I want to unpack a lot of really interesting connections, some of which I may turn into other threads.
Let's start with Nemesis. ***
Spoilers Ahead*** You have been warned.
NemesisSo HP Lovecraft wrote a poem 102 years ago about Nemesis, called 'Nemesis'.
One might imagine that is a huge hint and point of connection to the Dresdenverse being. Whilst the poem doesn't spell out any clues for us to Nemesis' identity, there are some buried ones.
The 'speaker' in the poem is Nemesis and talks about how it is so old, older than when Man was in the Garden of Eden, existing before the Dinosaurs and indeed even before the atmosphere had calmed down and was a "vaporous flame".
The current take (and one I agree with) is that Nemesis is the same being as Nyarlathotep (sometimes conflated with the Black Pharoah, the Howler in the Dark and the Crawling Chaos). Some even see this being as the inspiration for Satan, or this is about Satan through a Lovecraft lens, or that Satan is one of his Nyarlathotep avatars. For the purposes of this discussion, let's assume not.
How does the poem hint it is Nyarlathotep? Well he is afraid of the sun for one, and the poem says:
"I have plung’d like a deer thro’ the arches
Of the hoary primordial grove,
Where the oaks feel the presence that marches
And stalks on where no spirit dares rove;
And I flee from a thing that surrounds me, and leers thro’ dead branches above."
This is a pretty clear reference to the Sun and daylight. Spirits don't dare roam in the Sun (see Bob), and sunlight leers through dead branches. This is also in the time of the Dinosaurs (primordial grove - although who knows which period).
Nyarlathotep is the child of the Outer God, Azahoth (the blind idiot god). Azahoth sits at the heart of Creation and all reality is his dream, and if he wakes up it all ends (like the ending of a dream, rather than an act of fiery destruction). Nyarlathotep, unlike the rest of the Great Old Ones and Outer Gods (which even in Lovecrafts works are not clearly different beings), is much closer to mankind. He uses mortal language, assumes relatively human (and sometimes completely human) shapes, and prefers to create chaos than just destroy reality. He has lots of plans within plans and is the messenger of his race. He often works through avatars and is quite powerful, though not necessarily on the destroying-universe scale that many of his race is. In Roger Zelazny's
A Night in Lonesome October, it is shown that should he and his force cross over, then it doesn't matter if the Closers win (think about what Mother Summer said in
Cold Days - everything stops if the Outsiders get through) More on this later.
http://www.hplovecraft.com/writings/texts/poetry/p121.aspxA Night in Lonesome OctoberThis is a fascinating story by Roger Zelazny. It was his final solo work and contained many nods to Lovecraft and other famous authors and filmmakers. It's about these two groups, Openers and Closers. They are each made of a variety of characters who each wish to Open or Close the Gate for their own purposes. One of the key points is that The Closers are not necessarily good, and the Openers are not necessarily evil. It's more Oblivion versus Existence. Amongst the Closers there is The Count (Dracula), The Good Doctor (Dr Frankenstein), The Great Detective and his Companion (Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson), Larry Talbot (The Wolfman), and Jack (Jack the Ripper).
The Openers consist of Crazy Jill (the Witch), Owen (a Druid), Rastov (a Mad Monk - based on Rasputin), Morris and McCab (Hermetic Monks), and Vicar Roberts (the Clergyman).
Every few decades when the moon is full on Halloween, the fabric of reality thins and doors may be opened between this world and the world of the Old Ones. During these events, men and women with the right occult knowledge gather at specific ritual sites and may attempt keep the doors Closed or rip them Open. When the Closers win, the world stays as it is until the next turning. But should the Openers win...the Old Ones come and remake the world in their own image and slaughter and enslave everything. The Openers have never won. These meetings are referred to as "The Game" or "The Great Game", and they are secret from the mortal world.
Most interesting to me is the character of Vicar Roberts. He appears to be a humble, innocent and harmless priest who actually wants the world to end. This immediately made me think of
. He also possesses a cup with five-pointed star in it, used for some dark part of the ritual (which makes me think this is
exactly what Nicodemus intends to use the Holy Grail for. Not only that, there are several objects that can aid or hinder either side.
In Dresdenfiles terms:
- The Game (Vadderung mentions that Harry is only just finding out who the players are)
- The objects of the Apocalypse. The Artefacts of Christ quite likely link up to this game, tools for Destruction or Saving the World.
- The hidden enemy:
Father Forthill. Would be a hell of a surprise considering he has been helping Harry the whole time. But what if it is to get him onside? And what if he is secretly a cultist? Maybe even the leader of the Circle? Also fits the right under his nose type villain
- Two Competing teams: Those on the Unseelie Accords vs The Enemy. That's the real purpose of the Accords.
- The veil IS thinner on Halloween between the Nevernever and the real world. But what if it also thinner between Creation and Outside?
The Lord of TindalosIn Peace Talks (or Skin Games) Cornerhounds (a type of Outsider) appear. The general consensus is they are the same being as the Hounds of Tindalos. The Lord of Tindalos is a Outer God called Mh'ithrha and seems to be associated or resemble Fenrir (the first child of Loki, and the killer of Odin). Will we see Vadderung's final enemy in the Dresden Files?
StarbornCuriously, the only reference to Starborns in Lovecrafts works that I have found are the Old Ones themselves.
"and of those hints of old Castro about the sunken, star-born Old Ones and their coming reign"
What if Harry the Starborn, is actually an Old One spawn/avatar/vessel etc? What if that is what is meant by "Destroyer"? No wonder the White Council fear him, and everyone wants his power. Would make sense why his birthday is on Halloween - they needed to bring "him" or something to fill him across from the Other Side. Maybe even Outside.
Necronomican"Whenas Aldebaran riseth to the Sixth House, and agreeth in all ways with ye Conjunctions of Phutatorius as shall hereinafter be inscribed, then that is no Door which openeth on its Rising, but a Gate to ye Outside, through which All may pass but None may return save a Master of ye Runes, or ye Host of Ekron."
Lots of connections in that one. Outside, Outer Gate, Conjunctions, Master of the Runes (Vadderung). From what I can tell the "Host of Ekron" refers to a people that were absorbed by Israel. Phutatorius only makes sense to me from an Ethical concept angle, but beyond that I am not sure. Master of the Runes could also be a Necromancer and servant of Crom Cruach (referenced in another passage). Which could also be Vadderung by another name. Which might hint that Vadderung might not necessarily be a good guy...
Stars and StonesReferenced in this passage:
Armor against Witches & Daemons, Against ye Deep Ones, ye Dools, ye Voormais, ye Tacho-Tacho, ye Mi-Go, ye Shoggaoths, ye Ghasts, ye Valusians, & all such Peoples & Beings that serve ye Great Olde Ones & ye Spawn of Them, lies within ye Five-Pointed Star carven of gray Stone from ancient Mnar; which is less strong against ye Great Olde Ones Themselves. Ye Possessor of ye Stone shall find himself able to command all Beings which creep, swim, crawl, walk, or fly even to ye Source from which there is no returning. In Yhe as in Great R'lyeh, in Y'ha-nthlei as in Yoth, in Yuggoth as in Zothique, in N'kai as in Naa-Hk & K'n-yan, in Carcosa as in G'harne, in ye twin Cities of Ib and Lh-yib, in Kadath in ye Cold Waste as at ye Lake of Hali, it shall have Power; yet even as Stars wane & grow cold, even as Suns die & ye Spaces between Stars grow more wide, so wanes ye Power of all things -- of ye Five-Pointed Star-Stone as of ye Spells put upon ye Great Olde Ones by ye benign Elder Gods, & that Time shall come as once was a Time, when it shall be known:
That is not dead which can eternal lie,
And with strange Aeons even Death may die.
Also might explain the importance of the Five Pointed Star.
Old Ones and OutsidersThe book of the black name, containing the history of that which came before men. The great old ones were both one and many. They were not separate souls like men, yet they were separate wills. Some say they came from the stars; some say that they were the soul of the earth when it was formed from a cloud. For all life comes from the beyond, where there is no consciousness. Life needed a mirror, therefore it invaded the world of matter. There it became its own enemy, because they [bodies? -- note in original] possess form. The great old ones wanted to avoid form; therefore they rejected the heavy material of the body. But then they lost the power to act. Therefore they needed servants.
Also - Deep Ones and Fomor. Almost exactly the same.
Can you guys think of anymore links? I purposely left out Chronicles of Amber as the connections have been made quite a few times already and I wanted to focus on other areas.