Hyperborea by Clark Ashton Smith
Hyperborea is a fictional setting characterized by a blend of dark fantasy and cosmic horror, prominently featured in the works of authors like H.P. Lovecraft and Clark Ashton Smith. This mythic land is often portrayed as an ancient and mysterious place, inhabited by strange beings and steeped in supernatural lore. The narratives set in Hyperborea typically involve themes of greed, ambition, and the consequences of meddling with dark forces.
In these stories, characters often encounter horrific entities, engage in perilous quests, or face the repercussions of their actions against formidable adversaries. For instance, in "The Tale of Satampra Zeiros," two thieves attempt to loot a shrine dedicated to the dark god Tsathoggua, leading to grim outcomes. Other tales, such as "The Seven Geases," illustrate characters ensnared by curses and forced into nightmarish journeys through otherworldly realms.
Hyperborea serves as a backdrop for exploring the interplay between humanity and the arcane, showcasing how the allure of power and knowledge can lead to tragic fates. Overall, the series captures a unique blend of horror and fantasy, together illustrating the depths of human folly in the face of the unknown.
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Subject Terms
Hyperborea
First published: 1971
Type of work: Stories
Type of plot: Fantasy—magical world
Time of work: About 15 million years ago
Locale: Hyperborea
The Plot
In “The Tale of Satampra Zeiros” (1931), two thieves, unwisely undaunted by the evil reputation of a certain ruined city, attempt to plunder a shrine erected to the dark god Tsathoggua. The protagonist escapes, though badly maimed, after seeing his companion horribly killed.
In “The Door to Saturn” (1932), the priest Morghi pursues the sorcerer Eibon through a doorway to another world. The two adversaries are forced to combine forces in order to survive in a wilderness of wonders until they find a place to settle.
“The Testament of Athammaus” (1932) is the tale of a hapless headsman appointed to execute a demoniac bandit. Every time his head is struck off, the bandit miraculously rises from the dead, becoming gradually more monstrous. In the end, the bandit degenerates to the point that further beheadings become impractical. In “Ubbo-Sathla” (1933), a modern occultist finds a magic lens that unites him with the personality of its wizard owner and allows him to share that owners visionary quest to find the hideously repulsive mass of protoplasm that is parent to all Earthly life.
In “The Seven Geases” (1934), the vainglorious magistrate Ralibar Vooz falls prey, while out hunting, to the wrath of the sorcerer Ezdagor. Ezdagor places Vooz under a geas, which requires him to descend further into the Tartarean realm to present himself as a blood offering to Tsathoggua. Tsathoggua has no need of him and sends him deeper into the bowels of the earth. The pattern repeats as Vooz delivers himself in turn to the web of the spider-god Atlach-Natha, the palace of the “antehuman” sorcerer Haon-Dor, and the Cavern of the Archetypes. Finally, he arrives in the slimy gulf of Abhoth, “father and mother of all cosmic uncleanliness.” By this time, he is in a realm so remote that his own ordered world is known only by ominous rumor, so Abhoth can think of no more awful place to send him than home. The journey back is fraught with far too many dangers for it to be made safely.
“The Weird of Avoosl Wuthoqquan” (1932), “The Ice-Demon” (1933), and “The Coming of the White Worm” (1941) are all tales whose leading characters are drawn by avarice to some ironically bizarre end. The Hyperborean series also includes the sentimental extended prose-poem “The White Sybil” (1935) and the lackluster “The Theft of the Thirty-Nine Girdles” (1958). The collection also includes a group of prose-poems grouped under the heading “The World’s Rim,” including one extended account of “The Abominations of Yondo” (1926).