The Cthulhi (also known as the Cosmic Octopi, Star-spawn of Cthulhu, and as Xothians) are a species that have a physical similarity with their leader, the Great Old One known as Cthulhu, but are of far smaller size. They came to Earth at some point in the Paleozoic Era and have been known to make war against the Elder Things. Despite their cephalopod appearance, they are actually land-based, not aquatic, and built their cities on dry land before they were sunk by a cataclysm. (HPL: At the Mountains of Madness / EXP: "Papyrus of the Dark Wisdom", Lin Carter)
Description
Initially described as "a land race of beings shaped like octopi and probably corresponding to the fabulous pre-human spawn of Cthulhu," (HPL: At the Mountains of Madness) the Star-Spawn are also described as being "composed of matter more widely different" than that which is native to our universe. And their physicality so malleable that they might to some small degree be called shapeshifters, for "They were able to undergo transformations and reintegrations impossible for the Elder Things."
This aspect is even contrasted against the Elder Things descriptions as "strictly material" and native to "the known space-time continuum", implying an origin with perhaps vastly different governing laws of nature to limit the Star-Spawn.
History
Originating on the planet Xoth (EXP: "Papyrus of the Dark Wisdom"), it's said that the Star-Spawn came to Earth from an unknown region of space and began to wage war against the Elder Things, which already had been inhabiting the Earth. After an unknown period of time, peace was established between the two races, with the Star-Spawn retaining all the exposed lands and the Elder Things retreating to inhabit all the oceans of the Earth. (HPL: At the Mountains of Madness)
The R'lyehian language was brought to Earth by the Star-spawn of Cthulhu. (HPL: "Through the Gates of the Silver Key")
After a period of peace and apparent prosperity during which many cities were built, the lands on which the Star-Spawn cities had been built sank into the sea for reasons unknown, including the city of R'lyeh, at which time all the Star-Spawn present on Earth either perished or went into a death-like sleep similar to their apparent forebearer Cthulhu (in "The Call of Cthulhu", it's stated that the Great Old Ones could not live while the stars were wrong). It is unclear at this point whether Cthulhu was present at the time when R'lyeh sank, or if he joined it at the bottom of the ocean some later time. William Dyer believed that R'lyeh and the other Star-spawn cities were submerged by a natural catastrophe (HPL: At the Mountains of Madness), while the K'n-yanians blame a race of inimical "space-devils" (HPL: The Mound).
From this point on, the Star-Spawn ceased to be a major power on the Earth and were replaced by the Elder Things. (HPL: At the Mountains of Madness)
Behind the Mythos
- The term "Cthulhi" was coined by Brian Lumley. (EXP: The Transition of Titus Crow, Brian Lumley)
- As there is no published physical description of the Star-Spawn by H. P. Lovecraft himself, one is left to wonder just how akin to an octopus, or to a humanoid, these creatures were intended to be envisioned.
- In "The Call of Cthulhu", the beings that the cultist Castro refers to as the "Great Old Ones" are probably the Cthulhi. This can be inferred from the fact that Castro names Cthulhu as their leader and claims that all the "Great Old Ones" lie sleeping in R'lyeh with him. After this story, however, most authors in the Cthulhu Mythos, starting with August Derleth, have come to use the term "Great Old Ones" in a different sense, to refer to the cosmic pantheon that Cthulhu belongs to, not his Star-spawn (although some authors, such as Brian Lumley, do regard the Star-spawn themselves as being Great Old Ones, not just a servitor race).
- In At the Mountains of Madness, the Star-spawn colonisation of the Earth occurred long after the formation of the moon. Conversely, in The Transition of Titus Crow, it is strongly implied that the Cthulhi were already present on Earth when the moon was ripped off from the Pacific Ocean, taking some of their settlements. As the Cthulhi are known to affect the minds of other beings, their presence in the moon accounts for its historical association with insanity (as in the word "lunacy"), and is also the reason why dogs and wolves howl at the moon.
- Lin Carter, in his Xothic Legend Cycle, uses the term "Spawn of Cthulhu" to refer to the three sons of Cthulhu and Idh-yaa: Ghatanothoa, Ythogtha, and Zoth-Ommog. Carter rarely refers to the actual Cthulhi species in his fiction, although he does refer to them in the "Papyrus of the Dark Wisdom", revealing that, like the three sons mentioned above, the Cthulhi are also from Xoth. It's not known whether they are the children of Cthulhu and Idh-yaa as well.
- In the Worlds of H. P. Lovecraft comic book series, the "Spawn of Cthulhu" are actually the Deep Ones, and the white apes are merely an intermediary stage in the transformation of humans into Deep Ones.
Gallery
- Main article: Cthulhi/Gallery