A Study of the Religion, People, and Mythology of Tibet
Though not directly mentioned by H.P. Lovecraft in any of his stories, there are several references throughout his works to the Himalayas. Like most young men with a sense of adventure during the late 1800’s and early 1900’s, Lovecraft would have been aware of any news stories coming out of Tibet. It was a mysterious country—until 1984 visited by fewer than 2000 Europeans and North Americans, and the majority of those were among the Younghusband expedition of 1904.
The story of Tibet is as much about the country as it is about its people. With the highest points on earth, areas are nearly impossible to reach, and malevolent gods and monsters lurk under every rock. Religion, government, and mythology in Tibet are inextricably connected.
The lack of a native written language until the seventh century means that the earliest history of the country has been handed down through oral tradition and iconic images. Even until recent times there has been very little done in Tibet to explore the archaeological record, but what has been done reveals early bronze-age and previous settlements in the northern regions. Many exciting finds await discovery.
Notes on This Edition
An Unknown Land of Mythos and Mystery
TIBET is a common term used in the western world to refer to a remote plateau situated north of the Himalayan mountain range in Asia. A land of high-altitude peaks, some areas are impossible to reach without modern technology. The land is populated with malevolent gods and monsters, and deep secrets lie sleeping in ancient tombs and vaults among Tibet’s soaring mountains and deep valleys.
Geologists determined that millions of years ago, the Himalayan mountain range lay at the bottom of the ocean. The gradual movement of Earth’s tectonic plates raised this region so that it now contains many of the highest points above sea level on the planet. The Himalayas cover a vast area that, some whisper, overlaps the Dreamlands and the terror-shrouded mountainous area between the Cold Waste and the dreaded Plateau of Leng.
Secrets of Tibet details information about everyday life in this mysterious and unique country, from the early twentieth century through to more modern times, along with horrific underlying truths. Tibetan demons are remnants of races that came to Earth from the stars millions of years ago. They dwell in hidden places, are served by loyal minions, and are protected by ancient dark cults that span the globe. They slumber until a time when the stars align, and their awakening shall herald the end of the world as we know it. Over millennia some have awakened briefly, sometimes for years or even centuries, to observe what has been happening in the world. Others are dreamers with lesser abilities, but in their slumber they influence the cold mountain areas of Tibet. Combined, their powers have thinned the barriers between the Waking World, Earth’s Dreamlands, and other worlds and dimensions of space and time.
Included within these pages are a history of Tibet, chapters detailing its culture and religion, a bestiary of Tibetan gods and monsters, a guide to the Forbidden City of Lhasa including maps, and three scenarios that will take investigators to the Tibetan plateau and beyond.
By Jason Williams; cover illustration by Caleb Cleveland; interior illustrations by Caleb Cleveland and Lee Simpson. 168 pages, illustrated. 8.5 x 11" perfect-bound paperback.
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