by Daniel Harms
References to Hastur the Unspeakable indicate that Shub-Niggurath has mated or will mate with this Great Old One, producing the creatures known as the Thousand Young. From this union, or possibly another with Yog-Sothoth, it has spawned the little-known entities Nug and Yeb. Yig has also been referred to as her “brother and mate”.
The milk of Shub-Niggurath, a substance with astounding mutagenic properties, has sometimes been found in the possession of cultists.
See Brothers of the Yellow Sign; Cult of the Skull; Cultes des Goules; dark young of Shub-Niggurath; elemental theory; Ghatanothoa; Goatswood; gof’nn hupadgh Shub-Niggurath; Harag-Kolath; Hastur; hounds of Tindalos; K’n-yan; mi-go; moon-lens; Nug and Yeb; Outer Gods; Ram with a Thousand Ewes; Revelations of Glaaki; Sapientia Magorum; Scarlet Circles; serpent people; Sign of the Dark Mother; Tcho-tchos; Thousand Young; T’yog; Unspeakable Promise; Yaddith; Yog-Sothoth. (“No Pain, No Gain”, Adams, Isinwyll, and Manui; “The Dark Stairway”, Berglund and Weinberg; “Dreams in the House of Weir”, Carter; Visions from Yaddith, Carter; “Made of Meat”, Conyers; “The Lurker at the Threshold”, Derleth and Lovecraft; “Further Notes on the Necronomicon”, Hamblin; Necronomicon: The Book of Dead Names, Hay ed.; “The Whisperer in Darkness”, Lovecraft; “The Last Test”, Lovecraft and de Castro (O); “Out of the Aeons”, Lovecraft and Heald; The Transition of Titus Crow, Lumley; “Scales of Justice”, Mackey; Call of Cthulhu Rulebook, 5th ed., Petersen and Willis; “Lovecraft’s ‘Artificial Mythology’”, Price; Heir to Darkness, Rahman; The Gardens of Lucullus, Rahman and Tierney; “The Seed of the Star-God”, Tierney; Deities and Demigods Cyclopedia, Ward with Kuntz.)
SHUDDE-M’ELL (also SHUDDAM-EL)
Great Old One and leader of the cthonians. Shudde-M’ell appears as a huge cthonian and spends most of its time under the ground. At one time, a large number of Elder Signs imprisoned Shudde-M’ell beneath G’harne, but natural disasters and human theft of the warding-stones eventually freed him. The Great Old One still returns to the ruined city once every twenty-three years, to meet with its children.
In Hyborian times, the priests of Stygia revered Shudde-M’ell under the name Shuddam-El. It is believed that his worship later traveled to Egypt, where it inspired the myths of the serpent Apophis. His worship by the builders of the prehistoric megaliths of England and some particularly decadent shamans of America’s Pacific Coast has been well documented. Today only the Jidhauas of Mongolia and possibly some African tribes near the site of G’harne revere Shudde-M’ell.
See Cthonians; Elder Sign; G’harne; Haddath; Irem. (Call of Cthulhu Roleplaying Game, Cook and Tynes; The Burrowers Beneath, Lumley; “Cement Surroundings”, Lumley (O); The Transition of Titus Crow, Lumley; “The Worm of Urakhu”, Tierney.)
SHUGORON
See Nyarlathotep (Shugoron).
SHUNNED HOUSE
House on Benefit Street in Providence known for its poor reputation. Constructed by Captain William Harris in 1763, the house might have been built over the remains of a graveyard not removed when the local government straightened the street. It soon became a place known for disease, death, and insanity, and the family moved out around 1782. Later generations rented out the place, but it was still known for the ill health of its inhabitants. After a series of deaths in 1861, the house was abandoned.
In 1919, prominent local historian Elihu Whipple perished in an exploration of the house. This event was followed by a day when yellow gas filled the sky above College Hill. Shortly thereafter, the house was opened to tenants once again. It is unknown if these previous events were related.
In more recent years, the Shunned House has been renovated and painted a bright yellow color. It has become the meeting place of a nest of ghouls, as well as a dwelling for vampires and other curious creatures.
[The house described in Lovecraft’s story stands at 135 Benefit Street in Providence, Rhode Island.]
(Low Red Moon, Kiernan; “The Shunned House”, Lovecraft (O).)
SIGN OF EIBON
See Eibon, Sign of.
SIGN OF KISH
See Kish, Sign of.
SIGN OF KOTH
See Koth, Sign of.
SIGN OF THE DARK MOTHER
Icon sacred to Shub-Niggurath that bears some resemblance to a three-headed goat. This may imply some linkage between the Black Goat of the Woods and the Greek deities Hecate and Demeter, both of whom were represented as three-headed fertility figures.
See Shub-Niggurath. (“Dawn Biozyme”, Hike and Isinwyll.)
SIGSAND MANUSCRIPT
Book written by a 14th century (or possibly 17th century) clergyman. It deals at length with different sorts of phantoms and monsters, their manner of attack, and the possible defenses against them. A copy is held at the Bodleian Library, and another was once in the possession of British ghosthunter Thomas Carnacki.
(Ramsey Campbell’s Goatswood, Aniolowski and Sumpter; “The Gateway of the Monster”, Hodgson (O), “The Hog”, Hodgson, “Forgotten Futures IV: The Carnacki Cylinders”, Rowland.)
SILBERHUTTE, HANK
Texan telepath recruited by the Wilmarth Foundation in 1966. The Foundation valued Silberhutte for his ability to detect the mental patterns of alien creatures, a talent that the Foundation used often as part of their battle against the Cthulhu Mythos. When it came to telepathic links with humans, Silberhutte’s powers failed him; the only exception was Juanita Alvarez, a native of Monterrey, with whom Silberhutte could initiate contact at will.
After the disappearance of his cousin, a government surveyor, in Canada some years before, Silberhutte became obsessed with collecting the native legends about Ithaqua, the Wendigo. Due to his erudition in this field, the Texan was made the head of the Wilmarth Foundation’s efforts to track down this creature of the frozen north. It was during this endeavor that Silberhutte and the crew of his plane vanished on January 22, 1969. He maintained some sporadic telepathic contact through Ms. Alvarez in which he stated that he now lived in a place called “Borea”. This link cut off after a while, and the true fate of Silberhutte remains a mystery.
(Burrowers Beneath, Lumley (O); In the Moons of Borea, Lumley; Spawn of the Winds, Lumley.)
SILVER KEY
Key of tarnished silver five inches long, carved with indecipherable hieroglyphics. The Silver Key was forged in the land of Hyperborea many years ago. Legend links it to the lost city of Irem, but it is first recorded as being in the possession of a “Keeper of the Key” who dwelt in the Hashishim fortress of Alamut. The Crusader Geoffrey Carter killed his guards and stole away with it, passing it down through his family line. How much the family may have known about the Key is uncertain, but the reputed wizard Edmund Carter of Salem, Massachusetts used it to great effect. The Carter family passed down the key until the mystic Randolph Carter rediscovered it; he is believed to have taken it with him when he disappeared in 1928.
When certain words are spoken as the key is held up to the setting sun and rotated nine times, this device can physically transfer its user to any time desired. If the bearer is worthy, it may also be used to unlock the Ultimate Gate which ‘Umr at-Tawil guards. Through the use of an enchantment also created in Hyperborea, the powers of the key can be greatly increased.
See Irem; ‘Umr at-Tawil. (“The Silver Key”, Lovecraft (O); “Through the Gates of the Silver Key”, Lovecraft and Price; “The Lord of Illusion”, Price.)
SILVER TWILIGHT
See Masters of the Silver Twilight.
SIMON OF GITTA (c. 10–?)
Samarian wizard and warrior who lived at the time of Christ. A tax collector slew Simon’s parents, and Simon killed him in turn. His Roman captors were so impressed with his fighting skills that they sent him to the gladiatorial arena at Fidenae. After the destruction of that place in a great cataclysm, Simon escaped to Rome itself, but was forced to flee once again. He is known to have spent time studying magic in Persepolis and Alexandria, and rumor has it that he even had a hand in the deaths of the emperors T
iberius and Caligula. Though he claimed that his abilities in magic were only sleight-of-hand, his reputation within the Empire was great, and he came to serve Emperor Claudius.
[Simon of Gitta is based upon a real-life individual named Simon Magus, whose Gnostic sect competed with the early Christians.]
(“The Dragons of Mons Fractus”, Tierney; “The Fire of Mazda”, Tierney; “The Pillars of Melkarth”, Tierney; “The Ring of Set”, Tierney (O); “The Scroll of Thoth”, Tierney; “The Soul of Kephri”, Tierney; “The Sword of Spartacus”, Tierney.)
SINCAUL, CYPRIAN
San Francisco sculptor whose talented yet decadent work is well-known among fans of the weird. Though his early work was mediocre, Sincaul blossomed into an artist whose work became infamous for its hideousness. It is rumored that Sincaul destroyed a sculpture that was to have been his masterpiece after the mental breakdown of one of his models.
(“Out of the Ages”, Carter; “The Hunters from Beyond”, Smith (O).)
SIXTH SATHLATTA
Formula found in the Cthaat Aquadingen, which reads as follows:
Ghe’phnglui, mglw’ngh ghee-yh, Yibb-Tstll,
Fhtagn mglw y’tlette ngh’wgah, Yibb-Tstll,
Ghe’phnglui mglw-ngh ahkobhg’shg, Yibb-Tstll;
THABAITE! — YIBB-TSTLL, YIBB-TSTLL, YIBB-TSTLL!
The Ptetholites were the creators of the Sixth Sathlatta, and it may be used in many ways. If inscribed upon a wafer of flour in its original Ptetholite characters and used in conjunction with the Hoy-Dhin formula from the Necronomicon, it may be used to call the Black upon one’s enemies. Saying it once before sleep will allow the chanter to contact Yibb-Tstll in dreams. If thirteen say the formula on any “First Day” of a calendar year, Yibb-Tstll himself will be summoned. However, if at least seven of the callers are not “adepts”, and unless they erect the Naach-Tith Barrier for protection, Yibb-Tstll may effect his horrible “reversals” upon them.
See The Black; Cthaat Aquadingen; Ptetholites; Sathlattae; Yibb-Tstll. (“The Black Recalled”, Lumley; “The Horror at Oakdeene”, Lumley (O).)
SIXTYSTONE
See Ixaxar.
SKAI
River of the Dreamlands. The river Skai springs from the slopes of Mount Lerion, passes by the towns of Hatheg, Nir, and Ulthar, and empties into the Southern Sea.
See Atal; Hatheg; Lerion; Nir; Ulthar. (“The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath”, Lovecraft (O).)
SKINLESS ONE
See Nyarlathotep (Skinless One).
SMALL CRAWLER
See Nyarlathotep (Small Crawler).
SMITH, JAPHET
Reputed agent of the Cthulhu cult who was assigned to find Claiborne Boyd. Though some say he died in Peru a short time thereafter, he has been sighted since then.
(“The Gorge beyond Salanpunco”, Derleth (O); Other Nations, Marsh and Marsh.)
SMITH, MORGAN
Expert on black magic and author of Sign of the Skull, considered a landmark in the field. Smith was the son of a wizard who promised him as a body to Nyarlathotep, and he has been attempting to avert that fate for three hundred years using a ring bearing the god’s seal. Smith spends a considerable amount of time in Arkham, but travels a great deal.
See Witch-house. (“The Dark Stairway”, Berglund and Weinberg; “Sword of Seven Suns”, Berglund; “The Flying Horned One”, Weinberg (O); “Meet Morgan Smith”, Weinberg.)
S’NGAC
Being of violet gas that dwells somewhere near Deneb, or perhaps beyond the edge of the universe where there are no objects with form. S’ngac knows many of the universe’s secrets, and warned Kuranes away from Nyarlathotep and the home of his “cousin” Azathoth. He may also transport a person with him through the universe, though it is unwise to travel all the way to Azathoth’s court with him. S’ngac might have come to earth on an asteroid that landed near Arkham in 1927, but if this is true, he returned to the stars soon afterward. The gaseous entity fears the Elder Gods for some unspecified reason.
(“The Color from Beyond”, Cabos; “Celephaïs”, Lovecraft (O); “The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath”, Lovecraft.)
SNIRETH-KO
Dreamer who at one time prepared the incense and wine for the temples of Ulthar. He lost his faith and made a bargain with a creature called the “Keeper of Dreams”. He is believed to have traveled far, even to the moon’s dark side, but in the end a strange doom overtook him.
(“The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath”, Lovecraft (O); “Passing of a Dreamer”, Myers.)
SONA-NYL
The “Land of Fancy” located in the Dreamlands near the Basalt Pillars of the West. It is said that dreams are made here and sent on to receptive minds.
See Southern Sea. (“The White Ship”, Lovecraft (O); The Clock of Dreams, Lumley.)
SONG OF YSTE
Mythos tome of great antiquity. A family of magicians named Dirka, whose ancestry has been supposedly traced back to the earliest humans, passed down The Song of Yste to modern times. These Dirkas are said to have translated this volume into the three languages of the dawn of humanity, then into Greek, Latin, Arabic, and Elizabethan (or Middle?) English.
Among other things, The Song of Yste discusses the mysterious entities known as the adumbrali.
See adumbrali. (“The Abyss”, Lowndes (O).)
SORCERIE DE DEMONOLOGIE
Book by the Comte Jean-Louis de Hammais. The original was written in Middle French, but the first printing in 1872, which featured many disturbing woodcuts, was an Old French translation. Ezekiah Mortison translated the book into English during the 1890s, though his belief that it was a fictional work interfered somewhat with the rendering. A better English translation was made by Pierre de Hammais, a professor of linguistics at the University of Nyingtove and the Comte’s son, and published by the university press. Despite its recent date of publication, the book is quite rare, though Miskatonic University and Nyingtove own copies.
Among the topics of this book are Nyarlathotep, Yomagn’tho, the dreams of Cthulhu, and a crystal that allows a person to view different times.
(“The Crystal”, Berglund; “Dream-Sendings”, Berglund; “The Feaster from the Stars”, Berglund; “Huitloxopetl IV: Vision of Madness”, Berglund (O); “Wings in the Night”, Berglund; “The Thing in the Library”, Berglund and Burnham; “The Dark Stairway”, Berglund and Weinberg; A Guide to the Cthulhu Cult, Pelton.)
SOTHOTH
Outer God subservient to Azathoth. According to the Sussex Manuscript, this being created the Great Old Ones, including Ulthar, and they acknowledged it as their master.
In Baron Frederic’s manuscript, Sothoth is said to have created Yog-Sothoth, so the two are not one and the same. Elsewhere it is stated that Sothoth, along with Ubbo-Sathla and Abhoth, created our solar system, and possibly the universe, though many consider this to be apocryphal.
See Ulthar. (A Guide to the Cthulhu Cult, Pelton; The Sussex Manuscript, Pelton (O).)
SOUL CHANT OF SEBEK
Ritual used in Egypt to ward off the attacks of hostile crocodiles. Modern occultists sometimes use it as an aid for concentration during their rites.
(“The Suicide in the Study”, Bloch (O); “The Curse of the Crocodile”, Tierney.)
SOUL OF CHAOS
First of four novels published at the expense of Edgar Henquist Gordon.
(“The Dark Demon”, Bloch (O); “The Winfield Heritance”, Carter.)
SOUTHERN SEA
Dreamlands ocean that borders on Dylath-Leen and Sona-Nyl. The sea contains a mysterious sunken city and the isle of Oriab. The Granite Pillars of the South mark the edge of this ocean to the south.
See Baharna; Dylath-Leen Oriab; Skai. (“The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath”, Lovecraft (O); The Complete Dreamlands, Williams and Petersen.)