Azathoth (or Azag-Thoth), also known as the Blind Idiot God, the Daemon Sultan, and the Primal Chaos, is the father and the ruler of the Outer Gods. Azathoth is described as a cosmic deity of immense power, and, probably, the most powerful being in the universe. He was first mentioned in Lovecraft's short story "Azathoth" (1922).
Eschatology[]
Legend has it that Azathoth gave birth to the universe, and will destroy it in the end since all of reality is merely a part of Azathoth's dream. Azathoth is the "Blind Idiot God" who is absolutely mindless and unconscious. Though he is the creator of all existence, he is oblivious to the universe and the beings within it. He resides outside of the universe, stuck in an endless slumber, attended by a cohort of servants who continually bathe him with the sounds of pipes and drums to keep him from awakening. It is believed that if Azathoth awakens, all things will end.
Some assert that the Daemon Sultan was not always an idiot; instead, he lost his intellect in a great intercosmic battle, in which he may have been thrust entirely outside this dimension. This interpretation is only found within a few works, though.
Some modern thinkers have equated Azathoth with the Big Bang; this corresponds with the Greek and Norse creation myths, which hold that the universe was created out of "primal chaos". He may also be a personification of radioactivity; in fact, the formula in De Vermis Mysteriis for calling Azathoth requires a large quantity of fissionable material. Some scholars have drawn parallels between Azathoth and the Gnostic Achamoth, the mother of the Demiurge who created the universe, or the Egyptian cult of Aten the sun-disk.
Cult of Azathoth[]
Overall, worship of Azathoth in his normal guise seems rare. The only true earthly cult was that of the Gnophkehs, but isolated madmen have served him more recently. Azathoth also has a large following among the shan, whose temples hold an image of his avatar Xada-Hgla. The rites the shan perform for Azathoth are wholly abominable.
Azathoth's Court[]
Azathoth's Court is at the center of the Universe. There, Lesser Outer Gods dance gigantically to the monotonous piping of a diabolic flute.