Hastur, The Unspeakable - Lord of Entropy and Decadence

Hastur is undoubtedly one of the most powerful Great Old Ones.

Like other ancestral deities, Hastur is susceptible to the cosmic power that keeps him trapped in the heart of a black star near the Aldebaran System in the Taurus Constellation. There are controversies about its origins. Some consider Hastur as a Cosmic Entity, generated through one of the cyclic movements of Azathoth in the center of the Universe. For others, the origin of Hastur dates back to some parallel reality or little-known dimension, from which it escaped or was ejected countless millennia ago.

Hastur is closely related to various symbolic elements and places that are part of its myth: Carcosa, the Yellow Sign, the Lake of Hali and the Yellow King are widely replicated within their mythology and are part of a well-defined set of ethos and principles dogmatic Of all Mythos entities, Hastur is perhaps the closest to having an organized religion. The God is bound to principles such as nihilism, decadence and stagnation.

In the past, he was venerated by humans in Samaria, Attluma and Hyboria, some of the earliest human civilizations. Their cultists gathered to hear the words of the priests professing a kind of gospel known as "Truths of the Unpeakable." Ironically, Hastur also took the name of Kaiwan, the patron God of shepherds, pilgrims and travelers, who was considered benign. The cult existed in the Antediluvian Atlantis and arrived at Hyperborea, although it has not been able to penetrate in these places and attract a great number of adepts.

Many people considered the cult of Hastur particularly abominable, even when compared to that of other blasphemous gods like Cthulhu or Tsathogua. Their most important rituals involved complex human sacrifices, used to contact or even invoke God physically in their temples. Decapitations, dismemberment, and castration were among the rites practiced by the priests.

The followers generally gathered for the most important rites when Aldebaran is high in the skies (between October and January, sometimes until February). The temples of Hastur have a common configuration; are usually outdoors, away from cities and have nine stone monoliths with carved runes positioned in a V. The Monoliths have astronomical symbols and when a ritual is performed before them, a large fire is lit. In her the cultists burn incense that makes the flames shine with a sickly yellow color, exuding a smoke of musky odor. Fire, smoke, and light seem to play an important role in celebrations that have a strong sensory character. Music is also essential: zither, cymbals, flutes and even trumpets and drums are part of the rites. In the past, artists were invited to participate, brought to the bosom of the cult, as well as dancers, dervishes and acrobats.

In Mesopotamia and Babylon, the cult of Hastur (known as Xastur) became popular among the decadent nobility, rooted in its midst until expunged. The Phoenicians also courted Hastur under the name of Assatur, the God of the Travelers of Distant Lands. His followers were persecuted and banished by priests of other beliefs, horrified by his blasphemy. Among the non-human races, the Tcho-Tchos and the people of K'n-yan are the main followers of the entity. They worship him as one of the aspects of the White Pilgrim and the God of the Yellow Mask respectively.

As far as humanity is concerned, the worship of Hastur has lost considerable space to other deities such as Cthulhu, Nyarlathotep and Shub-Niggurath throughout the ages. In fact, after its golden age in the distant past, the Cult of Hastur plunged into frequent periods of stagnation, almost disappearing altogether.

But somehow, the Eye of Hastur sometimes turns his attention to Earth and watches closely, its influence then grows, multiplying the number of followers. The largest and most important cults dedicated to him are the Brothers of the Yellow Sign that congregates cultists in various corners of the planet. China, Tibet, Afghanistan and India are the largest centers of worship, but sects in Russia. Asia Minor, Mexico and Peru are also known. For some time, France was an important place, especially due to the proliferation of the volume "The King on Yellow" published in that country.

In addition to human cults, Hastur is served by alien races, especially the interestelar race known as Byakhee. These winged monstrosities faithfully serve the deity, but they are not themselves cultists or devotees. Scholars assume that the Byakhees are servants of Hastur, perhaps slaves conditioned by some ancient alliance to serfdom.

Some understand that another Great Old Man, Itaqua is also a servant of Hastur. The relationship of Hastur and his followers with other species is tumultuous, to say the least. The Mi-Go have a long and tempestuous relationship with the cultists of Hastur, being attacked from time to time, tortured and coerced. The same goes for members and agents of the Great Race of Yith, often captured to reveal their secrets. The Sand Dwellers, another nonhuman race, also followed the precepts of Hastur at some point in their existence, but apparently this devotion was abandoned. There is a connection between Hastur and Shub-Niggurath. Some tomes affirm textually that these two entities copulated at some point and that the Thousands of Young, the descendants of the Black Goat, are the result of this union.

Cthulhu, in turn, has a troubled relationship with Hastur, on the occasions when the two titans met, the result was destruction and chaos. This conflicting relationship was also transferred to disputes between the Hastur and Cthulhu cults that have faced each other on several occasions. It is possible that the Cult of Hastur never established itself strongly in Africa, thanks to the resistance of the various factions of Cthulhu rooted in that continent.

The name "Hastur" is considered sacred and it is taboo to repeat it out loud. In ancient times, innocent individuals were murdered simply by saying the name, creating the myth that the Deity itself would be responsible for punishing the transgressor. Among many cultists there is a belief that uttering the name Hastur can draw his fury and cause the ruin of those who dare to do so. 

In the Indian sect, known as "The Silent Ones," followers have their tongue or vocal chords removed shortly after clamoring once for Hastur as if begging their blessing. In the cult established in Afghanistan, mentioning the name of Hastur is a crime punished by the visit of fanatical assassins, whose job is purify the world of those who have uttered the sacred name. By virtue of this taboo, Hastur serves the epithets of "The Unspeakable" and "He Who Must Not Be Named."

There are, however, certain rituals, especially of invocation, in which the blasphemous name of Hastur is called aloud to bless, curse, or activate especially powerful spells. These rites are rarely performed, and only cultists at the top of the hierarchy dare to do so.

There is a lot of discussion about Hastur's physical appearance.

At times, when Hastur is invoked materially, it manifests itself as a huge mass of yellowish and pustular flesh, devoid of bones or a fixed bodily structure. This mass is malleable, assuming different aspects that soon dissolve as if they were made of clay or mud. The amorphous being is more than 100 meters long and generates a glow of its own phosphorescent color. Hastur creates limbs and appendages, more or less humanoids that form and undo according to their pressing need. In some cases, Hastur can also create a head endowed with innumerable eyes, mouths and ears, used to probe its surroundings.

But this is not always the form chosen by Hastur. It can also take the form of an immense bipedal reptilian monster, more than nine feet high. This abomination of yellowish-green color has a head hidden by hundreds of serpentine tentacles. The entity usually takes this form when it plans to destroy or punish any serious transgression. In this form he is often led by a murderous rage that results in great devastation.

There are also occasions when Hastur takes the form of a colossal yellow eye (the Eye of Hastur) that rises in the midst of a multi-chromatic cloud. This form of Hastur tends to appear when the Deity receives sacrifices or when Aldebaran is at the apex. It also comes up at important moments, to validate some great ritual.

In addition to these specific forms, Hastur has a dozen avatars being undeniably the best known of the King in Yellow. To some Mythos theorists, this avatar is so important that he is a different form of Hastur, almost a separate Deity.

According to some sources, Hastur would not be a conscious entity, but a pure force of Entropy, a cosmic principle that opposes order and normality and incorporates cosmic destruction, pure and simple. This "Destruction of the Order" would manifest itself at all levels from the subatomic to the cosmic, with an influence that spans all levels of reality. God would represent the complete anathema of creation, it would be a chaotic force contrary to the cosmic germinative principle. He is the unspeakable destruction, the one who annihilates all things from the inside out, acting subtly, like a cancer dedicated only to erode the constitutive matter of creation. In his presence, nothing could exist, in the face of his abyssal darkness, everything would be deterioration and corruption without return.

If this notion is true, Hastur would have power over the very constitutive principles of the universe, which would elevate him to the rank of one of the most powerful entities of the cosmos. In this context, he could be an Outer God with power equivalent to Nyarlathotep or even to Azathoth. This current of thought supposes that Hastur could be an avatar of Azathoth, somehow assuming a conscious form.

However, few esoteric volumes defend this extremely terrifying vision. Most have this presumption as erroneous.

For all intents and purposes, Hastur is an unpredictable entity whose potency and breadth can not be contextualized by the fragile human minds. However, there are those who crawl before him, seeking his favors, and who submit to him, finding as reward only oblivion.