The Dhôl Chants, or Dhol Chants, is the name of two fictional books in the Cthulhu Mythos, both described as containing spells in the form of musical chants. The original Dhôl Chants was created by H. P. Lovecraft in his story "The Horror in the Museum," ghostwritten for Hazel Heald and published in 1933.
Description[]
Leng book[]
The Dhôl Chants contains 555 chants of various natures, mostly to command spirits. There is one chant named "Blue Glow". The beneficial spells are noted to be often ineffectual, while the spells of vengeance usually work only after the death of the caster. (EXP: The Encyclopedia Cthulhiana)
There is a link, proven by metaphysical research, between this manuscript and the Dholes. Whether they influenced its text remains uncertain. (EXP: The Encyclopedia Cthulhiana)
German book[]
Written in German, the Dhôl Chants deals with similarities between the music of the Caribbean and West Africa, and songs and chants that in truth are various kinds of magical spells. Because of their microtonality, the chants can only be performed by either singing or playing with an unfretted stringed instrument such as a violin. (EXP: Arkham Unveiled)
Contains in the book are chants to contact Ahtu and Veerla (EXP: Arkham Unveiled). Also mentioned are a pair of binoculars capable of viewing other dimensions (EXP: The Encyclopedia Cthulhiana).
Zimmerman's volume may have incorporated material from the original Dhôl Chants (EXP: The Encyclopedia Cthulhiana).
History[]
Leng book[]
Not much is known about the Dhôl Chants from Leng. There is a Chinese copy in an Asian monastery discovered in 1650, and also several English copies in existence, one of which is in Miskatonic University. (EXP: The Encyclopedia Cthulhiana)
German book[]
The German Dhôl Chants was written by Heinrich Zimmerman in the 1890s. By careful studying West African music and discovering the odd similarities to Caribbean music at the time of Columbus, Zimmerman professed that he had discovered spells in the form of chants and recorded them in the book. (EXP: Arkham Unveiled)