Elder Sign
Encyclopedia
The Elder Sign is an icon
in the Cthulhu Mythos
, first mentioned in H. P. Lovecraft
's The Dream Quest of Unknown Kadath, written in 1926.
Lovecraft described the Elder Sign only once in his writings, as given by the aged alcoholic Zadok Allen in "The Shadow Over Innsmouth
" (1936
): "In some places they was little stones strewed abaout — like charms — with somethin' on 'em like what ye call a swastika
nowadays. Prob'ly them was the Old Ones' signs." In this story, the sign is used as a defense against Deep Ones; apparently, the Deep Ones cannot harm someone protected by an Elder Sign. However, Lovecraft is known to have drawn it in at least one of his correspondences as a single line with five shorter lines branching off.
August Derleth
, who wrote several Cthulhu Mythos stories, described it as a warped, five-pointed star with a flaming pillar (or eye) in the center. This latter description, which is featured in his novel The Lurker at the Threshold
(1945
), has become the most well-known and popular version of the Elder Sign. It is the version used in D&D, described in Deities and Demigods as an icon of green soapstone, and also appears in Chaosium
's Call of Cthulhu
role-playing game
— as well as the later version published under the Open Gaming License
— and in the video game Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth
as well as in the boardgame Arkham Horror
, produced by Fantasy Flight Games.
A third version of the Elder Sign, incorporating both Derleth's description and Lovecraft's drawing, appears in Lin Carter
's short story
"The Horror in the Gallery" (1976
). This version places Lovecraft's branching design as a cartouche
in the center of an oval "star-stone
". According to the fictional Book of Iod, one of the numerous arcane tomes
mentioned in the Cthulhu Mythos, the Elder Sign is a powerful weapon against the servants of Cthulhu
and the Outer Gods, and can be used to drive them off.
", a short story found in The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Volume I
. The short is highly inspired by the Cthulhu Mythos and describes an African woman using the sign to drive out an otherworldly being that has possessed Allan Quatermain
. The sign described matches the star pattern but is a heptagram rather than a pentagram.
Icon
An icon is a religious work of art, most commonly a painting, from Eastern Christianity and in certain Eastern Catholic churches...
in the 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...
, first mentioned 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 The Dream Quest of Unknown Kadath, written in 1926.
Description
The Shadow Over Innsmouth
The Shadow Over Innsmouth is a novella by H. P. Lovecraft. Written in November-December 1931, the story was first published in April 1936; this was the only fiction of Lovecraft's published during his lifetime that did not appear in a periodical....
" (1936
1936 in literature
The year 1936 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:* Life magazine is first published.* The Carnegie Medal for excellence in children's literature is established in the UK.-New books:...
): "In some places they was little stones strewed abaout — like charms — with somethin' on 'em like what ye call a swastika
Swastika
The swastika is an equilateral cross with its arms bent at right angles, in either right-facing form in counter clock motion or its mirrored left-facing form in clock motion. Earliest archaeological evidence of swastika-shaped ornaments dates back to the Indus Valley Civilization of Ancient...
nowadays. Prob'ly them was the Old Ones' signs." In this story, the sign is used as a defense against Deep Ones; apparently, the Deep Ones cannot harm someone protected by an Elder Sign. However, Lovecraft is known to have drawn it in at least one of his correspondences as a single line with five shorter lines branching off.
August Derleth
August Derleth
August William Derleth was an American writer and anthologist. Though best remembered as the first publisher of the writings of H. P...
, who wrote several Cthulhu Mythos stories, described it as a warped, five-pointed star with a flaming pillar (or eye) in the center. This latter description, which is featured in his novel The Lurker at the Threshold
The Lurker at the Threshold
The Lurker at the Threshold is a short novel in the Cthulhu Mythos genre of horror. It was written in 1945 by August Derleth, based on two short fragments written by H. P. Lovecraft, who died in 1937, and published as a collaboration between the two authors. According to S. T...
(1945
1945 in literature
The year 1945 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:*November 1 - The magazine Ebony is published for the first time.*Noel Coward's short play, Still Life, is adapted to become the film, Brief Encounter....
), has become the most well-known and popular version of the Elder Sign. It is the version used in D&D, described in Deities and Demigods as an icon of green soapstone, and also appears in Chaosium
Chaosium
Chaosium is one of the longer lived publishers of role-playing games still in existence. Founded by Greg Stafford, its first game was actually a wargame, White Bear and Red Moon, which later mutated into Dragon Pass and its sequel, Nomad Gods...
's Call of Cthulhu
Call of Cthulhu (role-playing game)
Call of Cthulhu is a horror fiction role-playing game based on H. P. Lovecraft's story of the same name and the associated Cthulhu Mythos.The game, often abbreviated as CoC, is published by Chaosium.-Setting:...
role-playing game
Role-playing game
A role-playing game is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making or character development...
— as well as the later version published under the Open Gaming License
Open Gaming License
The Open Game License may be used by game developers to grant permission to modify, copy, and redistribute some of the content designed for their games, notably game mechanics.-Language of the licence:The OGL describes two forms of content:...
— and in the video game Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth
Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth
Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth is a Lovecraftian horror first-person action-adventure game developed by Headfirst Productions and published by Bethesda Softworks in 2005, in conjunction with 2K Games. The game was released for the PC and Xbox systems; the Xbox version is officially...
as well as in the boardgame Arkham Horror
Arkham Horror
Arkham Horror is an adventure board game designed by Richard Launius, originally published in 1987 by Chaosium and most recently published in 2005 and revised in 2007 by Fantasy Flight Games. In both editions, players take on the role of investigators in H. P. Lovecraft's Massachusetts town of...
, produced by Fantasy Flight Games.
A third version of the Elder Sign, incorporating both Derleth's description and Lovecraft's drawing, appears in Lin Carter
Lin Carter
Linwood Vrooman Carter was an American author of science fiction and fantasy, as well as an editor and critic. He usually wrote as Lin Carter; known pseudonyms include H. P. Lowcraft and Grail Undwin.-Life:Carter was born in St. Petersburg, Florida...
's short story
Short story
A short story is a work of fiction that is usually written in prose, often in narrative format. This format tends to be more pointed than longer works of fiction, such as novellas and novels. Short story definitions based on length differ somewhat, even among professional writers, in part because...
"The Horror in the Gallery" (1976
1976 in literature
The year 1976 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:* Saul Bellow won both the Nobel Prize for Literature and the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction.-New books:*Kingsley Amis – The Alteration...
). This version places Lovecraft's branching design as a cartouche
Cartouche
In Egyptian hieroglyphs, a cartouche is an ellipse with a horizontal line at one end, indicating that the text enclosed is a royal name, coming into use during the beginning of the Fourth Dynasty under Pharaoh Sneferu, replacing the earlier serekh...
in the center of an oval "star-stone
Star-stone
Star-stone may mean:* Star stone, a precious stone in geology* Star-stone , a fictional ward in the Cthulhu mythos...
". According to the fictional Book of Iod, one of the numerous arcane tomes
Cthulhu Mythos arcane literature
Many fictional works of arcane literature appear in the Cthulhu Mythos. The main literary purpose of these works is to explain how characters within the tales come by occult or esoteric knowledge that is unknown to the general populace. However, in some cases the works themselves serve as an...
mentioned in the Cthulhu Mythos, the Elder Sign is a powerful weapon against the servants of Cthulhu
Cthulhu
Cthulhu is a fictional character that first appeared in the short story "The Call of Cthulhu", published in the pulp magazine Weird Tales in 1928. The character was created by writer H. P...
and the Outer Gods, and can be used to drive them off.
In other media
The Elder Sign is mentioned in "Allan and the Sundered VeilAllan and the Sundered Veil
Allan and the Sundered Veil was a six-part story written in the style of a boy's periodical by Alan Moore and illustrated by Kevin O'Neill, included at the back of each issue of The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Volume I and collected at the back of that volume...
", a short story found in The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Volume I
The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Volume I
The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Volume One is a comic book limited series written by Alan Moore and illustrated by Kevin O'Neill, published under the America's Best Comics imprint of DC Comics. It is the first story in the larger League of Extraordinary Gentlemen series...
. The short is highly inspired by the Cthulhu Mythos and describes an African woman using the sign to drive out an otherworldly being that has possessed Allan Quatermain
Allan Quatermain
Allan Quatermain is the protagonist of H. Rider Haggard's 1885 novel King Solomon's Mines and its various prequels and sequels. Allan Quatermain was also the title of a book in this sequence.- History :...
. The sign described matches the star pattern but is a heptagram rather than a pentagram.