| “ | The golden mead of the Elder Gods renders the drinker insensible to the effects of time and space, so that he may travel in these dimensions; moreover, it heightens his sensory perceptions so that he remains constantly in a state bordering upon dream. | „ | |
| ~ The Celaeno Fragments |
The golden mead is a fictional substance created by August Derleth for his Cthulhu Mythos series of short stories The Trail of Cthulhu.
Description[]
The golden mead is a consumable liquid noted for its strong but pleasant taste and its soporific quality that causes the user to fall asleep until the mead's effects start to manifest. Such effects consist of a heightened sensory awareness, which also enables the user to separate their consciousness from their body, the latter which is kept in a state of suspended animation while the consciousness is free to travel through space by means of astral projection. (AWD: "The House on Curwen Street", "The Gorge Beyond Salapunco")
According to the Celaeno Fragments, the golden mead is a product of the Elder Gods. While it's not known how he got access to it, Laban Shrewsbury carries vials of golden mead with him, and has used it to travel by Byakhee to the Nameless City, where his body remained preserved and unaging while his astral self traveled to the Great Library of Celaeno from 1915 to 1935. (AWD: "The House on Curwen Street", "The Keeper of the Key")
The golden mead is also available as pellets that can be swallowed. (AWD: "The Watcher from the Sky")