Leng (or Plateau of Leng) is a fictional cold arid plateau in the Cthulhu Mythos, whose location seems to vary entirely from story to story. The Plateau of Tsang, referenced by H.P. Lovecraft and other authors, is probably a region of Leng. This article does not cite its references or sources. ... Cthulhu and Rlyeh Cthulhu Mythos is the term coined by the writer August Derleth to describe the shared elements, characters, settings, and themes in the works of H. P. Lovecraft and associated horror fiction writers. ... Howard Phillips Lovecraft (August 20, 1890 – March 15, 1937) was an American author of fantasy, horror and science fiction, noted for combining these three genres within single narratives. ...

The mad Arab Abdul Alhazred describes it as a place where different realities converge, which might explain why its precise location cannot be pinned down Languages Arabic other languages (Arab minorities) Religions Predominantly Muslim Some adherents of Druze, Judaism, Samaritan, Christianity Related ethnic groups Mizrachi Jews, Sephardi Jews[], Ashkenazi Jews, Canaanites, other Semitic-speaking groups An Arab (Arabic: ‎; transliteration: ) is a member of a Semitic-speaking people originally from the Arabian peninsula and surrounding territories... Abdul Alhazred is a fictional character created by American horror writer H. P. Lovecraft. ...

Appearances in Lovecraft's work

• Lovecraft first described Leng in "The Hound" (1922) in which the dreaded Necronomicon places it in Central Asia and says it is inhabited by a corpse-eating cult.
• In The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath, (1926) the Plateau of Leng is located in the north of the Dreamlands, an alternate dimension accessible only in sleep. It is inhabited by the High Priest Not to Be Described, who dwells alone in a prehistoric monastery, and by a race of degenerate humans who are feared by all other men.
• In At the Mountains of Madness, an expedition from Miskatonic University explores a plateau in Antarctica and discovers an ancient and apparently abandoned city built by the Elder Things. One member of the expedition, who has encountered references to the Plateau of Leng in ancient texts, forms the hypothesis that the plateau they are exploring is Leng. In common with the High Priest's abode in The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath, the walls of the buildings atop the plateau are covered with detailed frescos that are disturbing to read. However, it is never explicitly stated in the text — or in any of Lovecraft's later works — that this Antarctic city actually is Leng. In fact, it seems more likely that the city is simply an outpost of the Elder Things which came to Earth not to conquer but to live in isolation.

See also: 1921 in literature, other events of 1922, 1923 in literature, list of years in literature. ... The Necronomicon is a fictional book from the stories of horror writer H.P. Lovecraft. ... Map of Central Asia showing three sets of possible boundaries for the region Central Asia located as a region of the world Central Asia is a vast landlocked region of Asia. ... The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath is a novella by H. P. Lovecraft. ... See also: 1925 in literature, other events of 1926, 1927 in literature, list of years in literature. ... The High Priest Not to Be Described is a fictional character in H.P. Lovecrafts Dream cycle. ... At the Mountains of Madness is a novella by horror writer H. P. Lovecraft. ... Miskatonic University is a fictional university located in the equally fictitious Arkham, set in the real-world Essex County, Massachusetts. ... The Elder Things (also known as the Old Ones) are fictional characters in the Cthulhu mythos of H. P. Lovecraft. ... The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath is a novella by H. P. Lovecraft. ...

Other mentions

• In Stephen King's novel Needful Things, Mr. Gaunt gives Ace Merril some cocaine said to be fabricated in "the plains of Leng", though no other explanations are given. The novel also contains other references to Lovecraft's work.
• In Walter C. DeBill's short story "In 'Ygiroth" (1975), the deserted city of the title is located in the mountains surrounding Leng.

Stephen Edwin King (born September 21, 1947) is an American author best known for his enormously popular horror novels. ... Needful Things is a horror/black comedy novel written by Stephen King in 1991. ... See also: 1974 in literature, other events of 1975, 1976 in literature, list of years in literature. ...

Origin

The word leng (冷) means "cold" in Mandarin and Hokkien. It is unknown if Lovecraft knew this when he chose the name for his plateau. Mandarin (Traditional Chinese: ; Simplified Chinese: ; pinyin: ; literally speech of officials), or Beifanghua (Simplified Chinese: ; Traditional Chinese: ; pinyin: ; literally Northern Dialect(s)), is a category of related Chinese dialects spoken across most of northern and southwestern China. ... Mǐn N n (Chinese: 閩南語), also spelt as Minnan or Min-nan; native name B ; literally means Southern Min or Southern Fujian and refers to the local language/dialect of southern Fujian province, China. ...

References

• Harms, Daniel (1998). "Leng", The Encyclopedia Cthulhiana, 2nd ed., Oakland, CA: Chaosium, pp. 179–80. ISBN 1-56882-119-0.