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The Doom That Came to Sarnath
Lovecraft, Howard Phillips
Published:
1919
Categorie(s):
Fiction, Horror, Short Stories
Source:
http://en.wikisource.org
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About Lovecraft:
Howard Phillips Lovecraft was an American author of fantasy, horror
and science fiction. He is notable for blending elements of science fiction
and horror; and for popularizing "cosmic horror": the notion that some
concepts, entities or experiences are barely comprehensible to human
minds, and those who delve into such risk their sanity. Lovecraft has be-
come a cult figure in the horror genre and is noted as creator of the
"Cthulhu Mythos," a series of loosely interconnected fictions featuring a
"pantheon" of nonhuman creatures, as well as the famed Necronomicon,
a grimoire of magical rites and forbidden lore. His works typically had a
tone of "cosmic pessimism," regarding mankind as insignificant and
powerless in the universe. Lovecraft's readership was limited during his
life, and his works, particularly early in his career, have been criticized as
occasionally ponderous, and for their uneven quality. Nevertheless,
Lovecraft’s reputation has grown tremendously over the decades, and he
is now commonly regarded as one of the most important horror writers
of the 20th Century, exerting an influence that is widespread, though of-
ten indirect. Source: Wikipedia
Also available on Feedbooks for Lovecraft:
•
(1926)
•
(1931)
•
(1928)
•
(1934)
•
(1931)
•
(1936)
•
(1930)
•
(1927)
•
(1938)
•
(1932)
Copyright:
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There is in the land of Mnar a vast still lake that is fed by no stream, and
out of which no stream flows. Ten thousand years ago there stood by its
shore the mighty city of Sarnath, but Sarnath stands there no more.
It is told that in the immemorial years when the world was young, be-
fore ever the men of Sarnath came to the land of Mnar, another city stood
beside the lake; the gray stone city of Ib, which was old as the lake itself,
and peopled with beings not pleasing to behold. Very odd and ugly were
these beings, as indeed are most beings of a world yet inchoate and
rudely fashioned. It is written on the brick cylinders of Kadatheron that
the beings of lb were in hue as green as the lake and the mists that rise
above it; that they had bulging eyes, pouting, flabby lips, and curious
ears, and were without voice. It is also written that they descended one
night from the moon in a mist; they and the vast still lake and gray stone
city lb. However this may be, it is certain that they worshipped a sea-
green stone idol chiseled in the likeness of Bokrug, the great water-liz-
ard; before which they danced horribly when the moon was gibbous.
And it is written in the papyrus of Ilarnek, that they one day discovered
fire, and thereafter kindled flames on many ceremonial occasions. But
not much is written of these beings, because they lived in very ancient
times, and man is young, and knows but little of the very ancient living
things.
After many eons men came to the land of Mnar, dark shepherd folk
with their fleecy flocks, who built Thraa, Ilarnek, and Kadatheron on the
winding river Ai. And certain tribes, more hardy than the rest, pushed
on to the border of the lake and built Sarnath at a spot where precious
metals were found in the earth.
Not far from the gray city of lb did the wandering tribes lay the first
stones of Sarnath, and at the beings of lb they marveled greatly. But with
their marveling was mixed hate, for they thought it not meet that beings
of such aspect should walk about the world of men at dusk. Nor did they
like the strange sculptures upon the gray monoliths of Ib, for why those
sculptures lingered so late in the world, even until the coming men, none
can tell; unless it was because the land of Mnar is very still, and remote
from most other lands, both of waking and of dream.
As the men of Sarnath beheld more of the beings of lb their hate grew,
and it was not less because they found the beings weak, and soft as jelly
to the touch of stones and arrows. So one day the young warriors, the
slingers and the spearmen and the bowmen, marched against lb and
slew all the inhabitants thereof, pushing the queer bodies into the lake
with long spears, because they did not wish to touch them. And because
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they did not like the gray sculptured monoliths of lb they cast these also
into the lake; wondering from the greatness of the labor how ever the
stones were brought from afar, as they must have been, since there is
naught like them in the land of Mnar or in the lands adjacent.
Thus of the very ancient city of lb was nothing spared, save the sea-
green stone idol chiseled in the likeness of Bokrug, the water-lizard. This
the young warriors took back with them as a symbol of conquest over
the old gods and beings of Th, and as a sign of leadership in Mnar. But
on the night after it was set up in the temple, a terrible thing must have
happened, for weird lights were seen over the lake, and in the morning
the people found the idol gone and the high-priest Taran-Ish lying dead,
as from some fear unspeakable. And before he died, Taran-Ish had
scrawled upon the altar of chrysolite with coarse shaky strokes the sign
of DOOM.
After Taran-Ish there were many high-priests in Sarnath but never was
the sea-green stone idol found. And many centuries came and went,
wherein Sarnath prospered exceedingly, so that only priests and old wo-
men remembered what Taran-Ish had scrawled upon the altar of chryso-
lite. Betwixt Sarnath and the city of Ilarnek arose a caravan route, and
the precious metals from the earth were exchanged for other metals and
rare cloths and jewels and books and tools for artificers and all things of
luxury that are known to the people who dwell along the winding river
Ai and beyond. So Sarnath waxed mighty and learned and beautiful, and
sent forth conquering armies to subdue the neighboring cities; and in
time there sate upon a throne in Sarnath the kings of all the land of Mnar
and of many lands adjacent.
The wonder of the world and the pride of all mankind was Sarnath the
magnificent. Of polished desert-quarried marble were its walls, in height
three hundred cubits and in breadth seventy-five, so that chariots might
pass each other as men drove them along the top. For full five hundred
stadia did they run, being open only on the side toward the lake where a
green stone sea-wall kept back the waves that rose oddly once a year at
the festival of the destroying of Ib. In Sarnath were fifty streets from the
lake to the gates of the caravans, and fifty more intersecting them. With
onyx were they paved, save those whereon the horses and camels and
elephants trod, which were paved with granite. And the gates of Sarnath
were as many as the landward ends of the streets, each of bronze, and
flanked by the figures of lions and elephants carven from some stone no
longer known among men. The houses of Sarnath were of glazed brick
and chalcedony, each having its walled garden and crystal lakelet. With
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strange art were they builded, for no other city had houses like them;
and travelers from Thraa and Ilarnek and Kadatheron marveled at the
shining domes wherewith they were surmounted.
But more marvelous still were the palaces and the temples, and the
gardens made by Zokkar the olden king. There were many palaces, the
last of which were mightier than any in Thraa or Ilarnek or Kadatheron.
So high were they that one within might sometimes fancy himself be-
neath only the sky; yet when lighted with torches dipt in the oil of Doth-
er their walls showed vast paintings of kings and armies, of a splendor at
once inspiring and stupefying to the beholder. Many were the pillars of
the palaces, all of tinted marble, and carven into designs of surpassing
beauty. And in most of the palaces the floors were mosaics of beryl and
lapis lazuli and sardonyx and carbuncle and other choice materials, so
disposed that the beholder might fancy himself walking over beds of the
rarest flowers. And there were likewise fountains, which cast scented
waters about in pleasing jets arranged with cunning art. Outshining all
others was the palace of the kings of Mnar and of the lands adjacent. On
a pair of golden crouching lions rested the throne, many steps above the
gleaming floor. And it was wrought of one piece of ivory, though no
man lives who knows whence so vast a piece could have come. In that
palace there were also many galleries, and many amphitheaters where
lions and men and elephants battled at the pleasure of the kings. Some-
times the amphitheaters were flooded with water conveyed from the
lake in mighty aqueducts, and then were enacted stirring sea-fights, or
combats betwixt swimmers and deadly marine things.
Lofty and amazing were the seventeen tower-like temples of Sarnath,
fashioned of a bright multi-colored stone not known elsewhere. A full
thousand cubits high stood the greatest among them, wherein the high-
priests dwelt with a magnificence scarce less than that of the kings. On
the ground were halls as vast and splendid as those of the palaces; where
gathered throngs in worship of Zo-Kalar and Tamash and Lobon, the
chief gods of Sarnath, whose incense-enveloped shrines were as the
thrones of monarchs. Not like the eikons of other gods were those of Zo-
Kalar and Tamash and Lobon. For so close to life were they that one
might swear the graceful bearded gods themselves sate on the ivory
thrones. And up unending steps of zircon was the tower-chamber,
wherefrom the high-priests looked out over the city and the plains and
the lake by day; and at the cryptic moon and significant stars and plan-
ets, and their reflections in the lake, at night. Here was done the very
secret and ancient rite in detestation of Bokrug, the water-lizard, and
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