Changes: Ghatanothoa

Latest revision as of 07:04, 24 March 2024

“	Oozing and surging up out of that yawning trap-door in the Cyclopean crypt I had glimpsed such an unbelievable behemothic monstrosity that I could not doubt the power of its original to kill with its mere sight. Even now I cannot begin to suggest it with any words at my command. I might call it gigantic—tentacled—proboscidian—octopus-eyed—semi-amorphous—plastic—partly squamous and partly rugose—ugh! But nothing I could say could even adumbrate the loathsome, unholy, non-human, extra-galactic horror and hatefulness and unutterable evil of that forbidden spawn of black chaos and illimitable night. As I write these words the associated mental image causes me to lean back faint and nauseated.	„
	~ H. P. Lovecraft & Hazel Heald , "Out Of the Aeons"

Ghatanothoa (The Dark God) is a fictional entity who first appears in the 1935 story "Out of the Aeons", ghostwritten by H. P. Lovecraft for Hazel Heald. Lovecraft presents the monster as a gigantic abomination whose appearance is so hideous that anyone who gazes upon it or its image is petrified into a living mummy.

The creature is described as a "hellish god or patron daemon" brought to Earth in prehistoric times by aliens from Yuggoth (identified elsewhere as the home planet of the Mi-Go). They built a colossal fortress atop the mountain Yaddith-Gho in K'naa in the lost continent of Mu, and sealed Ghatanothoa below it beneath a vast trapdoor. When humans arose after the departure of the aliens, they too worshipped the monster out of fear of its frightful power, offering it sacrifices lest it emerge from its crypt and wreak havoc.

Though Ghatanothoa is said to be indescribable, it appears to combine aspects of an octopus and an elephant, and to be both scaly and wrinkled while remaining amorphous.

Victims of Ghatanothoa are permanently immobilized, their skin taking on the consistency of leather; their internal organs are preserved indefinitely, with the brain remaining fully aware. Only the destruction of the subject's brain or the application of a magic scroll can free it from its hellish prison, though the unfortunate is likely to be incurably insane long before the welcomed release.

Ghatanothoa's cult was immensely powerful in K'naa, though opposed by the priests of Shub-Niggurath. After Mu sunk beneath the Pacific Ocean, traces of its worship could be found in "Egypt, Chaldaea, Persia, China, the forgotten Semite empires of Africa, and Mexico and Peru in the New World", and in modern times can still be found in the Far East and the Pacific islands. (Lovecraft attributes much of his invented history of Ghatonothoa and its followers to the book Nameless Cults, originally created by Robert E. Howard.)

Other writers have contributed to the lore of Ghatanothoa. Lin Carter, in "The Thing in the Pit", depicts the creature as a Great Old One and the firstborn of Cthulhu, spawned by Idh-yaa on the planet Xoth. Colin Wilson links it to the Lloigor in "The Return of the Lloigor".

In Popular Culture

Ghatanothoa (Ghat) appears in the 2022 horror/comedy movie Glorious, voiced by J.K. Simmons, as a god inhabiting a rest stop bathroom.
Ghatanothoa appears in the Japanese TV series Ultraman Tiga, under the name Gatanothor. This incarnation is also partially based on Cthulhu, due to his association with R'lyeh.
Ghatanothoa appears as a young girl in the Japanese anime Haiyore! Nyaruko-san, under the name Ghutatan.
Ghatanothoa appears in the American urban fiction novel Dying Bites, by Don DeBrandt, as an elder god summoned to reshape the world.
Ghatanothoa appears in the mobile game Tower of Saviors, as a benevolent deity who was against the destructive nature of Azathoth.
Ghatanothoa appears in the mobile game Devil Maker: Tokyo.

Gallery

Main article: Ghatanothoa/Gallery

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 {{Infobox character
-| image = [[File:Ghatanothoa_by_borjapindado-d5q53xr.jpg|thumb]]
+|image = Ghatanothoa by borjapindado-d5q53xr.jpg
-| alias =
+|alias = *The Dark God
+*The Daemon-God
-| born  =
+*The Devil-God
-| died   =
+*The Thing on the Mount
-| origin  =
+*G'tanta
-| relatives = [[Cthulhu]] (father), [[Ythogtha]] (sibling), [[Zoth-Ommog]] (sibling), and [[Cthylla]] (sibling)
+*Tanotah
-| affiliations   = [[Great Old One]]s
+*Than-Tha
-| race  =
+*Gatan
-| first = ""[[Out of the Aeons]]"
+*Ktan-Tah
-| last   =
+|origin = {{HPL}}: [[Yuggoth]]
-| created by = [[H. P. Lovecraft]]}}
+{{EXP}}:
-'''Ghatanothoa''' is a [[Great Old One]] and the firstborn of [[Cthulhu]]. It is a huge, amorphous monstrosity, whose appearance is so hideous that anyone who gazes upon it (or even a perfect replica) is petrified into a living mummy. The victim is permanently immobilized, the body taking on the consistency of leather and the internal organs and brain preserved indefinitely, yet remains fully aware. Only the destruction of the subject's brain can free it from its hellish prison, though the unfortunate is likely to be incurably insane long before the welcomed release.
+*[[Xoth]] <small>([[Xothic Legend Cycle]])</small>
+*[[R'lyeh]] <small>([[Ultraman Tiga]])</small>
+|relatives = {{EXP}}:
+*[[Cthulhu]] <small>(father)</small><br>
+*[[Idh-yaa]] <small>(mother)</small><br>
+*[[Ythogtha]] <small>(sibling)</small><br>
+*[[Zoth-Ommog]] <small>(sibling)</small><br>
+*[[Cthylla]] <small>(sibling)</small><br>
+|affiliations = [[Great Old One]]s
+|first = {{HPL}}: "[[Out of the Aeons]]"
+|appearances = *{{EXP}}: "[[The Return of the Lloigor]]", Colin Wilson
+*{{EXP}}: "[[The Thing in the Pit]]", [[Lin Carter]]
+|created by = [[H. P. Lovecraft]] and [[Hazel Heald]]
+|current = Mount Yaddith-Gho
+}}
+{{Quote|Oozing and surging up out of that yawning trap-door in the Cyclopean crypt I had glimpsed such an unbelievable behemothic monstrosity that I could not doubt the power of its original to kill with its mere sight. Even now I cannot begin to suggest it with any words at my command. I might call it gigantic—tentacled—proboscidian—octopus-eyed—semi-amorphous—plastic—partly squamous and partly rugose—ugh! But nothing I could say could even adumbrate the loathsome, unholy, non-human, extra-galactic horror and hatefulness and unutterable evil of that forbidden spawn of black chaos and illimitable night. As I write these words the associated mental image causes me to lean back faint and nauseated.|[[H. P. Lovecraft]] & [[Hazel Heald]]|"[[Out of the Aeons|Out Of the Aeons]]"}}
+{{Lovecraftcircle}}
+{{Expandedmythos}}
+'''Ghatanothoa''' ('''The Dark God''') is a fictional entity who first appears in the 1935 story "[[Out of the Aeons]]", ghostwritten by [[H. P. Lovecraft]] for [[Hazel Heald]]. Lovecraft presents the monster as a gigantic abomination whose appearance is so hideous that anyone who gazes upon it or its image is petrified into a living [[mummy]].
-Ghatanothoa is currently trapped underneath [[ Yaddith-Gho|Mount Yaddith-Gho]] in sunken [[Mu]]. He was brought to Earth from the planet [[Yuggoth]] by an ancient, alien race, possibly the [[Mi-go]], who built a colossal fortress atop Yaddith-Gho and sealed Ghatanothoa inside the mountain beneath a large trapdoor. Ghatanothoa was worshipped by the ancient Muvians, who both feared and respected him because of his ability to turn any humans that beheld him into living, thinking mummies.
+The  creature is described as a "hellish god or patron daemon" brought to Earth in prehistoric times by aliens from [[Yuggoth]] (identified elsewhere as the home planet of the [[Mi-Go]]). They built a colossal fortress atop the mountain Yaddith-Gho in [[K'naa]] in the lost continent of [[Mu]], and sealed Ghatanothoa below it beneath a vast trapdoor. When humans arose after the departure of the aliens, they too worshipped the monster out of fear of its frightful power, offering it sacrifices lest it emerge from its crypt and wreak havoc.
-[[Category:Cthulhu Mythos]]
+Though Ghatanothoa is said to be indescribable, it appears to combine aspects of an octopus and an elephant, and to be both scaly and wrinkled while remaining amorphous.
-[[Category:Cthulhu Mythos deities]]
+Victims of Ghatanothoa are permanently immobilized, their skin taking on the consistency of leather; their internal organs are preserved indefinitely, with the brain remaining fully aware. Only the destruction of the subject's brain or the application of a magic scroll can free it from its hellish prison, though the unfortunate is likely to be incurably insane long before the welcomed release.
+Ghatanothoa's cult was immensely powerful in K'naa, though opposed by the priests of [[Shub-Niggurath]]. After Mu sunk beneath the [[Pacific Ocean]], traces of its worship could be found in "[[Egypt]], Chaldaea, Persia, [[China]], the forgotten Semite empires of Africa, and Mexico and Peru in the New World", and in modern times can still be found in the Far East and the Pacific islands. (Lovecraft attributes much of his invented history of Ghatonothoa and its followers to the book ''[[Unaussprechlichen Kulten|Nameless Cults]]'', originally created by [[Robert E. Howard]].)
+Other writers have contributed to the lore of Ghatanothoa. [[Lin Carter]], in "[[The Thing in the Pit]]", depicts the creature as a [[Great Old One]] and the firstborn of [[Cthulhu]], spawned by [[Idh-yaa]] on the planet [[Xoth]]. [[Colin Wilson]] links it to the [[Lloigor (species)|Lloigor]] in "[[The Return of the Lloigor]]".
+==In Popular Culture==
+*Ghatanothoa (Ghat) appears in the 2022 horror/comedy movie ''[[Glorious]]'', voiced by J.K. Simmons, as a god inhabiting a rest stop bathroom.
+*Ghatanothoa appears in the Japanese TV series ''[[Ultraman Tiga]]'', under the name Gatanothor. This incarnation is also partially based on [[Cthulhu]], due to his association with [[R'lyeh]].
+*Ghatanothoa appears as a young girl in the Japanese anime ''[[Haiyore! Nyaruko-san]]'', under the name Ghutatan.
+*Ghatanothoa appears in the American urban fiction novel ''Dying Bites'', by Don DeBrandt, as an elder god summoned to reshape the world.
+*Ghatanothoa appears in the mobile game ''Tower of Saviors'', as a benevolent deity who was against the destructive nature of [[Azathoth]].
+*Ghatanothoa appears in the mobile game ''Devil Maker: Tokyo''.
+==Gallery==
+{{Main|Ghatanothoa/Gallery}}
+[[es:{{PAGENAME}}]]
+[[Category:Great Old Ones]]
+[[Category:Characters Originating From Lovecraft Circle Works]]