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A Great Old One is a type of fictional deity in the Cthulhu Mythos of H.P. Lovecraft. Collectively, the Great Old Ones (sometimes referred to as the Old Ones by some authors or the Cthulhu Cycle Deities by Brian Lumley in his Titus Crow stories) are not as powerful as the Outer Gods, nor do they have as much influence. Nonetheless, they are served by devoted congregations of worshipers, made up of both human and non-human cults.
Summary
The Great Old Ones are ancient creatures of immense power, and most are also colossal in size. They are worshipped by deranged human cults, as well as by most of the non-human races of the mythos. The Great Old Ones are currently imprisoned—a few beneath the sea, some inside the Earth, and still others in distant planetary systems (and beyond). The reason for their captivity is not known, though there are two prevailing theories: According to the first theory, the Great Old Ones were once members or servants of the Elder Gods. When they committed some unknown blasphemy, they were cast out and imprisoned in various places in the universe. The Great Old Ones impatiently await the time of their release, eager to seek retribution against their jailors. The second theory holds that the Great Old Ones are intentionally quiescent. To account for this, it is possible that the universe experiences cosmic cycles, similar to the natural seasons which occur on earth. Just as some animals hibernate during the winter, so too must the Great Old Ones rest in a death-like sleep during the present cosmic cycle. If this is so, the Great Old Ones are currently trapped by powerful cosmic forces and must remain so until such time as "the stars are right"—the event upon which they may be released and can revel once more across the cosmos. Overview This table is organized as follows: Table Books Notes | ||||||||
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