"The Testimony of The Mad Arab"
In addition to an introduction, the book uses a frame story titled "The Testimony of The Mad Arab". The "Testimony" is in two parts, forming a prologue and an epilogue to the core Necronomicon. The author describes himself as a "Mad Arab".
The prologue explains how the Arab first came to discover the dark secrets that he is recording, accidentally witnessing an arcane ritual performed by a cult that worships Tiamat, in which both the demons Kutulu and Humwawa are conjured.
In the epilogue, the Mad Arab is haunted by premonitions of his gruesome death. He realizes that the horrors of the Necronomicon are enraged and seek revenge upon him for revealing of their existence to the world. The text is littered with non sequiturs and arcane incantations, presented as indication of his unstable mental state and his desire to protect himself from perceived danger. He is unable to sign his work, and thus remains nameless.
Read more about this topic: Simon Necronomicon
Famous quotes containing the words testimony, mad and/or arab:
“The river’s tent is broken; the last fingers of leaf
Clutch and sink into the wet bank. The wind
Crosses the brown land, unheard. The nymphs are departed.
Sweet Thames, run softly, till I end my song.
The river bears no empty bottles, sandwich papers,
Silk handkerchiefs, cardboard boxes, cigarette ends
Or other testimony of summer nights.”
—T.S. (Thomas Stearns)
“Make ‘em cry. Make ‘em laugh. Make ‘em mad, even mad at you. Stir them up and they’ll love it and come back for more. But for heaven’s sake, don’t try to improve their minds.”
—Robert Rossen (1908–1966)
“As the Arab proverb says, “The dog barks and the caravan passes”. After having dropped this quotation, Mr. Norpois stopped to judge the effect it had on us. It was great; the proverb was known to us: it had been replaced that year among men of high worth by this other: “Whoever sows the wind reaps the storm”, which had needed some rest since it was not as indefatigable and hardy as, “Working for the King of Prussia”.”
—Marcel Proust (1871–1922)