Extraterrestrial places in the Mythos

1.1 Abbith

A planet that revolves around seven beyond Xoth. It is inhabited by metallic brains, wise with the ultimate se- crets of the universe. According to Friedrich von Junzt’s , dwells or is im- prisoned on this world (though other legends differ in this regard).

1.2

Aldebaran is the of the Great Old One .

1.3 Algol

Double star mentioned by H.P. Lovecraft as sidereal The double star Algol. This infrared imagery comes from the place of a demonic shining entity made of light.[1] The CHARA array. same star is also described in other Mythos stories as a planetary system host (See Ymar). The following fictional celestial bodies figure promi- nently in the stories of H. P. Lovecraft and other writers. Many of these astronomical bodies 1.4 Arcturus have parallels in the real universe, but are often renamed in the mythos and given fictitious characteristics. In ad- Arcturus is the star from which came Zhar and his “twin” dition to the celestial places created by Lovecraft, the . Also Nyogtha is related to this star. mythos draws from a number of other sources, includ- ing the works of , , , , and . 2 B Overview: 2.1 Bel-Yarnak • Name. The name of the celestial body appears first. See Yarnak. • Description. A brief description follows.

• References. Lastly, the stories in which the celes- 3 C tial body makes a significant appearance or other- wise receives important mention appear below the description. A simple two-letter code is used—the 3.1 key to the codes is found here. If a code appears in bold, this means that the story introduces the celes- Celaeno is one of the seven stars of the . On tial body. its fourth planet is the Great Library of Celaeno, which houses stone tablets containing secrets stolen from the Great Old Ones and Elder Gods. Professor Laban Shrewsbury spent some time here, transcribing the li- 1 A brary’s knowledge in his notebook—a manuscript that would later be known as the Celaeno Fragments.

1 2 8 L

3.2 Corona Borealis 7.1 K’gil’mnon

Sky field mentioned in H.P. Lovecraft's "" An undefined realm, possibly a distant ammonia planet (1922).[2] orbiting a dying star, home of the Great Old One Kaalut.

3.3 Cykranosh 7.2 Korvaz

The Hyperborean name for the planet Saturn is A star located near Fomalhaut (likely TW Piscis Austrini) Cykranosh. It was the home of the god before where the Great Old One Cthugha is imprisoned.[5] came to Earth, though several of his relatives, includ- ing his uncle, Hziulquoigmnzhah, still dwell there. 7.3 Kr’llyand

4 F A jungle planet orbiting a binary star system, composed of a green star and a dead one (likely a black hole), 4.1 Fomalhaut likely matching with Yifne and Baalblo. Kr’llyand was the homeworld of the plant-like Great Old One Ei'lor, which once was a dead star like its neighbor Mirkalu, but Fomalhaut is the main star of Piscis Austrinus, a bright after Elder Gods banished Ei'lor there, the seed of the white-blue main sequence star. It is orbited by a planet Great Old One was sown and spread fertilizing the dead where the Great Old One Aphoom-Zhah was born and planet.[6] near lies the star Korvaz, where the Great Old One Cthugha is imprisoned. 7.4 Ktynga

5 G Ktynga (or Norby’s comet) is the name of a bluish comet that is currently near the star Arcturus. The comet is un- 5.1 Glyu-Uho usually hot and has strange properties, such as the ability to travel faster than light. [3] Glyu-Uho (or Glyu-Vho or K'Lu-Vho) is the name for On the surface of the comet is a huge building wherein Betelgeuse in Naacal (the language of Mu), and is the star dwells the being Fthaggua and his servants, the fire vam- where the Elder Gods came from to battle the Great Old pires. Fthaggua and his minions can guide the comet to Ones (though it may actually be the place where a gateway travel between the stars, and will visit our leads to Elysia, the dimension where the Elder Gods are four centuries from now. thought to live).

7.5 K'yi-Lih 6 H A dark-litten and mist-shrouded planet from whence 6.1 Haddath comes N'rath-Gol, a minion of Nyarlathotep.

Haddath (also Haddoth or perhaps Urakhu) is a fiery planet, possibly found near the “eye” of the 7.6 Kynarth Hydra, and is believed to be inhabited by the chthonians. Shub-Niggurath is thought to have once dwelt here. A mysterious celestial body located past (or ?) on the edge of the solar system.

6.2 Hyades 7.7 Kythanil Hyades is the sky field where the city of and its [7] planet are located. The planet-host star of Carcosa is de- Kythanil (or Kythamil or Kthymil) is a double planet scribed as “twin ”, making it then a Solar-type binary orbiting the star Arcturus and is the place where star.[4] Tsathoggua’s formless spawn came from.

7 K 8 L 11.2 Pleiades 3

8.1 L'gy'hx 11.2 Pleiades

The planet Uranus. It is inhabited by metallic, cube- Stellar regions where star Celaeno is located. Pleiades shaped beings with multiple legs. These creatures wor- are also mentioned as the stellar abode of the Great Old ship a minor deity known as L'rog'g (possibly another as- One Gtuhanai and the mysterious alien race of the Aartna pect of Nyarlathotep), whose rituals require a yearly sac- too.[8] rifice in the form of the excising of the legs from a native. When the Insects from Shaggai (the Shan) arrived, the natives of L'gy'hx initially tolerated them and allowed 12 R them to build a huge city. After two centuries, the na- tives even came to see the Shan as co-rulers of the planet. In time, many Shan eschewed the veneration of 12.1 Rigel and began to worship the L'gy'hx deity L'rog'g. But when some natives of L'gy'hx likewise turned to the worship The second star of Orion constellation Rigel is mentioned of Azathoth, the event prompted the priests of L'rog'g by August Derleth as one of the sidereal realms of the to start an inquisition, inflicting gruesome punishments Elder Gods along with Betelgeuse. on the heretics. Relations with the Shan soured quickly as a result, and the priests of L'rog'g demanded that all temples of Azathoth be removed from L'gy'hx. A small group of the Shan, still faithful to the Azathoth sect, left 13 S L'gy'hx, teleporting themselves and their deity’s temple to the planet Earth. 13.1 Shaggai

Shaggai (or Chag-Hai) is a planet orbiting twin green 9 M suns and is the homeworld of the Shan, or Insects from Shaggai. Lovecraft first mentioned Shaggai twice in , but gave no details, save that it was 9.1 Mirkalu further out in the cosmos than Yuggoth. The Shan’s planet was destroyed eight centuries ago, pos- A dead planet or failed star (a brown dwarf) mentioned sibly by Ghroth the Harbinger. The being known only as in the Ei'lor Fronds as neighbor of Kr’llyand. The Worm that Gnaws in the Night also resides here.

9.2 Mthura 13.2 Shonhi

Dark planet inhabited by crystalline beings and the Shonhi (also Stronti[9]) is a transgalactic world frequented dwelling place of the Great Old One Q'yth-az. The Nug- by the denizens of Yaddith. It has been visited by the Soth of Yaddith journeyed to this world in hopes of find- Great Old One Yig and orbits three suns.[10] ing a magical formula that would defeat the Dholes.

14 T 10 O 14.1 Thuggon 10.1 Ogntlach A planet where the Insects from Shaggai dwelt for a while. See Yith They initially believed the planet was uninhabited; but when their slaves began disappearing, they soon discov- ered the terrible truth. They left shortly thereafter. 11 P 14.2 Thyoph 11.1 Pherkard A huge planet that broke apart to form the asteroid Star Pherkard (or Gamma Ursae Minoris) is mentioned as belt. According to the G'harne Fragments, the event was the stellar abode of the flaming Outer God Yomagn'tho. caused by a “seed of Azathoth". 4 18 X

14.3 Tond 18 X

Invented by Ramsey Campbell. A mysterious planet be- 18.1 Xandra lieved to be part of our solar system, though the predom- inant view places it in a binary star system near Baalblo A putative Solar System planet located millennia ago in (a dark star, either a brown dwarf or more likely a black the Main Asteroid Belt and destroyed by “warring forces hole) and its companion Yifne (a green ). The being from Yuggoth and Shaggai”.[12] Glaaki is believed to have visited this world en route to Earth. Tond is the setting for all Campbell’s tales of Ryre the Swordsman, gathered in his collection Far Away and 18.2 Xecorra Never ( Press, 1996). It is also the locale of both versions of The madness from the vaults (Crypt A dark star, homeworld of the Zorkai, bat-winged of Cthulhu #43) ravenous horrors which serve the Great Old One Hastur.

14.4 Trifid Nebula 18.3 Xentilx The Trifid Nebula is mentioned as the homeworld of the mysterious Harlequin character featuring in Walter C. A distant galaxy and the dwelling place of the Great Old DeBill jr.'s “He Who Comes at the Noontime” (2006). One Zathog.

15 U 18.4 Xiclotl The sister planet of Shaggai. The Shan conquered this 15.1 Urakhu world and enslaved its native inhabitants, a race of carniv- orous monsters. When Shaggai was destroyed, the Shan See Haddath. joined their brethren here and remained for some time.

16 V 18.5 Xithor See Yilla. 16.1 Vhoorl

A planet in the “twenty-third nebula” and the supposed 18.6 Xoth birthplace of Great Cthulhu. [T]he spawn of Cthulhu ... came down from remote and ultra-telluric Xoth, the dim 16.2 Vix’ni-Aldru green double star that glitters like a daemonic eye in the blackness beyond Abbith. The black hole home of the Outer God Haiogh-Yai. It is —Lin Carter, “Out of the Ages” orbited by a dark planet hosting the block city of Thalu, homeworld of the Voorlak, lizard to leech-like servants Xoth (or Zoth) is the green binary star where Cthulhu of the Outer God. and his ilk once lived before coming to earth. Accord- ing to the Xothic legend cycle, it is where Cthulhu mated with Idh-yaa to beget Ghatanothoa, Ythogtha, and Zoth- 17 W Ommog. Xoth is also the native home of Ycnágnnisssz and 17.1 World of Seven Suns Zstylzhemghi, and was the temporary home of the lat- ter’s “husband”, Ghisguth, and their progeny, the infant Possibly a planet near Fomalhaut according to some writ- Tsathoggua. Tsathoggua later went to live on Yuggoth. ers. Its inhabitants created seven artificial suns to replace Afterward, he fled to Cykranosh to escape Cxaxukluth's their dying natural sun. Lovecraft said that Nyarlathotep cannibalistic eating habits. shall come down to Earth from the World of the Seven Xoth may be the star Sirius, since “Xoth” is similar to Suns, but he makes no connection with Fomalhaut. “Sothis”, the Egyptian name for the star. However, it is Others connect the Seven Suns to the seven stars of the more likely that Xoth coincides with the star “Zoth” in Pleiades, the Hyades, or possibly Ursa Major.[11] Smith’s writings. 19.5 Yilla 5

19 Y The Yekubians destroyed all intelligent life in the galaxy where they dwelt and sought to extend their influence 19.1 Yaddith throughout the universe. As part of their grand scheme, they sent out cube-shaped probes that could effect a mind-swap with any intelligent creature who found one. Yaddith[13] is a distant planet that orbits five suns and is In this way, Yekubian agents could infiltrate the finder’s itself orbited by five moons. Yaddith is located thousands world. One such cube landed on the Earth during the of light from the Sun, near the star Deneb. Aeons reign of the Great Race of Yith. When several of its ago it was inhabited by the Nug-Soth, creatures with traits members were taken over, the Yithians realized the dan- similar to mammals, reptiles, and insects. The Nug-Soth ger of the cube and sequestered it under heavy guard. sought a way to prevent the destruction of their planet’s Eventually, however, the cube was lost. crust by the Dholes, but to no avail. Eventually, the Dholes overwhelmed them and destroyed the Nug-Soth’s civilization. Survivors of the catastrophe escaped, how- 19.5 Yilla ever, and hid on various planets. Life on Yaddith amongst the Nug-Soth and the Dholes that threatened them was A giant ocean planet orbiting a blue-green oval star first described in detail in Through the Gates of the Sil- (somehow similar for oblateness to Achernar), home- ver Key as is stranded there for hundreds world of the Great Old One Yorith. Yilla[14] is also orbited of years while sharing the body of Zkauba the wizard, by Xithor, an airless gold-ringed moon whose hollow though Lovecraft did not name the race that inhabited the mantle is inhabited by the sentient dwarfish race known planet. as the Lloervs, able to capture the souls of dreamers. M. Price's short story “Saucers from Yaddith” (1984) hints that Nug-Soth scientists have appeared on Earth performing various experiments on humans—some 19.6 Yith relatively harmless (such as changing a man’s blood type from B to A), some rather bizarre (two brothers in The original homeworld of the Great Race of Yith, ac- medieval Germany claimed that an “angel” had switched cording to the Eltdown Shards. It is described as a “black, their hands and eyes), and others utterly horrific or dis- aeon-dead orb in far space” (“The Shadow out of Time”, gusting. Lovecraft). Its actual location is a mystery. Some schol- ars place it in our own solar system, just beyond Pluto; others say it is the fourth of the five planets that orbit a 19.2 Yaksh dim dark star named Ogntlach.[15] Yith is said to have a thin atmosphere and seas heated by geothermal en- [16] Yaksh is the planet Neptune and is inhabited by strange ergy. fungous beings. Hziulquoigmnzhah dwelt here for a while after fleeing Yuggoth to escape Cxaxukluth’s cannibalis- tic urges. Hziulquoigmnzhah was evidently worshipped 19.7 Ylidiomph by the Yakshians, but he soon tired of their venerations The Hyperborean name for the planet . Noctosa and moved to Cykranosh. & Nctolhu are imprisoned here.

19.3 Yarnak 19.8 Ymar

Planet with three moons that orbits Betelgeuse in the mys- A planet in the same star cluster as Abbith, Xoth, and terious Gray Gulf of Yarnak. The world may have been Zaoth. In Lin Carter’s The Feaster from the Stars: The the one-time home of the Great Old One Mnomquah. History of Yzduggor the Eremite, Ymar is said to orbit the The fabled, deserted city of Bel-Yarnak is located here. star Algol and to be the homeworld of the Great Old One Zvilpogghua, an offspring of Tsathoggua (See Algol). 19.4 Yekub 19.9 Yuggoth A planet in a distant galaxy. It is inhabited by a race of technologically advanced beings that resemble huge Yuggoth (or Iukkoth) is the dwarf planet Pluto. It is home centipedes that are slightly larger than a human. The pop- to the Mi-Go, a race of fungi-crustacean of Lovecraft’s ulace worships an entity known as Juk-Shabb, which ap- invention. In Richar A. Lupoff’s Discovery of the Ghooric pears as a glowing, color-shifting orb. Very little is known Zone—March 15, 2337, it alternately appears as an enor- about this deity other than it is telepathic and is greatly mous planet that orbits on the rim of the solar system, revered by the denizens of Yekub. coinciding with the hypothetical brown dwarf Nemesis or 6 22 EXTERNAL LINKS the putative planet Tyche. It is visited by Edward Taylor [7] Price, “Brian Lumley—Reanimator”. Price writes: in The Mine on Yuggoth. "Kythanil [is] an alien planet mentioned in Lovecraft’s portion of 'Through the Gates of ' (though only in manuscript — it is misprinted as 'Kythamil' in the printed texts).” 20 Z [8] J.B. Lee, “Forces of Change” (1999).

20.1 Zaoth [9] Though the name appears as “Stronti” in Lin Carter's fic- tion, it is spelled “Shonhi” in the original manuscripts for A planet near Xoth. It is home to metal brains and houses “Through the Gates of the Silver Key” (1934, Lovecraft a great library of Yuggothian books. After Yaddith was and E. Hoffman Price). (Harms, “Shonhi”, The Encyclo- destroyed by the Dholes, several survivors of the catas- pedia Cthulhiana, p. 274.) trophe fled here. [10] James Ambuehl’s “The Snake God of Shonhi” (1998)

20.2 Z'ylsm [11] Daniel Harms thinks that the World of the Seven Suns may refer to the Big Dipper because of its association with Tezcatlipoca, Set, and Zeus. (Harms, The Encyclopedia Remote sideral place mentioned as the homeworld of the Cthulhiana, p. 331.) Great Old One Quyagen. [12] J.B. Lee “Genuine Article” (1998). 21 References [13] The first mention of Yaddith was in the “Alienation” sonnet of Lovecraft’s poem (1929– 30). The planet next appeared in Lovecraft’s short story • Harms, Daniel (1998). The Encyclopedia Cthulhi- collaboration with E. Hoffman Price “Through the Gates ana (2nd ed.). Oakland, CA: Chaosium. ISBN 1- of the Silver Key” (1932–33), though the sub-plot about 56882-119-0. Yaddith was entirely Lovecraft’s idea. In Lovecraft’s revision of Hazel Heald’s “Out of the Aeons” (1933), Yaddith is suggested by the name of the mountain that • Joshi, S. T. (1989). “Lovecraft’s Other Plan- is the dwelling place of Ghatanothoa: Yaddith-Gho. Fi- ets”. Selected Papers on Lovecraft (1st printing ed.). nally, in Lovecraft’s "The Haunter of the Dark" (1935), West Warwick, RI: . ISBN 0- the doomed character Robert Blake swears an oath to 940884-23-2. the planet: “Everything depends on lightning. Yaddith grant it will keep up!"; as does Alonzo Typer in Love- • craft’s revision of William Lumley’s “The Diary of Alonzo Price, Robert M. (Candlemas 1984). Robert M. Typer” (1935): “And may the Lords of Yaddith succor Price (ed.), ed. “Brian Lumley—Reanimator”. me”. (Joshi, “Lovecraft’s Other Planets”, Selected Papers #19: A Pulp Thriller and Theolog- on Lovecraft, pp. 39–40; all dates are the written.) ical Journal (Bloomfield, NJ: Cryptic Publications) 3 (3). Retrieved February 27, 2006. Check date [14] Not to be confused with James Ambuehl’s Great Old One values in: |date= (help). Y'lla. See Cthulhu Mythos deities.

[15] Walter C. DeBill jr., “The Horror From Yith”, in Black 21.1 Notes Sutra, p. 98. [16] Harms, “Yith”, The Encyclopedia Cthulhiana, p. 344. [1] H.P. Lovecraft, "" (1919).

[2] Smith, Don G. (2005). H.P. Lovecraft in Popular Cul- ture: The Works and Their Adaptations in Film, Televi- 22 External links sion, Comics, Music and Games. Jefferson, North Car- olina: McFarland. p. 16. ISBN 078642091X. 22.1 Wikisource links [3] Lovecraft never used “Glyu-Uho” in his own fiction, but did suggest it to Derleth. (Harms, “Glyu-Uho”, The Ency- • “Fungi from Yuggoth”, a poem by Lovecraft clopedia Cthulhiana, p. 122.)

[4] Robert W. Chambers, The Repairer of Reputations. • “Through the Gates of the Silver Key”, by Lovecraft and Price [5] Daniel Harms, Encyclopaedia Cthulhiana, p. 57.

[6] James Ambuehl, The Star-Seed. • “The Whisperer in Darkness”, by Lovecraft 22.2 Other links 7

22.2 Other links

• “The Challenge from Beyond”, a round-robin short story by five mythos authors: C. L. Moore, A. Mer- ritt, H. P. Lovecraft, Robert E. Howard, and 8 23 TEXT AND IMAGE SOURCES, CONTRIBUTORS, AND LICENSES

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