The Weird and the Ineffable: H. P. Lovecraft's Inverted Theology

Abstract

This paper aims to understand the Lovecraftian weird through the analysis of two, deeply intertwined, themes of hiswritings: the parody of religion through the construction of an inverted theology, and the ineffable as the attempt toexpress the unknown. In §1, the character and philosophical outlook of Lovecraft will be presented, with a particularfocus on his atheism and his consideration of truth; §2 will explore the unique brand of terror-fuelled escapism whichLovecraft associates with weirdness; §3 will delve into the Cthulhu Mythos as an anti-mythology, before §4, in whichthe omnipresent theme of ineffability is discussed in relation to mysticism.