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Old One

Old One is a term with multiple connotations across , , and . In colloquial English, it serves as a for the , often synonymous with "," a traditional for in and . Additionally, in certain Native American religious traditions, the Old One denotes the or , embodying the primal force responsible for the origins of the world and its inhabitants. In modern fiction, the term gains prominence within H.P. Lovecraft's , where the (or ) represent an ancient race of highly advanced, barrel-shaped extraterrestrials with starfish-like heads, who colonized approximately a billion years ago. These beings, detailed in Lovecraft's 1936 novella , engineered early life forms including proto-shoggoths and contended with other cosmic entities like the Star-Spawn of , establishing a foundational element of cosmic horror by portraying humanity's insignificance against incomprehensible ancient intelligences. The ' city ruins and biological innovations underscore themes of and existential dread central to the mythos.

Cthulhu Mythos

Origin and Terminology

The term "Great Old One" first appeared in H.P. Lovecraft's short story "The Call of Cthulhu," published in 1928, where it refers to ancient, otherworldly entities worshipped by a global cult. In the narrative, captured cultist Old Castro describes these beings as predating humanity and originating from the stars, emphasizing their non-material nature: "These Great Old Ones, Castro continued, were not composed altogether of flesh and blood. They had shape—for did not this star-fashioned image prove it?—but that shape was not made of matter." This introduction establishes the Great Old Ones as cosmic horrors capable of influencing human minds through dreams, with Cthulhu serving as the archetypal example. Lovecraft expanded the concept in his 1936 novella "," where the term "Old Ones" denotes the , an ancient extraterrestrial race that colonized Earth and engineered life forms like the shoggoths. These Old Ones are portrayed as biologically tangible scientists from space, distinct from the more abstract, malevolent Great Old Ones associated with entities like Cthulhu's spawn, which hail from "remoter gulfs of dream" beyond conventional space-time. This distinction highlights Lovecraft's nuanced cosmology, separating empirical alien creators from incomprehensible cosmic deities. Following Lovecraft's death in 1937, his collaborator further developed the terminology in the broader , formalizing a that positioned the Great Old Ones as powerful, Earth-bound entities imprisoned or dormant, often awaiting the alignment of stars for their return, in opposition to the transcendent Outer Gods. Derleth's framework, introduced in stories like "The Return of " (1939), categorized the Great Old Ones as elemental forces (e.g., water for ) subdued by benevolent Elder Gods, adding a moral dualism absent in Lovecraft's indifferent . These ancient, god-like beings are defined as pre-human invaders whose influence persists through forbidden cults and psychic residues, embodying existential dread.

Characteristics and Powers

The Great Old Ones in H.P. Lovecraft's are depicted as ancient, entities possessing forms that defy conventional and , often manifesting as amorphous, tentacled, or monstrosities. These beings typically exhibit non-Euclidean structures, blending elements such as pulpy, octopus-like heads with scaly, rubbery bodies and rudimentary wings, or bat-like appendages, rendering them incomprehensible to human perception. Their physicality is not fixed but adaptable, allowing survival across cosmic voids and terrestrial environments, though exposure to such forms evokes profound revulsion and existential dread. These entities wield immense powers, including reality-warping abilities that bend and , telepathic influence capable of implanting madness-inducing visions across vast distances, and apparent achieved through periods of rather than true . They exert control over elemental forces, dimensions, and even the fabric of dreams, transmitting thoughts that shatter human sanity and underscore themes of cosmic insignificance. Psychologically, mere awareness of the Great Old Ones—through artifacts, dreams, or glimpses—precipitates irreversible in observers, symbolizing humanity's trivial place in an indifferent universe dominated by incomprehensible horrors. Most Great Old Ones remain imprisoned by cosmic barriers, confined to sunken cities or stellar voids, awaiting alignment of astronomical events to awaken and reclaim dominance. This dormancy preserves their essence, allowing recombination after dispersal, but binds them until "the stars are right." In later interpretations by , they are depicted as imprisoned by elder gods. Notably, the term "Great Old Ones" in Lovecraft's works sometimes overlaps with the —scientific, star-headed creators of life—leading to a in later interpretations; whereas the former are malevolent deities evoking terror, the latter represent rational, exploratory aliens who warred against such threats.

Notable Great Old Ones

Cthulhu serves as the high priest of the Great Old Ones, a colossal entity with a pulpy, tentacled head surmounting a grotesque, scaly body equipped with rudimentary wings and prodigious claws, currently imprisoned in the sunken city of beneath the . This non-Euclidean metropolis, characterized by cyclopean stone blocks and vast, abnormal angles, rises periodically, allowing to project its influence through vivid dreams that mold the subconscious of sensitive individuals worldwide. Cultists revere it with the incantation "Ph'nglui mglw'nafh R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn," translating to "In his house at , dead waits dreaming," chanted in esoteric rites to summon its telepathic presence. Hastur, known as the Unspeakable One or , manifests as a shadowy tied to the forbidden play The King in Yellow and the city of , which floats amid interstellar voids and twin suns. First evoked in cosmic through references to the Yellow Sign, a symbol that induces madness upon recognition, embodies decay and forbidden knowledge, positioned as a rival to in later mythos expansions by , who depicted it as a half-brother spawn of Yog-Sothoth commanding winds and decay across the stars. Its influence permeates through artifacts like the tattered robes of yellow silk that whisper secrets of the void. Tsathoggua, a toad-like Great Old One created by , appears as a squat, amorphous, bat-winged entity with a pot-bellied, furry form, originating from the dark gulfs beyond black Saturn or the underground realm of N'kai. Worshipped by prehistoric races such as the Voormis, a hairy, ape-like people of , Tsathoggua demands sacrifices in its lightless caverns, embodying slothful malevolence and the absorption of lesser beings into its protoplasmic mass. introduced it in "The Tale of Satampra Zeiros," portraying its hypnotic gaze and insatiable hunger as central to ancient Hyperborean cults. Ithaqua, the Wind-Walker, is a gaunt, towering figure with glowing red eyes and frost-rimed fur, haunting the frozen tundras and wastes as a Great Old One inspired by Algonquian .) Created by in his 1941 novella Ithaqua, it strides on hurricane-force winds, abducting victims to its icy domains and transforming them into cannibalistic servants, rivaling other elemental entities in its dominion over cold and isolation.) Ghatanothoa, the petrifying horror, lurks atop Mount Yaddith-Gho on the lost continent of , a colossal, amorphous abomination whose mere sight induces instantaneous mummification, trapping the victim's soul in eternal, conscious torment within a leathery shell. Featured in H.P. Lovecraft's collaboration with Hazel Heald, "," it was bound by ancient priests of K'naa using a forbidden scroll depicting its form, preventing its gaze from devastating the Pacific realm, though its spawn and cults persist in subterranean lairs. Other notable Great Old Ones include Yig, the Father of Serpents, a serpentine with humanoid arms who avenges harm to reptiles by cursing offenders with scaly transformations, as depicted in Lovecraft's "The Curse of Yig." Zhar, one of the Twin Obscenities alongside its sibling , is a vaporous, star-spawned entity dwelling in the Plateau of Leng, progenitor of the Tcho-Tcho people, introduced in and Mark Schorer's "The Lair of the Star-Spawn." Nyogtha, the Haunter of the Red Abyss, emerges as a squamous, shadowy mass from volcanic chasms in Clark Ashton Smith's "The Stairs in the Crypt," summoned by forbidden rites to engulf intruders in crimson darkness. Abhoth, the Source of Uncleanliness, spawns grotesque, unclean progeny from a polluted pool in Smith's "The Seven Geases," representing boundless filth and mutation in Hyperborean lore.

Role in the Mythos Narrative

In the , the Great Old Ones function primarily as catalysts for existential horror, exerting influence through psychic projections into human dreams, the machinations of devoted cults, and the looming threat of their awakenings from ancient slumbers. In H. P. Lovecraft's seminal short story "," the entity broadcasts nightmarish visions to artists and sensitive individuals worldwide, manifesting as fragmented images of cyclopean architecture and chants like "Cthulhu fhtagn," which disrupt and reveal glimpses of a primordial past. These dreams serve as harbingers, linking disparate events and characters into a cohesive narrative of encroaching cosmic disruption. Complementing this, secretive cults—comprising humans and hybrid alien beings—preserve and propagate the Old Ones' lore through rituals in remote locations, such as the bayous or Greenland's icy wastes, fostering a sense of global conspiracy that propels the plot toward inevitable confrontation. The potential awakening of these beings, as when briefly surfaces to release , underscores the fragility of earthly barriers, transforming passive dread into active catastrophe. Thematically, the Great Old Ones encapsulate Lovecraft's philosophy of , portraying as inconsequential specks adrift in an uncaring, infinite where leads to psychological ruin and collective doom. These entities, unbound by morality or scale, evoke the terror of insignificance by demonstrating that Earth's history is but a fleeting in their cycles, rendering achievements trivial and illusory. Encounters with their —whether through artifacts, texts, or visions—impart revelations that erode , symbolizing the peril of transcending anthropocentric limits and confronting the void's indifference. This motif reinforces inevitable downfall, as the Old Ones' resurgence promises not conquest but erasure, where humanity's fate is irrelevant to greater cosmic rhythms. Within the Mythos, the Great Old Ones interact through worship by terrestrial and extraterrestrial cults that seek to summon or appease them, while later expansions introduce oppositions from the Elder Gods and hierarchical ties to the Outer Gods. Human devotees, often marginalized or deranged, form insular groups that interpret the Old Ones' will via dreams and tomes, blending ritual with madness to bridge mortal and otherworldly realms. Alien worshippers, such as the fungoid or , extend these networks across dimensions, highlighting the entities' pervasive reach. In August Derleth's post-Lovecraftian developments, the Elder Gods emerge as benevolent cosmic arbiters who imprisoned the malevolent Great Old Ones in a moral dualism absent from Lovecraft's amoral framework, positioning the latter as forces restrained for the sake of order. Furthermore, the Great Old Ones connect subordinately to the Outer Gods, like the blind idiot at the universe's center, functioning as regional enforcers or manifestations of its mindless chaos in tales such as "." The collaborative evolution of the Mythos has seen authors like Ramsey Campbell infuse the Great Old Ones with heightened psychological nuance, relocating their horrors to urban contemporary settings where they erode personal identity and societal norms rather than solely evoking awe. Campbell's works, such as those in his early Arkham-inspired cycle, emphasize internal fragmentation and ambiguous threats, adapting Lovecraft's archetypes to probe modern alienation and subconscious fears. This progression reflects the Mythos's open-ended nature, lacking a strict canon due to its origins in shared literary correspondence rather than a unified vision—Lovecraft viewed his pantheon as atmospheric backdrop, not dogma—leading to divergent interpretations that scholars like S. T. Joshi critique as departures from the original's indifferent cosmicism while acknowledging post-1930s innovations.

Cultural and Media Influence

Adaptations in Literature and Comics

expanded the through his "Trail of Cthulhu" series, a collection of interconnected stories published between 1944 and 1952 and later compiled by in 1962, where he reinterpreted the cosmic indifference of H.P. Lovecraft's entities as a structured between forces of . In these tales, Laban Shrewsbury leads efforts against the Great Old Ones, particularly and its cultists, framing the mythos as a akin to a divine struggle rather than existential . Brian Lumley's Titus Crow series, beginning with The Burrowers Beneath in 1974, further developed the mythos by portraying the Old Ones as active, malevolent threats invading Earth, with occult investigator and ally Henri-Laurent de Marigny combating subterranean horrors like the Chthonians in direct confrontations. These novels blend pulp adventure with Lovecraftian elements, emphasizing human resistance against the Elder Gods' dominion over pre-human realms. In comics, Alan Moore's (2015–2017), illustrated by , reimagines the Old Ones as psychological archetypes emerging from the , where protagonist Robert Black's encounters reveal Lovecraft's entities as repressed facets of the human psyche that manifest through writing and dreams. Similarly, Moore's (2010–2011) delves into the aspects of the Old Ones, following FBI agents investigating a in whose rituals invoke cosmic entities, exposing layers of horror tied to and human depravity. Modern literature has incorporated nods to the Old Ones through analogous ancient entities, as in Stephen King's IT (1986), where the shape-shifting Pennywise originates as a cosmic being from the Macroverse, predating the universe and feeding on fear in a manner evocative of the Great Old Ones' predatory indifference. Caitlín R. Kiernan's works, such as those in Houses Under the Sea: The Cthulhu Mythos (2018), blend Old Ones with feminist themes by centering complex female characters who navigate the allure and terror of otherworldly forces, reinterpreting Lovecraftian horror through lenses of gender and sexuality. The proliferation of Old Ones adaptations accelerated in the 1970s and 1980s via publications, including reprints of Lovecraft's works and anthologies like New Tales of the Cthulhu Mythos (1980, edited by ), which featured contributions from multiple authors and embedded the term deeply within horror literature. These editions, produced in limited runs, disseminated mythos expansions to wider audiences, influencing subsequent anthologies and solidifying the Old Ones' ubiquity in .

Depictions in Film, Games, and Art

In film, developed extensive concepts for an unproduced adaptation of H.P. Lovecraft's , featuring detailed sketches and designs of the —ancient Old Ones depicted as starfish-like entities with winged forms and intricate, otherworldly anatomy—to capture their cosmic indifference and horror. John Carpenter's (1994) echoes Old One-induced reality shifts through its narrative of fictional horrors bleeding into the real world, manifesting as tentacled abominations and perceptual distortions that drive characters to madness, serving as a direct homage to Lovecraftian themes of incomprehensible entities altering existence. Tabletop role-playing games have prominently featured Old Ones since Chaosium's RPG debuted in 1981, where they form core antagonists with detailed statistics for entities like , emphasizing their immense size, magical powers, and vulnerability only to specific artifacts. The game's mechanics include spells for summoning Great Old Ones, such as the "Contact Deity" ritual requiring incantations and sacrifices, often resulting in catastrophic events like earthquakes or dimensional rifts. Encounters with these beings trigger loss, quantified as immediate point deductions (e.g., 1D10/1D100 for encountering ) that can lead to temporary madness, indefinite insanity, or permanent derangement, simulating the psychological toll of confronting cosmic insignificance. Video games have adapted Old Ones into interactive cosmic horror experiences, as seen in FromSoftware's (2015), where bosses like the Moon Presence and draw inspiration from Great Old Ones, portrayed as eldritch, multi-eyed aberrations lurking in dreamlike realms that induce dread through their unknowable motives and biomechanical forms. Frogwares' (2019) offers a direct Mythos adaptation, integrating Great Old Ones as dormant, indifferent entities awakening amid floods in the flooded city of Oakmont, with player investigations uncovering cults worshiping figures like the Black Goat of the Woods and hybrid monstrosities tied to their influence. More recent games include (2020), an exploration adventure drawing on Lovecraftian isolation and ancient mysteries, and Dredge (2023), where eldritch sea horrors evoke the Old Ones' cosmic dread through fishing and nightmarish encounters. In visual art, H.R. Giger's biomechanical illustrations have influenced Old One aesthetics by merging organic and mechanical elements into psychosexual horrors, evoking the alien, hive-minded dread of Lovecraft's entities through elongated limbs, exoskeletal textures, and environments suggesting vast, uncaring cosmic scales. Zdzisław Beksiński's surreal paintings similarly conjure dormant horrors via nightmarish landscapes of decayed architecture, deformed humanoid figures, and abstract abyssal voids that imply slumbering, otherworldly presences beyond human grasp, amplifying themes of existential decay and the . Early 20th-century illustrations of Old Ones, including H.P. Lovecraft's own marginal sketches from 1931 for , presented them in a simplistic manner with basic outlines of radial bodies and tentacles, limited by the era's artistic tools and focusing more on conceptual notes than detailed rendering. Modern CGI advancements enable more immersive non-Euclidean depictions, as in 's warped architecture and 's shifting, impossible geometries around Old One sites, allowing dynamic visualizations of bent spaces and fractal anomalies that heighten the sense of perceptual breakdown.

Impact on Horror Genre

The concept of the Old Ones, as introduced by , profoundly shaped the horror genre through the philosophy of , which posits an indifferent universe where humanity holds no special significance, evoking existential dread rather than traditional fear. This framework emphasized the insignificance of human endeavors against vast, unknowable cosmic forces, influencing subsequent writers to explore themes of futility and the limits of comprehension. For instance, extended this into more pessimistic existential horror, portraying reality as a puppet show orchestrated by malevolent or indifferent entities, as seen in his stories like "The Town Manager," where bureaucratic absurdity mirrors Lovecraftian uncaring vastness. In terms of genre tropes, the Old Ones popularized motifs of dormant ancient evils awakening to disrupt human society and the madness induced by forbidden knowledge, transforming horror from personal or ghostly threats to incomprehensible, alien incursions. These elements manifest in films like John Carpenter's The Thing (1982), where an extraterrestrial entity embodies paranoia and body horror akin to Lovecraftian assimilation, heightening isolation and distrust among characters in a frozen, indifferent landscape. Such tropes have permeated modern horror, emphasizing psychological unraveling over physical confrontation. The Old Ones' legacy extends into through humorous appropriations, such as memes depicting the entity in absurd, everyday scenarios on platforms like , and merchandise like plush toys that domesticate the terror for ironic appeal. Academic analyses have increasingly scrutinized how Lovecraft's infuses Mythos interpretations, with scholars examining racial "othering" in stories like "," where non-white characters serve as harbingers of cosmic chaos, prompting reevaluations of the genre's ethical foundations. The evolution of Old One-inspired horror shifted from its origins in the 1920s–1930s, where it appeared in sensational , to sophisticated literary analysis in the late 20th century, with critics like elevating it as a philosophical mode beyond genre constraints. However, this development has highlighted incomplete coverage of diverse contributions, particularly from underrepresented female Mythos writers like and , whose works reimagine cosmic horror with empowered female perspectives often absent in early iterations. A key milestone in this evolution was the 2000s revival, fueled by forums like the and early podcasts such as those on the Lovecraft eZine, which democratized and expanded Old One lore through fan discussions and audio adaptations.

Other Uses

In Children's and Historical Literature

In , the term "Old One" appears as a respectful designation for an elder, notably in Miska Miles' 1971 book Annie and the Old One, which follows a young Navajo girl named Annie who desperately tries to delay her grandmother's death by unraveling the daily weaving of a rug foretold to signal the elder's passing. The story explores themes of mortality, family bonds, and cultural traditions, providing a gentle to for young readers through Annie's emotional journey toward acceptance. Illustrated by Peter Parnall, whose desert landscapes enhance the Navajo setting, the book received the Newbery Honor in 1972 and a for its sensitive portrayal of Native American life. In historical literature, "Old One" refers to a shrewd moneylender in Thomas Middleton's Jacobean comedy A Trick to Catch the Old One, first performed around 1604–1606 by the Children of Paul's and published in quarto in 1608. The play satirizes urban vices like usury and deceit in early modern London, where the protagonist, a debt-ridden gentleman, disguises his mistress as a wealthy widow to deceive his usurer uncle and a rival creditor, leading to a foiled marriage and outwitting the avaricious "Old One" to reclaim his fortune. As a prime example of city comedy within English Renaissance theater, Middleton's work critiques social corruption and financial exploitation, blending intrigue with moral commentary on greed.

As Nicknames and Real-World References

In politics, the term "Old One" has been used as an affectionate nickname for Félix Houphouët-Boigny (1905–1993), the founding president of Côte d'Ivoire, who ruled for 33 years from independence in 1960 until his death. Known as "Le Vieux" in French, translating to "The Old One," this moniker reflected the deep respect Ivoirians held for his longevity, wisdom, and paternalistic leadership style, portraying him as a benevolent patriarch guiding the nation through stability and economic growth. His nickname underscored the cultural reverence for elders in Ivorian and broader African traditions, where seniors are valued as custodians of knowledge and mediators in community affairs. Houphouët-Boigny's death on December 7, 1993, from at age 88, marked the end of a transformative era in Côte d'Ivoire's history, ushering in political uncertainty and eventual instability after decades of his steady rule. The nickname "Le Vieux" not only symbolized his enduring influence but also aligned with African communal values emphasizing elder guidance, as seen in his role fostering national unity and peace. In and pseudoscientific discussions of , "Old Ones" occasionally describes hypothetical extraterrestrial entities influencing early human civilizations, but these interpretations remain speculative and lack empirical support.