Necronomicon

🔀 For the convention, see NecronomiCon

🐙 The Necronomicon is a fictional book created by H. P. Lovecraft. It is the archetypal book of forbidden knowledge whose contents threaten one's sanity, and serves as one of the centrepieces of Lovecraft's Cthulhu Mythos. Numerous other authors, including Clark Ashton Smith, Brian Lumley, Ramsey Campbell, and Keith Herber, have added to its contents over the years.

History[]

According to Lovecraft's pseudo-scholarly "History of the Necronomicon", the book was written in Damascus in the early 8th century by Abdul Alhazred, a "mad poet" from Sanaa in Yemen. He completed the work sometime before his mysterious death in 738 CE.

It was translated into Greek in 950 CE by Theodorus Philetas of Constantinople, who gave it the title Necronomicon. A Latin translation was made in 1228 by Olaus Wormius.

It is banned in most countries and all organised ecclesiastics. (HPL: "History of the Necronomicon")

According to Lovecraft's fiction, Robert W. Chambers took inspiration for his King in Yellow concept from rumours he had heard regarding the Necronomicon (HPL: "History of the Necronomicon").

Known Contents[]

Lovecraft's Work[]

The Voorish sign ("The Dunwich Horror")
A formula for mind transference ("The Thing on the Doorstep")
Instructions on how to make the Powder of Ibn Ghazi ("The Dunwich Horror")
A passage about the Crawling Ones and the Green Flame ("The Festival")
Page 751 of the "complete" version contains a long chant capable of summoning Yog-Sothoth if used at the right time ("The Dunwich Horror")
A large amount of information on the Antarctic Elder Things (At the Mountains of Madness)
Stories about a ghoul, one having its conclusion torn off the Harvard volume of the Necronomicon (The Selected Letters of H.P. Lovecraft III)
A line of asterisks that even the Arabian original used to censor itself (The Selected Letters of H.P. Lovecraft III)
Page 984 contains a passage in the Naacal; no translation is given (Selected Letters of H.P. Lovecraft IV)
A chapter on 'Umr At-Tawil and the ultimate gate ("Through the Gates of the Silver Key", CIRCLE: "The Lord of Illusion")
Information on the properties and symbology of the Hound Amulet ("The Hound")
The Couplet "That is not dead which can eternal lie, And with strange aeons even death may die" ("The Call of Cthulhu", "The Nameless City")

Circle Works[]

An incantation of Vach-Viraj, used against Nyogtha ("The Salem Horror", Henry Kuttner)
The original Arabian text contains an exorcism not reproduced inside the Latin Wormius version. ("The Return of the Sorcerer", Clark Ashton Smith)

Expanded Mythos Works[]

A section that mentions creatures beyond the threshold of space, such as the Tomb Herd ("The Tomb Herd", Ramsey Campbell)
Information on the Gulf of S'glhuo ("The Plain of Sound", Ramsey Campbell)
A chapter on a complicated and lengthy process capable of resurrecting the dead.
A formula for temporarily banishing manifestations of Ahtu.
A ritual accelerating the transformation from human into Deep One ("The Tomb of Priscus", Brian Mooney)
The Mao ceremony ("The Plain of Sound", Ramsey Campbell)
Copy of arcane symbols ("Castle Dark" RPG Module, Keith Herbert)
The story of Kish and Sarnath ("Zoth-Ommog", Lin Carter)
The Zoan Chant; a spell for reflected harmful powers sent against the caster ("Something in the Moonlight", Lin Carter)
How to create a portal to Nyarlathotep (Masks of Nyarlathotep Companion, "Cairo : Ancient Land, Ancient Horror" RPG Module, Larry DiTillio and Lynn Willis)
A footnote containing an untitled formula capable of opening a gateway to Cthugha.
Information on the Black Pharaoh Nephren-Ka.
Information on an ancient aquatic race Alhazred terms the Dwellers in the Depths. This page also features an astrological chart ("The Horror from the Bridge", Ramsey Campbell)
Page 224 contains the Hoy-Dhin Chant. ("The Horror at Oakdeene", Brian Lumley)
A spell to send back Bugg-Shash back to its own dimension ("The Kiss of Bugg-Shash", Brian Lumley)
Information on Yomagn'tho ("The Feaster from the Stars", E. P. Berglund)
Possibly the solution for telepathy ("I Know What You Need", Stephen King).
A description of the powers the Other Name of Azathoth gives the wielder, but not the name itself.
Instructions on how to destroy an egg of Yig using a combination of musical notes.
An illustration of the Furnace of Nug.
A prophecy foretelling the rebirth of the high priest Nophru-Ka.