5 Reasons to Fear Cthulhu

Listen to this article:

Cthulhu is an alien first introduced in the short story by H.P. Lovecraft called, “The Call of Cthulhu“.

The narrative slowly uncovers the mystery of a great beast beyond description that rests in an unknown dark horrific city oozing with green goo and all sorts of terrors. Throughout Lovecraft’s tale, we learn above all else, Cthulhu drives men to the brink of insanity so that he may rise again. Cthulhu should be feared.

How can one attempt to describe the unimaginable horror of The Great Old One? All that we know for sure are five reasons that everyone should be afraid of Cthulhu.

---

His Cult

“At the proper time, the secret priests would take great Cthulhu from his tomb to revive His subjects and resume his rule of earth […] Then mankind would have become as the Great Old Ones; free and wild and beyond good and evil, with laws and morals thrown aside and all men shouting and killing and revelling in joy. Then the liberated Old Ones would teach them new ways to shout and kill and revel and enjoy themselves, and all the earth would flame with a holocaust of ecstasy and freedom.”

The cult that follows Cthulhu is driven by their innate desire for freedom, but a freedom we simply can’t describe. Perhaps it is freedom from the monotony of life, or possibly just the freedom from all structure as a whole.

But no matter what they crave or what they believe, every member of the Dark Cult of Cthulhu will do anything for the Great Old One, no matter the cost or consequence. For they believe in the future that Cthulhu will bring.

---

His Claws

“[A sculpture that] represented a monster of vaguely anthropoid outline, but with an octopus-like head whose face was a mass of feelers, a scaly, rubbery-looking body, prodigious claws on hind and fore feet, and long, narrow wings behind.”

The grotesque form of Cthulhu himself is enough to drill fear into the most hardened of men. No sailor in the seven seas who stumbled across the unstoppable Cthulhu could maintain their composure, and understandably so. Not only is his rubbery skin covered in scales and goo unlike anything seen in this world, his form is ever-changing.

Even when a boat rammed straight through his body, he reformed himself with ease moments after. He is indestructible and all powerful. Even looking at a beast so hideous and powerful can drive you insane.

---

His Charge

Cthulhu has many roles. He is a Great Old One. He is the great-grandson of the greatest evil in all of the Universe, though he himself is not evil. Cthulhu transcends morality. He is instead the priest of the dormant Old Gods, who can only return upon the proper alignment of the stars.

Once the stars align, his worshippers can bring Cthulhu out from the depths of the ocean and bring forth the new age of the Old Gods once again. And it is foretold that he is again, even more than priest. He will eventually inherit the Earth from them and rule it once again. And in that day there will be FREEDOM!

---

His Control

Though Cthulhu is dormant deep in the ocean in a towering stone city named R’lyeh, he is not without great power.

In fact, he has the ability to communicate with individuals who are particularly creative or arguably predisposed to suffer from bouts of insanity. And through the Dreamlands, he can recruit more worshipers and bring more under his dark wing.

---

His Call

Cthulhu represents more than just a powerful god alien from another galaxy. No, Cthulhu represents the existential dread that we all feel. He represents the insurmountable.

He reminds us that despite our impact on the world as humans, there is something greater, be it a force of the Great Old Ones or even just a force of nature. Even though they rammed a boat through his body, he simply reformed. And yet, the waves of the ocean itself posed a threat to this great vessel. Cthulhu is not just the octopus-humanoid-dragon-like beast. He is fear.

---

Which Lovecraftian creature are you most afraid of? Let us know in the comments, and don’t forget to Let Your Geek Sideshow!

For even more creepy content and ghoulish giveaways, check out Spooktacular.com. Sideshow’s Spooktacular 2019 runs from October 24th-31st. You don’t want to miss out on this week-long celebration of all things frightening and fun!