Tsathoggua

Tsathoggua (I pronounce this "tsath-oh-GOO-uh" or "tsuh-THOH-goo-uh," but I've also heard it's "zuh-THOG-wuh"), also known as Zhothaqquah and the Sleeper of N'kai, is an entity described as a Great Old One.

Tsathoggua's idols often depict him as a giant toad-like monstrosity, morbidly obese and often sleeping. He is ever-hungering. In the words of Clark Ashton Smith himself:

You shall know Tsathoggua by his great girth

Nice.

Lineage

Lovecraft describes Tsathoggua as the offspring of Yeb, which would make him the "grandson" of Yog-Sothoth and Shub-Niggurath; the "great-grandson" of the Nameless Mist and Eternal Darkness; and the "great-great-grandson" of Azathoth.

Clark Ashton Smith's account differs. He describes describes Tsathoggua as being born of Ghisguth and Zystulzhemgni. Ghisguth, so he says, is the spawn of Cxaxukluth (who'd be Tsathoggua's "grandfather"), and brother of Hziulquoigmnzhah (who'd be Tsathoggua's "uncle"). Cxaxukluth is said to be the spawn of Azathoth (who'd be Tsathoggua's "great-grandfather").

It's also possible that somehow both Lovecraft and CAS are correct.

There are other conflicting stories as well, such as the story that Tsathoggua did descend from Cxaxukluth but that Cxaxukluth split himself into Nug and Yeb, and that was it was Yeb who mothered Tsathoggua.

Confusing, I know.

Anyway, here's the family tree according to CAS:

Azathoth
   |
Cxaxukluth
    |
  +-+------------------+
  |                    |
Hziulquoigmnzhah    Ghisguth --+-- Zystulzhemgni
                               |
                           Tsathoggua --+-- Shathak
                                        |
                                    Zvilpogghua
                                        |
                                    Sfatlicllp

Yeah, bitch, Tsathoggua's got a GF. How dare you think otherwise?

Gallery

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