Leng - Appearances in Lovecraft's Work

Appearances in Lovecraft's Work

  • Lovecraft first described Leng in "The Hound" (1922) in which the dreaded Necronomicon places it in Central Asia and says it is inhabited by a human corpse-eating cult.
  • In The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath, (1926) the Plateau of Leng is located in the north of the Dreamlands, an alternate dimension accessible only in sleep. It is inhabited by the High Priest Not to Be Described, who dwells alone in a prehistoric monastery, and by a race of degenerate humans who are feared by all other men.
  • In At the Mountains of Madness, an expedition from Miskatonic University explores a plateau in Antarctica and discovers an ancient and apparently abandoned city built by the Elder Things. One member of the expedition, who has encountered references to the Plateau of Leng in ancient texts, forms the hypothesis that the plateau they are exploring is Leng. In common with the High Priest's abode in The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath, the walls of the buildings atop the plateau are covered with detailed frescos that are disturbing to read. However, it is never explicitly stated in the text — or in any of Lovecraft's later works — that this Antarctic city actually is Leng. In fact, it seems more likely that the city is simply an outpost of the Elder Things which came to Earth not to conquer but to live in isolation.
  • Wilmarth briefly mentions Leng in "The Whisperer in Darkness".
  • Leng is also mentioned in "The Horror in the Museum" and "Celephaïs".

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