H P Lovecraft, page 39
little of interest to the Mythos scholar.
("The Dweller in the Tomb", Carter (O); "Out of the Ages", Carter.)
PRINN, ABIGAIL (?-December 14, 1690). Reputed witch from Salem and
descendant of Ludwig Prinn. Abbie Prinn often boasted of her service as high
priest to a strange god, a statement that led to her mysterious death just before
the witch-trials began. Prinn is believed to have cursed Salem before she died;
perhaps to avert her anger, the colonists buried her with a stake through her
chest.
("The Salem Horror", Kuttner (O); "Wilbur Whateley Waiting", Price.)
PRINN, LUDWIG (also LUDVIG) (?-1542). Sorcerer whose most famous work
is the book De Vermis Mysteriis.
Prinn is said to have been the child of Flemish trading delegates visiting
Constantinople. He later declared that he had lived for centuries and was the
sole survivor of the Ninth Crusade; though it is true that there is an entry for
a Ludwig Prinn among the records of that Crusade, this claim is probably
unfounded. Even if his tales of his past exploits were untrue, Prinn did make
many trips throughout the world of his time. He spent much time as a captive
of Syrian warlocks in the Jebel Ansariye, learning from their dealings with the
djinn. He also made trips to Alexandria, spoke with the priests of the Black
Pharaoh Nephren-Ka, and dwelt for a time in the ruins of the city Chorazin
on the Sea of Galilee.
At the end of his career, Prinn returned to his homeland of the Flemish
countryside, taking up residence first in Bruges, next in Ghent, and finally in
a pre-Roman tomb in a forest near Brussels. In the nearby towns, many said
that the eccentric hermit had dealings with invisible familiars. In 1540, the
Inquisition imprisoned Prinn on charges of sorcery; whether this was due to
the rumors or to his sympathy with Islam is debatable.
While imprisoned, Prinn wrote the book De Vermis Mysteriis. Somehow,
in the dead of night, he managed to smuggle the volume past his guards to be
THE CTHULHU MYTHOS ENCYCLOPEDIA
O S I D O N I S T O R I N N , L U D W I G
Dreams from R'lyeh, Carter; "Out of the Ages", Carter (O); Keepers Compendium
Herber; Miskatonic University Graduate Kit, Petersen et. al.; Kingsport, Ross; Ex
Libris Miskatonici, Stanley.)
POSEIDONIS. Last isle of Atlantis to sink beneath the ocean, and the home
of such mighty wizards as Malygris. Its high temple is supposedly seen by l0st
ships sailing in the Atlantic.
[To the best of my knowledge, this name originally appeared in the works
of Madame Blavatsky, founder of the Theosophical Movement. According to
her, the isle sank around twelve thousand years ago. Poseidonios, a Stoic phi-
losopher who suggested that Plato's Atlantis might not be a myth, may have
been the inspiration for this name.]
See Atlantis, Rituals ofYhe. ("The Strange High House in the Mist", Lovecraft
(O); "The Death of Malygris", Smith.)
POTT, JOHANNES HENRICUS. Author of an untitled Latin manuscript
which the publishers in the German city of Jena rejected. Scholars who have
read his book speculate that he might have read The Revelations ofGlaaki and
the Book oflod. Handwritten copies of his book have circulated secretly among
certain cults. Ultimate Press at one time considered publishing this volume,
but whether they actually followed through is unknown.
This book is said to contain some sort of "immortality" formula (which
may not be complete enough to be performed with the information in the
book alone) and a powerful exorcism, as well as the rather curious notion that
deformed entities reside in all darkened places.
[Johannes Heinrichus Pott was a real-life professor of law at the University
of Jena. His Specimen Juridicum de Nefando Lamiarum cum Diabolo Coitu, a
book dealing with demonic births and pacts with the devil, was published in
that city by Oerlinghaus in 1689.1 have not been able to find rumors of any
other manuscript he wrote.]
("The Star-Seed", Ambuehl; "Cold Print", Campbell; "The Mine of Yuggoth",
Campbell (O); "A Word from the Author", Campbell.)
POWDER OF IBN-GHAZI. Magical dust that allows the user to see the invis-
ible for the space of ten heartbeats.
("The Dunwich Horror", Lovecraft (O).)
PRAESIDIA FINIUM. See Frontier Garrison.
PREHISTORIC PACIFIC IN LIGHT OF THE "PONAPE SCRIPTURE" THE.
Book by Harold Hadley Copeland published in 1911 by Harold Hadley Co-
peland, based on his readings of the Ponape Scripture at the Kester Library in
Salem and his archival delvings at Harvard and Miskatonic. Though C o p e l a n d
2 3 0
THE CTHULHU MYTHOS ENCYCLOPEDIA
FOSF. I D O N I S TO F R I N N , L U D W I G
was able to draw a number of parallels between the Scripture and the mythology
and archaeology of the Pacific isles, this book destroyed Copeland's reputation
among scholars.
The book discusses the links between archaeological sites and the infamous
lost continent of Mu. It also discusses the cults of Cthulhu and the deep ones
that may be found today in the region.
("The Dweller in the Tomb", Carter (O); "The Fishers from Outside", Carter;
"Zoth-Ommog", Carter; Ex Libris Miskatonici, Stanley.)
PREHISTORY IN THE PACIFIC: A PRELIMINARY INVESTIGATION. Harold
Hadley Copeland's first book, published in 1902. Refraining from the speculat-
ing that characterized his later works, it remains a classic in its field. It contains
little of interest to the Mythos scholar.
("The Dweller in the Tomb", Carter (O); "Out of the Ages", Carter.)
PRINN, ABIGAIL (?-December 14, 1690). Reputed witch from Salem and
descendant of Ludwig Prinn. Abbie Prinn often boasted of her service as high
priest to a strange god, a statement that led to her mysterious death just before
the witch-trials began. Prinn is believed to have cursed Salem before she died;
perhaps to avert her anger, the colonists buried her with a stake through her
chest.
("The Salem Horror", Kuttner (O); "Wilbur Whateley Waiting", Price.)
PRINN, LUDWIG (also LUDVIG) (?-1542). Sorcerer whose most famous work
is the book De Vermis Mysteriis.
Prinn is said to have been the child of Flemish trading delegates visiting
Constantinople. He later declared that he had lived for centuries and was the
sole survivor of the Ninth Crusade; though it is true that there is an entry for
a Ludwig Prinn among the records of that Crusade, this claim is probably
unfounded. Even if his tales of his past exploits were untrue, Prinn did make
many trips throughout the world of his time. He spent much time as a captive
of Syrian warlocks in the Jebel Ansariye, learning from their dealings with the
djinn. He also made trips to Alexandria, spoke with the priests of the Black
Pharaoh Nephren-Ka, and dwelt for a time in the ruins of the city Chorazin
on the Sea of Galilee.
At the end of his career, Prinn returned to his homeland of the Flemish
countryside, taking up residence first in Bruges, next in Ghent, and finally in
a pre-Roman tomb in a forest near Brussels. In the nearby towns, many said
that the eccentric hermit had dealings with invisible familiars. In 1540, the
Inquisition imprisoned Prinn on charges of sorcery; whether this was due to
the rumors or to his sympathy with Islam is debatable.
While imprisoned, Prinn wrote the book De Vermis Mysteriis. Somehow,
in the dead of night, he managed to smuggle the volume past his guards to be
THE CTHULHU MYTHOS ENCYCLOPEDIA 2 3 1
P R O D I G I E S IN THE N E W E N G L A N D CANAAN TO QUY
published. Shortly thereafter, he was executed. Legend has it that he escaped
with his last reputed location being New York City.
See Byatis; Chorazin; De Vermis Mysteriis; Deep Ones; Irem; Jerusalem's Lot-
Liao; Necrolatry; Nyarlathotep; Order of the Sword of Saint Jerome; Pnakotic
Pentagon; Prinn, Abigail; Saracenic Rituals; Shub-Niggurath. ("Darkness, My
Name Is", Bertin; "The Shambler from the Stars", Bloch (O); Keepers Compen-
dium, Herber; "Lord of the Worms", Lumley; Ex Libris Miskatonici, Stanley;
"The Heart of the Matter", Webb.)
PRODIGIES IN THE NEW ENGLAND CANAAN. See Thaumaturgical Prodigies
in the New-English Canaan.
PROTO-SHOGGOTHS. Material the Elder Things derived from Ubbo-Sathla to
form their shoggoth servitors. Some of this material has survived to the present
day, where it is used in scientific experiments of the mi-go and humans alike.
Proto-shoggoth matter melds easily with other living matter, often enhancing
its capabilities and making it hardier and more difficult to destroy.
("At the Mountains of Madness", Lovecraft (O); "The Asylum", McCall;
"Convergence", Tynes.)
PTETHOLITES. Prehuman tribe that worshiped the Great Old Ones, especially
Ithaqua, and who often called down demons upon their enemies. The legends
of Hyperborea state that the Ptetholites sent their summonings against Edril
Ghambiz of Esipish. Unfortunately, Edril sent the magic of the tribesmen back
upon its callers, possibly causing the unknown doom that overtook these people
in the end. The only records left behind by the Ptetholites were the Broken
Columns of Geph, as well as the Sixth Sathlatta, which they invented.
See The Black; Broken Columns of Geph; Sixth Sathlatta. ("The Caller
of the Black", Lumley (O); "The Horror at Oakdeene", Lumley; Spawn of the
Winds, Lumley.)
PTH'THYA-L'YT. Female deep one and daughter of Mother Hydra who is almost
three hundred thousand years old. For the last eighty thousand years, she has
lived in the city of Y'ha-nthlei. She has mated with Father Dagon, a union which
many believe will result in the birth of a new species of Cthulhu's minions.
("Casket of the Sea Queen", Landwehr; "The Shadow over Innsmouth',
Lovecraft (O).)
2 3 2
THE CTHULHU MYTHOS ENCYCLOPEDIA
Q
QUACHIL UTTAUS (also the TREADER OF THE DUST). Great Old One (?)
who usually appears as a shriveled human mummy, four feet tall, with stiff and
immovable limbs. The Treader has some control over time, and its appearance
is signaled by local temporal anomalies: everything within a limited area ages at
an accelerated rate. After many "years" have passed within this space, Quachil
Uttaus arrives, riding down from the sky on a beam of grey light. Any person it
touches will turn into dust instantaneously. Sometimes Quachil Uttaus alights
upon the person's remains, leaving two tiny footprints in the dust. It is from
this habit that Quachil Uttaus derives its title.
Quachil Uttaus is mentioned in no book save the Testament of Carnamagos,
which is the only source of his summoning formula. This volume also contains
a method by which a sorcerer may make a pact with the Treader by saying
the words "Exklopios Quachil Uttaus." Quachil will arrive and then twist the
caster's spine in exchange for making him or her immortal. If the Forbidden
Words are said again near a bargainer, Quachil Uttaus will come and destroy
his one-time servant.
A being very similar in appearance and nature to Quachil Uttaus was wor-
shiped in Egypt under the title Ka-Reth, the Keeper of the Dust.
See Testament of Carnamagos. ("The Keeper of the Dust", Brennan; "The
Condemned", Herber; "The Treader of the Dust", Smith (O).)
QUAMIS. See Misquamacus.
QUEEN IN RED. Book by Martin Davies, a man who died in 1870. The work
deals with a woman wearing red who has appeared many times in history and
art, sowing destruction in her wake wherever she appears.
See Nyarlathotep (Queen in Red). ("Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence", Pearl-
man (O); "The Queen in Red", Ross.)
QUUMYAGGA. Sire of the shantaks, and the greatest of Groth-Golka's servi-
tors. At one time, this creature dwelt beneath Mount Voormithadreth. It may
be Quumyagga who dwells within the innermost dome of the great palace
of Inquanok and troubles the dreams of those who gaze too long upon that
edifice.
See Groth-Golka; shantaks. ("The Fishers from Outside", Carter; "Zoth-
Ommog", Carter (O); "The Descent into the Abyss", Carter and Smith.)
QUY. Lost continent that once existed in the South Atlantic, but now lies
2 3 3
G ' Y T H - A Z T O K E M N A N T S O F L O S T E M P I R E S
between the dimensions.
Quy was one of the two primal continents, along with R'lyeh, and was the
home of the Great Old One Quyagen. The first species to dwell on Quy were
the Y'nathogguans, which later human invaders drove away. These newcomers
established the empire of Quy and the institutionalized worship of Quyagen.
Until the cataclysm that destroyed Atlantis and Lemuria, Quy remained a weak
power, lacking in technology and harried by Lemurian pirates.
The rise of the Hyborian Age saw the Empire of Quy gain power, conquer-
ing the continent of Cakatomia (modern North America) and made raids
into Hyboria. Conan, King of Aquilonia, destroyed their armies when they
attempted to take over the eastern continent, sending the Empire into a decline
from which it never recovered.
Quy vanished when the curse of a mad prophet sent it into an alternate
dimension. The prophecy states that only when the Old Ones return will Quy
and its inhabitants return to our world.
("The Thing in the Library", Berglund and Burnham; "The Worm", Burn-
ham (O); "The Seven Cities of Gold", Burnham.)
Q'YTH-AZ. Great Old One who takes the form of a colossal amalgamation of
crystals. Q'yth-az dwells on the world of Mthura and can only travel from its
home under very specific circumstances.
Q'yth-az has been known to broadcast its telepathic messages to those
who are in close contact with crystals. If the person contacted agrees to aid the
Great Old One, Q'yth-az may manifest itself on this world when Mthura may
be seen in the sky. When it arrives, the crystalline entity grows and attempts
to transform everything around it into mineral matter. If Mthura is hidden
by clouds or travels below the horizon, however, Q'yth-az must return to its
home world.
See Mthura. ("An Early Frost", Aniolowski (O).)
2 3 4
THE CTHULHU MYTHOS ENCYCLOPEDIA
R
RAM WITH A THOUSAND EWES. Being invoked in certain of Shub-Niggu-
rath's rituals. Most likely, it is merely Shub-Niggurath's male incarnation.
See Shub-Niggurath. ( The Transition of Titus Crow, Lumley;"The Holiness
of Azedarac", Smith (O).)
RASUL AL-AKBARIN, KITAB. Book written by Ibn el-Badawi around the
year 900 which deals with the Great Old Ones. All that is known of it is that
an English translation of the original has been made, and that it discusses the
being Huitloxopetl.
("Huitloxopetl IV: Vision of Madness", Berglund (O); "Wings in the Night",
Berglund; Keepers Compendium, Herber.)
RAT-THINGS. Tiny beings that resemble rats with prehensile paws and human
faces. Some are created through interbreeding between rats and a curious species
of faeries visible only in alcohol, while others are created through magic cast
on human corpses. Many witches use them as familiars, Brown Jenkin being
the most famous example.
("The Yorkshire Horror", Barton; "The Little People", Herber; "The Dreams
in the Witch-House", Lovecraft (O).)
REFLECTIONS. Book written by Ibn Schacabao and referred to in the Necro-
nomicon. The only surviving copy is held at the British Museum.
This book includes the famous line, "Happy is the town where no wizard
hath lain, and happy is the town at night whose wizards are all ashes." The rest
of our information about the Reflections is fragmentary, but it also contains a
description of the beings of the Gulf of S'glhuo. This may also be the volume by
Schacabao mentioned in the correspondence of Joseph Curwen that described
the face of Yog-Sothoth.
[Lovecraft mentioned this book but never named it. Lumley provided the
title.]
See Ibn Schacabao. ("The Plain of Sound", Campbell; "The Case of Charles
Dexter Ward", Lovecraft; "The Festival", Lovecraft (O); The Burrowers Beneath,
Lumley.)
REMNANTS OF LOST EMPIRES. Volume written by Otto Dostmann and
published in Berlin by Der Drachenhaus Press in 1809. Much of this book
deals with the Greco-Roman ruins in Asia Minor, as well as the ancient stone
structures of Asia and the islands of the Pacific. Dostmann also includes mate-
2 3 5
R E V E L A T I O N S O F G L A A K I T O R H A N - T E G O T H
rial on the Black Stone (which he states Attila's troops erected to commemorate
a victory over the Goths), the Fishers from Outside, the Muvian god Yamath,
Ithaqua and Aphoom-Zhah, and a table of Aklo characters.
