Review by Luis Abbadie
El Necronomicón (Libro de los Nombres Muertos) y Tarot Necronómico (The Necronomicon (Book of Dead Names) and Necronomic Tarot)This book is composed of 1) material from Liber Logaeth, the Hay edition, 2) material from Ripel's Sauthenerom, 3) material collected from diverse, often uncredited sources, and 4) original stuff. The problem is, it's almost impossible to tell one from the other.
Differently from other Necronomicon editions, this one has no justification, no foreword explaining the nature of the book. In fact, it is made much in the same way many of the ancient grimoires and other occult books were made in ancient times: namely, compiling all sorts of items, spells, legends, etc., which the author deemed worth having in his personal grimoire. Trouble is, Pérez-Vigo draws from "ancient", so to speak, and modern sources alike, giving no warning or explanation as to his criteria. Come to think of it, this book doesn't look like it was written with publication in mind.
And when it comes to the material from Liber Logaeth and the Sauthenerom, it is mostly paraphrased, with some interpolations as well as suppressions; invocations are extremely distorted - as it would happen with a diverging, unfaithful version of an ancient text, anyway; Langford, Turner, et al., did mention in their Liber Logaeth editions that the names of Mythos entities were barely recognizable in the alleged original manuscript, and spelled differently each time; well, the difference with Pérez-Vigo would seem to be that he "left" these misspellings unmodified, unlike the Hay gang. There are also many original diagrams, with an obvious Celtic influence, as well as diagrams recognizable from Liber Logaeth, except that these are so distorted as to sometimes be unrecognizable.
These are the contents; there is no numbering system for the chapters.
After the overused Nietzsche quote about exchanging glances with the abyss (this book is flooded with quotes), comes an untitled introutus:
Here follows what would be "part one" of the book, actually a version of the Sauthenerom, although untitled:
Here follows an illustration: an elaborate page with Celtic-styled decorations, with about ten lines written in an unidentified rune-like alphabet; a friend who has studied at length the Celtic traditions and writing systems admitted the resemblance, but could not identify it when I asked her. A coiled, stylized dragon is at the bottom.
HOKLAYEK HA (actually "The Old Ones," chapter I from the Sauthenerom)
This is an improved version of Ripel's text, certainly more sober (at least as far as forbidden books go). As a sample, I'll quote the opuning lines, so that they can be compared with the analogous quote I made from the Sauthenerom:
The text goes much like Ripel's, with small changes here and there; the usual Mythos names are spelled right, but other words used by Ripel do change: Kevaal becomes Kevak, Khabeer is Khàbber, etc. The mention of Mu is oddly replaced by "Uller". However, Pérez-Vigo betrays his use of Ripel as a source when he fails to rectify the out-of-place mentions of China and the Inca people.
KADATH, THE DREAMT CITY (the first portion of _Sauthenerom II, "Kadath, the Unknown")
This single-page chapter is a reworking of what I mentioned as the first of three texts which constitute the equivalent Ripel chapter, dealing with those who have reached the Throne of Azathoth and with "the Secret Word which is the Sacred Source of Supreme Power", which is "known" as VHAL (instead of Ripel's VAL). The mention of the Threefold Test to be undergone is further specified by Pérez-Vigo as taking place "through the GATE OF DREAMS". Also, the River of Fire becomes the Lake of Fire, which is only meaningful if you've read some Mythos texts written here in Mexico.
Another beautiful illustration with a dragon, a small snake, a moon surrounded by tentacles, and several cryptic lines in the unknown runes.
REN-SEKHEM, The Name of Power (Sauthenerom IV, Untitled)
The title, by the way, does mean "The Name of Power"; Wallis-Budge is my witness.
Amazingly, while this was the most abstruse and meaningless of Ripel's texts, here it is lucid and clear (well, at least reasonably so). Another comparison:
Where Ripel writes: "The wise calculates the number of time, for to him it shall be as 0 and 55 in 0. Whomsoever knows this number, shall go through the gate, see the stairway of silver and gold, and descend under the castle where everything is and is not, where everything exists and nothing remains. This is a places which must be discovered," Pérez-Vigo says: "Him who is a true wise man calculates the number of Time for him who knows this number shall have the power to cross the Threshold and go down under the Fortress of Dream where everything exists and nothing remains."
The text is mostly cleansed of Crowleyish prose, and thus closer to what a Necronomicon text might be. Also, note that it again deals with Dreams; Pérez-Vigo's interpretation of the Sauthenerom revolves around a "Word that Kills" which is to be found (and used?) in the Dreamlands, as part of a great progressive ritual and prophecy.
Briefly, most of the text deals with a symbolic prophecy about how something that happened in anient times shall happen again, and a great leader, who is "a blind man in the world," shall unwittingly aid to the Old Ones' return.
THARNHEIM ("Tharnhaim" or "The Game of the Serpent" - Sauthenerom V)
Not much different from the Ripel text.
ARGONAHRH ("Argonahr" (Infinite Universe), Sauthenerom VI)
Although still Crowleyish, this is a very improved text.
"The Ancient Fire Star is darkness in the depths of the Abyss. The judge brandishes the Chalice and the Dagger of TUAT." Note that Tuat refers to the Egyptian Land of the Dead; there is an Egyptian thread along this book, which I will explain later.
This text is, I believe, an amazing feat. with just a little clarifying wordage, Pérez-Vigo deciphers the symbolic Ripel text and reveals it to be a prophetic instruction which, in my personal interpretation (and, I strongly suspect, Pérez-Vigo's), was read and followed by none other than Randolph Carter, whose resultant experiences were chronicled by H.P.Lovecraft and E. Hoffman Price! Yes, I suspect that, interspersed in this book, are instructions for the Ritual of the Silver Key - and perhaps if not part of the ritual itself!
The book says:
"Truth is only ONE, and not, as it was said in other times, none. You shall remember always what has been spoken, what shall be spoken and what has never been spoken.
"Your Thought must be open to all the marvels of infinite universes and in union to him. [Umr At-Tawil? Remember Carter's experience of the unity of his endless incarnations, when he went "Through the Gates of the Silver Key?"] You shall then know without fear the marvels contained in the Chest of Secrets, that which has never been spoken: the Great universal key, the Silver Key [here I should point out that, in "Great universal key," I translated "clave," which is "key" as in the key to a mystery, to a code, to a riddle; whereas in "Silver Key" the word is "llave," literally a key to open locks]."
Didn't Carter find the Silver Key in an old box or chest? And the text concludes with a warning Carter should have heeded: "Learn, now, that there are One in two, and two in One [Carter and Zkauba trapped in a single body by the misuse of the Silver Key]. The son must surge forth from himself, raise up his word and redeem the Sceptre [Carter had to find a way to get out from the body of his previous incarnation, Zkauba - surge forth from himself]. Seek the Lost World, the rationally incomprehensible." [Afterwards, as Lumley and others reassure us, Carter went on in his search of his lost world of the Dreamlands - and dreamsc annot be rationally understood].
THE ENTRANCE TO THE LABYRINTH
After a quote from Swinburne's "Our Lady of Pain" [the same as that which appears in Langford's article in the Hay Necronomicon? - DH] we get a peek at the "Symbol of the Labyrinth," a complex diagram of strange, presumably non-Euclidian angles, including several odd symbols and the name "Nyarlathotep" in the alphabet of Nug-Soth (from Liber Logaeth, not the one from Ripel).
Then we find the weirdest, unannounced, interpolation of all: a chapter on the Labyrinth. It deals vaguely with the way most texts of magic reach into the "symbolic unconsciousness," giving us incomplete keys which allow us to activate one or another mechanism of the Unknown Labyrinth, but none of these books gives the keys to open its Gates. The Threshold of the Labyrinth is the point between wakefulness and sleep, when "time streches and slants," we hear gibbering voices. This is where Frodo and Sam fought the minions of mordor, and Pickman's model is there, in that subway station of the mind...
Hey, don't blame me! It's pérez-Vigo who chose to paraphrase Stephen King's foreword to _Night Shift_ in this chapter! It's only a couple of pages long, but starts with King's "Let's talk, you and I. Let's talk about fear," only "fear" is replaced by "the unknown." Anyway, the references to Frodo, Sam and Mordor, and King's "subway station" metaphore, show that this chapter is not meant to pas for an authentic fragment of the ancient Necronomicon. Pérez-Vigo inserted several chapters like this, with no warning.
KHRANNMIRH ("Khranmirh" (The Fire Star), Sauthenerom III)
A more detailed (when compared to Ripel) description of the Ritual of Aangohr. While describing the Guardian of the Threshold who must be summoned, the Mad Arab accidentally plagiarizes four verses from Lovecraft's "Nemesis," the part about the black planets that roll without aim (that wasn't in the Ripel text!).
The text instructs on the way to center the mind and perform the ritual, in order to ahieve what might be a form of astral travel, entering the Seal of Yog-Sothoth (given here - a variation of the one in Liber Logaeth) as if it were the Gate, making a sign (Signo Antiguo or Elder Sign) while intoning the Litany of Terror. This Litany is actually a variant form of the Litany of Fear given by Herbert in his Dune SF series; presumably, Herbert read another version in some copy of the Necronomicon and chose to use it (I knew those giant worms had to be Dholes!).
Another diagram is given here: The Sign of the Thirteen from the Threshold, which is none other than the Sigil of Blaesu from the Liber Logaeth. Amazingly, the symbol is virtually identical to the one in the other book, with no ellaborate decorations like the ones other signs and sigils have in this book. This might also be the Old Sign mentioned in the Ritual.
KADATH (This is the last part of "Kadath the Unknown," Sauthenerom II)
This is a single paragraph, set by Ripel after the legend of Nyarlathotep and the Sign of Oth which I transcribed elsewhere. It tells how to cross the Gate, invoking Yog-Sothoth and using the Seal of Bahr (which neither Pérez-Vigo nor Ripel give).
Here follows another illustration, with a convoluted dragon and some rumes.
ARHAN-HO ("Rhan-Hoh (absolute darkness)" Sauthenerom VII)
Tells about the Threefold Test of the Water of Eternal Life, and how to obtain the Word that Kills, which "is hidden in these writings."
PAHN-HAR ("Pan-Har" (Tital Illumination), Sauthenerom VIII)
About the Word that was pronounced at the altar of the Sacred Mountain, the number of which - a false number (sic) - is 420. In the runes of the book is said to lie a "secret of glory, strength and power."
RHUTH-HA ("Ruth-Ha" (Wind fron theEast) Sauthenerom IX)
Tells of a point in the midst of dreamless darkness where each star lives "because we are dead." Later on, it states: "There still exists sleep and sleep, and indeed here lies the key forged since the beginning of Time. Whomsoever does not understand, must not advance further."
Here is a pageful of runes.
YHORR-HANH ("Yorr-Hanh" (Strength of God), Sauthenerom X)
Fully reshaped, but containing in essence the same as the Ripel text; omits the mentions of Narrgom and Valgoor. Tells of the one who possesses "the secret of the Word through which all-destroying Thought flows."
NEH-AR ("Neh-Ar" (Black Light), Sauthenerom XII)
Essentially the same as the Ripel text, but the Biblical warnings about the coming of the Son of Man in Ripel are absent here.
An illustration, including strange symbols, more runes, and a strange tentacled creature with what might be three eyes.
USUR-ABH (Sauthenerom XIII, Untitled)
Instructions on a tantric rite: "A table of white marble set upon the secret altar where the two flames of love burn; behold: this shall be our Law, written and dictated from the borders of the abyss ("Love is the Law," wrote Crowley; so he did plagiarize the Necronomicon, as Colin Low claimed!). Attempt not to halt the course of time, for it will avail you nothing. He shall come. He knows where the Gate is because He is the Gate itself. The Key awaits in the bottom of your soul. Upon its blue-velvet boat, the eye of our god crosses the sky (Egyptian influence again, the Eye of Horus & the Boat of Ra)."
PRACTICES TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF THOUGHT AS WELL AS OF ITS MOBILITY AND AUTONOMY
This chapter and the two following are not Necronomicon texts, but modern meditation instructions.
This one briefly talks (and in a few cases, gives instructions) about lucid dreaming, concentrating "vital energy, the Force (!)" through meditation, self-knowledge, and relaxing the body, controlled breath, how to adopt several Asanas or physical positions to practice such techniques, how to use mantras, live healthily and with a good moral code, and controlling our thoughts.
ENERGETIC DEVELOPMENT OF THE LUNAR BODY
A method for astral travel.
ENERGETIC DEVELOPMENT OF MERCURIAL BODY
Another method for astral travel.
THE RITUALS OF THE NECRONOMICON
This section contains mostly material from Hay's Liber Logaeth:
THE MYSTIC KNIFE OF BARZAY
Obviously, this is actually the Liber Logaeth chapter on the Scimitar of Barzai. The signs to be inscribed on the blade are very similar, but with notorious differences. This would make sense from a Mythos perspective, since Robert Turner claimed that Liber Logaeth did not show these signs but indicated another grimoire with similar signs, which he included instead.
THE EGYPTIAN UNCTION OF KHEPNHESAR
A version of the unction of Khephnes the Egyptian. As in all other instances, the words in the conjurations change, for example Liber Logaeth's Incantation of Yebsu (Yebahu in Pérez-Vigo) says: "Oridimbai, Sonadir, Episghes", and this version says: "Ordthbay sath adir esphighesh".
THE DUST OF MATERIALIZATION. THE FORMULA OF YB
This is the Dust of Ibn Ghazi. Interestingly, Yb is the spelling given later on for the ancient city of Ib, mentioned in Lovecraft's Sarnath tale.
This version adds a symbol which must be inscribed on the urn containing the dust, called the Enuma Elish (a symbol surrounded by cuneiform characters). This is a pretty dumb name, since as you may know, Enuma Elish is the title of the Sumerian creation poem, thus titled because those are the two first words in the opening line of the poem, meaning "in the beginning" [or "when on high" - DH]. I'd like to think that, in this case, whichever word means "beginning" was the one in the original text, and Pérez-Vigo mistakenly complemented it with the other; still, he should have known better.
This chapter also contains a somewhat cluttered version of the Talisman of Yhe, with no explanation at all.
THE TIME OF THE RITUAL
This is Liber Logaeth's "Of ye Times and ye Seasons to be Observed."
THE CONJURATION OF THE SPHERES
The Liber Logaeth's similarly-titled chapter; again, the given sign is modified. The names of the spheres also vary: Ghomor, Zhargan, Shytr, Elhgos, Durthon, Vhuath, Shkor, Alghor, Shefh, Pharth, Ghamn, Humbra and Hannab.
TO RAISE UP THE STONES
Liber Logaeth's same chapter. Gives again the variant Seal of Yog-Sothoth,a version of the Altar of the Old Ones, and a nice diagram of the distribution of the carven stones, completely different from the one in Hay's Liber Logaeth.TO OPEN THE THRESHOLD OF SHUB-NIGGURATH THE BLACK
A version of Liber Logaeth's invocation, omitting the Sigil of Blaesu.
THE ADJURATION OF CTHULHU
The same as Liber Logaeth's. The invocation has two additional lines at the end, which are:
...and obtain the Key of Sleep,(Again, the first "Key" is "llave" - key for locks, and the latter is "clave" - key to a problem or riddle).
The Tablet of R'lyeh as rendered here is, as most diagrams in this book, somewhat cluttered, but the symbol representing R'lyeh in the center is certainly an improvement over the simplistic tower in Liber Logaeth.
DHO-HNA
The same formula as in Liber Logaeth; the formulae in eldritch tongue are more faithful this time, but three whole words are missing from the last one.
The Angle Web is reproduced, but the Sigil of Transformation is a blotted mess; since it's supposed to be traced in the air by the magician, whoever made this version must have meant to make it impossible to trace.
THE INCENSE OF ZKAVBA
Liber Logaeth's Zkauba. These name changes are not so surprising; the Spanish translation of Liber Logaeth itself renders this as "Kzauba", and Khephnes as "Khephens"! Anyway, the signs given here are essentially the same, with minor variations.
THE GRAND CALL
As far as I know, this is a previously unpublished ritual: "Behold the Great Formula which was used by our elders to summon Those Who Lurk Behind the Frontier of Fire. Once the Adepts achieved perfect control over their Thought and knew all the keys and preparation rites of Eldritch Magic, five of the best among them assembled with their teacher and acted in the following manner..." The Elder Sign (here called Sign of the Elders) is traced on the ground, at night, by the sea, and a sacred fire is lit at its center; each stands on a point of the star wearing the Talisman of Yhe, with a leather bag imprinted with the Seal of Yog-Sothoth and containing the Incense of Zkavba, and with the knife of Barzay. The teacher shall stand where he chooses, prtotected by three circles, with a gong and the dust of Yb. Then is made the Call, over a dozen lines of otherwordly language where we can spot the names Azathoth, Yog-Sothoth, Nyarlathotep, Hastur, Shub Nyggurath (sic), and R'lyeth (sic).
When all this is intoned, "shadows shall stir at the sound of the gong and he shall show himself before thee as a freezing wind that will cause the spirits of those who feel his breath to shudder." A bird's blood shall then be offered in a green glass cup, and the Ren-Sekhem text is read aloud, followed by a "Yogge Sothoth Neblodh Zhyn" and a recitation of the Argonahrh text, ending with a greatly corrupted version of the famous "Dead Cthulhu lied dreaming" formula in eldritch language.
The Sign of the Elders is given, but so distorted it looks like a crushed flower full of signs, and not a five-pointed star.
ARCANA
The Necronomic Tarot is reproduced here, card by card, for no other reason, I believe, than taking up more space, since at the end of the book are given the interpretations of the cards. Anyway, here each card is given a number "value", a corresponding letter (in case anybody wonders, I checked out the table of correspondences in the Ripel books and these are not the same numbers or letters), and the Crowleyish title of each card, as well as a never-explained corresponding name of word, sometimes the name of an Old One, sometimes unknown names of words, several of them in Egyptian tongue - possibly deities; Egypt had literally thousands of them. More on this later.
THE LEGENDS FROM THE NECRONOMICON
This section contains only two legends, starting off with the following quote from Jean Markale's The Celtic Epic in Ireland: "The Thuatha Dé Dannan came from the islands at the north of the world, which classifies them among the famous and mysterious Hyperboreans." There is a reason for this.
THE LEGEND OF MHNAR
This is a detailed retelling - or, rather, paraphrasing - of the doom that came upon Sarnath, well-known by Lovecraft readers, with "h's" thrown around happily: Mnar is Mhnar, Sarnath is Sarnhath, Bokrug is Bhorkrug, etc. Names are the least faithful aspect: the oldest part of the city is Adhthyr, the "lost tablets of Sadak" are quoted to describe the inhabitants of Yb (Ib); minor changes thrown around. Pérez-Vigo doubtlessly onsidered it important to mention in passing the merchants from Mhnar and Hyperborea with their tents outside the city; Sarnath - or Sarnhath - is thus related to the Hyperborean civilization (which Lin Carter also suggests in his Dee Necronomicon). The story is concluded with the well-known Necronomicon quote from Lovecraft's "The Festival" about "the nethermost caverns" and "Ibn Schacabao" (Ibn Shacabad here; he is often named this way in Spanish translations of Lovecraft stories). This fragment is distinguished from the rest by quotation marks, and is carefully credited to "Abdol Alhazred, Necronomicon" - which seems to indicate that the previous retelling of Sarnath's doom is not meant to be considered as copied from the Necronomicon.
THE PROPHECY
This chapter is, as far as I know, original, and certainly the best piece in the book. With a style reminiscent of the Sauthenerom chapters, but much more Alhazredian and with clear influence from St. John's Revelations (again, shades of Colin Low's theories - I wonder if his Anti-FAQ was available in 1992, when this book came out?). After a cool, Lovecraftian description of the Old Ones and Azathoth, followed by a description of Yog-Sothoth which reminds us that he knows the Gate and uses the Summer-Winter bit, comes this:
"...And thus was it written after Their first coming that one thousand generations would pass after the fall of Sarkomand, and sixty until the death of Man and his resurrection and seven hundred more until Their definitive Return.
"There shall come the time of the Great Sea, fate of the Immortals, washing up strange, malignant things.
"It holds worse things than to plunge into the pit and perish there. At its coming there shall be only loathing, loneliness and madness; tumult, silence and shadows in the midst of the wind's terror which blots all hope and snuffs out all life. It is not my purpose to darken thy heart, son of men, yet I feel still the anguish and the sour loss of the friends who for so long were at my side and who acompanied me so very far, beyond the frontiers of mortal lands. Harken, then, to that which we learnt in our long journeys and that which was revealed to us:
"`Tis written that, when the Circle of time stoppeth at last, there shall appear an open gate in the sky and the oceans shall rise up their voices in clamor. Then shall appear Him whose throne is established in the Heavens (or skies; the word means both things) and, before the Throne, a sea transparent as crystal. The light of the stars shall go out and in all (a word is missing here) shall be heard the voice of thunder, and an immense hurricane of fire shall smite the works of Man. The light from the Sun and the Moon shall darken, and Earth shall be plunged in darkness. Then a star shall fall from the skies to the Earth and open the Threshold of the Deep. This shall be the time when men seek death yet find it not, for it was written already that with strange Aeons, even death should die. The Eldritch Beast from the Sea shall surge forth and the Sleeper shall be awakened. Great crevices shall open in the Earth, and from them there shall come flames reaching to the sky, and from amongst them, the second Beast, the Great Black One of the Night of Days, accompanied by her thousand Young and preeded by the Abomination who shall open the Seals of Destiny and unleash the Darkness upon Earth. The great rite shall be performed, and the rest of the Old Ones shall again tread the lands their feet once trod in the Beginning of Times. Fire shall come down from the skies and the cities shall be left illuminated by the fearful bluish radiance of death."
After this, the mad Arab goes on to predict some really bad things for mankind; he also tells of the Abomination who will open the Gates and clear the way for the Old Ones' coming, saying that he is one of Them and trod the Earth with Them in ancient times and knows how to wake the Sleeper. He has the Word that Kils and owns the Silver Key, and he will choose who survives Their coming. He will be alone, but They protect Their own and he will be unharmed.
"Only one thing may I add: They are already here."
THE WORLD IN BETWEEN
The time has come for a messy explanation. The following section is dedicated to ancient Celtic legends and Elfland. You may think this is dumb in a Necronomicon, and I fully agree; it would seem that Pérez-Vigo used the already-quoted theory of the Celtic Tuatha De Dannan being Hyperboreans as an excuse to connect Celtic lore, which he obviously loves, with the Mythos. I know, Hyperborea does not make a Mythos story, unless it is Clark Ashton Smith's Hyperborea, but this is as good a time as any to briefly describe another of Pérez-Vigo's sources, which caused his emphasis on Hyperborea. It is also the reason for his Egyptian inclinations throughout the book, and since the Tarot's motifs are in good part Celtic and Egyptian, I'd better get this over with.
Rafael Llopis, Spanish psychologist and foremost Lovecraft expert, wrote a book called El Novísimo Algazife, o Libro de las Postrimerías (The New Algazife, or Book of the Postrimeries - Hiperion, Madrid, 1980). This is an epic - although humorous at times - study on the life, works and philosophy of Abdul Al Hazrid, better known among Spanish occultists as Abdelesar. It is never stated in this book that it is fictional or pseudofactual, but Llopis admits to having written it "jokingly," which is pretty obvious when we find him writing about the virus of vampirism, constituted by hirsute, fanged bacteria that suck red cells dry! Even so, the occult world, such as it is, has taken it more seriously than I would have imagined. It is surprisingly detailed, even more than any Necronomicon I've seen, complete with photos of an Al-Azif manuscript.
Llopis' theory is that the mad Arab belonged to a sect that created a pact between Arabs and the remaining Egyptian people to fuse the Egyptian gods into a single entity, Allah; and the Necronomicon actually contains Egyptian lore in disguise, derived from aliens who ruled Egypt and mixed their cells into those of the kings (like in the Sauthenerom). A long line of distorted copies of the Kitab Al-Azif (the Necronomicon) survived in Spain, says Llopis, all of them rewritten with an Egyptian slant, in the hands of certain circles whose members hold the doctrines of "Necronomy" - hence the particular wordage of "Necronomic Tarot" in the title of this book. This text would obviously be one of those Spanish copies.
Llopis also states that the name spellings of the Old Ones, as well as their "distorted" descriptions, as used by the Lovecraft Circle and Lin Carter, are Hyperborean in origin, derived from some Tables of Ugoroth. This is where Hyperborea comes in.
Other items taken from Llopis will come up later.
TIRN AILL
"The World In-Between" is divided in two sections; this is the first, containing:
THE OTHERWORLD
"Since this book is dediated to the investigation of other 'places' unknown by most men, it was to be expected that it dealt, at least briefly, with the subject of Fairies."
Really? Well, maybe it's just me, but I didn't expect it...
Here we learn of the Irish lore about mythical isles such as Tir Nan Og, The Young Lands; Trfo Thuinn, the Land beneath the Waves; Tire Nam Beo, the Land of the Living; Mag Mor, the Great Plain; and others still. Pérez-Vigo recommends Jean Markale's book to find out more about the escape of the Tuatha De Danaan to Tir Nan Og, and equates the circle divided by half which represents Tir Nan Og with Plato's description of Atlantis. After listing more legendary islands, mentioning Arthur and Saint Brendan, he goes on to tell the legend of how Manannan, son of Lêr, first deity of the sea, sent Bran, son of Febal, to the Island of Women; when Bran came back, centuries had passed, and if one of his men stepped down from their ship, he would crumble to dust, so he stayed a while to tell the people of the land about his adventures and then left again. Well, at least Bran has some relation, however small, to the Mythos, thanks to Robert E. Howard.
Then comes the legend of Ossian, who refused to be converted by Saint Patrick, because he'd rather join his comrades, even if it was in hell.
THE KINGDOM OF DANANN
After being defeated, the Tuatha De Danaan opened the Gates of the World In-Between and lived there until their foretold return (now that's a bit more Cthulhian), becoming the Daoine Sidhe, ruled by Finvana, the Supreme King of Faeries, who lives in the fdortress-palace of Knokma. We then find out about the way the Faery Folk sometimes mix with mortals, spawning sons; the gate to the Otherworld, a wooden door set in a rock beside a lake; and a bit of folk magic to attract the favors of faeries.
THE LEGEND OF O'DONNGHUE
This is a king who rules an underwater castle in the lake of Killarney, and comes out every Beltane, leading a marvelous parade of young women on his white horse.
HITH WENH
This second section, notoriously bylined by Pérez-Vigo, is a piece of mystic, romantic prose poetry:
"Tonight the track is showered with lights. I have opened the Gate of the Abyss and the touch of cold air on my skin makes me shudder with a springing forth of white flowers within darkness. The trail of your dress whirls and whirls in whirlwinds of dance among the stars, and your music of endless pitches finds echo in worlds without number." In a placid, magical atmosphere where playful goblins dream, he follows her call, inviting him into the secret of death. He vainly wishes her back: "My world left through the Gates that you opened, setting on my lips the cup of death, which you filled up with the life of yours."
Dawn comes, and he wakes.
Robert W. Chambers' "red dawn" quote from "The Yellow Sign" closes this chapter.
THE ARCANA FROM THE NECRONOMICON
André Breton starts off a veritable legion of quotes; at least he is credited.
THE NECRONOMIC TAROT, WISDOM OF THE LOST WORLDS
THE ARCANA
This is a listing of the cards, giving for each a corresponding deity, a related quote, and a description of the meaning of the card in divination. I'll list them, if only because of the deity names, and to comment a couple of interesting texts.
By the way, there are only the 22 Major Arcana, so this won't be too long.
0 THE FOOL - DAGON
The uncredited quote doesn't sound like either the Chaldean Dagon or the Mythos Dagon:
"He, the Ancient of Days, who within himself holds Earth, by the hand of the Universal Force, carrying within him the seed and possibilities of all Gods. He is the Four Yesterday of the Serpent Goddesses. The Pure Force which envelopes life since its remotest deeps."
The card shows a warrior, probably Celtic.
1 THE MAGICIAN - BHAA EMMAHATT (these names are probably Egyptian)
The quote, about having the Universe at the right, the Abyss at left, and death behind - I can't place it. Blake? Nietszche? The card is just a hawk.
2 THE PRIESTESS - AUK THENNU
The quote is, I believe, from the Egyptian Book of the Dead (or at least, a good pastiche).
3 THE EMPRESS - SEBH-SEKHEM (this _is_ Egyptian)
4 THE EMPEROR - A EMH RUTHI
The card pictures a Celtic ruler.
5 THE HIGH PRIEST - CTHULHU
"I am only thatThis quote is a fragment from the Egyptian Book of Ptahsir, describing the god Ptah-Nun (although the original version says "those who go through the Duat" instead of "those who come through the Threshold"), as quoted in Rafael Llopis' Novísimo Algazife, precisely in the chapter "Cthulhu and Ptah-Nun," where a concrete link is made between Ptah/Cthulhu and the Tarot card of "The Moon," not "The High Priest."
The card shous an old man's face with strange Horus-style eyes, the sea and the moon above his brow.
6 THE LOVERS - AM XHENTMU
The card is merely a couple of birds. How Disney. However, the quote is Ripel-style, an invocation to claim the powers of the Word. Perhaps another fragment for the Sauthenerom section?
7 THE CHARIOT - UFHAAR KHEPTHA
A white cat walks by the wheel of the chariot. A Book of the Dead-like quote goes with it.
8 JUSTICE - KHUR NEFER
Fittingly, an invocation to the Goddess of Truth is here.
9 THE HERMIT - NYARLATHOTEP
The text is the Nyarlathotep chapter from Liber Logaeth. The picture shows a wise-looking, long-eared, noseless creature in meditation. Some of my friends, as well as myself, have found this picture strikingly familiar, but we haven't placed it; probably from some fantasy book. Or maybe it's just a Jungian archetype.
10 THE WHEEL OF FORTUNE - SEAAKHER REDHOR
An old man peeks through a ring he holds with both fists. This picture is also in the cover of the book.
11 THE STRENGTH - ABK AINHUR
It pictures a chained, struggling wolf-headed man.
12 THE HANGED MAN - KHENTAMENTIU
The pìcture shows an eldritch tentacled monstrosity in profile, fanged and snouted. The creature is clearly based on the rough black silohuette found in a photo of one of the Hyperborean Tablets of Ugoroth, reproduced in Llopis' El Novísimo Algazife, where it is said to represent Chaugnar Faugn. Llopis even points out the similarity between the Tablets' Chaugnar Faugn depiction and that of the godling Khentamentiu in one of the Lesser Arcana of an Egyptian Tarot deck called the Neb Tarot.
The quote, the only one credited, is from Abdelesar's (Abdul Alhazred's) "Testament,"of which several pages are reproduced in Llopis' book; the text does describe Khentamentiu, although not by name.
13 DEATH - HASTUR
The text is Liber Logaeth's "Ye Voice of Hastur." The picture shows a really wicked-looking character.
14 TEMPERANCE - KITHNESS LENGFHIR
"When the stars were putting their eternal fire out,...And she looks so sweet, the young Celtic lady!
15 THE DEVIL - YOG-SOTHOTH
Just an old man. The quote is from Liber Logaeth's Yog-Sothoth summoning.
16 THE TOWER - KADATH
The text is from _Liber Logaeth_. The picture - well, it's a bit rough, but it looks evil enough to be Kadath!
17 THE STARS - NEFER XERTH
Book of the Dead-style text. The picture is a trite unicorn surrounded by stars.
18 THE MOON - KHERLYHU SEBHT
19 THE SUN - ARGO NAHR
The quote is from the Argo Nahr (the Fire Star) chapter. The cartd pictures the Boat of Ra, as well as two women.
20 THE JUDGEMENT - NAXYR
The card shows a dragon, much like the ones in the early pictures of the book. The commentary explains that this card symbolizes the Grand Call.
21 THE UNIVERSE - SHUB-NIGGURATH
Instead of a quote, we get merely the Crowleyish title for this card, "The Great One from the Night of Time." It pictures a girl looking away, a small dragon above her head.
TAROT SPREAD METHODS
This is the final section of the book.
USE OF THE CARDS
Just the basics; the author promises that "For the instances of rituals and malefices through the cards, we shall deal with them in future volumes (!)." Since for a couple of years now Spanish distributors demand payment in advance to export books to Mexico, local bookstores have mostly stopped ordering, so I don't know if such future volumes did come out.
GREAT 13-CARD SPREAD
That's what it is.
QUEEN'S SPREAD
Another spread.
DIRECT CONSULTATION
This one is more interesting: you choose the card which represents your Protector-Power, set is in front of you with red or black candles, and intone the corresponding quote, asking a question aloud. Choose three cards after the candles' flames respond.
"This that I speak I swear upon eternity. This word may have a beginning but not an end, for truly Nothing begun and everything ended."
- From the Pahn-Har text.
1998 © Luis Abbadie. All rights reserved.