From the Parchments of Pnom

"From the Parchments of Pnom" is a text created by combining excerpts of two letters written by Clark Ashton Smith to R. H. Barlow in 1934, the first of which had previously been published as "The Family Tree of the Gods". In these letters, Smith answers some of Barlow's questions about the Cthulhu Mythos while genially pretending to have consulted occult sources such as the fictional Parchments of Pnom, thus acting as if dealing with a historical mythology. In addition to his own stories, Smith also references the works of H. P. Lovecraft, Lord Dunsany, and James Branch Cabell.
"From the Parchments of Pnom" was published in The Tsathoggua Cycle: Terror Tales of the Toad God. Editor Robert M. Price introduces it as "not strictly speaking a story", but "nonetheless an important piece of fiction".
==Content==
Viewed as a work of fiction, "From the Parchments of Pnom" presents a fragmentary narrative in which an unnamed scholar (Smith) answers questions from an unnamed correspondent (Barlow) about the myths surrounding Azathoth, Tsathoggua, and other deities. His main source, albeit not the only one, is an ancient text called the Parchments of Pnom. The time period is unknown, although the scholar mentions a type of whiskey that is "imported from Mars".
He starts out by revealing that, while Azathoth's androgynous children reproduced asexually like their parent, many of their offspring were single-gendered. For instance, the androgynous Cxaxukluth spawned at least two male sons: Hziulquoigmnzhah and Ghizguth, the latter which married Zstylzhemgni and fathered Tsathoggua. He also mentions a descendant of the gods named Knygathin Zhaum, who regained the Azathothian ability to spawn amorphous children after "the stress of his numerous decapitations", and hints of another legend that he hasn't translated yet. For details concerning a deity named Tulu or Cthulhu, the author recommends that the correspondent contact a certain Ech-Pi-El, who can provide more information.
Although Cxaxukluth's sons were born far away from the Solar System, the entire family eventually came to reside on Yuggoth, where Cxaxukluth remains to this day. To escape his parent's cannibalistic inclinations, Hziulquoigmnzhah moved on to Yaksh, where the natives worshiped him, then onto Cykranosh, followed aeons later by his nephew Tsathoggua. The encounter of Eibon with Hzioulquoigmnzhah many ages later is mentioned.
From Cykranosh, Tsathoggua traveled interdimensionally to Earth, first appearing in the lightless subterranean country of N'kai, and then moving to caves closer to the surface, where he was venerated by the natives until "the coming of the ice" forced him to retreat. The author speculates that the natives of Yoth and K'n-yan might have misunderstood or forgotten parts of the legend, thus explaining any potential contradictions told in the narrative of Zamacona.
Moving on to other questions, the scholar reveals that Tsathoggua's wife was known by names such as Chushax or Zishaik, and that their child, Zvilpogghua, is "more male than anything else". Cthulhu and his kin are the children of an entity named Ptmâk. The term "child of Nug" is used, but it's not clear whether it refers to Ptmâk or is another name for Cthulhu's species (the latter which might imply that Ptmâk is in fact Nug). The goddess Yhoundeh was spawned by the androgynous Zyhumé, which dwells in the cavern of the Archetypes that "was visited by the ill-starred Ralibar Vooz". There is, in the author's opinion, strong evidence that Yhoundeh married Nyarlathotep, who is described as "the Azathothian flute-player".
Concerning a humanoid species referred to in the correspondent's "Annals", the author opines that Yaksh would be too cold and inhospitable for them, and suggests that they might have originated from the destroyed planet Antanôk, the remains of which form the asteroid belt. There is evidence that the natives of Antanôk might have visited Earth in the past, and even rumours that humanity might be their descendants.
Finally, the author provides some geographical information, confirming the correspondent's belief that Ulthar is adjacent to Averoigne to the southwest, and Poictesme to the northeast, whereas Yondo is to the south of the lands of Wonder, and therefore not an alien planet, but still "beyond all chartable regions of Earth".
A genealogical chart is also included, summarising the familial relationships of all the gods mentioned in the answer to the first question.
Category:Lovecraft Circle Works
Category:Clark Ashton Smith works