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This is a direct copy from another copy of the History of the Necronomicon, by Lovecraft. Below this Horizontal Rule, you'll find the complete text, unedited by myself. The first section is the title page. The second is the back of that page. After that, the text. I copied it by hand from The Ohio State University's Main Library a couple years ago, and have only now gotten it into HTML. Now you too can enjoy the fruits of my cramped-up hand (read that how you will). A HISTORYof THE NECRONOMICONBeing a short, but complete outline of the history of this book, its author, its various translations and editions from the time of the writing (A.D. 730) of the Necronomicon to the present day. -by- H. P. LOVECRAFTLimited Memorial Edition Wilson H. Sheperd THE REBEL PRESSOakman, Alabama
1977 Ed., second ed. copied from #176 of 500 printings, taken from the Lovecraft collection of the John Hay Library of Brown University. History of the Necronomicon Original title Al Azif-Azif being the word used by the Arabs to designate that nocturnal sound (made by insects) supposed to be the howling of demons. Composed by Abdul Alhazred, a mad poet of Sanna, in Yemen, who is said to have flourished during the period of the Ommiade Caliphs, circa A.D. 700. He visited the ruins of Babylon and the subterranean secrets of Memphis and spent ten years alone in the great southern desert of Arabia--(The Roba El Khaliyea or "Empty Space" of the ancients and "Dahna" or "Crimson" desert of the modern Arabs)--which is held to be inhabited by protective evil spirits and monsters of death. Of this desert many strange and unbelievable marvels are told by those who pretend to have penetrated it. In his last years Alhazred dwelt in Dasmascus, where the Necronomicon (AL AZIF) was written, and of his final death or disappearance (A.D. 738) many terrible and conflicting things are told. He is said by Ebn Khallikan (12th century biography) to have been seized by an invisible monster in broad daylight and devoured horribly before a large number of fright-frozen witnesses. Of his madness many things are told. He claimed to have seen the fabulous Irem, or City of Pillars, and to have found beneath the ruins of a certain nameless desert city the shocking annals and secrets of a race older than mankind. (Editors Note: A full description of its one time inhabitants will be found in the story THE NAMELESS CITY, published in the first issue of Fanciful Tales, and written by the author of this outline). He was only an indifferent Moslem, worshiping unknown Entities who he called Yog-Sothoth and Cthulu. In A.D. 950 the Azif, which had gained considerable, though surreptitious circulation amongst the philosophers of the age, was secretly translated into Greek by Theodorus Philetas of Constantinople under the title Necronomicon. For a century it impelled certain experimenters to terrible attempts, when it was suppressed and burnt by the patriarch Michael. After this it was only heard of furtively, but (1228) Olaus Wormius made a Latin translation later in the Middle Ages, and the Latin text was printed twice - Once in the 15th century in black letter (evidently in Germany) and once in the 17th (probably Spanish); both editions being without identifying marks, and located as to time and place by internal typographical evidence only. The work, both Latin and Greek, was banned by Pope Gregory IX in 1232 shortly after its Latin translation, which called attention to it. The Arabic original was lost as early as Wormius' time, as indicated by his prefactory note; (there is however, a vauge account of a secret copy appearing in San Francisco during the present century, but later perished in fire), and no sight of the Greek copy -- Which was printed in Italy between 1500 and 1550 -- has been reported since the burning of a certain Salem man's library in 1692. A translation by Dr. Dee was never printed and exists only in fragments recovered from the original manuscript. Of the Latin texts now existing one (15th century) is known to be in the British Museum under lock and key, while another (17th century) is in Bibliotheque Nationale at Paris. A 17th century edition is in the Widener Library at Harvard, and in the library at Miskatenic University at Arkham; also in the library of the University of Buenos Aires. Numerous other copies probably exist in secret, and a 15th century one is persistently rumored to form a part of the collection of a celebrated American millionaire. A still vaguer rumor credits the preservation of a 16th century Greek text in the Salem family of Pickman; but if it was so preserved, it vanished with the artist R. U. Pickman, who disappeared in 1926. The book is rigidly suppressed by the authorities of most countries, and by all branches of organized ecclesiasticism. Reading leads to terrible consequences. It was from rumors of this book (of which relatively few of the general public know) that R. W. Chambers is said to have derived the idea of his early novel "THE KING IN YELLOW". Chronology One - Al Azif written circa A.D. 730 ad Damascus by Abdul Alhazred. Two - Translated into Greek as Necronomicon, A.D. 950 by Theodorus Philetas. Three - Burnt by Patriarch Michael A.D. 1050 (i.e. Greek Text . . . (Arabic Text now lost). Four - Olaus translate Greek into Latin, A.D. 1228. Five - Latin and Greek editions suppressed by Gregory IX -- A.D. 1232. Six - 14 . . ? Black letter edition printed in Germany. Seven - 15 . . ? Greek text printed in Italy. Eight - 16 . . ? Spanish translations of Latin text. PERSONS interested in learning more details about the nameless city mentioned in this outline, where Alhazred spent much time, should read the story THE NAMELESS CITY by H.P. LOVECRAFT, which gives a detailed description. Copeis of Fanciful Tales containting this story may still be obtained for 20c per copy from Wilson H. Sheperd, Oakman, Alabama. Content © 2003 - 2005, Michael J Dangler |