The Necronomicon is a fictional book invented by H.P. Lovecraft and is often featured in stories based on the Cthulhu mythos inspired by his works. However, there are those who believe in the existence of an actual ancient text called the Necronomicon which may or may not fit the description given in Lovecraft's fiction. H. P. Lovecraft Howard Phillips Lovecraft (August 20, 1890 – March 15, 1937) was an American author of fantasy and horror fiction, noted for giving horror stories a science fiction framework. ... Cthulhu in Rlyeh Cthulhu mythos is the term coined by the writer August Derleth to describe the shared themes, characters, and elements in the works of H.P. Lovecraft, his protegés, and writers influenced by him. ...

The book

Lovecraft often referenced fictional works in his horror fiction, a practice common among subsequent fantasy authors like Jorge Luis Borges and William Goldman. The Necronomicon was first mentioned in Lovecraft's 1923 short story "The Hound", though hints of it (or similar books) appear as far back as "The Statement of Randolph Carter" (1919). In the stories, the book is dangerous to read because it is often harmful to the health and sanity of its readers. For this reason, libraries keep it under lock and key. Horror fiction is, broadly, fiction in any medium intended to scare, unsettle or horrify the reader. ... Jorge Luis Borges (, bôr′hÄ•s) (August 24, 1899 â€“ June 14, 1986) was an Argentine writer who is considered to be one of the foremost writers of the 20th century. ... William Goldman (born August 12, 1931) is an American novelist, playwright and two-time Academy Award-winning screenwriter. ... See also: 1922 in literature, other events of 1923, 1924 in literature, list of years in literature. ... The Statement of Randolph Carter is a short story by H. P. Lovecraft. ... See also: 1918 in literature, other events of 1919, 1920 in literature, list of years in literature. ... The motif of harmful sensation involves harm befalling a person directly from the mere fact of their experiencing a sensation that would not normally be harmful; it appears in both traditional and authored stories. ...

Capitalizing on the notoriety of the fictional tome, real-life publishers have printed many books entitled Necronomicon since Lovecraft's death. A publisher is a person or entity which engages in the act of publishing. ...

Origin and fictional history

How Lovecraft conceived the name "Necronomicon" is not clear—Lovecraft himself claimed that the title came to him in a dream. Perhaps he was influenced by Edgar Allan Poe's "The Fall of the House of Usher" and an unfinished first century astronomical poem by Roman poet Marcus Manilius titled the Astronomicon. Although some have suggested that Lovecraft was influenced primarily by Robert W. Chambers' collection of short stories, The King in Yellow, it is now believed that Lovecraft did not read that work until 1927. This daguerreotype of Poe was taken less than a year before his death at the age of 40. ... The Fall of the House of Usher is a short story written by Edgar Allan Poe which was first published in Burtons Gentlemans Magazine in 1839. ... (1st century BC - 1st century - 2nd century - other centuries) The 1st century was that century which lasted from 1 to 99. ... Astrometry: the study of the position of objects in the sky and their changes of position. ... Marcus Manilius (fl. ... The Astronomicon by Chass. ... Robert W. Chambers (May 26, 1865 - December 16, 1933) was an American artist and writer. ... The King in Yellow by Robert W. Chambers is a 1895 collection of short horror stories loosely connected by their shared references to a fictional play of the same title. ... 1927 (MCMXXVII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar). ...

Lovecraft originally titled the book the Al Azif (from Arabic, meaning the sound of cicadas and other nocturnal insects, which folklore claims is the conversations of demons) and said that it was written by the Mad Arab Abdul Alhazred. Among other things, the work contained an account of the Old Ones, their history, and the means for summoning them. The Arabic language (; , less formally, ) is the largest member of the Semitic branch of the Afro-Asiatic language family (classification: South Central Semitic) and is closely related to Hebrew and Aramaic. ... Genera Many. ... Classes & Orders Subclass: Apterygota Orders Archaeognatha (Bristletails) Thysanura (Silverfish) Monura - extinct Subclass: Pterygota Infraclass: Paleoptera (paraphyletic) Orders Ephemeroptera (mayflies) Protodonata - extinct Odonata (dragonflies and damselflies) Diaphanopteroidea - extinct Palaeodictyoptera - extinct Megasecoptera - extinct Archodonata - extinct Infraclass: Neoptera Orders Blattodea (cockroaches) Isoptera (termites) Mantodea (mantids) Dermaptera (earwigs) Plecoptera (stoneflies) Protorthoptera - extinct Orthoptera (grasshoppers... Folklore is the body of narratives, including tales, legends, oral history, proverbs, jokes, popular beliefs current among a particular population, comprising the oral tradition of that culture, subculture, or group. ... Artists rendition of a demon In religion, folklore, and mythology a demon or demoness is a supernatural being that has generally been described as a malevolent spirit but outside Christian circles was viewed as a sort of elemental spirit: compare Daemon and djinn. ... The Arabs ((Arabic: عرب ʻarab) are a large ethnic group widespread in the Middle East and North Africa, originating in the Arabian Peninsula of southwest Asia. ... Abdul Alhazred, or the Mad Arab, is a fictional character created by the horror writer H. P. Lovecraft. ... Cthulhu in Rlyeh Cthulhu mythos is the term coined by the writer August Derleth to describe the shared themes, characters, and elements in the works of H.P. Lovecraft, his protegés, and writers influenced by him. ...

According to Lovecraft, Alhazred wrote the original text in Damascus around 730 AD, but a number of translations were made over the centuries. The Greek translation, which gave the book its most famous title, was made by a (fictional) Orthodox scholar, Theodorus Philetas of Constantinople circa 950 AD. Olaus Wormius (an actual historical person wrongly placed by Lovecraft in the thirteenth century) translated it into Latin and indicated in the preface that the Arabic original was lost. This translation was printed twice: In the fifteenth century, evidently in Germany in black-letter, and in the seventeenth, probably in Spain. Damascus by night, pictured from Jabal Qasioun; the green spots are minarets Damascus (Arabic officially دمشق Dimashq, colloquially ash-Sham الشام) is the capital city of Syria. ... Events Emperor Leo III of the Byzantine Empire orders the destruction of all icons. ... ... Map of Constantinople. ... Events Duke Boleslav I of Bohemia makes peace with Otto I, possibly becomes his vassal Tu’i Tonga Empire begins to form. ... Ole Worm Ole Worm (May 13, 1588 – August 31, 1654), (pronounced Olay Vorm) who often went by the Latinized form of his name Olaus Wormius, was a Danish physician and antiquary. ... (12th century - 13th century - 14th century - other centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 13th century was that century which lasted from 1201 to 1300. ... Latin is an Indo-European language originally spoken in the region around Rome called Latium. ... (14th century - 15th century - 16th century - other centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 15th century was that century which lasted from 1401 to 1500. ... In typography, a typeface is a co-ordinated set of character designs, which usually comprises an alphabet of letters, a set of numerals and a set of punctuation marks. ... (16th century - 17th century - 18th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 17th century was that century which lasted from 1601-1700. ...

When the Latin translation called attention to the Necronomicon, it was banned by Pope Gregory IX in 1232. The Greek translation, printed in Italy between 1500 and 1550, was probably lost when fire destroyed R. U. Pickman's library in Salem. The Elizabethan magician John Dee allegedly had a copy (an idea suggested to Lovecraft by his friend Frank Belknap Long) and is thought to have made an English translation, of which only fragments survive. Gregory IX, né Ugolino di Conti (Anagni, ca. ... // Events Canonization of Saint Anthony of Padua, patron of lost items Pope Gregory IX driven from Rome by a revolt, taking refuge at Anagni First edition of Tripitaka Koreana destroyed by Mongol invaders Battle of Agridi 15 June 1232 Births Arnolfo di Cambio, Florentine architect (died 1310) Manfred of Sicily... // Events Europes population was ~60 million. ... Events February 7 - Julius III becomes Pope. ... Seal of Salem, MA Salem is a city located in Essex County, Massachusetts. ... The Elizabethan Era is the period associated with the reign of Queen Elizabeth I (1558 - 1603) and is often considered to be a golden age in English history. ... A sixteenth century portrait of John Dee, artist unknown. ... Frank Belknap Long (April 27, 1903 - January 3, 1994) was a prolific American writer of horror fiction, fantasy, science fiction, poetry, gothic romance, comic books, and non-fiction. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ...

Criticism

Some critics accuse Lovecraft of using the Necronomicon as deus ex machina in his stories, having it mentioned whenever the narrator makes an occult reference, no matter how unlikely it is that the narrator has delved into the occult. However, this practice is far more common in the pastiches of his imitators rather than in the stories of Lovecraft himself. With the possible exception of the protagonists in "The Dunwich Horror", all of the characters in Lovecraft's works who read the Mad Arab's book come to horrific ends. This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ...

Some note that in At the Mountains of Madness virtually all the characters on the Antarctic expedition have read the Necronomicon, although it is unlikely that a diverse group of geologists, biologists, and engineers would have had reason to read such an unusual book. The explanation may lie in their connection with Miskatonic University. The university is renowned for its occult library, which holds a copy of the famed Necronomicon—a book likely to be of interest to both students and academics alike, especially those who value knowledge and experience outside their fields. Consequently, it may not be a coincidence that all the members of the expedition have read the Necronomicon—reading the dreaded book ultimately ties in with their fate in the Antarctic. Furthermore, Danforth, who has read the book cover-to-cover, suffers a worse fate than the more casual readers. At the Mountains of Madness is a novella by horror writer H. P. Lovecraft. ... Greek ἀνταρκτικός, opposite the arctic) is a continent surrounding the Earths South Pole. ... A geologist is a contributor to the science of geology. ... A biologist is a scientist devoted to and producing results in biology through the study of organisms. ... Engineering is the application of science to the needs of humanity. ... Miskatonic University is a fictional university located in the equally fictional Arkham, Massachusetts. ... The following fictitious biographies showcase the most important characters in the Cthulhu mythos of H.P. Lovecraft. ...

Appearance and content

Lovecraft made frequent reference to the Necronomicon but was very sparing with actual detail of its appearance and contents. That it is a substantial tome cannot be questioned as Wilbur Whateley of Dunwich comes to Miskatonic University to find the page which would have appeared on the 751st page of his own inherited, but defective, Dee edition by comparing it with the University's copy ("The Dunwich Horror"). This article is about the village and former city of Dunwich in England. ... Miskatonic University is a fictional university located in the equally fictional Arkham, Massachusetts. ... The Dunwich Horror is a short story by H. P. Lovecraft. ...

However, other than the obvious black letter editions nothing else is known of its physical dimension or appearance although it is commonly portrayed as bound in leather of various types and having metal clasps. Editions are sometimes disguised, as Mr John Merrit discovers to his disquiet when pulling down a book labelled Qanoon-e-Islam from Joseph Curwen’s bookshelf and discovering it actually to be the Necronomicon in The Case of Charles Dexter Ward. Categories: Stub | Cthulhu Mythos ...

The three direct quotes by Lovecraft from the Necronomicon are as follows:

• From "The Nameless City":

That is not dead which can eternal lie,
And with strange aeons death may die.
(Later versions of the same quote always read "even death may die".) The Nameless City is a fictional place mentioned in the works of H.P. Lovecraft, most notably in the short story, The Nameless City. ...

• From "The Festival":

The nethermost caverns are not for the fathoming of eyes that see; for their marvels are strange and terrific. Cursed the ground where dead thoughts live new and oddly bodied, and evil the mind that is held by no head. Wisely did Ibn Schacabao say, that happy is the tomb where no wizard hath lain, and happy the town at night whose wizards are all ashes. For it is of old rumour that the soul of the devil-bought hastes not from his charnel clay, but fats and instructs the very worm that gnaws; till out of corruption horrid life springs, and the dull scavengers of earth wax crafty to vex it and swell monstrous to plague it. Great holes secretly are digged where earth's pores ought to suffice, and things have learnt to walk that ought to crawl. This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ...

• From "The Dunwich Horror":

Nor is it to be thought that man is either the oldest or the last of earth's masters, or that the common bulk of life and substance walks alone. The Old Ones were, the Old Ones are, and the Old Ones shall be. Not in the spaces we know, but between them, they walk serene and primal, undimensioned and to us unseen. Yog-Sothoth knows the gate. Yog-Sothoth is the gate. Yog-Sothoth is the key and guardian of the gate. Past, present, future, all are one in Yog-Sothoth. He knows where the Old Ones broke through of old, and where They shall break through again. He knows where They had trod earth's fields, and where They still tread them, and why no one can behold Them as They tread. By Their smell can men sometimes know Them near, but of Their semblance can no man know, saving only in the features of those They have begotten on mankind; and of those are there many sorts, differing in likeness from man's truest eidolon to that shape without sight or substance which is Them. They walk unseen and foul in lonely places where the Words have been spoken and the Rites howled through at their Seasons. The wind gibbers with Their voices, and the earth mutters with Their consciousness. They bend the forest and crush the city, yet may not forest or city behold the hand that smites. Kadath in the cold waste hath known Them, and what man knows Kadath? The ice desert of the South and the sunken isles of Ocean hold stones whereon Their seal is engraver, but who hath seen the deep frozen city or the sealed tower long garlanded with seaweed and barnacles? Great Cthulhu is Their cousin, yet can he spy Them only dimly. Iä! Shub-Niggurath! As a foulness shall ye know Them. Their hand is at your throats, yet ye see Them not; and Their habitation is even one with your guarded threshold. Yog-Sothoth is the key to the gate, whereby the spheres meet. Man rules now where They ruled once; They shall soon rule where man rules now. After summer is winter, after winter summer. They wait patient and potent, for here shall They reign again. The Dunwich Horror is a short story by H. P. Lovecraft. ... The Great Old Ones are a group of fictional deities in the Cthulhu mythos of H.P. Lovecraft. ... Yog-Sothoth (The Key and the Gate) is a fictional character in the Cthulhu mythos of H.P. Lovecraft. ... Kadath or Unknown Kadath is a fictional place found in the works of H.P. Lovecraft. ... The Great Old One Cthulhu (alternate spellings: Tulu, Cthulu, Ktulu, and many others) is a fictional character in the Cthulhu mythos of H.P. Lovecraft. ... Shub-Niggurath (The Black Goat of the Woods with a Thousand Young) is a fictional deity in the Cthulhu mythos of H. P. Lovecraft. ...

There exist innumerable other Necronomicon quotes but those above are the only ones written by Lovecraft himself.

Locations

In Lovecraft's works, various people and places have copies of the Necronomicon (although it is far rarer than later imitators would have one believe despite its persistent appearances). Copies of the Necronomicon are held by only five institutions worldwide: The British Museum (now held at the British Library); the Bibliothèque nationale de France; Widener Library of Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts; the University of Buenos Aires; and the library of the fictional Miskatonic University in the equally fictional Arkham, Massachusetts. The latter edition is the Latin translation by Olaus Wormius, printed in Spain in the 17th century. The main entrance to the British Museum The British Museum in London is the United Kingdoms - and one of the worlds - largest and most important museums of human history and culture. ... British Library Ossulston St entrance, with distinctive red logo. ... The new buildings of the library. ... The Harry Elkins Widener Memorial Library, commonly known as Widener Library, is the primary building of the library system of Harvard University. ... Harvard University is a private university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA, and a member of the Ivy League. ... Cambridge City Hall Cambridge is a city in the Greater Boston area of Massachusetts, United States. ... State nickname: Bay State Official languages English Capital Boston Largest city Boston Governor Mitt Romney (R) Senators Edward Kennedy (D) John Kerry (D) Area  - Total  - % water Ranked 44th 27,360 km² 25. ... The Universidad de Buenos Aires (UBA) is the biggest university in Argentina, founded on August 12, 1821 in the city of Buenos Aires. ... The Three Graces, here in a painting by Sandro Botticelli, were the goddesses of charm, beauty, nature, human creativity and fertility in Greek mythology. ... Miskatonic University is a fictional university located in the equally fictional Arkham, Massachusetts. ... Arkham is a fictional city in Massachusetts. ... State nickname: Bay State Official languages English Capital Boston Largest city Boston Governor Mitt Romney (R) Senators Edward Kennedy (D) John Kerry (D) Area  - Total  - % water Ranked 44th 27,360 km² 25. ... (16th century - 17th century - 18th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 17th century was that century which lasted from 1601-1700. ...

Other copies are kept by private individuals. Wilbur Whateley possesses a copy in "The Dunwich Horror" (1929), which is presumed to have gone to his heirs after his death. Joseph Curwen's copy, mentioned above, was almost certainly destroyed by the raiding party that took his life. Harley Warren's version (which is not mentioned by name but is instead most likely a copy) goes with him to his fate in "The Statement of Randolph Carter" (1919). A version is mentioned as being held in Kingsport in both "The Festival" (1925) and (by implication) The Case of Charles Dexter Ward (1941). The provenance of the copy read by the narrator of "The Nameless City" (1921) is unknown, while the version read by the main character in "The Hound" (1924) is presumed destroyed when all of his charnel goods are so disposed. The Dunwich Horror is a short story by H. P. Lovecraft. ... See also: 1928 in literature, other events of 1929, 1930 in literature, list of years in literature. ... See also: 1918 in literature, other events of 1919, 1920 in literature, list of years in literature. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... See also: 1924 in literature, other events of 1925, 1926 in literature, list of years in literature. ... Categories: Stub | Cthulhu Mythos ... See also: 1940 in literature, other events of 1941, 1942 in literature, list of years in literature. ... See also: 1920 in literature, other events of 1921, 1922 in literature, list of years in literature. ... See also: 1923 in literature, other events of 1924, 1925 in literature, list of years in literature. ...

Etymology of the title

Lovecraft wrote that the meaning of the title as translated from the Greek language: nekros (corpse), nomos (law), eikon (image) was: "An image of the law of the dead." A more prosaic (but probably more correct) translation, is via conjugation of nemo (to consider): "Concerning the dead." Another etymology that has been suggested here is "knowledge of the dead," from Greek nekrós (corpse, dead), and gnomein (to know), on the apparent assumption that the g could be lost. Greek (Greek Ελληνικά, IPA – Hellenic) is an Indo-European language with a documented history of 3,500 years. ... Etymology is the study of the origins of words. ... G is the seventh letter in the Roman alphabet. ...

Greek editions of Lovecraft's works have commented that in Greek the word can have several different meanings when broken at its roots. More specifically:

Necro-Nomicon 

The Book of the Law of the Dead, derived from Nomicon (Book of Law).

Necro-Nomo-icon 

The Book of Dead Laws.

Necro-Nemo-ikon 

A Study or Classification of the Dead.

Necro-Nomo-eikon 

Image of the Law of the Dead.

Necro-Nemein-Ikon 

Book Concerning the Dead.

Necrό-Nomo-eikon 

Law of Dead Images.

Necr-Onom-icon 

The Book of Dead Names, derived from onoma (name).

Ne-Crono-Mycon 

Timeless fungus.

The Necronomicon as a real book

Though Lovecraft insisted the book was pure invention (and other writers invented passages from the book in their own works), there are accounts of some people actually believing his Necronomicon to be a real book. Even during Lovecraft's life he received letters from fans inquiring about the Necronomicon's authenticity. Occasionally, pranksters listed the Necronomicon for sale in book store newsletters or inserted phony library card catalogue entries for the book. This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... Modern-style library In the traditional sense of the word, a library is a collection of books and periodicals. ... A catalog (or catalogue) is an organized, detailed, descriptive list of items arranged systematically. ...

This line between fact and fiction was further confused in the late 1970s by the publication of a book purporting to be a translation of the "real" Necronomicon. This book, by the pseudonymic "Simon", attempted to connect the fictional Lovecraft mythology to Sumerian Mythology. It has later been dubbed the "Simon Necronomicon". The 1970s in its most obvious sense refers to the decade between 1970 and 1979. ... Chaldean mythology is the collective name given to Sumerian, Assyrian and Babylonian mythologies, although Chaldea did not comprehend the whole territory inhabited by those peoples. ... The Simon Necronomicon is a book that claims to be the actual Necronomicon. ...

A blatant hoax version of the Necronomicon was produced by paranormal researcher and writer Colin Wilson, describing how it was translated by computer from a discovered "cipher text." It is far truer to the Lovecraftean version and even incorporates quotations from Lovecraft's stories into its passages. Colin Henry Wilson (born June 26, British writer. ...

Historical "Books of the Dead" such as the ancient Egyptian Book of the Dead or the Tibetan Bardo Thodol are sometimes described as "real Necronomicons." They should not be confused with the Lovecraft Necronomicon, as their contents are meant to be read or remembered by the dead, rather than used by the living to summon the dead. Lovecraft, however, may have been inspired by these books. ... ... Tibet (older spelling Thibet; Tibetan: བོད་, Bod, pronounced pö in Lhasa dialect; Chinese: 西藏, pinyin: Xīzàng or 藏区 Zàngqū [the two names are used with different connotations; see Names section below]) is a region in Central Asia and the home of the Tibetan people. ... The Bardo Thodol, sometimes called the Tibetan Book of the Dead, is a funerary text that describes the experiences of the consciousness after death during the interval known as bardo between death and rebirth. ...

References to the Necronomicon

Necronomicon Ex Mortis, from The Evil Dead trilogy of films

Many fantasy and horror writers have mentioned the Necronomicon in their own stories. The Necronomicon has also become part of popular culture, influencing bands, filmmakers, television writers, and video game developers. Image File history File links The Book Of The Dead. ... Image File history File links The Book Of The Dead. ... The Evil Dead (other names: The Book Of The Dead, Sam Raimis The Evil Dead, or The Evil Dead, the Ultimate Experience in Grueling Terror) is a 1981 horror film directed and written by Sam Raimi, starring Bruce Campbell. ... Fantasy is a genre of art, literature, film, television, and music that uses magic and other supernatural forms as a primary element of either plot, theme, setting, or all three. ... Horror fiction is, broadly, fiction in any medium intended to scare, unsettle or horrify the reader. ... Popular culture, or pop culture, is the vernacular (peoples) culture that prevails in any given society. ... In music, a band is a group of musicians, or musical ensemble, usually popular or folk, playing parts of or improvising off of a musical arrangement. ... The film director, on the right, gives last minute direction to the cast and crew, whilst filming a costume drama on location in London. ... A computer game is a game composed of a computer-controlled virtual universe that players interact with in order to achieve a defined goal or set of goals. ...

• Various writers in the school of the Cthulhu mythos have "quoted" from the Necronomicon, among them Clark Ashton Smith and August Derleth.

• The movie Necronomicon is based on Lovecraft's stories.

• The Stephen King book The Eyes of the Dragon includes a reference to a book "bound in human flesh" that the magician Flagg cannot read for too long for fear of losing his sanity. It is also referenced as a very long book.

• In a passage in Gene Wolfe's novel Peace, a book of necromancy being forged by a character is not named but its form suggests the popular image of the Necronomicon.

• Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett created a parody of the Necronomicon called the Necrotelecomnicon—the book of phone numbers of the dead.

• Andrzej Sapkowski mentions a Polish translation of the book titled Źwierzcyadło Maggi Czarney Bissurmańskiey in his short story "Tandaradei!". It is also mentioned under its original title in his novel Boży bojownicy (God's Warriors).

• Sergey Lukyanenko employes the Necronomicon in Night Watch.

• The Necronomicon appears in The Illuminatus! Trilogy by Robert Anton Wilson and Robert Shea.

• Necronomicon was the title of a book of paintings by the Swiss artist H. R. Giger (published in 1978). It was appropriately titled considering his particularly sinister style of blended machinery and flesh.

• In Sam Raimi's popular movie trilogy, Evil Dead, Evil Dead 2, and Army of Darkness, the Necronomicon Ex Mortis appears as an evil book of magic. In the first film of the trilogy, Ash Williams hears a recording of an academic reading from the book which eventually leads to his later trouble.

• Science fiction author Neal Stephenson derived the title of his book Cryptonomicon from the Necronomicon featured in the Evil Dead movies, not knowing that the name had originated from Lovecraft.

• Metallica's song "The Thing that Should not Be" contains lines derived from a quotation from the Necronomicon: "Not dead which eternal lies/ Passing aeons death may die". Beatallica's "The Thing that Should not Let it Be" is thus also derived from the Necronomicon, albeit second hand.

• In The Simpsons, Bob Dole reads from the Necronomicon at the Republican Party's headquarters.

• In The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy, Billy steals Grim's copy of "The Bad Book" to raise Yog Soloth.

• In an episode of Aqua Teen Hunger Force, Frylock almost gives Meatwad the Necronomicon instead of the Bible.

• In an episode of Justice League Unlimited, Shayera and Wonder Woman come across the Necronomicon shortly after entering Hades' library. Minutes later, Felix Faust casually mentions the book by name.

• In an episode of The Venture Bros., Dr. Orpheus refuses to swear on a Bible before taking the witness stand in court, instead preferring to take the oath on the Necronomicon.

• In a level of the video game Max Payne, Max encounters the Necronomicon and Paradise Lost among people who believe in the somewhat unrelated Norse mythology.

• In Castlevania 64 for Nintendo 64, the option menu is a book entitled Necronomicon. The book also appears in the video games Tales of Phantasia and Tales of Symphonia.

• Digital Pinball: Necronomicon is a Japanese video pinball game for the Sega Saturn console.

• In Megatokyo, a webcomic, one of the characters finds a book called Necrowombicon, said to be used to make Daikatana. The Necrowombicon has its origins in the webcomic Penny Arcade.

• In the humorous film noir movie Cast a Deadly Spell, Fred Ward plays the private detective H. Phillip Lovecraft, who is hired by a questionable character to retrieve a book called The Necronomicon. The book has been stolen from the latter's personal library.

• In Defense of the Ancients, the Necronomicon is an item that increases the Intelligence statistic and allows the player to summon two soldiers with necromatic powers. It is mainly useful to mages.

• In 1971, science fiction author Larry Niven published a humorous short story called "The Last Necronomicon".

• In the comic Van Von Hunter, there is a book called Notdanecronomicon which when touched without first saying "all clear" summons an undead army.

• In the webcomic Sam and Fuzzy, there is a book called "the necro-deatho-bookikon" referred to as mainstream satanistic garbage.

• In the webcomic Movie Punks, there is a book called the Punkronomicon, which is used for picking up goth chicks in clubs and bars.

• In the 2nd edition Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay core book, there is a very thinly-veiled reference on page 219 to the Necronomicon: "Another such volume is the Book of the Dead, written by the mad Arabyan prince Abdul ben Raschid ... Only the most strong-willed can read these books and retain any sense of sanity. These forbidden tomes tell of the horrible secrets of the beyond, of the dark insane dreams that the dead dream in their eternal rest."

• In the song "Twisted", rapper Tech N9ne threatens to make a Christian read their kids the Necronomicon on Christmas.

• In the Wild Arms video game series, the Necronomicon is a piece of equipment that can greatly increase the user's magic statistics.

• In the fourth of Sierra's Quest for Glory series, Shadows of Darkness, the Necronomicon is set upon an altar, bound in human skin, and written in blood. A derivation from tales of the Necronomicon relate to concentration camps.

• The Nintendo GameCube game Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem is heavily inspired by Lovecraft's works. It features a major item called the Tome of Eternal Darkness, an evil book made of flesh and bone and "bound together with the oddest magickal incantation."

• In the 13-episode horror anthology series Masters of Horror, the Necronomicon is featured in the second episode, an adaptation of Lovecraft's "The Dreams in the Witch House".

• The tombstone on the front cover of Iron Maiden's seminal Live album "Live After Death" contains the quote "That is not dead / Which can eternal lie / Yet with strange aeons / Even death may die"

• Necronomicon - Geträumte Sünden (1967) is the title of a feature film directed by Jess Franco

Clark Ashton Smith (January 13, 1893-August 14, 1961) was a poet, sculptor, painter and author of fantasy, horror and science fiction short stories. ... August William Derleth (February 24, 1909 – July 4, 1971) was an American writer and anthologist. ... Stephen Edwin King (born September 21, 1947) is an American author best known for horror novels. ... The Eyes of the Dragon is a book by Stephen King published in 1984. ... Gene Wolfe (born May 7, 1931) is an American science fiction and fantasy writer. ... DeFoes Robinson Crusoe, Newspaper edition published in 1719 A novel (from French nouvelle, new) is an extended fictional narrative in prose. ... Necromancy (Latin necromantia, Greek νεκρομαντία nekromantía) is the alleged divination by which a person raises the spirits of the dead or, in some cases, merely their corpses. ... Neil Gaiman (November 2004) Neil Richard Gaiman () (born November 10, 1960 in Portchester, England) is an English Jewish author of numerous science fiction and fantasy works, including many comic books. ... Terence David John Pratchett OBE is an English fantasy author (born April 28, 1948, in Beaconsfield, Bucks), best known for his Discworld series. ... This article details minor Discworld concepts: concepts and ideas from the Discworld of novels by Terry Pratchett which only appear in the background, or are not well fleshed out. ... A telephone number is a sequence of decimal digits (0-9) that is used for identifying a destination telephone line in a telephone network. ... Andrzej Sapkowski Andrzej Sapkowski, born June 21, 1948 in Lodz, is a Polish fantasy writer. ... Lukyanenko in 2001 Sergey Lukyanenko (Russian: Сергей Лукьяненко) (born April 11, 1968) is a relatively new and young science fiction and fantasy author, writing in Russian. ... Original Nochnoy Dozor book cover Night Watch (Russian: Nochnoy Dozor, Ночной дозор) is a science fiction/fantasy novel by a popular Russian writer Sergey Lukyanenko published in 1998 (1st ed ISBN 5-237-01511-5). ... 23 The Illuminatus! Trilogy is a series of three novels written by Robert Shea and Robert Anton Wilson. ... Robert Anton Wilson Robert Anton Wilson or RAW (born January 18, 1932) is a futurologist, libertarian, and novelist. ... Robert Joseph Shea (1933 - March 10, 1994) was the co-author (with Robert Anton Wilson) of The Illuminatus! Trilogy. ... Birth machine Hans Ruedi Giger (pronounced: GEE-ger) (born at Chur, Grisons canton, February 5, 1940) is a Swiss painter best known for his design work on the film Alien. ... 1978 (MCMLXXVIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (the link is to a full 1978 calendar). ... Sam Raimi Samuel Marshall Sam Raimi (born October 23, 1959) is an American film director, producer, and writer. ... -1... Evil Dead II (also known as Evil Dead 2: Dead by Dawn and Evil Dead II, the Sequel to the Ultimate Experience in Grueling Terror) is a sequel to the movie The Evil Dead by Sam Raimi and starring Bruce Campbell. ... Army of Darkness (1993) is the third installment of the Evil Dead film trilogy, written and directed by Sam Raimi and starring Bruce Campbell. ... Hail to the king, baby! Ashley J. Ash Williams is the main character in the Evil Dead franchise, played by Bruce Campbell. ... Science fiction is a form of speculative fiction principally dealing with the impact of imagined science and technology, or both, upon society and persons as individuals. ... Neal Stephenson (b. ... Cryptonomicon is a sprawling novel by Neal Stephenson that is more a combination of historical fiction and contemporary techno-thriller than the science fiction of Stephensons earlier works. ... -1... Metallica is an extremely successful American thrash metal band that has been active since the early 1980s. ... Beatallica are a satire band that play music made from combinations of songs of The Beatles and Metallica. ... Homer, a safety inspector at the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant, is a generally well-meaning buffoon whose short attention span often draws him into outrageous schemes and adventures. ... Robert Joseph Dole (born July 22, 1923) is best known as a former Republican United States Senate Majority Leader and Senator from Kansas from 1969-1996. ... Republican Party is a name used by many political parties. ... The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy, created by Maxwell Atoms, is an animated series that currently airs on Cartoon Network in the U.S. The two main plot characters, Billy and Mandy, have obliged the Grim Reaper to be their best friend forever after having won a bet over... Aqua Teen Hunger Force (a. ... The Bible (sometimes The Book, Good Book, Word of God, The Word, or Scripture), from Greek (τα) βιβλια, (ta) biblia, (the) books, plural of βιβλιον, biblion, book, originally a diminutive of βιβλος, biblos, which in turn is derived from βυβλος—byblos, meaning papyrus, from the ancient Phoenician city of Byblos which exported this writing material... A Justice League Unlimited promotional image. ... Wonder Woman is a DC Comics superheroine. ... The Venture Bros. ... Max Payne is a third-person shooter computer game developed by Finnish company Remedy Entertainment, produced by 3D Realms and published by Gathering of Developers in July, 2001. ... Title page of the first edition Paradise Lost (1667) is an epic poem by the 17th century English poet John Milton. ... Norse or Scandinavian mythology refers to the pre-Christian religion, beliefs and legends of the Scandinavian people, including those who settled on Iceland, where the written sources for Norse mythology were assembled. ... Castlevania is a video game developed and published by Konami for the Nintendo 64. ... The Nintendo 64, commonly called the N64, is Nintendos third home video game console. ... Tales of Phantasia (or sometimes Tales of Fantasia) (Japanese: テイルズ オブ ファンタジア , Teiruzu obu Fantajia ) is a Super Famicom game in the RPG genre created by Namco and released in 1995. ... Tales of Symphonia (Japanese: テイルズオブシンフォニア, Teiruzu obu Shinfonia) is a role-playing video game produced by Namco. ... The Sega Saturn (Japanese: セガサターン, Sega Saturn), is a video game console of the 32-bit era. ... Megatokyo is a popular webcomic originally created by Fred Gallagher and Rodney Caston. ... Webcomics, also known as online comics and web comics, are comics that are available on the Internet. ... Daikatana is a first-person shooter video game developed by Ion Storm and published by Eidos Interactive on April 22, 2000. ... Penny Arcade is a webcomic written by Jerry Holkins and illustrated by Mike Krahulik. ... This still from The Big Combo (1955) demonstrates the visual style of film noir at its most extreme. ... Ward in Miami Blues (1990) Frederick Ward (born December 30, 1942) is an American actor born in San Diego, California. ... The various DotA versions. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Magi. ... See also: 1970 in literature, other events of 1971, 1972 in literature, list of years in literature. ... Larry Niven Laurence van Cott Niven (born April 30, 1938) is a US science fiction author. ... Van Von Hunter is a weekly updated, hand drawn webcomic and parody-manga by Mike Schwark and Ron Kaulfersch of Pseudomé Studio. ... Sam and Fuzzy is a webcomic most commonly published in a four-panel format. ... Movie Punks was a web comic drawn by Carrington Vanston that ran from April 2002 to December 2003, normally producing three strips a week on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. ... Cover of Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay second edition Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay (WFRP or WHFRP) is a role-playing game set in the Warhammer Fantasy setting. ... Tech N9ne (born November 8, 1971 in Kansas City, Missouri as Aaron D. Yates) is a rapper. ... As a noun, Christian is an appellation and moniker deriving from the appellation Christ, which many people associate exclusively with Jesus of Nazareth. ... Joseph and Mary with baby Jesus, at the first Christmas Christmas (literally, the Mass of Christ) is a holiday in the Christian calendar, usually observed on December 25, which celebrates the birth of Jesus. ... This article is about the first game in the Wild ARMs series. ... Quest for Glory 5 cover Quest for Glory is a series of hybrid role-playing/adventure computer games designed by Corey and Lori Ann Cole. ... Model of the layers of human skin In zootomy and dermatology, skin is an organ of the integumentary system composed of a layer of tissues that protect underlying muscles and organs. ... Red blood cells (erythrocytes) are present in the blood and help carry oxygen to the rest of the cells in the body Blood is a circulating tissue composed of fluid plasma and cells (red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets). ... A concentration camp is a large detention center created for political opponents, aliens, specific ethnic or religious groups, civilians of a critical war-zone, or other groups of people, often during a war. ... The Nintendo GameCube (Japanese: ゲームキューブ; originally code-named Dolphin during development; abbreviated as GCN) is Nintendos fourth home video game console, belonging to the 128-bit era; the same generation as Segas Dreamcast, Sonys PlayStation 2, and Microsofts Xbox. ... This item would appear to be a thinly veiled reference to Abdul Alhazreds Necronomicon as described in the fictional works of H.P. Lovecraft. ... Dave Murray Adrian Smith Janick Gers Steve Harris Nicko McBrain Iron Maiden is a British heavy metal band from east London. ... Live After Death is the second live album by the British heavy metal band Iron Maiden, released on October 14, 1985. ... Jesus (or Jess) Franco (born May 12, 1930 as Jesús Franco Manera) is a Spanish film director, writer, cinematographer and actor. ...

Commercially available books entitled Necronomicon

• Al Azif: The Necronomicon by L. Sprague de Camp (1973, ISBN 1587150433)
• Necromonicon by "Simon" (1980, ISBN 0380751925)
• H.R. Giger's Necronomicon by H.R. Giger (1991, ISBN 0962344729)
• The Necronomicon by George Hay (1993, ISBN 1871438160)
• Necronomicon: The Wanderings Of Alhazred by Donald Tyson (2004, ISBN 0738706272)

L. Sprague de Camp (centre) with Robert Heinlein and Isaac Asimov Lyon Sprague de Camp, (November 27, 1907-November 6, 2000) was a science fiction and fantasy author born in New York City. ... The Simon Necronomicon is a book that claims to be the actual Necronomicon. ... Birth machine Hans Ruedi Giger (pronounced: GEE-ger) (born at Chur, Grisons canton, February 5, 1940) is a Swiss painter best known for his design work on the film Alien. ...

See also

• Chaldean mythology
• Cthulhu mythos arcane literature
• False document
• Grimoire
• References to the Cthulhu mythos
• Necromancy

Chaldean mythology, also called Chaldaic mythology, is the collective name given to Sumerian, Assyrian and Babylonian mythologies, although Chaldea did not comprehend the whole territory inhabited by those peoples. ... Many fictional works of arcane literature appear in the Cthulhu mythos of H. P. Lovecraft. ... A false document is a form of verisimilitude that attempts to create in the reader (viewer, audience, etc) a sense of authenticity beyond the normal and expected suspension of disbelief. ... This article is on medieval books of magic; for information on the term grimoire as used in the Source Mage GNU/Linux operating system, see the Source Mage article. ... The Cthulhu mythos of H.P. Lovecraft has spread and become part of popular culture. ... Necromancy (Latin necromantia, Greek νεκρομαντία nekromantía) is the alleged divination by which a person raises the spirits of the dead or, in some cases, merely their corpses. ...

References

• H.P. Lovecraft: "A History of The Necronomicon". Necronomicon Press. ISBN 0-318047-15-2.
• H.P. Lovecraft: The Case Of Charles Dexter Ward. Ballantine Books. ISBN 0-345-35490-7.
• Dan Harms and John Wisdom Gonce III: The Necronomicon Files. Red Wheel Weiser. ISBN 1-578-63269-2.

External links

• Egyptian Book of the Dead
• Tibetan Book of the Dead
• A purported translation of a Sumerian copy of the Necronomican, c.1985
• Fake Necronmicons
• The Necronomicon Anti-FAQ by Colin Low, a spoof FAQ about the "real" Necronomicon
• A rebuttal of the Anti-FAQ by Dan Clore
• This site contains the text of the Wilson Necronomicon as well as a later project known as the R'lyeh Text.
• The Ultimate Cthulhu Mythos Book List - Listing of all mythos novels, anthologies, collections, comic books, and more.
• The Last Necronomicon by Larry Niven
• Necronomicon as Papercraft Make your own Necronomicon Notebook