Subject: Necronomicon info 3
From: parker@moorhead.msus.edu (PARKER RYAN)
Date: 2 Jun 94 13:30:44 -0500
Message-ID: <1994Jun2.133046.10906@msus1.msus.edu>
 
  
	I've been researching Arab magick (and it connection to
Lovecraft) for nearly 10 years so I won't be able to list every source
I've used. However I should be able to give resource in which people
interested can verify ALL the claims I make.
	 But first let me say a word about what I didn't use as sources. I
did NOT use ANY of A. Crowley's ideas on Near Eastern mythology or
language as a source for the information on Arab magick and mysticism. Nor
did I use any of Crowley's ideas in my suggestions on the Egyptian meaning
of the barbarous names (I did use W. Hamblin Ideas about Nyarlathotep
though). Crowley was NOT a source. I did not use any of Colin
Wilson's "research" at all. Nor did I use the Simon "Necronomicon" as a
major resource. I adapted ONE idea from that book only after I CAREFULLY
VERIFIED it in other more reputable sources

IREM OF THE PILLARS 
 
Those of you looking for general sources should begin with these. A
Dictionary of mythical places by Robin Palmer. Arabian Night ed. by R.F.
Burton (get the 10 Vol. set) For those who want to research how Irem fits
into Arab magick and Mysticism should try to find this book_The
Muqarribun: Arab Magic and Myth_ by Steve Lock and Jamal Khaldun.(it talks
about the "hidden" meaning of Irem etc.) I believe Idries Shaw also
mentions how Irem fit into Sufi mysticism in one of his books but I can't
remember which. Mr. Shaw briefly talks about the double meaning of
"Pillars" in Arabic (which means Old Ones) in _The Sufis_.(the art of
encoding/decoding "hidden" meaning in Arab mystical writings is called
Tawil)
 
RUB AL KHALI

The sources for the Rub al Khali are mostly the same as Irem. You can also
Check out Kenneth Grant' Hecates Fountain. Note that I am NOT saying
Grant should be read as a good historical source, he is not. HOWEVER his
ideas on the Rub al Khali are nearly the same with those of the ancient
Muqarribun.

MAD POET 

If you want a short cut to verify that the Arabic word for mad "majnun"
also means "possessed by Jinn" and that poets are said to be inspired by
Jinn just look up Jinn in Man, Myth, and Magic. If you'd like to go to the
original source find Notes on the Arabian Nights and The Modern Egyptians
by Lane. The Sufis by Idries Shaw also briefly mentions Majnun

THE JINN

Again the short cut to check out the validity of what was posted on the
Jinn is to look up Jinn in Man, Myth, and Magic. If you want a more
detailed source look up Genii in A Dictionary of Islam. This book has much
information not covered in M.M.M. In A Dictionary of Islam Jinn are said
to have come the Earth ages before man existed. They were the first of
Earths masters. They built huge cities whose ruins still stand in
forgotten places. Aeons later many Jinn were forced to flee Earth while
other were imprisoned. Still other roam desolate places to this day. The
Jinn are said to be invisible to normal men. They are, however able to
interbreed with humans but the human parent may suffer when the dark
offspring is born (shade of the Dunwich Horror.) The Jinn will, according
to legend survive mankind (the last of Earths masters?) I don't need to
point out the parallels to Lovecraft's Old Ones. If you want more
information than is provided in A Dictionary of Islam try Notes on Arabian
Nights by Lane also try using the term search (Jinn) through ILL. There
are whole books on the Jinn. 

KHADHULU
 
Khadhulu is the Arabic word meaning "abandoner" or "forsaker." The primary
source to read to research the role of "the Abandoner" in Arab magick is
The Muqarribun: Arab Magic and myth by Steve Lock and Jamal Khaldun. In
this book the transliteration of "the Abandoner" is "al qhadhulu." (I use
the transliteration "Khadhulu" because I've been told it is more correct.)
In this book the authors state that al qhadhulu (Khadhulu) is a type of
spiritual force that powers the practices of Tafrid and Tajrid. These are
exercises that are used to transcend (abandon) normal cultural
programming. The idea is that by transcending (abandoning) Dogma and fixed
beliefs a person can see reality as it is. al qhadhulu is stimulated by
the Nafs (breath or soul.) The stimulated "abandoner" then causes the Hal
or spiritual state. the relationship between Nafs, al qhadhulu and Hal is
very intricate and this is very oversimplified. Lock and Khaldun state
that the abandoner is mentioned some Sufi poetry. Another source that you
may want to read is Further Notes On the Necronomicon by William Hamblin.
Mr. Hamblin Compares Cthulhu with Khadhulu in this article. I hate to admit
it but I had owned The Muqarribun... for at least three years before I
read Mr. Hamblin's article and I never noticed how close al qhadhulu
(Khadhulu) is to Cthulhu. I also did not know that Khadhulu apeers in the
Quran (25:29) until I read Mr. Hamblin's article. I have since talked to
several Muslims about this verse. The verse translates as "Mankind,
Shaitan is al khadhulu." They have explained two orthodox interpretations
of this verse to me the first is that Shaitan will abandon man. the other
is that Shaitan causes men to forsake Islam and its culture. You'll note
that this second interpretation is fairly consistent with the spiritual
meaning the ancient Muqarribun give al qhadhulu. (Obviously an orthodox
Muslim would think Muqarribun practices Sinful.) This verse in the Quran
is important because it links the "abandoner" Khadhulu with Shaitan the
Old Dragon, Lord af the Abyss.

SHAITAN LEVIATHAN AND TIAMAT

The Image of Shaitan as The Dragon was well established by the writing of
the Quran. The old Dragon is Leviathan. Leviathan traces to Lotan. Lotan
to Tietan. And Tietan is Tiamat. This can be verified in MANY sources. One
standard one is The Gods of the Egyptian by E.A. Budge. S.N. Kramer is
another. (see below)   

KUTULU 

Kutulu is a Sumerian translation of the title Lord of the Abyss. KUTU
means Abyss. LU means lord or person of importance. L.K.Barnes was first to
note the similarity of Cthulhu and Kutulu in Simon's "Necronomicon." I was
therefore quite skeptical of it accuracy. I carefully read History Begins at
Sumer and Sumerian Mythology by S.N.Kramer as well as several other books on
Sumerian mythology/culture. I discovered that the translation given to
Kutulu is TOTALLY ACCURATE. I also verified that KUTU is closely tied to
the Sleeping Dragon (Tiamat) in Sumerian myth.

ARAB MYSTICAL POETRY

Arabic mystical poetry is a complete field of study in itself. The
Pre-Islamic prophets used the Sadj style of verse. This is the same style
that the Quran is written in. The early Muqarribun poetry is in the Ruba'i
style which is faily simple. Later Muqarribun and Sufi poetry was written
in the Mathnawi form of verse. Idries Shaw talks about the role of poetry
in Arab mysticism in The Way of the Sufi. Lelah Bakhtiar has a short
chapter on poetry in Sufi Expressions of the Mystic Quest. Another more
detailed source is Structural Continuity in Poetry. A Linguistic study of
five PreIslamic Odes by Mary C. Bateson
 
THE BARBAROUS NAMES

I have to admit I haven't done enough research into this area YET. This is
my next big project. I'll post anything of interest I learn in my
research. The translations for Yak-Set Thoth and Asa-Thoth are from _The
Rites of the Gods_. The translation of Nyharluthotep is from _further Notes
on the Necronomicon_ by William Hamblin. If you want more information on
corrupt Egyptian word formulas in general try using the term search
through ILL (Gnostic Coptic or Greco-Egyptian). The best books available
on Egyptian mythology are by E.A. Budge.