Nyarlathotep

Nyarlathotep is a literary character who features in the Cthulhu Mythos.

Biography

Nyarlathotep was an Outer God, and a servant of Azathoth (who he seems to despise). He is also known as the Crawling Chaos, and is said to have over one thousand different forms and avatars. Nyarlathotep acts as an messenger, conveying communications between the Great Old Ones and their worshippers, as well as between the Old Ones themselves. Nyarlathotep was once known as simply Nyarlat, but acquired the honorific "-hotep" during the reign of Nephren-Ka.

Unlike the other Outer Gods and Great Old Ones, Nyarlathotep prefers to torment rather than destroy. He will sometimes grant advanced science or "magic" to lesser beings, simply to see it destroy them. In fact, he is destined to bring about the end of humanity; his involvement in the creation of atomic weapons may be the first step towards that. Nyarlathotep roamed the Earth in various guises, directly interacting with humanity. His earliest recorded manifestation was described in ancient Egypt, where he appeared as a tall, charismatic man of noble bearing, introducing advanced technologies and performing strange wonders that enthralled and horrified his followers. This human-like incarnation served as both prophet and deceiver, gathering cults in his name and sowing madness through revelation and spectacle. Nyarlathotep’s purpose, unlike the distant alien deities he served, was intimately connected to the corruption and dissolution of human understanding, bridging the cosmic and the terrestrial.

At some point in time, the Mi-Go came in contact with Nyarlathotep, which led the aliens to refer to the God in a ritualistic manner. (Novel: The Whisperer in Darkness) To worship him, the Mi-Go of Yuggoth constructed the Shining Trapezohedron, a mystical artifact containing one of Nyarlathotep's many avatars which was the Haunter of the Dark. They later carried it to Earth, where it was possessed for a time by the Elder Things of Antarctica, and later by the Serpent Men of Elder Valusia; the former placed the Trapezohedron on a ritualistic box to safely contain it. Eventually, humanity came upon the artifact, with the Atlantians first owning the box and then Nephren-Ka coming into possession of the item, probably gifted to him by the God himself. The latter built a windowless temple inside of which to keep it, as the Haunter avatar was severely weakened when exposed to any light. (Novel: The Haunter of the Dark)

Overview

Personality and attributes

In appearance, Nyarlathotep was not bound to a single form. His true shape was incomprehensible, a chaotic flux of color and motion, but he most often manifested as a tall, dark-skinned man with regal bearing and hypnotic eyes—an image associated with his Egyptian aspect as the Black Pharaoh. Other forms included monstrous avatars, each embodying a fragment of his personality: the Bloody Tongue worshipped in Africa, the Haunter of the Dark who spread madness through a church cult, and countless others known only in whispered legend. His beauty and terror were two sides of the same coin, each serving to captivate and annihilate the minds of mortals who beheld him. Among the titles the entity was known by included the Crawling Chaos, the God of a Thousand Forms, the Stalker among the Stars, the Black Pharaoh, the Faceless God and the Soul and Messenger of the Other Gods.

Nyarlathotep possessed an understanding of human emotion, using empathy as a weapon rather than a virtue. He delighted in manipulation, assuming forms that would lure mortals to ruin—sometimes as a savior, sometimes as a god, and other times as an intellectual seeking to share forbidden wisdom. His influence stretched across continents and eras, inspiring cults that worshipped him under different names. In some traditions, he was the Black Pharaoh, ruling from the shadows over ancient empires; in others, a faceless messenger of the Outer Gods, bringing madness as divine truth. Wherever he appeared, order dissolved into chaos, and sanity crumbled beneath the revelation of cosmic insignificance.

Most of the gods use strange alien languages, but Nyarlathotep uses human languages and can be mistaken for a human being. The other Outer Gods and Great Old Ones are often described as mindless or unfathomable rather than truly malevolent, but Nyarlathotep delights in cruelty, is deceptive and manipulative, and even cultivates followers and uses propaganda to achieve his goals.

Despite his omnipresence, Nyarlathotep’s motivations remained inscrutable. He appeared to act independently of the other Outer Gods, pursuing his own designs for amusement or curiosity. Whereas beings like Cthulhu dreamed in dormant slumber, Nyarlathotep moved freely between dimensions and realities, serving as both emissary and trickster. His capacity for direct speech and his understanding of irony made him unique among his kin—he mocked humanity not from indifference, but from comprehension. He found pleasure in human suffering, not out of hunger or instinct, but because it represented the fragility of lesser minds confronted with eternity. Those who sought his counsel often found themselves blessed with terrible insight, their newfound wisdom leading only to ruin.

Nyarlathotep enacts the will of the Outer Gods, and was their messenger, heart and soul; he was also a servant of Azathoth, his father.

Powers and abilities

Nyarlathotep was an omnipotent demonic deity. Nyarlathotep was not human, nor even comprehensible as life in any terrestrial sense. As an Outer God, he was immortal, omnipresent, and immune to all physical harm. Yet unlike the vast, slumbering deities he served, Nyarlathotep acted with precision and purpose, wielding power that transcended matter and time. He could travel through dreams, inhabit physical vessels, and shape reality according to his whims. His intellect surpassed all mortal understanding, granting him mastery over magic, technology, and the metaphysical laws that governed existence. Though omnipotent in function, his power was rarely exercised through direct destruction—he preferred the subtler, more exquisite pleasure of psychological collapse. Nyarlathotep’s strength lay not in annihilation, but in transformation—turning knowledge itself into the most lethal weapon of all.

Even his presence alone can cause insanity. His form as the Black Pharaoh was the abstract of chaos. He enjoys madness, and inflicts mortals with it.

He had 'a thousand' other forms, most of these reputed to be maddeningly horrific. He can manifest to 1,000 forms, all reputed to be maddening and horrific.

Among the known avatars of Nyarlathotep included:

• Ahtu
• The Beast
• The Black Demon
• The Black Man
• The Black Pharaoh
• The Black Wind
• The Bloated Woman
• Bringer of Pests
• The Crawling Mist
• The Dark Demon
• The Dark One
• Dweller in Darkness
• The Effigy of Hate
• The Faceless God
• The Floating Horror
• God of the Bloody Tongue (also known as the Howler in Darkness)
• The Green Man
• Haunter of the Dark
• The Horned Man
• Lrogg
• Messenger of the Old Ones
• The Pool of Shadow
• Set
• Shugoron
• The Skeletal Horror
• The Skinless One
• The Small Crawler
• Tezcatlipoca
• Thing in the Yellow Mask
• Thoth
• The Wailing Writher
• The White Man

Most of the Outer Gods have their own cults serving them; Nyarlathotep seems to serve these cults and take care of the deities' affairs in their absence.

Notes

• Nyarlathotep was created by H. P. Lovecraft where it made its first appearance in The United Amateur v1 "Nyarlathotep" (November, 1920).
• It has been suggested that Nyarlathotep does not exist as an individual being, but rather represents the mental powers of the Old Ones as a whole; however, his distinct (and fairly human-like) personality makes this doubtful.
• Lovecraft commented:

"I had never heard the name NYARLATHOTEP before, but seemed to understand the allusion. Nyarlathotep was a kind of itinerant showman or lecturer who held forth in public halls and aroused widespread fear and discussion with his exhibitions. These exhibitions consisted of two parts—first, a horrible—possibly prophetic—cinema reel; and later some extraordinary experiments with scientific and electrical apparatus. As I received the letter, I seemed to recall that Nyarlathotep was already in Providence.... I seemed to remember that persons had whispered to me in awe of his horrors, and warned me not to go near him. But Loveman's dream letter decided me.... As I left the house I saw throngs of men plodding through the night, all whispering affrightedly and bound in one direction. I fell in with them, afraid yet eager to see and hear the great, the obscure, the unutterable Nyarlathotep."

In other media

Television

• In Demonbane, Nyarlathotep appeared in the setting of the anime television series where she was voiced by Japanese actress Ai Orikasa. It was shown to be trying to free its father Azathoth from the Shining Trapezohedron. It had taken on four named forms so far: Nya, the owner of a mysterious bookstore filled with dangerous grimoires, Nyarla a maid to Augusta Derleth, Father Ny who was the leader of the Church of Starry Wisdom, and the Tick-Tock Man, technology incarnate. It had also taken on the forms of an unnamed black man "from Egypt," and a talking black rat, among others. Its 'true' form was depicted as a great shadow filled with fangs and claws and tentacles with three flaming eyes.

Video games

• In Dusk, Nyarlathotep appeared as the final boss in the setting of the third person shooter video game. Instead of taking the form of a humanoid in the fight, however, he takes the form of a leviathan eldritch beast. Nyarlathotep deems him to be "worthy" and gives him his power, presumably corrupting him in the process and taking Jakob's place as leader of the cult. Nyarlathotep then places the protagonist in a kind of stasis "until [Nyarlathotep] has need of [him] again".
• In Fate/Grand Order, Nyarlathotep appeared in the setting of the Type-Moon mobile video game. This version shared the body and name of the MoonCancer-class Servant BB Pele. Nyarlathotep is a sadistic deity who enjoys tormenting intelligent lifeforms to the point of self-destruction. Due to both of them being chaotic in nature, BB managed to befriend the evil god and synchronize with its power, using its Authority to trap Hawaii in a time loop. Nyarlathotep's true power is never actually displayed, as the Outer Gods exist in a realm that is completely foreign to the Nasuverse; however, even an infinitesimal fraction of it was enough to restore BB's powers from the Moon Cell, which contains and controls more dimensions than a regular universe. BB had a rivalry with Yang Guifei, a Foreigner-class Servant who is used as a vessel by Cthugha. Although both of them initially expressed distain towards each other, Guifei would later show interest in befriending BB. Ironically, BB's other component was the Hawaiian goddess Pele, which grants her immunity to fire-based attacks.

Novels

• In Doctor Who: All-Consuming Fire, Nyarlathotep was referenced in the setting of the non-canonical Virgin New Adventures written by Andy Lane. The Doctor identified Nyarlathotep as one of the Great Old Ones. He claimed that in all his travels he never encountered Nyarlathotep, and hopes he never will.

Comic Books

• In Journey into Mystery v2 #4 (1973), Nyarlathotep was adapted into Marvel Comics where he was depicted as a timeless demon.
• In Neonomicon v1 (2010), Nyarlathotep appeared in the setting of the comic book.

Appearances

• The United Amateur v1: "Nyarlathotep" (1920)

External Links

• Lovecraft Wiki Entry
• Wikipedia Entry

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