The Revelations of Glaaki

“You probably won’t know the Revelations of Glaaki; it’s a sort of Bible written under supernatural guidance. There were only eleven volumes – but this is the twelfth, written by a man at the top of Mercy Hill guided through his dreams.”

Ramsey Campbell, “Cold Print”

The undead servants of Glaaki are intimately connected to the deity, knowing its thoughts and needs. Whilst Glaaki is dormant, these servants (and some inspired, living, adherents) are able to tap into the monstrosity’s memories and dreams and, often, they feel compelled to write these impressions down. This collected manuscript material has become known as the Revelations of Glaaki. Traditionally, the material has been published in a series of discrete books and, prior to the 1900s, there were normally nine in a full set; since the cult began to reform after 1942, this number has increased to the point where discussions of a possible twelfth volume are not unheard-of. The work bears comparison with the Yidhrani  which forms as a written nexus in the vicinity of the deity Yidhra, wherever that being manifests.

The Revelations, regardless of how many volumes comprise it, is broken into three rough sections – the first, and longest, is called The Book of Servants while the remainder is entitled The Book of Masters. Each of these sections quotes heavily from outside sources such as the Book of Eibon, De Vermis Mysteriis and the Necronomicon, never claiming ownership for such quoted material but rather “recording [it] for the greater glory of Glaaki”. Of the two Books, The Book of Servants has been the most re-worked in the modern, post-1942 era, of the cult. The book ends with a third component, The Benediction of Glaaki, a prayer which some perceive as a deliberate perversion of the Christian faith; some earlier versions included this prayer as part of The Book of the Masters, but recent thinking has tended to separate it out as a stand-alone conclusion to the entire text.

The Book of Servants is a hodge-podge work, stitched together from many sources and bound with the repetitive phrase “for the glory of Glaaki”. One of its strengths is that it quotes from many works long since vanished from the face of the planet and generally cites these sources pedantically. Its weakness is that, when discovered, copies of the Revelations have usually been re-written and expurgated by a keen and usually mad editor, whose warped perception adds odd and incomprehensible twists to the logic of the piece. The Book of the Masters on the other hand, being the part of the book which contains the majority of the magical and other ritual instructions, is usually left alone by the whims of the errant transcriber. Herein are found legends and accounts of some of the great wizards of aeons passed, under the chapter heading “Writings of the Disciples of Glaaki in the Ancient World”; such wizards include Eibon, Klarkash-ton and Ech-Pi-El, amongst others. There is another chapter entitled “The Legacy of the Ancients”, a rambling section which outlines many magical experiments; this is followed by a chapter dealing solely with the Wizard Eibon and his incantations. Another section outlines the nature, legends and incantations surrounding Nyarlathotep. Finally, there is a symbol called “The Sigil of the Green Decay” with an accompanying chapter which, while hinting at various malevolent effects, fails to adequately outline what this image can do.

(Although the Book of Eibon contains a spell entitled “The Green Decay”, an horrible curse that produces an effect not unlike the disintegration that takes place when Glaaki’s older undead servants are exposed to sunlight. See the earlier post on that Book for further details.)

“Though the universe may feign the semblance of fickleness, its soul has always known its masters. The sleep of its masters is but the largest cycle of all life, for as the defiance and forgetfulness of winter is rendered vain by summer, so is the defiance and forgetfulness of man, and of those others who have assumed stewardship, shall be cast aside by the reawakened masters. When those hibernal times are over, and the time for reawakening is near, the universe itself shall send forth the Harbinger and Maker, Ghroth. Who shall urge the stars and worlds to rightness. Who shall raise the sleeping masters from their burrows and drowned tombs; who shall raise the tombs themselves. Who shall be attentive to those worlds where worshippers presume themselves stewards. Who shall bring those worlds under sway, until all acknowledge their presumption, and bow down.”

Ramsey Campbell, “The Tugging”

Although focusing primarily on the rites and ritual practices of Glaaki and its followers, the work also discusses such beings as Daoloth, Eihort, Ghroth, Hydra and the denizens of S’lghuo; it also has details concerning an artefact known as the “Crystallizer of Dreams” and insights into the “Saaamaaa Ritual” found in the Sigsand Manuscript. Some versions contain a process for summoning Daoloth to this plane of existence, but copies with this addendum are rare. Rumour has it that a seldom-seen “Twelfth Book” exists which discusses the entity Y’golonac in full – this is the only known source of information about this excrescence.

A word of caution about this book: as it materialises either as the automatic writings of undead slave-creatures or the rambling scratchings of deranged lunatics, it is believed by the cult faithful to be sacred in whatever format it shows up. It is usually little-regarded and quickly disposed of by the uninitiated authorities and is often overlooked in the course of an investigation. Where it is identified for what it is, however, it can become a dangerous focus of attacks by cult minions eager to regain control of their sacred text.

Mostly English, unpublished in manuscript; various authors; prior to 1865; 1d8/2d8 Sanity loss; Cthulhu Mythos +17 percentiles; 45 weeks to study and comprehend

Spells: “Dismiss the Brood Sire!” (Banish Eihort); “To Invoke the Bearded One” (Contact Deity: Byatis); “Behold the Glory of Glaaki!” (Contact Deity: Glaaki); “Speak with the Messenger” (Contact Deity: Nyarlathotep); “Open the Mystic Portal” (Create Gate); “Call Releh’s Mist” (Create Mist of Releh); “To Summon Visions of the Past” (Create Scrying Window); “To Compel a Corpse in Servitude” (Create Zombie); “A Spell of Shielding” (Deflect Harm); “Sigil of the Green Decay” (The Green Decay). There is also a 20% chance each of the following spells being present: “The Saaamaaa Ritual” (Pentacle of the Planes); “Reveal the Render of Veils!” (Summon Daoloth)

“Those who warship thes most holy of gods ar afton alloed to transcend mere humane shape, and to become hys minions. Thys I have seene, and grat is ther glory. They tayk the form of man, yet it is not the form of man. Ther streng is moor then thet of mere man, as is ther quiknesse. They liv afton in cavs and cavvernes benyth the worlde, were onlie Y’GOLONAC and the others who no of hyme can fynd them.”

Revelations of Glaaki, volume IX

Ed Gore, Shadows of Yog-sothoth: “The Warren”

In the 1860s a renegade worshiper from the cult of Glaaki leaked an expurgated copy of the Revelations to Supremus Press, a Liverpudlian publisher, who released a nine-volume, folio-sized edition in 1865. The edition avoids many of the more lurid aspects of the original and further, was issued without explicitly identifying the publishing house by name (a practise hearking back to the Renaissance days of the Toledo grimoire printers). It does however contain many spells, including the one to summon Daoloth.

Very few copies of this edition were printed and most were bought up and destroyed by Glaaki followers eager to prevent its dispersal to the wider community. Nevertheless, its printing most likely led to the apparent quashing of the cult by 1870. Eight of the nine volumes were held in the library at Brichester University as part of the Estate of Professor Arnold Hird; these were later stolen by persons unknown.

(Source: Ramsey Campbell, “The Inhabitant of the Lake”)

Mostly English; anonymous author; Supremus Press, Liverpool, UK, 1865; 1d6/2d8 Sanity loss; Cthulhu Mythos +15 percentiles; 40 weeks to study and comprehend

Spells: “Dismiss the Brood Sire!” (Banish Eihort); “To Invoke the Bearded One” (Contact Byatis); “Behold the Glory of Glaaki!” (Contact Deity: Glaaki); “Speak with the Messenger” (Contact Deity: Nyarlathotep); “Open the Mystic Portal” (Create Gate); “Call Releh’s Mist” (Create Mist of Releh); “To Summon Visions of the Past” (Create Scrying Window); “To Compel a Corpse in Servitude” (Create Zombie); “A Spell of Shielding” (Deflect Harm); “The Saaamaaa Ritual” (Pentacle of the Planes); “Sigil of the Green Decay” (The Green Decay); “Reveal the Render of Veils!” (Summon Daoloth)

“Many are the horrors of Tond, the sphere which revolves about the green sun of Yifne and the dead star Baalblo. Few come near to humanity, for even the ruling race of yarkdao have retractable ears in humanoid bodies. Their gods are many, and none dares interrupt the priests of Chig in their ritual, which lasts three years and a quarter, or one puslt. Great circles of blue metal and black stone are built on Tond, and some yarkdao speak of a city of crystal in which things walk unlike anything living. Few men of our planet can see Tond, but those who know the secret of the Crystallizers of Dreams may walk its surface unharmed, if the Crystallizer’s hungry guardian does not scent them.”

Ramsey Campbell, “The Inhabitant of the Lake”

In the early years of the Twentieth Century, the Golden Goblin Press of New York released a version of the Revelations of Glaaki (probably based on the 1865 London version; however, no mention is made of this in the text). This edition, whilst expensive and issued in a limited release (like most of this firm’s output), gave rise to many false notions surrounding the work and its pernicious cult which further editions did nothing to mollify. To begin with, the book was predicated on a belief that the cult had been destroyed in the 1860s and no longer existed; this stance effectively absolved the editors of seeking out any other copies to challenge their work, although later editions do compare and contrast effectively with extracts from the Book of Eibon.

The other myth which these editions perpetrated was the notion that the Revelations is composed of only nine books. An academic debate over the correct placement of the Benediction of Glaaki and other chapters within the text saw the number of books within the work fluctuate between 7 and 9 across several editions until the nine-book format became entrenched, both at the ‘Press and in the minds of the readers. In all, the Golden Goblin Press released six editions of the Revelations within the space of a few short years; these editions vary only slightly in content – mainly to do with chapter arrangement (as discussed) and the addition of academic commentaries - nonetheless, these books are exceedingly rare and difficult to find (less than 3,000 copies in total were produced).

English; various authors, unknown editor; Golden Goblin Press, Philadelphia; various editions starting 1925; 1d3/2d3 Sanity loss; Cthulhu Mythos +9 percentiles; 28 weeks to study and comprehend

Spells: “Dismiss the Brood Sire!” (Banish Eihort); “Open the Mystic Portal” (Create Gate); “Call Releh’s Mist” (Create Mist of Releh); “A Spell of Shielding” (Deflect Harm); “Sigil of the Green Decay” (The Green Decay)

“For those who read of evil and search for its form within their minds call forth evil ... and await that time when the earth is cleared off and Cthulhu rises from his tomb among the weeds, Glaaki thrusts open the crystal trapdoor, the brood of Eihort are born into daylight, Shub-Niggurath strides forth to smash the moon-lens, Byatis bursts forth from his prison, Daoloth tears away illusion to expose the reality concealed behind.”

Ramsey Campbell, “Cold Print”

But for the efforts of scholar Antonius Quine, the Golden Goblin Press editions of the Revelations of Glaaki would have been the last word on the subject. Quine discovered that, far from being a dead cult long dispensed with in the Nineteenth Century, the believers of Glaaki were hard at the work of endlessly revising and re-wording their holy text. Quine discovered that, not only was the cult flourishing, but there were more than nine books in its holy canon, along with rumours of an undiscovered twelfth book.

Quine re-organised the material into a cohesive whole, foregoing the patriarchal approach adopted by the Goblin editors and focussing on the internal and intertextual sympathies within the writing itself. He definitively placed the Benediction at the end of the work as a codicil to the entire text and logically structured the two sections into a progressive format. He argues forcefully that the “Writings of the Disciples of Glaaki in the Ancient World” is proof that the Cult of Glaaki predates Christianity. The major benefit to modern researchers however, is the succinct Introduction penned by Quine, which gives a clear outline of the nature of the work and its historical context.

Readers could do far worse than begin their research of this topic with the Standish edition (which, if nothing else, is at least served up in one volume); however, Quine does open himself up to a deal of controversy: to begin with, he claims stridently in his Introduction that the Golden Goblin Press editions were all based on a “corrupt” version of the text, while later acknowledging that interpreting copies of the Revelations involves a certain amount of filtering of the ideations and manias of the afflicted transcribers. He later broadly implies that he was closely, if not directly, in contact with contemporary members of the cult during his editing process, a stance which shines little favourable light upon his academic neutrality. Still, the work is prodigious and encyclopaedic, well-organised and annotated for the benefit of the novitiate reader.

English; various authors, edited by Antonius Quine; Standish Press, CO, USA, 1972; 1d6/2d8 Sanity loss; Cthulhu Mythos +16 percentiles; 40 weeks to study and comprehend

Spells: “Dismiss the Brood Sire!” (Banish Eihort); “To Invoke the Bearded One” (Contact Byatis); ”Behold the Glory of Glaaki!” (Contact Deity: Glaaki); “Speak with the Messenger” (Contact Deity: Nyarlathotep); “Open the Mystic Portal” (Create Gate); “Call Releh’s Mist” (Create Mist of Releh); “To Summon Visions of the Past” (Create Scrying Window); “To Compel a Corpse in Servitude” (Create Zombie); “A Spell of Shielding” (Deflect Harm); “The Saaamaaa Ritual” (Pentacle of the Planes); “Sigil of the Green Decay” (The Green Decay); “Reveal the Render of Veils!” (Summon Daoloth)

“...For even the minions of Cthulhu dare not speak of Y’golonac; yet the time will come when Y’golonac strides forth from the loneliness of aeons to walk once more among men...”

Revelations of Glaaki, volume XII

Ramsey Campbell, “Cold Print”

Rumours abounded in the 1950s that an unknown bookseller in Brichester had discovered a manuscript copy of the mysterious “Twelfth Book” of the Revelations of Glaaki. Unconfirmed sightings claimed that the work held clues as to the nature and origins of a deity called Y’golonac, an entity which, until this time, had only been present as a passing reference within the known Revelations texts. Although never positively confirmed the rumours caused an initial ‘nine days’ wonder’ in the local press which died away to nothing as no mysterious chapter eventuated. Nevertheless, the New York Public Library is strongly suspected of owning a copy of this manuscript, although frequent requests to see the item have been studiously ignored by the organisation.

If found as part of a complete copy of the Revelations, statistics are as per the unpublished manuscript version (above); otherwise, use the following: English; unknown author (Roland Franklyn?); 1958; 1d3/2d3 Sanity loss; Cthulhu Mythos +3 percentiles; 6 weeks to study and comprehend

Spells: If found as part of a complete copy of the Revelations, spells are as per the unpublished manuscript version (above), with the addition of the following spell: “Unleash the Evil Within the Mind” (Summon Y’golonac); If found as a single volume, only the following spell is present: “Unleash the Evil Within the Mind” (Summon Y’golonac); roll Luck after studying the text: failure means that the spell has been cast unbeknownst to the reader and that entity will begin its manifestation...

“The Revelations of Glaaki!”

During the Sixties, Ultimate Press released a grubby weekly magazine culled from the collected esoteric miscellany of their Bridewell holdings and accompanied by a slew of raunchy photographs and sensationalist writing. Inspired by a burgeoning drug-culture and fuelled by tabloid reports of black magic and witchcraft in British suburbia, the rag preyed upon the public’s fears and curiosity around these subjects, whilst simultaneously offering “real information” about what these backyard subversives were up to.

Whilst mainly a venue for science fiction and horror short stories, the magazine contains a core of material derived from various real Mythos sources, most notably the Revelations of Glaaki. As far as can be told, the original source for this material is a copy of the 1865 London edition but it is so much broken up within slurries of sex, sadism and mystical sensationalism as to be of almost no use to a serious researcher. Still, there is a brisk collector’s market for copies of these lurid magazines in pristine condition, and prices can be unexpectedly high.

(Source: Ramsey Campbell, “Cold Print”)

English; various authors; 1962 to 1977; 0/1 Sanity loss; Cthulhu Mythos +1 percentile; 2 weeks to study and comprehend

Spells: None

Note that increments to Cthulhu Mythos scores are accrued per issue of this periodical; however, increments cannot be accrued above the 50% mark.

*****