The nightmare corpse-city of R'lyeh...was built in measureless eons behind history by the vast, loathsome shapes that seeped down from the dark stars. There lay great Cthulhu and his hordes, hidden in green slimy vaults.
Norwegian sailor Gustaf Johansen, the narrator of one of the tales in the short story, describes the accidental discovery of the city: "a coast-line of mingled mud, ooze, and weedy Cyclopean masonry which can be nothing less than the tangible substance of earth's supreme terror—the nightmare corpse-city of R'lyeh...loathsomely redolent of spheres and dimensions apart from ours".[2] The short story also asserts the premise that while currently trapped in R'lyeh, Cthulhu will eventually return, with worshipers often repeating the phrase Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn: "In his house at R'lyeh, dead Cthulhu waits dreaming".[2]
R'lyeh is characterized by bizarre architecture likened to non-Euclidean geometry that hampers exploration and escape. At one point, a crew member "climbed interminably along the grotesque stone moulding – that is, one would call it climbing if the thing was not after all horizontal – and the men wondered how any door in the universe could be so vast"[2] and at another, a sailor "was swallowed up by an angle of masonry which shouldn't have been there; an angle which was acute, but behaved as if it were obtuse".[2] Mathematician Benjamin K.Tippett demonstrates that these observations are consistent with "exploring a bubble of curved spacetime".[4] Non-Euclidean geometry and Einstein's theories feature in several of Lovecraft's stories as Weird elements. Critics Paul Halpern and Michael C. Labossiere note that
Rather than having science expand its boundaries to include genuine supernatural phenomena through brand new theories, the alleged supernatural phenomena are instead accounted for in scientific terms through existing models of nature. Thus, science is not so much embracing the supernatural as reducing it to a manifestation of the natural. Lovecraft's fascinating approach to science and the supernatural is further illustrated by the fact that he reverses the usual technique for ghostly fright. Rather than breaking the laws of science with supernatural means and thus generating fear, he creates a feeling of horror by showing that the common sense views of physics and nature (that is, the old Newtonian views) are the comforting fantasy. In contrast, the counterintuitive "new physics", the true scientific reality, provides the source of horror.[5]
Other interpretationsedit
In Alan Moore's Lovecraft-derived comic book mini-series Neonomicon and Providence it is implied, in a fashion suiting a non-Euclidean entity such as Cthulhu, that R'lyeh and subsequently Cthulhu himself do not yet exist in a physical sense. R'lyeh and Cthulhu's "dead dreaming" are instead a metaphor for the fetal development of Cthulhu in the womb of a female human detective-turned-cultist, impregnated by a male Deep One while held prisoner by his followers. Similarly to the Antichrist, it is stated that Cthulhu's inevitable "return" to destroy civilization and liberate mankind from rule of law will begin with his physical birth.
^Tippett, Benjamin K (2012). "Possible Bubbles of Spacetime Curvature in the South Pacific". arXiv:1210.8144 [physics.pop-ph].
^Halpern, Paul; LaBossiere, Michael (2009). "Mind Out of Time: Identity, Perception, and the Fourth Dimension in H. P. Lovecraft's "The Shadow Out of Time" and "The Dreams in the Witch House"". Extrapolation. 50 (3): 512–533. doi:10.3828/extr.2009.50.3.8. ISSN 0014-5483.
Referencesedit
Derleth, August (2000) [1952]. "The Black Island". Quest for Cthulhu. New York: Carroll & Graf. ISBN0-7867-0752-6.
Harms, Daniel (1998). "R'lyeh". The Encyclopedia Cthulhiana (2nd ed.). Oakland, CA: Chaosium. pp. 255. ISBN1-56882-119-0.
Lovecraft, Howard P. (1984) [1928]. "The Call of Cthulhu". In S. T. Joshi (ed.). The Dunwich Horror and Others (9th corrected printing ed.). Sauk City, WI: Arkham House. ISBN0-87054-037-8. Definitive version.
Pearsall, Anthony B. (2005). The Lovecraft Lexicon (1st ed.). Tempe, AZ: New Falcon. ISBN1-56184-129-3.
Schweitzer, Darrell, ed. (2001). Discovering H. P. Lovecraft. Holicong, PA: Wildside Press. ISBN1-58715-470-6.
External linksedit
"I, Cthulhu, or, What’s A Tentacle-Faced Thing Like Me Doing In A Sunken City Like This (Latitude 47° 9′ S, Longitude 126° 43′ W)?" 2021-12-26 at the Wayback Machine, Neil Gaiman (1986)
lyeh, fictional, lost, city, that, first, mentioned, lovecraft, short, story, call, cthulhu, first, published, weird, tales, february, 1928, sunken, city, south, pacific, prison, entity, called, cthulhu, location, given, lovecraft, southern, pacific, ocean, au. R lyeh is a fictional lost city that was first mentioned in the H P Lovecraft short story The Call of Cthulhu first published in Weird Tales in February 1928 1 R lyeh is a sunken city in the South Pacific and the prison of the entity called Cthulhu The location of R lyeh given by Lovecraft was 47 9 S 126 43 W 47 150 S 126 717 W 47 150 126 717 in the southern Pacific Ocean August Derleth placed it at 49 51 S 128 34 W 49 850 S 128 567 W 49 850 128 567 Both locations are close to the Pacific pole of inaccessibility or Nemo point 48 52 6 S 123 23 6 W 48 8767 S 123 3933 W 48 8767 123 3933 a point in the ocean farthest from any land mass Contents 1 Description 2 Significance and criticism 3 Other interpretations 4 Notes 5 References 6 External linksDescription editThe nightmare corpse city of R lyeh was built in measureless eons behind history by the vast loathsome shapes that seeped down from the dark stars There lay great Cthulhu and his hordes hidden in green slimy vaults H P Lovecraft The Call of Cthulhu 1928 Norwegian sailor Gustaf Johansen the narrator of one of the tales in the short story describes the accidental discovery of the city a coast line of mingled mud ooze and weedy Cyclopean masonry which can be nothing less than the tangible substance of earth s supreme terror the nightmare corpse city of R lyeh loathsomely redolent of spheres and dimensions apart from ours 2 The short story also asserts the premise that while currently trapped in R lyeh Cthulhu will eventually return with worshipers often repeating the phrase Ph nglui mglw nafh Cthulhu R lyeh wgah nagl fhtagn In his house at R lyeh dead Cthulhu waits dreaming 2 Lovecraft claims R lyeh is located at 47 9 S 126 43 W 47 150 S 126 717 W 47 150 126 717 R lyeh fictional location Lovecraft in the southern Pacific Ocean 2 Writer August Derleth a contemporary correspondent of Lovecraft placed R lyeh at 49 51 S 128 34 W 49 850 S 128 567 W 49 850 128 567 R lyeh fictional location Derleth 3 The latter coordinates place the city approximately 5 100 nautical miles 9 400 km from the actual island of Pohnpei Ponape the location of the fictional Ponape Scripture Both locations are close to the Pacific pole of inaccessibility 48 52 6 S 123 23 6 W 48 8767 S 123 3933 W 48 8767 123 3933 Oceanic Pole of Inaccessibility the point in the ocean farthest from any land mass Significance and criticism editR lyeh is characterized by bizarre architecture likened to non Euclidean geometry that hampers exploration and escape At one point a crew member climbed interminably along the grotesque stone moulding that is one would call it climbing if the thing was not after all horizontal and the men wondered how any door in the universe could be so vast 2 and at another a sailor was swallowed up by an angle of masonry which shouldn t have been there an angle which was acute but behaved as if it were obtuse 2 Mathematician Benjamin K Tippett demonstrates that these observations are consistent with exploring a bubble of curved spacetime 4 Non Euclidean geometry and Einstein s theories feature in several of Lovecraft s stories as Weird elements Critics Paul Halpern and Michael C Labossiere note thatRather than having science expand its boundaries to include genuine supernatural phenomena through brand new theories the alleged supernatural phenomena are instead accounted for in scientific terms through existing models of nature Thus science is not so much embracing the supernatural as reducing it to a manifestation of the natural Lovecraft s fascinating approach to science and the supernatural is further illustrated by the fact that he reverses the usual technique for ghostly fright Rather than breaking the laws of science with supernatural means and thus generating fear he creates a feeling of horror by showing that the common sense views of physics and nature that is the old Newtonian views are the comforting fantasy In contrast the counterintuitive new physics the true scientific reality provides the source of horror 5 Other interpretations editIn Alan Moore s Lovecraft derived comic book mini series Neonomicon and Providence it is implied in a fashion suiting a non Euclidean entity such as Cthulhu that R lyeh and subsequently Cthulhu himself do not yet exist in a physical sense R lyeh and Cthulhu s dead dreaming are instead a metaphor for the fetal development of Cthulhu in the womb of a female human detective turned cultist impregnated by a male Deep One while held prisoner by his followers Similarly to the Antichrist it is stated that Cthulhu s inevitable return to destroy civilization and liberate mankind from rule of law will begin with his physical birth Notes edit Weird Tales 1928 02 a b c d e H P Lovecraft The Call of Cthulhu 1928 Derleth A The Black Island 1952 Tippett Benjamin K 2012 Possible Bubbles of Spacetime Curvature in the South Pacific arXiv 1210 8144 physics pop ph Halpern Paul LaBossiere Michael 2009 Mind Out of Time Identity Perception and the Fourth Dimension in H P Lovecraft s The Shadow Out of Time and The Dreams in the Witch House Extrapolation 50 3 512 533 doi 10 3828 extr 2009 50 3 8 ISSN 0014 5483 References editDerleth August 2000 1952 The Black Island Quest for Cthulhu New York Carroll amp Graf ISBN 0 7867 0752 6 Harms Daniel 1998 R lyeh The Encyclopedia Cthulhiana 2nd ed Oakland CA Chaosium pp 255 ISBN 1 56882 119 0 Lovecraft Howard P 1984 1928 The Call of Cthulhu In S T Joshi ed The Dunwich Horror and Others 9th corrected printing ed Sauk City WI Arkham House ISBN 0 87054 037 8 Definitive version Pearsall Anthony B 2005 The Lovecraft Lexicon 1st ed Tempe AZ New Falcon ISBN 1 56184 129 3 Schweitzer Darrell ed 2001 Discovering H P Lovecraft Holicong PA Wildside Press ISBN 1 58715 470 6 External links edit I Cthulhu or What s A Tentacle Faced Thing Like Me Doing In A Sunken City Like This Latitude 47 9 S Longitude 126 43 W Archived 2021 12 26 at the Wayback Machine Neil Gaiman 1986 A Colder War Charles Stross 2000 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title R 27lyeh amp oldid 1170906250, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
