these pages, is a octopoid tentacled being on a square bas relief dais, much like the portfolio cover image.
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?VISuperSize&item=250233476370
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This better be real… I’d hate to think I’ve spent my time praying to something that wasn’t real… wow, what a waste that would be.
Armand Rosamilia
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While I am sure that there are strange things in the world’s oceans there is no Cthulhu. As a huge HPL fan I enjoy the fiction and its sensibilities, but I am sure that this title is likely to be tongue-in-cheek based on the author. I am certainly interested in that! Actual claims of proof should be met with derision! 🙂
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I’m still entranced by the infamous “BLOOP” recording done in the South Pacific some years back that geophysicists, marine biologists, and oceanographers haven’t been able to really explain to anyone’s satisfaction. I find it particularly amusing that the scientist who brought this to everyone’s attention, actually misled everybody by describing the mysterious noise as originating from a location that corresponds to the location given for Ry’leh, when actually it was pinpointed at being from much further South and much further East. I’ve known a number of marine scientists personally, and particularly among teuthologists, the sheer number who are HPL fans in general, and Cthulhu fans in particular, has always brought a smile to my beak, er, face… when I was a regular contributor to Tonmo.com (The Octopus News Magazine Online), I was one of two moderators of the Cthulhu dedicated thread, because one thing I realized is that not every teuthologist is fascinated by Lovecraft, but every Lovecraftian fan seems fascinated by cephalopods!
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Indeed and of course Lovecraft did not make his mythology up out of thin air…..he was an avid reader of classical mythology and often borrowed heavily from ancient myths (sometime via other authors like Dunsany)
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It’s a parody: http://www.jasoncolavito.com/1/post/2012/06/cthulhu-in-world-mythology.html
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Heh. I’m not surprised. And I didn’t actually think the author would have “proof” that Lovecraftian entities were real, just thought it might make interesting reading. Problem is, I’ve seen so many books that take the dumbest stuff seriously, that sometimes it’s hard to tell.
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Jason Colavito is a skeptic who has written for Skeptic magazine as well as several other skeptic zines and blogs. But he’s a horror and Lovecraft fanatic as well (see his “The Cult of Alien Gods” where he argues that Von Daniken was influenced by Lovecraft’s fiction). I suspect that “Cthulhu in World Mythology” will be a bit tongue in cheek. Just a hunch. 🙂
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Interesting reading definitely. Am not too convinced about ‘proof’ but am quite happy to keep and open mind and read the book first. One never knows.
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