148 replies to this topic

[Majere]

Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn.
In his house at R'lyeh, dead Cthulhu waits dreaming.

In The Call of Cthulhu, author H.P. Lovecraft indicated that the buried city and tomb of the Elder God Cthulhu was buried underwater somewhere in the pacific ocean. In fact, Lovecraft went so far as to provide exact coordinates. Latitude 47° 9' S, Longitude 126° 43' W.

In 1997, the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration detected several strange sounds, now referred to as "bloops," while performing ultra-low frequency sound tests in the general area of coordinates once given by Lovecraft. (The fact that the NOAA was in this area, doing these tests, is a coincidence. It was not related to, or inspired by, the Lovecraft mythology.)

In reference to the sound, the NOAA was quoted as saying "Though it matches the audio profile of a living creature, there is no known animal that could have produced the sound. If it is an animal it would have to be huge - much larger than even a Blue whale, according to scientists who have studied the phenomenon."

The sounds made by the "creature" have led some to speculate that it is as yet an unidentified species of squid or octopus, or perhaps a gigantic species of fish or whale not yet seen by human eyes.

Cthulhu, it should be noted, is often described as a creature of epic proportions, with squid-like, octupus-like features. http://www.komarckart.com/new01.html

Anyway, I thought this was a pretty interesting find, and a lot of fun. Here is the link to the page where I found this info, as well as a link to the NOAA page, where you can actually hear the "Strange Sound" referred to herein.

http://en.allexperts.../b/bl/bloop.htm
http://www.pmel.noaa...unds/bloop.html

Enjoy!

[Pontifex]

while the story is interesting, i'm kind of disappointed in the "bloop". it doesn't really sound like anything an animal or creature would make. kind sounds like something falling into the water.

[Majere]

while the story is interesting, i'm kind of disappointed in the "bloop". it doesn't really sound like anything an animal or creature would make. kind sounds like something falling into the water.

Well, that "bloop" sound was, for whatever reason, sped up to 16 times it's normal speed in the audio clip provided by the NOAA. Why, I don't know, but you have to remember, it has also been recorded on an ultra-low frequency. So it's not as if though this "bloop" is remotley indicative of what the actual sound would be like to human ears.

The most amazing thing about the "bloop" was not the sound itself, but the NOAA's opinion that it belonged to a mammoth lifeform, much larger than any sea-creature yet recorded by man.

[Sharn]

Oh great...a bunch Squid worshipping wierdo's will soon be looking for sacrificial victims!

[Buxom Sorceress]

sounds like just a bit of deep 'cosmic' flatulence, eh??

its probably just the NOAA trying to get some wider publicity/funding for their dull jobs?
--
thanks for the Komarckart link: some great art there.

[Kylel Ironclaw]

Isn't there also belief that the "bloop" could be a cluster of animals sounding in unison?

[Majere]

Isn't there also belief that the "bloop" could be a cluster of animals sounding in unison?

I'm not really sure, I don't know much more than what was written in the article. I'm not trying to vindicate or break down any Lochness type conspiracy here, I just thought it was a fun little piece of trivia for Lovecraft fans. Most likely it was just some as yet unidentified species of Octopus or something.

[deuce]

Hey Majere! Very cool thread. I took it just the way you (apparently) meant it. It's cool/humorous/slightly spooky when the "real world" appears to validate some point of eldritch Mythos lore. HPL was the same way when Pluto ("Yuggoth") was discovered. I told my buddy (who'd been having a rough week with the wife/kids) and he thought it was awesome.

[Majere]

Hey Majere! Very cool thread. I took it just the way you (apparently) meant it. It's cool/humorous/slightly spooky when the "real world" appears to validate some point of eldritch Mythos lore. HPL was the same way when Pluto ("Yuggoth") was discovered. I told my buddy (who'd been having a rough week with the wife/kids) and he thought it was awesome.

That's cool to hear, I'm glad your buddy also liked it. It's neat to stumble onto little bits of trivia like this, so I figured I'd share it with anyone who was interested. It just adds an element of fun to the Cthulhu Mythos that was so richly created by HPL, REH, and CAS.

[RobP]

I'll be putting Elder Signs up on E-bay later - get your protection while you can!

[Kortoso]

http://en.wikipedia....wiki/Point_Nemo

Pacific Pole of Inaccessibility, also called Point Nemo (48?50′S 123?20′W) is the place in the ocean that is farthest from land. It lies in the South Pacific Ocean, 2,688 km (1,670 mi or 1,451 NM) from the nearest lands: Ducie Island (part of the Pitcairn Islands) in the north, Motu Nui (part of the Easter Islands) in the north-east, and Maher Island (near the larger Siple Island, off the coast of Marie Byrd Land, Antarctica) in the south. Chatham Island lies further west, and Southern Chile in the east. The fictional city of R'lyeh is set not far from this point.

Lovecraft puts the location of R'lyeh at 47?9′S 126?43′W, but August Derleth says it's 49?51′S 128?34′W. Great Cthulhu, can't they get their facts straight?! They can't both be right can they???

[Majere]

http://en.wikipedia....wiki/Point_Nemo

Pacific Pole of Inaccessibility, also called Point Nemo (48?50′S 123?20′W) is the place in the ocean that is farthest from land. It lies in the South Pacific Ocean, 2,688 km (1,670 mi or 1,451 NM) from the nearest lands: Ducie Island (part of the Pitcairn Islands) in the north, Motu Nui (part of the Easter Islands) in the north-east, and Maher Island (near the larger Siple Island, off the coast of Marie Byrd Land, Antarctica) in the south. Chatham Island lies further west, and Southern Chile in the east. The fictional city of R'lyeh is set not far from this point.

Lovecraft puts the location of R'lyeh at 47?9′S 126?43′W, but August Derleth says it's 49?51′S 128?34′W. Great Cthulhu, can't they get their facts straight?! They can't both be right can they???

Well, the coordinates provided in The Call of Cthulhu were, I believe, the pin-point location to the tip of the city, where Cthulhu rested in his tomb. But the city itself was, and had to be, massive, since Cthulhu himself was described as a moving mountain. So it could be argued that both sets of coordinates given were correct, leading to different parts of the city.

I've never read any of August Derleth's work. But just as we do with REH, I'd consider Lovecraft's work to be "canon," and everything else in the Cthulhu mythos to be pastiche. (Except for maybe REH and CAS, that is.)

[deuce]

http://en.wikipedia....wiki/Point_Nemo

Pacific Pole of Inaccessibility, also called Point Nemo (48?50′S 123?20′W) is the place in the ocean that is farthest from land. It lies in the South Pacific Ocean, 2,688 km (1,670 mi or 1,451 NM) from the nearest lands: Ducie Island (part of the Pitcairn Islands) in the north, Motu Nui (part of the Easter Islands) in the north-east, and Maher Island (near the larger Siple Island, off the coast of Marie Byrd Land, Antarctica) in the south. Chatham Island lies further west, and Southern Chile in the east. The fictional city of R'lyeh is set not far from this point.

Lovecraft puts the location of R'lyeh at 47?9′S 126?43′W, but August Derleth says it's 49?51′S 128?34′W. Great Cthulhu, can't they get their facts straight?! They can't both be right can they???

Of course St. Auggie's right, Kortoso. He was on the road to Milwaukee when he beheld a shining Elder Sign in the sky. That's when he received the correct co-ordinates for R'lyeh.

Thanks for the mention of Maher Island. I'd almost forgotten about it. I visited with some of my Maher kin in Tipperary. We get around.

[Strom]

So this isn't for real? Man!

Guess I will have to go to work tomorrow.


Thanks for the link anyway M.

[Majere]

So this isn't for real? Man!

Guess I will have to go to work tomorrow.


Thanks for the link anyway M.

No, the article is very true. The NOAA really did record the sounds heard from those coordinates, and the official hypothesis is that it came from an as yet to be indentified lifeform, possibly squid or octopus-like, and is estimated to be much larger than any water species recorded to date.

The only thing that isn't true is that this lifeform is Cthulhu.

Or... is it?

[deuce]

[quote][/quote]I\'ve never read any of August Derleth\'s work. But just as we do with REH, I\'d consider Lovecraft\'s work to be \"canon,\" and everything else in the Cthulhu mythos to be pastiche. (Except for maybe REH and CAS, that is.)[/quote]

Exactly what I think, Majere. I\'m sure HPL would agree that REH and CAS\'s works were \"canonical\" Mythos. He expressly gave both permission to write Mythos tales. Lest one think that he was just being polite, HPL name-checked REH and CAS creations constantly. Unausprechlichen Kulten is cited as the source of Muvian lore in \"Out of the Eons\" by HPL. Howard loved the whole idea and said so in a letter. CAS wrote two tales using serpent-men as major characters. REH loved those, too. When one looks at the number of times that HPL borrowed/name-checked another author\'s creation it looks kinda like this: CAS (the most, lotsa times), REH (almost as many, lotsa times), RW Chambers (10-15 times, counting \"Tcho-Tchos\"), Bloch (the same, maybe less), FB Long (once), Derleth (never). Wonder why Bloch, Long and Derleth all talked trash on REH?

Edit: not sure why the font changed...

Edited by deuce, 04 February 2007 - 05:29 AM.

[Strom]

The only thing that isn't true is that this lifeform is Cthulhu.

Or... is it?

Yes, that is what I meant. Just wasn't sure if I should flee or go mad. As H.P. wrote in Call of Cthulhu

"The sciences, each straining in its own direction, have hitherto harmed us little; but some day the piecing together of dissociated knowledge will open up such terrifying vistas of reality, and of our frightful position therein, that we shall either go mad from the revelation or flee from the deadly light into the peace and safety of a new dark age."

[Kortoso]

Edit: not sure why the font changed...

Check for viruses, Deuce.

[Strom]

Edit: not sure why the font changed...

That has happened to me occasionally when I've clicked the edit button. In the screen there is no difference but when you post the change the font changes. When I went back and clicked edit a second time it worked fine. Very strange.

[Majere]

The only thing that isn't true is that this lifeform is Cthulhu.

Or... is it?

Yes, that is what I meant. Just wasn't sure if I should flee or go mad. As H.P. wrote in Call of Cthulhu

"The sciences, each straining in its own direction, have hitherto harmed us little; but some day the piecing together of dissociated knowledge will open up such terrifying vistas of reality, and of our frightful position therein, that we shall either go mad from the revelation or flee from the deadly light into the peace and safety of a new dark age."

Well, you never know. It could be Cthulhu. There's probably a wealth of things waiting to be discovered/rediscovered in this great, big world of ours. So I wouldn't unpack those bags just yet.