| “ | A horde of tame, trained hybrid winged things that no sound eye could ever wholly grasp, or sound brain ever wholly remember. There flapped rhythmically a horde of tame, trained, hybrid winged things... not altogether crows, nor moles, nor buzzards, nor ants, nor decomposed human beings, but something I cannot and must not recall. | „ | |
| ~ H. P. Lovecraft , "The Festival" |
Byakhee are fictional creatures in the Cthulhu Mythos. They are predators who are known to travel in the vacuum of interstellar space. If one has the means by which to survive the myriad threats space presents, then one could ride a Byakhee to anywhere in the cosmos. When travelling beyond the speed of light, the creature's metabolism is greatly increased. When descending to the surface of any given planet, it is usually to feed, at which point it is best avoided.
Overview[]
This interstellar race is believed to serve Hastur the Unspeakable and may be summoned to partake in rituals. Composed of conventional matter, they are vulnerable to ordinary mundane weapons but possess cunning intelligence and guile, and some are able to cast spells.
Dwelling in interstellar space, Byakhee do not have bases on Earth (although the Nameless City serves as a sort of harbour for them), but may be summoned to perform deeds or to serve as steeds, carrying riders through interstellar space - such riders may need to partake of the revered Space Mead to survive such cold journeys. Some suggest that Byakhee do not fly through space but rather fold space around themselves, allowing near-instantaneous transport between two points.
Locomotion[]
Byakhee have a hune organ attuned to the magnetic field of the galaxy, capable of providing ease of movement in both vacuum and within atmosphere by generating a "keim" field to travel through. Located in the thorax of the creature, it allows them to travel at 400 times the speed of light. (EXP: S. Petersen's Field Guide to Cthulhu Monsters)
While on the earth's surface, Byakhee can fly at speeds up to 70 kph. The "hune" also allows them to hover on a planet's surface, using their wings for directional movement.
It has been theorized that the Byakhee's "hune" is paramagnetic in nature; that is in fact attuned to the galactic magnetic field, and is propelled by the flux. If this is true, than it may explain the creature's uncanny ability to hover while planetside, as it could easily manipulate the earth's natural magnetic field to achieve such an effect.
Summoning and Space Mead[]
Byakhee may be summoned by one who possesses the correct knowledge. In order to summon a Byakhee, it is necessary to imbibe a small amount of a golden substance dubbed "space mead" and recite the following incantation:
| “ | Iä! Iä! Hastur! Hastur cf’ayak ’vulgtumm, vugtlagln, vulgtmm! Ai! Ai! Hastur! | „ |
Due to their natural immunity to certain laws of space and time, the Byakhee will hear the summoner wherever and whenever he might be (AWD: "The Keeper of the Key").
It is necessary to drink Space Mead to ride a byahkee, (AWD: "The House on Curwen Street", "The Watcher from the Sky") putting them in a sleeplike state according to one account (AWD: "The House on Curwen Street"). Space Mead is an alchemical compound which when drunk renders the drinker immune to the effects of exposure to the vacuum of space. The drinker need not eat, sleep, or breathe during the period of the Space Mead's effect. (EXP: Call of Cthulhu 5th edition).
In other works[]
- In the Demonbane visual novels and anime, Claudius pilots a Deus Machina named Lord Byakhee and uses the power of Hastur.
- Byakhee is one of the components for the BLT sandwich in the anime Haiyore! Nyaruko-san, along with Lloigor and Tsathoggua.
- The Byakhee (バイアクヘー, Baiakuhē) appear in the film Ultraman Gaia: Gaia Again, as the minions of the kaiju Gakuzom.
- The Byakhee appear in Persona 2: Eternal Punishment, as one of the enemies in the video game.
Behind the Mythos[]
- Similar flying creatures appear in Robert E. Howard's Conan the Barbarian stories.
- It is unclear whether or not the creatures described in Lovecraft's "The Festival" and the creatures created by Derleth are, in fact, one and the same. Derleth's description is both different and less detailed: "...a monstrous black-winged bat-like creature which traveled with the speed of light." (AWD: "The House on Curwen Street")
Sources[]
- S. Petersen's Field Guide to Cthulhu Monsters, by Sandy Petersen, et al.
- The Cthulhu Mythos Encyclopedia: Third Edition, by Daniel Harms
Gallery[]
- Main article: Byakhee/Gallery