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TheCallofCthulhu
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"TheCallofCthulhu"isashortstorybytheAmericanwriterH.P.Lovecraft.Writteninthesummerof1926,itwasfirstpublishedinthepulpmagazineWeirdTales,inFebruary1928.[1]The
fulltextcanbereadonWikiSource(http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/The_Call_of_Cthulhu).

"TheCallofcthulu"

Contents
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Plotsummary
Inspiration
Literarysignificanceandcriticism
Adaptations
Seealso
Notes
References
Externallinks

Plotsummary
Inthetext,narratorFrancisWaylandThurston,ofBoston,recountshisdiscoveryofnotesleftbehindbyhisgranduncle,GeorgeGammellAngell,aprominentProfessorofSemiticlanguages
atBrownUniversityinProvidence,RhodeIsland.
Thefirstchapter,TheHorrorinClay,concernsasmallbasreliefsculpturefoundamongthepapers,whichthenarratordescribes:"Mysomewhatextravagantimaginationyieldedsimultaneous
picturesofanoctopus,adragon,andahumancaricature....Apulpy,tentacledheadsurmountedagrotesqueandscalybodywithrudimentarywings".ThesculptureistheworkofHenry
AnthonyWilcox,astudentattheRhodeIslandSchoolofDesignwhobasedtheworkondeliriousdreamsof"greatCyclopeancitiesoftitanblocksandskyflungmonoliths,alldrippingwith
greenoozeandsinisterwithlatenthorror".FrequentreferencestoCthulhuandR'lyeharefoundinpapersauthoredbyWilcox.Angellalsodiscoversreportsof"outrementalillnessesand
outbreaksofgroupfollyormania"aroundtheworld(inNewYorkCity,"hystericalLevantines"mobpoliceinCalifornia,aTheosophistcolonydonswhiterobestoawaita"glorious
fulfillment").

CoverofpulpmagazineWeirdTales(Feb.1928):
firstappearanceinprintofTheCallofCthulhu.
Author

H.P.Lovecraft

Country

UnitedStates

Language

English

Genre(s)

Horror,Gothic,novella

Publishedin

WeirdTales

Mediatype

Print

Publicationdate

February,1928

Thesecondchapter,TheTaleofInspectorLegrasse,discussesa1908meetingoftheAmericanArchaeologicalSocietyinSt.Louis,Missouri,whereaNewOrleanspoliceofficialnamedJohnRaymondLegrasseaskedtheassembled
antiquarianstoidentifyastatuetteofunidentifiablegreenishblackstone,"capturedsomemonthsbeforeinthewoodedswampssouthofNewOrleansduringaraidonasupposedvoodoomeeting",whichresemblestheWilcoxsculpture,and
appears"instinctwithafearsomeandunnaturalmalignancy".ItisthenrevealedthatonNovember1,1907,Legrasseandapartyofpolicemenfoundseveralwomenandchildrenusedinaritualinwhichalmost100menallofa"verylow,
mixedblooded,andmentallyaberranttype"repeatedlychantedthephrase:"Ph'ngluimglw'nafhCthulhuR'lyehwgah'naglfhtagn".Afterkillingfiveoftheparticipantsandarresting47others,Legrasseinterrogatedtheprisonersandlearned
"thecentralideaoftheirloathsomefaith":"Theyworshipped,sotheysaid,theGreatOldOneswholivedagesbeforetherewereanymen...and...formedacultwhichhadneverdied...hiddenindistantwastesanddarkplacesallovertheworld
untilthetimewhenthegreatpriestCthulhu,fromhisdarkhouseinthemightycityofR'lyehunderthewaters,shouldriseandbringtheearthagainbeneathhissway.Somedayhewouldcall,whenthestarswereready,andthesecretcult
wouldalwaysbewaitingtoliberatehim.[2]Theprisonersidentifiedthestatuetteas"greatCthulhu",andtranslatedthechantedphraseas:"InhishouseatR'lyehdeadCthulhuwaitsdreaming".Oneoftheacademicspresentatthemeeting,
WilliamChanningWebb,aprofessorofanthropologyatPrinceton,describes"asingulartribeorcultofdegenerateEsquimauxwhosereligion,acuriousformofdevilworship"hadthesamechantandasimilarfetish.
Inthethirdchapter,TheMadnessfromtheSea,ThurstondiscoversanarticledatedApril18,1925,fromtheSydneyBulletin,anAustraliannewspaper,inwhichisreportedthediscoveryofaderelictshipwithonlyonesurvivor:Norwegian
sailorGustafJohansen,secondmateontheschoonerEmma,whichsailedfromAuckland,NewZealand,andlaterapparentlyencounteredaheavilyarmedyacht,theAlert,crewedby"aqueerandevillookingcrewofKanakasandhalfcastes"
fromDunedin.WhenattackedbytheAlertwithoutprovocation,thecrewoftheEmmakilledtheopposingcrew,butlosttheirownshipinthebattlecommandeeredtheAlertanddiscoveredanunchartedislandinthevicinityofcoordinates
of479S12643W.WiththeexceptionofJohansenandanotherman,theremainingcrewdiedontheislandandJohansendoesnotrevealthemanneroftheirdeath.
ThurstontravelstoNewZealandandAustralia,whereattheAustralianMuseumheviewsastatueretrievedfromtheAlert,akintotheprevioustwo.InOslo,Norway,ThurstonlearnsthatJohansendiedsuddenlyafteranencounterwith"two
Lascarsailors".Johansen'swidowprovidesThurstonwithamanuscriptwrittenbyherlatehusband,whereintheunchartedislandisdescribedas"acoastlineofmingledmud,ooze,andweedyCyclopeanmasonrywhichcanbenothingless
thanthetangiblesubstanceofearth'ssupremeterrorthenightmarecorpsecityofR'lyeh".ThecrewstruggletocomprehendthenonEuclideangeometryofthecity,andaccidentallyreleaseCthulhu:"Itlumberedslobberinglyintosightand
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gropinglysqueezedItsgelatinousgreenimmensitythroughtheblackdoorway....Thestarswererightagain,andwhatanageoldculthadfailedtodobydesign,abandofinnocentsailorshaddonebyaccident.Aftervigintillionsofyearsgreat
Cthulhuwaslooseagain,andraveningfordelight".MostofthecrewarekilledJohansenandonecrewmatesetsail,butCthulhuentersthewatertopursuethevessel,whereuponJohansenramsthecreature'shead,whichbursts,"onlyto
immediatelybeginreforming".TheAlertescapes,butJohansen'screwmatedies.Afterfinishingthemanuscript,Thurstonrealizesheisnowatargetofthemonster'sworshippers.

Inspiration
CthulhuMythosscholarRobertM.PriceclaimstheirregularsonnetTheKraken,[3]writtenin1830byAlfredTennyson,wasamajorinspirationforLovecraft'sstory,asbothreferenceahugeaquaticcreaturesleepingforaneternityatthe
bottomoftheoceananddestinedtoemergefromitsslumberinanapocalypticage.[4]
S.T.JoshiandDavidE.Schultzcitedotherliteraryinspirations:GuydeMaupassant's"TheHorla"(1887),whichLovecraftdescribedinSupernaturalHorrorinLiteratureasconcerning"aninvisiblebeingwho...swaysthemindsofothers,
andseemstobethevanguardofahordeofextraterrestrialorganismsarrivedonearthtosubjugateandoverwhelmmankind"andArthurMachen's"TheNoveloftheBlackSeal"(1895),whichusesthesamemethodofpiecingtogetherof
disassociatedknowledge(includingarandomnewspaperclipping)torevealthesurvivalofahorrificancientbeing.[5]
ItisalsoassumedhegotinspirationfromWilliamScottElliot'sTheStoryofAtlantis(1896)andTheLostLemuria(1904),whichLovecraftreadin1926shortlybeforehestartedtoworkonthestory.[6]
PricealsonotesthatLovecraftadmiredtheworkofLordDunsany,whowroteTheGodsofPegana(1905),whichdepictsagodconstantlylulledtosleeptoavoidtheconsequencesofitsreawakening.AnotherDunsanyworkcitedbyPriceisA
ShopinGobyStreet(1919),whichstated"theheavenofthegodswhosleep",and"unhappyaretheythathearsomeoldgodspeakwhilehesleepsbeingstilldeepinslumber".[7][8]
The"slightearthquake"mentionedinthestoryislikelythe1925CharlevoixKamouraskaearthquake.[9]
S.T.JoshihasalsocitedA.Merritt'snovellaTheMoonPool(1918)whichLovecraft'frequentlyrhapsodiedabout'.Joshisaysthat,'Merritt'smentionofa"moondoor"that,whentilted,leadsthecharactersintoalowerregionofwonderand
horrorseemssimilartothehugedoorwhoseinadvertentopeningbythesailorscausesCthulhutoemergefromR'lyeh'.[10]

Literarysignificanceandcriticism
Lovecraftregardedtheshortstoryas"rathermiddlingnotasbadastheworst,butfullofcheapandcumbroustouches".WeirdTaleseditorFarnsworthWrightfirstrejectedthestory,andonlyaccepteditafterwriterDonaldWandrei,afriend
ofLovecraft's,falselyclaimedthatLovecraftwasthinkingofsubmittingitelsewhere.[11]
ThepublishedstorywasregardedbyRobertE.Howard(thecreatorofConan)as"amasterpiece,whichIamsurewillliveasoneofthehighestachievementsofliterature.Mr.Lovecraftholdsauniquepositionintheliteraryworldhehas
grasped,toallintents,theworldsoutsideourpaltryken."[12]LovecraftscholarPeterCannonregardedthestoryas"ambitiousandcomplex...adenseandsubtlenarrativeinwhichthehorrorgraduallybuildstocosmicproportions",adding"one
of[Lovecraft's]bleakestfictionalexpressionsofman'sinsignificantplaceintheuniverse."[13]
FrenchnovelistMichelHouellebecq,inhisbookH.P.Lovecraft:AgainsttheWorld,AgainstLife,describedthestoryasthefirstofLovecraft's"greattexts".[14]
CanadianmathematicianBenjaminK.TippettnotedthatthephenomenadescribedinJohansen'sjournalmaybeinterpretedas"observableconsequencesofalocalizedbubbleofspacetimecurvature",andproposedasuitablemathematical
model.[15]
E.F.Bleilerhasreferredto"TheCallofCthulhu"as"afragmentedessaywithnarrativeinclusions".[16]

Adaptations
PartsofthestorywereadaptedinEerie#4byArchieGoodwinandGrayMorrowandinTheAvengers#88byHarlanEllison,RoyThomasandSalBuscema.
AlbertoBrecciaillustratedanelevenpagestoryin1974.
Thestorywasproducedasasilentfilmofthesamenamein2005,andasa1920sstyleradiodrama,DarkAdventureRadioTheatre:TheCallofCthulhu,in2012.
HeavymetalbandMetallicareleasedaninstrumentaltrackcalled"TheCallofKtulu"ontheiralbum,RidetheLightning.Theirsong,"TheThingThatShouldNotBe",onthealbumMasterofPuppets,wasinspiredbytheshortstory"The
ShadowoverInnsmouth".TheyalsorecordedasongonthealbumDeathMagneticcalled"AllNightmareLong"thatwasalsoinspiredbyLovecraft.
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Seealso
CthulhuMythos
CthulhuMythosinpopularculture

Notes
1.Straub,Peter(2005).Lovecraft:Tales.TheLibraryofAmerica.p.823.ISBN1931082723.
2.Lovecraft,"TheCallofCthulhu",p.139.
3.TheKraken(http://www.victorianweb.org/authors/tennyson/kraken.html),TheVictorianWeb
4.RobertM.Price,"TheOtherNameofAzathoth",introductiontoTheCthulhuCycle.PricecreditsPhilipA.Shrefflerwith
connectingthepoemandthestory.
5.S.T.JoshiandDavidE.Schultz,"CallofCthulhu,The",AnH.P.LovecraftEncyclopedia,pp.2829.
6.ForteanTimesMagazineH.P.Lovecraft(http://www.forteantimes.com/features/profiles/153/hp_lovecraft.html)
7."LordDunsany(18781957)".WorksShortbibliography.Dunsany.December2003.Retrieved20120126.
8.Price,"TheOtherNameofAzathoth".ThispassageisalsobelievedtohaveinspiredLovecraft'sentityAzathoth,hencethetitle
ofPrice'sessay.

9.Lackey,ChrisChadFiferAndrewLeman(May12,2010)."Episode42TheCallofCthulhuPart1".TheH.P.Lovecraft
LiteraryPodcast.hppodcraft.com.Retrieved17August2012.
10.Joshi,S.T.(2010)IamProvidence:TheLifeandTimesofH.P.Lovecraft.NewYork:HippocampusPress.2Vols.VolIIpg.
639
11.S.T.Joshi,MoreAnnotatedLovecraft,p.173.
12.QuotedinPeterCannon,"Introduction",MoreAnnotatedLovecraft,p.7.
13.Cannon,pp.67.
14.MichelHouellebecq,H.P.Lovecraft:AgainsttheWorld,AgainstLife.
15.Tippett,BenjaminK.(2012)."PossibleBubblesofSpacetimeCurvatureintheSouthPacific".
16.E.F.Bleiler,SupernaturalFictionWritersVol,NY:Scribners,1985,p.478

9.Lackey,ChrisChadFiferAndrewLeman(May12,2010)."Episode42TheCallofCthulhuPart1".TheH.P.Lovecraft

References
Lovecraft,HowardP.(1984)[1928]."TheCallofCthulhu".InS.T.Joshi(ed.).TheDunwichHorrorandOthers(9thcorrectedprintinged.).SaukCity,WI:ArkhamHouse.ISBN0870540378.Definitiveversion.
Lovecraft,HowardP.(1999)[1928]."TheCallofCthulhu".InS.T.Joshi(ed.).MoreAnnotatedLovecraft(1sted.).NewYorkCity,NY:Dell.ISBN0440508754.Withexplanatoryfootnotes.
Price,RobertM.(1996)[1928]."TheCallofCthulhu".InRobertM.Price(ed.).TheCthulhuCycle:ThirteenTentaclesofTerror(1sted.).Oakland,CA:Chaosium,Inc.ISBN1568820380.Acollectionofworksthatinspiredand
wereinspiredbyTheCallofCthulhu,withcommentary.

Externallinks
TheCallofCthulhu(http://www.isfdb.org/cgibin/title.cgi?41897)titlelistingattheInternetSpeculativeFictionDatabase
WorksrelatedtoTheCallofCthulhuatWikisource
TheGodsofPegana,LordDunsanycompletetextatWikisource
"TheHorla",GuydeMaupassantcompletetextatWikisource
"TheNoveloftheBlackSeal"(http://gutenberg.net.au/ebooks06/0601861h.html),ArthurMachencompletetextatProjectGutenbergofAustralia
TheCallofCthulhu,iTunes(https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/totalbookcallcthulhuinteractive/id813770318?mt=8)
Retrievedfrom"https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Call_of_Cthulhu&oldid=722205028"
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