Athammaus is a character created by the late American author and Lovecraft contemporary Clark Ashton Smith for his Hyperborean Cycle series of fantasy stories. He appears in "The Testament of Athammaus", first published in the October 1932 issue of Weird Tales.
Overview[]
The chief headsman (a Hyperborean title for executioner) of Commoriom in its final days, Athammaus was the latest in a family which had held that title for generations. He was proud of his abilities, and carried out his work diligently.
When the entity Knygathin Zhaum was brought to the city only to prove unkillable, he believed that he had failed in his duty, and was the last of the citizenry to leave when it was decided to abandon Commoriom. However, he did continue in public service for many years after a new capital was established at Uzuldaroum. Near the end of his life, Athammaus wrote his testament, describing the events that led to Commoriom's abandonment.