Nyarlathotep

Nyarlathotep is a fictional cosmic entity in H. P. Lovecraft's Cthulhu Mythos. Known as the Crawling Chaos, Nyarlathotep is one of the archetypal beings of the Mythos. Unlike other cosmic beings, he actively interacts with humanity and often works through deception and manipulation. He is typically depicted as intelligent, articulate, and malevolent.

Nyarlathotep can assume many forms and voices, sometimes appearing as a handsome man, a physician, a demon in human disguise, or an ancient vizier. He speaks many languages and fashions elaborate schemes to tempt, frighten, or destabilize individuals or communities. He may grant glimpses of forbidden knowledge or reveal the fragility of human comprehension.

In Lovecraft's fiction, Nyarlathotep serves as an intermediary between the unknowable Outer Gods and humanity, often carrying messages or carrying out the will of entities such as Azathoth and the other Outer Gods. He is notable for actively visiting Earth rather than lurking beyond the stars, as other Great Old Ones do.

The character first appears in the 1920 prose poem Nyarlathotep, and is developed in subsequent stories, where he is repeatedly described as a harbinger of chaos and an architect of human fear. Nyarlathotep has become a recurring figure in Lovecraftian fiction and has influenced later Lovecraftian authors and popular culture.

The figure embodies core themes of the mythos: the fragility of sanity, the unknowability of the cosmos, and the difficulty of discernment in the face of cosmic schemes. Nyarlathotep remains a flexible, enigmatic element used by writers to explore manipulation, mythic dread, and the human encounter with the incomprehensible.