Carol of the Old Ones
Encyclopedia
"Carol of the Old Ones" is a song originally published in the 1988 HPLHS Solstice Carol Songbook, released by the H. P. Lovecraft Historical Society
. With lyrics written by Andrew Leman it is sung and performed to the tune of Carol of the Bells
by Mykola Dmytrovych Leontovych
http://web.archive.org/web/20080420110302/http://www.duke.edu/web/DRAGO/humor/coc-songs.html (itself sung to the tune of Shchedryk), with soprano
lead vocals and four-part harmony at various points in the song. The song is performed by The Dagon Tabernacle Choir; the performers' names are Rebecca Marcotte, Digby Dolmen, J.D. Titan, and Walter Forsythe. It can be found on the album A Very Scary Solstice
.
The song alludes to the Old Ones in H. P. Lovecraft
's Cthulhu Mythos
, although the exact context is never specified, as Lovecraft himself used several different contexts for the term Old Ones. The lyrics of the song carry several characteristics of Lovecraftian horror
, such as the recurring concept of helplessness and hopelessness, with such lines as:
They will reclaim all in their name;
Hopes turn to black when they come back and
Madness will reign, terror and pain
Woes without end where they extend.
H. P. Lovecraft Historical Society
The H. P. Lovecraft Historical Society or HPLHS is the organization that hosts Cthulhu Lives!, a group of live-action roleplayers for the Cthulhu Live version of Call of Cthulhu. Founded in Colorado in 1984, it is now based in Glendale, California...
. With lyrics written by Andrew Leman it is sung and performed to the tune of Carol of the Bells
Carol of the Bells
"Carol of the Bells" is the common English language title of a Christmas carol of Ukrainian origin, which has in recent years grown in popularity, particularly in English-speaking countries. The work was originally a choral miniature composition by the Ukrainian composer Mykola Leontovych based on...
by Mykola Dmytrovych Leontovych
Mykola Leontovych
Mykola Dmytrovych Leontovych was a Ukrainian composer, choral conductor, priest, and teacher of international renown. His music was inspired by Mykola Lysenko and the Ukrainian nationalist music school, along with Kyrylo Stetsenko, Alexander Koshetz, and Yakiv Stepovy...
http://web.archive.org/web/20080420110302/http://www.duke.edu/web/DRAGO/humor/coc-songs.html (itself sung to the tune of Shchedryk), with soprano
Soprano
A soprano is a voice type with a vocal range from approximately middle C to "high A" in choral music, or to "soprano C" or higher in operatic music. In four-part chorale style harmony, the soprano takes the highest part, which usually encompasses the melody...
lead vocals and four-part harmony at various points in the song. The song is performed by The Dagon Tabernacle Choir; the performers' names are Rebecca Marcotte, Digby Dolmen, J.D. Titan, and Walter Forsythe. It can be found on the album A Very Scary Solstice
A Very Scary Solstice
A Very Scary Solstice is a parody album, mixing Christmas carols with the Cthulhu Mythos. It was produced and performed by members of the H. P...
.
The song alludes to the Old Ones in H. P. Lovecraft
H. P. Lovecraft
Howard Phillips Lovecraft --often credited as H.P. Lovecraft — was an American author of horror, fantasy and science fiction, especially the subgenre known as weird fiction....
's Cthulhu Mythos
Cthulhu Mythos
The Cthulhu Mythos is a shared fictional universe, based on the work of American horror writer H. P. Lovecraft.The term was first coined by August Derleth, a contemporary correspondent of Lovecraft, who used the name of the creature Cthulhu - a central figure in Lovecraft literature and the focus...
, although the exact context is never specified, as Lovecraft himself used several different contexts for the term Old Ones. The lyrics of the song carry several characteristics of Lovecraftian horror
Lovecraftian horror
Lovecraftian horror is a sub-genre of horror fiction which emphasizes the cosmic horror of the unknown over gore or other elements of shock, though these may still be present. It is named after American author H. P...
, such as the recurring concept of helplessness and hopelessness, with such lines as:
They will reclaim all in their name;
Hopes turn to black when they come back and
Madness will reign, terror and pain
Woes without end where they extend.