by Daniel Harms
Modern cults occasionally use the lotus to create drugs such as Liao which open up the mind to dreams of other dimensions. Dosages, methods of application, and precise effects may vary. Taken improperly, however, it may incite the user to homicidal frenzies or provide them with terrifying and uncontrolled hallucinations. The black lotus itself is sometimes seen in these visions, and it could be that the flower itself exerts a malign influence through them.
See Liao. (“Black Lotus”, Bloch; “The Black Lotus”, Carter; “Dreams of the Black Lotus”, Carter; “The Madness Out of Time”, Carter; Secrets of Japan, Dziesinski; “The Hour of the Dragon”, Howard; “Red Nails”, Howard; “The Tower of the Elephant”, Howard (O); “Dope War of the Black Tong”, Price.)
BLACK MAN
See Nyarlathotep (Black Man).
BLACK PHARAOH
Individual, sometimes named “Khotep”, who lived at the end of the Sixth Dynasty. This title has also been given to both Nephren-Ka and Nyarlathotep, often referring to individuals in vastly different periods. The Black Pharaoh is often symbolized by an inverted ankh, or cross of life.
See Nephren-Ka; Nyarlathotep (Black Pharaoh). (“Fane of the Black Pharaoh”, Bloch (O); Curse of the Black Pharaoh, Carter; S. Petersen’s Field Guide to Cthulhu Monsters, Petersen et. al.)
THE BLACK RITES
Section of the Scroll of Bubastis written by the Atlantean or Egyptian high priest Luveh-Keraphf, who worshiped Bast. The oldest copy known dates to the Thirteenth Dynasty. The Black Rites were usually omitted from the scrolls, but copies were secretly kept at Egypt’s most powerful temples. The original was written in Khemite hieratic script, and a Greek translation may also exist. The book may have been passed down to the present day, though finding a copy in these times is nearly impossible.
The book contains a great deal of information on Bast’s worship, a general overview of the other Egyptian gods, the tale of the discovery of Sebek’s Golden Crocodile, and a cautionary note on Nyarlathotep and the Black Pharaoh.
(“The Suicide in the Study”, Bloch (O); “Zoth-Ommog”, Carter; Complete Masks of Nyarlathotep, DiTillio and Willis; “The Curse of the Crocodile”, Tierney; “The Treasure of Horemkhu”, Tierney.)
BLACK RITUALS OF KOTH-SERAPIS
See Koth-Serapis.
BLACK SEAL OF IRAAN
Item brought to earth by the mi-go which came into possession of the wizard Iraan of Mu. Zanthu later acquired it, and used it in his bid for power in the temple of Ythogtha. Carved on its surface are the Seven Lost Signs of Terror, which can command obedience from any creature. It may be that this stone bears a relation to the Black Stone or the Ixaxar.
(“The Offering”, Carter; “The Whisperer in Darkness”, Lovecraft (O).)
BLACK STONE
1) Monument near the town of Stregoicavar, Hungary. The Black Stone is shaped like an obelisk and carved from a strange translucent stone. This monument is engraved with indecipherable carvings, but most of these have been chipped or weathered away.
No one knows what civilization erected the Black Stone. Some say that the Huns left it, but others, including Friedrich von Junzt, insist that it is a remnant of an even earlier time.
For hundreds of years, the Black Stone was the site of rituals for the hill people of the region. In 1526, a Muslim army marched into the area. When its commander, the scribe Selim Bahadur, discovered the locals’ practices, he ordered all the tribesmen killed and their village destroyed, ending the cult’s reign of terror over the region.
Even though over four centuries have passed since the land’s purging, those who live nearby shun the Black Stone. Gazing at the stone for any length of time causes insanity, and those who have slept nearby are haunted in their dreams for the rest of their lives. At one time, the natives set out to destroy the Stone, but all those who attempted to do this were cursed and the people allowed it to stand. This monument might have inspired Justin Geoffrey’s poem “People of the Monolith,” as the poet is known to have visited this area. Another visitor is said to have constructed a replica of the Stone in the Sesqua Valley.
See Magyar Folklore; Remnants of Lost Empires; Stregoicavar; Terrible Old Man; Unaussprechlichen Kulten; Xuthltan. (“The Black Stone,” Howard (O); “Your Metamorphic Moan”, Pugmire.)
2) A smaller object revered by the Worms of the Earth. These creatures kept it at Stonehenge until the invasion of the Picts, after which they bore it away into their underground caverns. A person who is able to steal the Black Stone from its keepers may request a service in return, though doing so will doom the thief after many years. The description of this stone seems to be quite similar to that of the Ixaxar, and the two might be the same object. See Black Seal; Zegrembi Seals. (“The People of the Dark”, Howard (O); “The Worms of the Earth”, Howard.)
BLACK SUTRA
Volume written by U Pao, one of Burma’s earliest scholars, around the year 700. His Black Sutra shows great insight into the nature of life on Earth, including passages suggesting the theory of evolution. In addition, it deals with Yidhra at some length. Some say that von Junzt’s last manuscript indicated he had read this book.
(“Where Yidhra Walks”, DeBill (O); Keeper’s Compendium, Herber, Nightmare’s Disciple, Pulver.)
BLACK TOME OF ALSOPHOCUS (also THE BLACK TOME)
Book written by the great wizard Alsophocus of Erongill. An unknown monk partially translated the Tome into Latin in 1517, entitling it Extractus Alsophocus. No one knows where any surviving copies of this book might be found, though Miskatonic University may hold one. The Black Tome held such powerful information as the citing of Boromir, the secrets of the Shining Trapezohedron, and the calling of Cthulhu from his tomb.
See Hounds of Tindalos. (“Coming of Age”, Ballon; “The Black Tome of Alsophocus”, Lovecraft and Warnes (O); Ex Libris Miskatonici, Stanley.)
BLACK TOWER OF LENG
See Pharos of Leng.
BLACK WIND
See Nyarlathotep (Black Wind).
BLAINE, (DOCTOR) HENRY STEPHENSON
Manuscript curator at the Sanbourne Institute. In 1928, while cataloging and publishing the papers of Harold Hadley Copeland, Blaine suffered a mental breakdown and was confined.
See Hodgkins, Arthur. (“The Dweller in the Tomb”, Carter (O); “Out of the Ages”, Carter.)
BLAKE, ROBERT HARRISON
Milwaukee painter and weird fiction author. Due to difficulties in finding work, Blake turned to writing as a source of income. Though his works met with little commercial success at first, over time they began to gather acclaim, and Miskatonic University Press published the collection The Feaster from the Stars in 1928. Later, Blake took up painting as well, mainly depicting scenes of alien landscapes.
In search of greater thrills for use in his fiction, Blake searched for forbidden books, discovering a copy of De Vermis Mysteriis. He made a journey to Providence so that a friend might translate the archaic Latin in which the book was written. During this visit, his friend’s house burned to the ground with its tenant trapped inside. Blake left Providence hastily following this incident.
During the winter of 1935, Blake took up residence in an apartment on College Street in Providence. It was here that Blake completed many of his most famous stories. That spring and summer, however, Blake became increasingly obsessed with a deserted church on French Hill. He disclosed to friends that a series of strange events connected with this structure had befallen him; many consider these assertions to be part of a tremendous hoax engineered at least partially by Blake himself. On August 8, 1935, Blake was found dead from electrical shock in his rooms following a thunderstorm. His writing is still quite popular, and the short story collections The Stairs in the Crypt and his Collected Works have been reprinted after his death.
[Blake first appeared in Bloch’s “Shambler”, but was not named until Lovecraft’s “Haunter”. Lovecraft chose the name “Blake” due to its similarities to “Bloch,” so that he could return the favor Bloch
had done by killing a Lovecraft-based character in “Shambler.” According to Lovecraft, the title story of the collection Feaster from the Stars (invented later) was not written until 1935.]
See Dexter, Ambrose. (“The Shadow from the Steeple”, Bloch; “The Shambler from the Stars”, Bloch (O); “The Franklyn Paragraphs”, Campbell; “The Freshman”, Farmer; “The Haunter of the Dark”, Lovecraft.)
BLASTED HEATH
Five-acre area to the west of Arkham covered with nothing but grey dust. No plants will grow on the Heath. At its center are the remains of a house and well. The Blasted Heath is believed to have been submerged beneath the new Arkham reservoir.
(“The Colour Out of Space”, Lovecraft (O).)
BLAYNE, HORVATH (c. 1925–1948)
Student of mythology and religion. Blayne was born Horvath Waite, but cousins in Boston adopted him when his home town of Innsmouth was destroyed and his family killed. He later became a student of Asian culture, centering his studies upon Indo-China and the isles of the Pacific. After the end of the Second World War, Blayne spent his time almost exclusively in the South Pacific, where he became known for his work with the ruins on Ponape.
In 1947, Blayne was sighted in Singapore with the noted scholar Laban Shrewsbury, and he is believed to have taken part in a secret government action somewhere in the Pacific. His fate is unknown, though a testament found among his papers hints at some disturbing possibilities.
(“The Black Island”, Derleth (O).)
BLOATED WOMAN
See Nyarlathotep (Bloated Woman).
BLOODY TONGUE
See Cult of the Bloody Tongue.
B’MOTH (also BEHEMOTH or PHEMAUT)
Oceanic deity worshiped in many parts of the world. B’moth desires to return all of humanity to the savage state that it once held, and can control weather and animals to accomplish this purpose. This creature may be another name for Cthulhu, or may be associated with the Great Old One in some way.
See Magic and the Black Arts. (“The Scourge of B’Moth”, Russell (O).)
BOKRUG
God who took the shape of a water-lizard and who was worshiped by the Thuum’ha of Ib. He is especially infamous for his vengeance upon those who offend him. His revenge may take hundreds of years to overtake his foes, but when it comes, it is swift and devastating. The entire city of Sarnath blasphemed against this deity for many centuries, but Bokrug’s wrath eventually destroyed the metropolis. Bokrug is worshiped today in the city of Ilarnek in the Dreamlands, and possibly in the lost pre-human city of Lh-Yib.
Some evidence suggests that Bokrug may not actually be a god, but is in fact one of a race of humanoid beings who have set themselves up as gods of the Thuum’ha, as the people of Ib are known. Others disagree, and say that “Bokrug” is only a mask for a more dangerous entity.
See Ib; Ilarnek; Sarnath. (“The Book of Dismissals”, Carter; “The Doom that Came to Sarnath”, Lovecraft (O); Beneath the Moors, Lumley.)
BOLTON
Factory town north of Arkham. The first settlers built their town on the banks of the James River in 1650, but Bolton was not incorporated until 1714. Today, Bolton is a major site for industry; its mills primarily employ immigrants, and the town has acquired an unsavory reputation due to the frequent quarrels which occur between the different ethnicities. The brilliant young doctor Herbert West practiced in this town for a short while, and Thomas de la Poer lived here before his ill-fated departure for England.
[It is uncertain whether Lovecraft knew that Bolton was a real town before he included it in his stories.]
See Miskatonic River. (“Herbert West — Reanimator”, Lovecraft (O); “The Rats in the Walls”, Lovecraft; “Freak Show”, Ross and Woods.)
THE BOOK OF AZATHOTH
Volume carried by some forms of Nyarlathotep. Anyone who enters the service of the Outer Gods must sign the Book with their blood. It may possibly be the book spoken of by the victims of the witchcraft trials; if so, it would explain only a few of these volumes were ever found. The Book of Azathoth also contains material in parody of Scripture, praising the Outer Gods and denigrating Christianity.
Another “Book of Azathoth”, a spiral notebook containing a long rambling discourse about the nature of the universe, was found in a hotel room in Midium’s Grove, New York. Since the other volume is in Nyarlathotep’s possession, any comparison between the two is impossible.
See Azathoth; Nyarlathotep (Black Man). (Devil’s Children, Conyers, Godley, and Witteveen; “The Higher Mythos”, Hensler; “The Dreams in the Witch-House”, Lovecraft (O).)
THE BOOK OF DAGON
Set of inscribed conical stones. The Book was a gift from the Deep Ones to Captain Obed Marsh after he had founded the Esoteric Order of Dagon. Through help from his inhuman visitors, Marsh was able to translate the R’lyehian glyphs into English. The book was never published, and only a few handwritten copies exist. After the raid on Innsmouth, the cones were taken into government custody, where they were destroyed in 1955 in a freak accident.
This book, which serves as the scripture for the cult of the Deep Ones, provides the history of that species and describes their religious ceremonies.
(Delta Green, Detwiller, Glancy, and Tynes; Escape from Innsmouth, Ross (O).)
THE BOOK OF DZYAN (also the STANZAS OF DZYAN)
Book of ancient wisdom that exists on a higher spiritual plane, where psychically sensitive travelers can find it. According to tradition, the Lords of Venus brought the first six chapters of this book, as well as the Senzar language, to humans. The grateful humans preserved the Book in the lost city of Shamballah. The book was later translated into Chinese and distributed widely, though only a few copies survive today.
Traders discovered the oldest known written copy in a Chinese cave in 595, from which it made its way to the Wharby Museum in England. This copy was written in Chinese, Sanskrit, and characters resembling those in the G’harne and Sussex Fragments, and proved instrumental in Gordon Walmsley’s deciphering of both books. Chinese and Sanskrit copies once rested in many monasteries of the East, though most of these have been destroyed or lost. Others have turned up in the van der Heyl mansion near Chorazin, New York, and the Starry Wisdom Church in Providence. In 1901, Wallace Deely supposedly translated the book from the Tsath-Yo language into English.
The contents of this book remain a mystery. One section relates to the Seal of Solomon, a variant Elder Sign, and incantations that ward off evil might be found within.
[The Book of Dzyan originally appeared in the works of the Theosophist Helena Blavatsky. In her book The Secret Doctrine, Blavatsky quotes it at some length, supposedly having viewed the original during a trip to Tibet. According to her account, the Book of Dzyan is the first of fifteen esoteric commentaries on the thirty-five books of Kiu-te, a likely transliteration of a term used to describe the Tibetan Buddhist corpus. According to Blavatsky, the Book of Dzyan was written on palm leaves in the Atlantean language of Senzar. Lovecraft did not encounter Blavatsky’s work until the end of his life, and his main source for his descriptions of the book were the accounts of his friend E. Hoffman Price derived from later Theosophical sources.
[Blavatsky stated “Dzyan” (pronounced “Djan”) is derived from “Dhyan,” the Sanskrit term for mystical meditation.]
See Feery, Joachim; Study of the Book of Dzyan, A. (The Secret Doctrine, Blavatsky (O); The Fate, Detwiller with Ivey; The Dark Destroyer, Glasby; Keeper’s Compendium, Herber; “The Haunter of the Dark”, Lovecraft; Selected Letters IV, Lovecraft; “The Diary of Alonzo Typer”, Lovecraft and Lumley; The Book of Dzyan, Maroney, ed.; Ex Libris Miskatonici, Stanley.)
THE BOOK OF EIBON
Tome penned by the Hyperborean wizard Eibon. Legend has it that it was found amid the ruins of his blasted tower, but Cyron of Varaad’s afterword to the book tells of how Eibon left him the manuscript, which Cyron then arranged into sequential order. The Book was then passed from teacher to pupil for many years, with occasiona
l notes being added by subsequent readers. After the destruction of Hyperborea during the Ice Ages, copies of the Book made their way to Zobna and Lomar, and later Atlantis and Hyboria, by way of a secretive cult that revered Eibon and may have been related to that which preserved the Pnakotic Manuscripts. The priesthood of Mithra in Brythunia, a country of the Hyborian Age, might have preserved a copy, but if so it has been lost.
There seem to have been two paths by which the Book of Eibon made its way into the modern world. The first route was through Egypt, as traders from Atlantis brought their goods and knowledge to that land. The volume was translated into hieroglyphics, and the so-called “Kishite recension” made by the former high priest of Sarnath may have derived from one of these. It then made its way through the Mediterranean area, where the Syro-Phoenician scholar Imilcar Narba made a Punic translation around 1600 B.C. Byzantine Greek (or Graeco-Bactrian) copies were later made, and around 960, Theodorus Philetas correlated several of the surviving texts into a medieval Greek volume. A Greek copy may still exist, but the oldest confirmed copy is the ninth-century Latin translation of C. Philippus Faber, which was likely the source of the Latin text printed in Rome in 1662. The Latin copies of the Book of Eibon at Miskatonic and Harvard stem from this particular tradition.