Subject: Necronomicon info 2
From: parker@moorhead.msus.edu (PARKER RYAN)
Date: 2 Jun 94 13:29:00 -0500
Message-ID: <1994Jun2.132901.10904@msus1.msus.edu>


	The name Cthulhu provides an Important and fascinating parallel
with Arab magickal practice. Cthulhu is very close to the Arabic word
Khadhulu (also spelled al qhadhulu). Khadhulu (al qhadhulu) is translated
as "Forsaker" or Abandoner." Many Sufis and Muqarribun writings make use
of this term (Abandoner). In Sufi and Muqarribun writings "abandoner"
refers to the power that fuels the practices of Tajrid "outward
detachment" and Tafrid "interior solitude." Tajrid and Tafrid are forms of
mental "yoga," used in Arab systems of magick, to help the magician free
himself from (abandon) cultural programming. In Muqarribun texts Khadhulu
is the power that makes the practices of Tafrid and Tajrid possible for
the magician. Although I was familiar with the use of "abandoner" in Arab
mystical and magickal writings I was unaware (until about two years ago)
that Khadhulu appears in the Quran. I owe the knowledge Khadhulu shows
up in the Quran (in a very significant way) to William Hamblin. In the
Quran chaper 25 verse 29 it is written, "Mankind, Shaitan is Khadhulu."
This verse has two orthodox interpretations. The first is that Shaitan
will forsake man. The other orthodox interpretation is that Shaitan causes
men to forsake the "straight path of Islam" and the "good" ways of their
forebears. The orthodox Muslim would view forsaking Islamic culture as
sinful and ungodly. However, Muqarribun and Sufis, as already discussed
feel abandoning culture is vital to spiritual growth. The identification
of Shaitan of the Islamic tradition is very important. By the time
Mohammad was writing Shaitan was being called "the Old Serpent (dragon)"
and "the Lord of the Abyss." The Old Serpent or Old Dragon is, according
to experts such as E.A. Budge and S.N. Kramer, Leviathan. Leviathan is
Lotan. Lotan traces to Tietan. Tietan, we are told by the authorities on
Near Easern mythology is a Later form of Tiamat. According to the experts
the Dragon of the Abyss called Shaitan is the same Dragon of the Abyss
named Tiamat. Scholars specializing in Near Eastern mythology have stated
this time and again. Why is this important? Its importance lies in the
fact that HPL described Cthulhu as dragon-like and sleeping in the abyss
(ocean). Leviathan/Tiamat is also said to be sleeping or dormant. The
identification of Shaitan the Old Dragon Lord of the Abyss with Khadhulu in
the Quran is thus a very fascinating parallel with Lovecraft. The
connection of the "Abandoner" with the Dragon is strengthened somewhat by
a line from "The Book of Annihilation" an Arabic text on magick. This line
translates as, "the dragon is an abandoner for he leaves all that is
sacred. The dragon goes here and there without pause." While this line is
obviously symbolic (most likely referring to the practice of Tafrid) it
does serve to establish a connection between the Dragon of Near Eastern
myth with Khadhulu in Arab magick. The ancient dragon of the abyss
(Tiamat) traces back to Sumeria. Sumeria was the oldest civilization known
to have existed. If Khadhulu of Arab mysticism is synonymous with the
Dragon of mythology (which the evidence suggests it might be) then
Khadhulu has been "worshipped" for a very long time. The numerous
parallels between Cthulhu and the Muqarribun's Khadhulu are strong enough
to suggest that Lovecraft expanded on Arab myth to create his deity Cthulhu.
	There is another interesting bit of information related to the
Dragon of the Abyss (which originated in Sumeria) and Khadhulu. This data
quite possibly is simple coincidence. On the other hand, it may not be
coincidence; there is simply no way to tell yet. It concerns one of the
titles of the Dragon, namely the Lord of the Abyss. The title Lord of the
Abyss translated into Sumerian is "Kutulu." Kutu means "Underworld" or
"Abyss" and Lu is Sumerian for "Lord" or "Person of importance." Let's
consider this for a moment: the Sumerian Kutulu is quite similar to
Khadhulu in Arabic. Khadhulu is associated with the Dragon in Arab
magickal texts. Khadhulu is also Identified with the Old Dragon (Shaitan)
in the Quran. One of the titles of this Dragon (Lord of the Abyss) is
Kutulu in Sumerian. The word Kutu (abyss) is connected with the dragon
Sumerian mythology. Indeed the ruler of the Abyss (kutu) in Sumeria was
the Old Dragon Mumu-Tiamat. There is, it would seem, quite a bit of
connection here and it may indicate that Kutulu and Khadhulu are on in the
same. I first became aware of the similarity of Cthulhu and "Kutulu"
reading a publication of L.K. Barnes. I was quite skeptical at first but I
did not make a knee-jerk dismissal of the information. Instead I
researched until I was able to confirm all the above information, related
to the word Kutulu. The fact that the above information on Kutulu is
accurate and very suggestive does not PROVE anything. It does, however,
generally SUPPORT the idea that Kutulu/Khadhulu has been a part of the
magickal traditions of the Near East for a very long time. The only thing
that can be accepted as proof will be the discovery, in a Sumerian text,
of the direct mention of the name or word Kutulu in the context discussed.
To my knowledge this has not yet happened. Until it does (if it does) the
Kutulu/Khadhulu equivalence will have to remain tenative.
	Let's closely examine the material on Arab magick. I believe it
leads to one conclusion. Lovecraft had access to rare material on Arab
magick and myths. Ignoring the possible coincidental equivalence of Kutulu
and Khadhulu there is still overwhelming evidence supporting this
proposal. Lovecraft used Irem in a manner that Parallels the Muqarribun
use before this information was generally available. The Rub al Khali
(Roba el Khaliye) is in truth important to the Muqarribun. The Jinn are
exact counter parts of the "Old Ones." Lovecraft's description of Alhazred
is VERY consistent with the Arabic Meaning of the "Mad Poet" even though
this also was generally unknown in the 1930's. The Al Azif (the howling of
the Jinn) is obviously related to Alazred's title: "The One Who is
Possessed by Jinn and Whose Writings Are Inspired by Jinn." Al Azif being
a book of poetry is consistent with the fact that almost all mystical or
prophetic writings in Arabic are poems. Khadhulu's association with the
sleeping Dragon of the Abyss is VERY close to Lovecraft's Cthulhu who lays
Dreaming in the Abyss (ocean). To my knowledge there was nothing available
(in print) about Khdhulu in English in the 1930's. All this seems to
indicate that Lovecraft had a source of information of Arabic magick and
myths not commonly accessible. It appears HPL expanded on some of the
material, in this source, in his fiction. Please note that this in no way
detracts from his considerable creastivity. HPL's stories are great not
because of few isolated elements but rather because of the way Lovecraft
could blend the individual pieces into a whole. 
	In addition to the material above there are numerous other
instances in which Lovecraft borrowed from Arab and Near Eastern
mythology. Lovecraft probably expanded on Arab and other Near Eastern myth
when creating his Deep Ones and Dagon. Arab myth mentions mysterious
fish-men from the sea of Karkar. These fish-men are probably derivative of
the myths related to the actual Near Eastern god Dagon. Dagon is a
Philistine deity that appears as a giant fish-man. Dagon is a later
version of the Babylonian Oannes. Oannes (Dagon) was the head of group of
semi-divine fish-men. The Fish-man Zootype still plays an important role
in some systems of magick. Clearly Dagon and the Deep Ones are direct
expansions on Arab and Near Eastern mythology familiar to Lovecraft.
	The Ghoul is another obvious example of Arab mythology that has
worked its way into Lovecraft's fiction. The Ghoul is derived from the
Arabic Ghul. The Ghul is a man-like creature with monstrous facial
features. It inhabits desolate and lonely places especially graveyards.
The Ghuls which inhabit graveyards feast on the corpses there. This
obviously is the source of Lovecraft's Ghouls. To this day the corpse
eating Ghul has a distinct role in the magickal practices of Arabs and
others. 
	The Black Goat of the Woods with a Thousand Young traces back to
ancient Egypt and Sumeria. While both Egypt and Sumeria had Goat cults it
was probably the Egyptian version that was most influential. The so-called
Goat of Mendes was a "black" incarnation of Asar. The cult was fertility
based. Aspects of these Goat cults were absorbed into Arab magickal
systems. For instance, the Aniz tribe is designated as the Goat Anz. (Anz
and Aniz are cognates.) The Aniz are called the Goat because their founder
practiced fertility based magick. The Symbol of this cult is a torch
between two Goats horns. This symbol has become important in Western
magickal traditions.