Changes: Gustaf Johansen

Revision as of 16:39, 16 February 2009

Gustaf Johansen is a fictional character created by H. P. Lovecraft, who makes his first appearance in the 1928 short story "The Call of Cthulhu". He is a Norwegian sailor "of some intelligence," and the second mate of the Emma of Auburn, whose home address was in Oslo's Old Town. En route to Callao, the Emma encounters the heavily armored steam yacht Alert, who orders the schooner to turn back. Captain Collins refuses, leading the Alert to fire upon the Emma using a brass cannon. In retaliation, the crew of the Emma manage to board the Alert and slay all of its members, although Collins and First Mate Green are killed in the battle, leaving Johansen in command of the crew. He dies shortly after his return from the South Pacific in 1925; his papers, found posthumously, provide the only first-hand account of Cthulhu in Lovecraft's fiction. His report was written in English to spare his wife from learning the horror of Cthulhu.

Trivia

Robert M. Price suggests that Johansen's nationality is a tip of the hat to the Kraken, a creature from Norwegian folklore, for helping to inspire Cthulhu.^[1]

References

↑ Price, "The Other Name of Azathoth".

[1] Price, "The Other Name of Azathoth".

[1]

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-'''Gustaf Johansen''' is a fictional character created by [[H. P. Lovecraft]], who makes his first appearance in the 1928 short story "[[The Call of Cthulhu]]". He is a Norwegian sailor "of some intelligence," and the second mate of the ''[[Emma]]'' of Auburn, whose home address was in Oslo's Old Town. He died shortly after his return from the South Pacific in 1925; his papers, found posthumously, provide the only first-hand account of [[Cthulhu]] in Lovecraft's fiction. His report was written in English to spare his wife from learning the horror of Cthulhu.
+'''Gustaf Johansen''' is a fictional character created by [[H. P. Lovecraft]], who makes his first appearance in the 1928 short story "[[The Call of Cthulhu]]". He is a Norwegian sailor "of some intelligence," and the second mate of the ''[[Emma]]'' of Auburn, whose home address was in Oslo's Old Town. En route to Callao, the ''Emma'' encounters the heavily armored steam yacht ''[[Alert]]'', who orders the schooner to turn back. Captain [[Collins]] refuses, leading the ''Alert'' to fire upon the ''Emma'' using a brass cannon. In retaliation, the crew of the ''Emma'' manage to board the ''Alert'' and slay all of its members, although Collins and First Mate [[Green]] are killed in the battle, leaving Johansen in command of the crew. He dies shortly after his return from the South Pacific in 1925; his papers, found posthumously, provide the only first-hand account of [[Cthulhu]] in Lovecraft's fiction. His report was written in English to spare his wife from learning the horror of Cthulhu.
 ==Trivia==