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H. P. Lovecraft


Many of Lovecraft's,(1890-1937) stories espouse the theory of an advanced, prehistorical, non-human civilization; Interdimensional and extraterrestrial beings who played a role in the creation of humanity. Clues to the existence of said beings found in anomalous artifacts, ancient ruins and in the mystical rites and tomes of ancient cults.
Sound familiar?
I am curious as to what sources., (literary or historical), led to his creation of this mythos.
Reply., please.
 
Many of Lovecraft's,(1890-1937) stories espouse the theory of an advanced, prehistorical, non-human civilization; Interdimensional and extraterrestrial beings who played a role in the creation of humanity. Clues to the existence of said beings found in anomalous artifacts, ancient ruins and in the mystical rites and tomes of ancient cults.
Sound familiar?
I am curious as to what sources., (literary or historical), led to his creation of this mythos.
Reply., please.

Who other than HP Lovecraft could tell you?

... and he's dead.
 
Drugs? I'm gonna go with drugs. Remember, Lovecraft lived in an era when there were no regulations on narcotics use.
 
True. But surely there has been some research.

Lovecraft was an extensive letter writer. Maybe if you could locate his letters and gain access to them you would find an answer. It's possible he discussed such things with his colleages, or with the editors of Weird Tales.


You can find a great deal about him online if you google him. The torrent sites carry almost all of his works in MP3, as well as documentaries about his life. I haven't found anything addressing where his ideas came from, or what he based his mythos on, but I've never really looked for that either.

-DBTrek
 
"Now all my tales are based on the fundamental premise that common human laws and interests and emotions have no validity or significance in the vast cosmos-at-large. To me there is nothing but puerility in a tale in which the human form--and the local human passions and conditions and standards--are depicted as native to other worlds or other universes. To achieve the essence of real externality, whether of time or space or dimension, one must forget that such things as organic life, good and evil, love and hate, and all such local attributes of a negligible and temporary race called mankind, have any existence at all. Only the human scenes and characters must have human qualities. These must be handled with unsparing realism, (not catch-penny romanticism) but when we cross the line to the boundless and hideous unknown-the shadow-haunted Outside-we must remember to leave our humanity and terrestrialism at the threshold."

Lovecraft.,1927
 
I've read that HP's father may have been associated with or influence by the Theosophists, and a woman that HP knew was formerly in the circle of Aleister Crowley. I would imagine that either of these could be true, or merely the faint connections drummed up by enthusiastic would-be Lovecraft 'experts.'

I have also read that much of the Lovecraft Mythos, which is itself sort of fragmentary and no always consistent story to story, can be traced to the Sumerian mythos, but again this could be fact or wishful thinking on those who like to elevate HP from fiction writer to prophet.

"At the Mountains of Madness" is still one of my favorite stories ever.
 
Well, more accurately, I think he's saying that the modern ancient-astronauts idea can be traced back to Lovecraft's writing.

It's an interesting book, well worth the time.
 
Well, more accurately, I think he's saying that the modern ancient-astronauts idea can be traced back to Lovecraft's writing.

No i believe i was
right in what i siad, there is no modern ancient astronaut theory. Those theorys have been around for years. The author cant say they are modern myths because they are old myths.Lovecraft is a horror writer full stop no analyse is achieveable when you compare both theories it simply is not there.but you have your opinion and i respect that. P.S JUST READ THE LAST FEW LINES OF THE FIRST PARAGRAPH OF THE BOOK DESCRIPTION U WILL SEE WHAT I MEAN BY HORROR.
 
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I produced a bunch of cold cast bronze Cthulhu Statues 6 years ago. They were pretty nifty. I'm a huge Lovecraft fan. I just finished the Nyarlathotep, Black Pharaoh bust.
 
Thanks.

The other day I had a dream where I was morphing into a Deep one. What was worse, I was actually okay with it.
 
To deal with the original question, one would likely need to balance Lovecraft's (slavish?) devotion to Poe, with his apparent nightmare-affliction.

The fact that - in his fiction - he posits a subterranean creature with the ability to 'send' to sleeping humans, and influence their behaviour, is interesting.

The fact that H.R. Giger is apparently similarly afflicted, though has rendered his 'visions' in visual forms, is also interesting.

Re Lovecraft's own thought processes, we actually are in a very good position to trace these: he was one of the most prolific letter-writers of the Twentieth Century, and discussed themes, theory and technique with many collaborators.

For myself, I wonder whether his lucid, often-overwrought prose, stems from a (horribly?) deep intuition. It would explain his currency, perhaps.

This discussion - of course - fits into the category of artwork which addresses the subconscious, rather than the conscious, mind.
 
To deal with the original question, one would likely need to balance Lovecraft's (slavish?) devotion to Poe, with his apparent nightmare-affliction.

The fact that - in his fiction - he posits a subterranean creature with the ability to 'send' to sleeping humans, and influence their behaviour, is interesting.

The fact that H.R. Giger is apparently similarly afflicted, though has rendered his 'visions' in visual forms, is also interesting.

Re Lovecraft's own thought processes, we actually are in a very good position to trace these: he was one of the most prolific letter-writers of the Twentieth Century, and discussed themes, theory and technique with many collaborators.

For myself, I wonder whether his lucid, often-overwrought prose, stems from a (horribly?) deep intuition. It would explain his currency, perhaps.

This discussion - of course - fits into the category of artwork which addresses the subconscious, rather than the conscious, mind.


Preaching to the choir., brother.
 
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