Nodens (Cthulhu Mythos)
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Nodens (Lord of the Great Abyss or Nuada of the Silver Hand) is a fictional character in the Cthulhu Mythos. Based on the Celtic deity, Nodens is the creation of H.P. Lovecraft and first appeared in his short story "The Strange High House in the Mist" (1926).
Summary
And upon dolphins' backs was balanced a vast shell wherein rode the grey and awful form of Nodens, Lord of the Great Abyss. . . Then Nodens reached forth a hand and helped Olney and his host into the vast shell.
—H.P. Lovecraft, "The Strange High House in the Mist"
Nodens is one of the Elder Gods and appears as an elderly, human male with white hair — gray-bearded and hoary yet still and strong. He often rides in a chariot formed from a huge seashell pulled by some great beasts of legend. Nodens is served by the Nightgaunts.
As a hunter, he will chase down evil creatures in the Dreamlands, such as the Shantaks. He prefers to hunt the servants of the Great Old Ones or Nyarlathotep because they are usually the most intelligent and offer the best sport, but not necessarily because he wants to help humans being attacked by them.
Lovecraft may have based Nodens on Arthur Machen's The Great God Pan (1890). In the novel, Machen, who was one of Lovecraft's favourite authorsIn his essay "Supernatural Horror In Literature", Lovecraft writes: "Of living creators of cosmic fear raised to its most artistic pitch, few if any can hope to equal the versatile Arthur Machen, author of some dozen tales long and short, in which the elements of hidden horror and brooding fright attain an almost incomparable substance and realistic acuteness.", describes a late Roman hinting that Nodens is actually the titular god Pan.
On the side of the Pillar was an inscription, of which I took a note. Some of the letters had been defaced, but I do not think there can be any doubt as to those which I supply. The inscription reads as follows:
'To the great god Nodens (the god of the Great Deep or abyss) Flavius Senilis has erected this pillar on account of the marriage which he saw beneath the shade.'
- DEVVMNODENTi
- FLAvISSENILSPOSVit
- PROPERNVPtias
- quasVIDITSVBVMBra
—Arthur Machen, The Great God Pan
Machen was probably inspired by the finding of an extensive temple dedicated to Nodens at Lydney Park in Glouchestershire.
Other appearances
- Nodens makes an appearance in the PlayStation game as a summoned creature.
References
Books
- Definitive version.
- Definitive version.
Web sites
Notes
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