Random Books Found in an Eldritch Library circa 1940
Posted by:
Platypus (IP Logged)
Date: 12 December, 2021 08:12PM
A list of random works that might be found in an eldritch library circa 1940. Feel free to suggests additions to the list. To keep the list punchy (and for other reasons) I have felt free to abbreviate authors and titles. Titles in [brackets] are merely descriptive, and may not reflect the actual title.
-- ASTRAL AND ASTARRAL COORDINATION, by Harzam.
-- [THE ATTIC WINDOW AND OTHERS], by Carter. A collection of weird fiction. Includes such short tales as "The Attic Window" and "The Unnamable". First published in the late 1930s, some years after Carter's disappearance.
-- THE BOOK OF EIBON: One of many variants of a document supposed to reflect the lore of a prehistoric wizard, and transcribed by mystics in a manner perhaps analogous to the methods of theosophists.
-- THE BOOK OF WERE-WOLVES, by Baring-Gould: 1865 survey of folklore and legends.
-- [DHOL CHANTS], ascribed to the ab-human cannibal people of mythic Leng.
-- DREAM QUEST OF UNKNOWN KADATH, by Carter (& others?)
-- [THE DUBLIN EXTRACTS], by Purcell. Tales, including some ghostly lore written/collected by an Irish parish priest over many decades and published posthumously in the Dublin University Magazine from 1838-1840.
-- ESSAYS ON METAPHYSICAL MEDICINE, by Hessellius. Esoteric theories of a doctor whose approach is not strictly materialistic. Some parts are evidently relevant to the subject of demonic hauntings.
-- EUREKA, by Poe.
-- EXPERIMENTS WITH A MEDIUM, by Garder.
-- GHOUL CULTS, by D'Erlette. From an 18th century French original.
-- THE GOLDEN BOUGH, by Frazer: Originally published 1890. The 3rd edition is 12 volumes. Breathtaking survey of pagan and folk magical practices, by a militant rationalist.
-- THE GREAT & GENERAL ART, by Llull. From the Latin.
-- INDUCED HAUNTINGS, by Harzam.
-- INFLUENCE OF PLANETS ON THE HUMAN BODY, by Mesmer.
-- HIEROGYLPHICS, by Machen.
-- HISTORY OF MONSTERS, by Goudon. Translation of an early 19th century French edition.
-- THE HISTORY OF NEW-YORK, by Knickerbocker: From the same reliable Dutch historian who collected "Rip Van Winkle" and "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow".
-- HISTORY OF WITCHCRAFT, by Karswell: If one can get past the attrocious writing, one might find nuggets of sinister occult wisdom. First published circa 1890.
-- THE KING IN YELLOW (1895), by Chambers. Containing, inter alia, the prophetic (?) visions of Hildred Castaigne, who died in a madhouse.
-- [THE KRIAGHTEN MS], by Berreggnog et al. Transcription and commentary of a memoir of an anonymous recluse, written circa 1800 in rural Ireland, describing uncanny visions and experiences.
-- THE KYBALION, by 3 initiates. Relatively modern (1908) synthesis of Hermetic occult wisdom. Despite vague promises of occult power, their are, sadly, no recipes. But all good things come to those who master general principles, such as "as above, so below".
-- LETTERS ON DEMONOLOGY (1830), by Scott.
-- THE LOST LEMURIA, by Scott-Eliot (1904). A prehistory of Earth as evidenced by the visions of theosophists. A follow-up to his THE SECRET OF ATLANTIS.
-- MAGYAR FOLKORE, by Dornly.
-- MEMOIRS TO PROVE THE EXISTENCE OF THE DEVIL, by Clarke. Private ms. consisting of research on various occult topics. Contains material on the Helen Vaughan case.
-- MYSTERIES OF THE WORM, by Prinn. From the Latin. Rumous suggest this occult tome is best left unopened.
-- NAMELESS CULTS, by von Juntz: Sadly (or fortunately) this is the expurgaged 1909 Golden Goblin edition.
-- NARRATIVE OF ARTHUR GORDON PYM, by Poe.
-- THE NECRONOMICON, by Alhazred: It is very rare and every eldritch library must have one -- so it's probably a fake. But who wants to look inside to make sure?
-- OBSERVATIONS ON THE SEVERAL PARTS OF AFRICA, by Jermyn. Notable for tales of hidden cities and missing link primates in the Congo region, based on explorations in the 1700s.
-- THE PEOPLE OF THE MONOLITH, by Geoffrey. A collection of poems, which includes the titular poem. They say he saw the Black Stone of Stregovacar and died in a madhouse in 1926.
-- PHANTASTES, by MacDonald.
-- PHILOSOPHICAL & CHRISTIAN THOUGHTS ON VAMPIRES, by Harenberg (1749). Translated, not from the German, but from the ultra-rare Latin text.
-- POLYHISTORY, by Solinus. Geographic overview, with many curious details regarding the customs and creatures of the various nations of the world. Mentions such creatures as the amphisbaena and the cockatrice. From the 3rd Century Latin.
-- RELIGIOUS CEREMONIES, by Bernard, with engravings by Picart. Originally in French, 1731.
-- REMNANTS OF LOST EMPIRES, by Dostman.
-- RESEARCHES ON MAGNETISM, by Von Reichenbach. Experiments published in English in 1850, concerning "animal magnetism" and the quasi-mystical "odic force". Other scientists have been unable to replicate his results.
-- RUSSIAN FOLKLORE by Ralston. Translating the work of Afanseev.
-- SADUCISM TRIUMPHANT, by Glanvil. Translation of his 1682 text arguing for the reality of witchcraft. From the Latin.
-- THE SECRET COMMONWEALTH, by Kirk. Scottish lore re. Elves, Fauns, Fairies & the second sight. From an 1691 manuscript, in Lang's 1885 edition.
-- THE SECRET DOCTRINE, by Blavatsky: The most famous of her theosophical works, featuring references to the STANZAS OF DYZAN.
-- THE SIGSAND MS. Transcription/commentary of a 14th-century Middle English manuscript, concerned in part with the Saaamaaa Ritual and other protective charms of ab-human origin.
-- THEORIES OF TRIBAL FOLKLORE, by Kendl. Rare 19th century text.
-- THE TRUTH OF ALCHEMY, by Karswell: Still unpublished as the time of the author's untimely death in the early 1900s; the writing has not improved.
-- TREATISE ON APPARITIONS, by Calmet: From the French researches of a Benedictine monk, written 1746, expanded 1751. Notable for its lore on vampires.
-- TRAVELS TO SEVERAL REMOTE NATIONS OF THE WORLD, by Gulliver. 1727 edition.
-- WHISPERS, a wierd fiction magazine, active in the 1920s.
-- [WRITINGS OF WARD PHILLIPS]. Author of "The Silver Key", concerning the disappearance of his friend Randolph Carter; the prose poem "Ex Oblivione"; and other pieces.
-- THE WITCH-CULT OF WESTERN EUROPE, by Murray. Connects the witchcraft trials to the survival of an ancient pagan cult.
-- THE ZOHAR. Early medieval book of Jewish mysticism.