"Fane of the Black Pharaoh" / Tales of the Mythos (2/5)
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- Опубліковано 30 лип 2024
- Obscure Tales of the Cthulhu Mythos
Episode 2: "Fane of the Black Pharaoh" by Robert Bloch
Weird Tales, December 1937
“Terrible was the fame of Nephren-Ka, and more terrible still was the destiny that Captain Cartaret read on the walls of the red-litten underground corridors.”
00:00 - Introduction
00:58 - Part 1
06:22 - Part 2
19:54 - Part 3
27:20 - Part 4
37:34 - Part 5
50:45 - Further Listening
How about some Lovecraftian artifacts?
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I am a simple human; I see a new Horrorbabble upload, I click.
Good human
Yes
Simple?… classy human.
*hits reading pipe.*
I too was once a simple human. And still I click on the great Horrorbabble.
humanbabble
I must be honest I loved every mythic moment of this right up to the end. Yes there’s the typical, tragic helplessness of the main character barrelling towards the inevitable death demanded by cosmic horror…
But why no twist? Why didn’t the priest’s dagger stop mid-strike as he read not of Cartret’s death but of his own? And, being so devoted to the dictates of the wall of truth, he stayed his hand. And as the white man realised the truth of these recurring murders, he turned, saw the poised blade, and lashed out at his attacker, overcoming the stricken priest, and knifed him instead.
But a greater, more prolonged horror than death awaited Cartret in that subterranean crypt. For he had succumbed to the supreme sin of greed and temptation and had looked into the eyes of the beckoning gargoyles.
And had thus exposed himself, his whole naked soul, to the inrushing darkness of something beyond these walls.
It was not Nephrin Kah, however, but something far darker, far vaster.
And as he released the ornate hilt and turned from the sighing, slackening body, his eyes scanned the rest of the way down the wall, and beheld his doom…and the doom of the world.
No more simple figures of men were scribed there, nor any futures of cloud-wreathed buildings, flying cars, or world-shattering wars.
Only there were wings, and beneath them shadow.
Only there was Nyarlethotep
Mr. Gordon’s tickling our ears with a longer-than-average one tonight Babblerz.
What’s not to like ?!?
Both of these mythos tales have been some of my favorite stories in a good while! Very excited for number three!
I bought & wear a HORRORBABBLE Sweatshirt like a big dress- my mom hates it- I ❤ it❣️ 🎉It is celebrating the horror babbles…& I appreciate the lines & imagination, the narration & the characterization, the production & the upload…like a chemical mix, it expands the chemistry in my brain 🎊🗣☠️🧠!
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Thank you, Evelan!
Thank you for making your listeners day better with your fantastic readings!
From across the pond, always great to listen to one of your stories before delving into the blasphemous depths of the North American woods in search of game this fall!
Bloch is my favorite short story writer from the expanded lovecraft circle!! he is simply incredible!!
With Robert Bloch, the doors you lock, when midnight doth strike the clock.
SPOILER ALERT
The dopey sod should have seen that coming from about a gazillion miles away.
I mean, really.
well, this guy is going to join warren the fool
Oh, I have decided, autumn started tonight with this story. Perfect for dark nights.
Always ready for more Mythos tales. Thanks Ian you never fail to deliver. 💀
This is such a good one. I especially liked the analogy of the blind and arbitrary thrashing of the gorilla. Thank you!
I just want to thank Ian and everyone else involved in creating and providing these great stories. I have severe insomnia caused by PTSD. The only way I can get any rest at all is by listening to a playlist of horror babble stories. I just really wish there were more Peter Van Melsen stories. I'm a big fan of the character. Thank you again for your stories. Keep up the great works.
Thank you, David. Van Melsen returns early July. I hope you continue to get the rest you need. Ian
Hey I understand CPTSD among other anxietys insomnia and depression! Ian's Voice is absolutely captivating.. HB does an amazing Job Everytime!
Great! Just wish they were longer as I listen as I try to go to sleep. 🎃 it’s hard to go to sleep these days with me. Anyway it is appreciated.
Can't even tell you how psyched I am for this! The 1st was so good that I listened to it twice!!! 🐙🐙
I really enjoy horror set in old Egypt.
The 1930s (AD) are not really "old Egypt".
That was a lot of windup for a very obvious pitch. I was only surprised that it was not revealed that the priest was actually Nephren-Ka, and Carteret was constantly being reincarnated and sacrificed again and again.
That would have been interesting
@@GodOfPlague It would also have explained why Carteret would feel his fate was more horrible than mere death.
Number 2 of the series!!!!!
AND
It is by ROBERT BLOCH!!!
The gods have smiled upon us
😍
Loving these tails Thanks for another great video and as always thanks to everyone involved.
Unless you’re a tailophiliac, I think you mean “tales”. No offense.
That started out as a pretty good story. It seemed to run out of steam like the author met his word count or couldn't figure out an ending. There just wasn't any reason for the Captain to die other than the prophecy. Still an excellent presentation and glad to have another mythos story in audio format.
Listening on headphones as I take my cycle round the bloch! Cheers Warren, on his way to lunch at Gein's!
Use of Bloch, very clever.
@@davidgerard4278 -- Well David, I guess you could say I'm emulating the author, that I'm just a chip off the old bl...Never mind! Cheers Warren, who still lives, so tell Ed to leave me alone!
Great stuff! I love it when anniversaries are turned into an exciting event, truly enjoyed by all!
Congrats and keep it up!
I always loved this story. It is a great one. Bloch wrote a great one here.
Great story and narration!
Thanks!
I remember reading this story. It was a lot more boring to read, than to listen to. You added life to the story.
Honest this story had a lot of potential but it fell short for me. HP, I think, would have been able to give it a better and more shocking twist. But the reading of this story was EXCELLENT as always! Thanks horror babble!
Maybe I misunderstand or missed a part, can somebody fill me in? The evil priests pull back the curtain about one foot each day (this alone I have trouble visualizing how this works) and if the tomb is (2) thousands of years old. And there are 365 days in a year wouldn't that approximate 700,000 ft?
Even if that was just half of it on one side of the room and then turn around and go back on the other wall that's still like miles of chamber no?
How are some of you guys visualizing or understanding this?
I interpreted it as a case of impossible geometry. H.P. Lovecraft loved that sort of thing in his own story. If this tapestry can contain all time, then I see no reason why the tunnel shouldn’t be equally supernatural.
I'm coming off a binge of quantum physics lecture videos, and the professor frequently referenced Escher's 'Circle Limit IV', which is a way of compressing the infinite plane into a finite region. Translating it to a wall mural would require the images to writhe in the shadows to keep the viewed portion in 'focus', but we are talking about a technique that mimics a space with negative curvature. (By definition, non-Euclidean.) :D
It's magic.
Keep up the good work and, as always, stay safe!
I’m loving these. ❤
thank you Ian
Another outstanding video to enjoy many thanks as always lan!!!😎👍
First tale was great, powered my 2-hour walk. Very much looking forward to this 2nd entry.
Very much enjoyed - though I'll admit I was yelling at Capt. Cartaret "He's gonna knife you!" for the last 15 minutes.
Thank you for uploading!
once again another absolute killer!!!! thank you for getting me through work
Thank you! That was a really good story, and excellent narration as always.
Switching accents right out of the gate. Cool stuff!
the line about digging up the dead is what Ardeth Bey said in The Mummy with Boris Karloff.
I loved this one!!
Always enjoy it, thank you!
Ian. I believe the only Lovecraft tale you have yet to cover is "The Transition of Juan Romero". Wishlist
I requested this story about a year ago and Ian said it was on the list
Facts Concerning The Late Arthur Jermyn and his Family is what I’m anticipating. One of the first I read.
Made me think that men of these esteemed families were taking these white ape princess from Africa as avenues to dark rights, and as tools for there rituals. Like the unshapely albino Lavinia, and the Martense family, who’s offshoot was some strange white ape creature. Maybe more as I haven’t read them all yet.
Also insinuating the Waitley brothers 😎 mother was neither human as the father.
There are a handful actually. We'll tackle them all eventually.
Really thank you for this, i was always looking for good audiobooks while working but it's very hard for to find anything that keep me interested, the narrator is very good
He should have guessed how it all ends after seeing many times, the end of other "participants" before him and run, but will that change the prophecy? Or would it merely flows into another timeline? Time paradox? This is such an interesting story and one that makes you wonder.
We know that the priest had some great power over him, such that his mind was likely clouded to the reality until it was too late. Notice that the priest drew back the curtain before committing the act - as though he were double checking that he was truly to knife this man.
I remember reading this one, one of his better efforts.
Good choice and I actually thought you'd done this one already ?
There is a great trilogy of short stories by Bloch about Jack the Ripper but the last one is written by Harlan Ellison. There used to be an audiobook on audible of Ellison reading his own short stories and at the end of the audiobook is this bit where Ellison talks about this trilogy, Bloch wrote the first Jack the Ripper story then Ellison asked him to write an interlude to bridge the gap between their two stories called “A Toy for Juliet” which is a fantastically morbid miniature. Then Ellisons story really blew my socks off, fully psychedelic horror if there is such a thing, and his reading pumps it up tenfold. It has a really long title, something like “hunter at the edge of the world”.
It is one of the few audiobooks that really freaked me out, although not in the typical way that you would expect. It is some nihilistic, hedonistic dystopian horror that is presented in this sleek and stylish manner that is always flipping once you think you have a grasp on it. You end up feeling pity and hopelessness for jack when his sickness is mirrored back on him in a kaleidoscopic hall of mirrors kind of way. I really loved that story, although it’s not widely known or talked about. Ellison is the greatest narrator that I’ve ever heard, you can’t stop listening, it’s just dripping in charisma and style.
Thanks Ian
This was so much fun
Awesome story!!!
The last two stories have both been from the same collections (Tales of the Lovecraft Mythos). I'm hoping that "Spawn of the Green Abyss" will also be narrated.
You'll have to wait and see!
Ooo that was a good one!
Awesome story!
Nothing like a classic horror story to start a work day before they open the doors for customers
This one actually scared me!
Excellence!
We have lost information to greatness.
Yes always always do Cthulhu mythos stories that's what keeps us coming around 😉
I could listen to you babble all night.
Pump this into my veins
Spectacular! Any chance for Bloch's "Faceless God"?🐙
Thank you
“I am sworn to carry your burdens, my Fane.”
One of these days (SPOILER)...
...A priest will pull the curtain back to see himself getting shot in the face by a genre-savvy explorer. :)
Now THAT would have been a brilliant ending!
That would have been funny.
Thankkkkk youuuuu
I am never dissatisfied!!!!!😁😁🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩
Don’t mess with the Blind Apes of Truth, y’all.
It was really good. Egypt had a strange influence at those days
Thanks
Thank you, Aditya!
@@HorrorBabble You are welcome! To be honest, I only made this donation to check something that was going wrong with my payment method for UA-cam, but I do have the monthly subscription to your channel. And now that this has created an opportunity for a conversation, I'd like to say that I enjoy your work very much! It's one of the best things that I have found on UA-cam! Do keep up the good work!
Also, out of curiosity, I googled you and found your LinkedIn profile. I have to say it was a complete surprise to see how young you were! I still find it difficult to put that voice to that face! And I see that you are a musician as well. That's just great to know. I would definitely like to hear some of your music as well! I had my days of performing with a heavy metal band... but well... life got in the way.
Anyway, I'd once again want to thank you for delivering such great content and doing it so well! Cheers!
Hi Aditya -- sorry about the late response. I'm young-ish... And you can listen to the music here: iangordon.bandcamp.com
Always good to hear from a fellow-rocker! I suppose I'm an ex-rocker, too.
Thanks again for your support.
@@HorrorBabble Oh... no need to apologize! I understand it can be quite difficult to keep up with everything that needs to be responded to on social media.
Thank you for the bandcamp link. I will certainly check out the music. Looking forward to hearing it!
Nice
A bowl of C&D Innsmouth and a martini awaits
Listening from the ukwales❤
Oh ,Where vanished the Priests of Egypt?!..
Where does the" Real " Egypt lay?
Huh. So if the protagonist perished and the priest fled, I wonder who wrote the account we’re listening to.
I think the author forgot that Carter also has a gift of prophecy.
Edit: A different Carter then?
There's not enough of information that is shared. We just have less amounts of information that seems of interest to those whom have better at the moment. Learning will only grow better, if everyone will contribute under the idea of advancement of people as a whole. Not individuals of time or place, but as a people and purpose, with the best understanding of we need to understand the long term of our decisions. Most batteries cannot be recycled. WHERE DO THEY GO??? we only pollute ourselves further....
Haha. That end was so obvious.
I'm afraid it suffers as so much other similar work by not having a satisfactory ending
find the book the Fellowship published in the 1970s or 1980s has an interesting connection to this story.
Was that thumbnail/background generated by an algorithm? Nvm, it definitely was lol. Good idea
Ohh, hubris 😜😭
Put Bloch's name in the title! I would have listened sooner had I known.
The story reminds me of the real history of our world.
There must have been a highly advanced civilisation before the Younger Dryas. They could work with stones we even now can't handle. But the academic world will not admit to the idea of a civilisation before around 10.000 years ago. There is so much proof...
I should write a story about that....😉
Thanks for all your stories, Ian and Jennifer.
Atlanteans. Aka as the Sea Peoples that invaded Egypt and the surrounding nations.
👍
This wasn't as great as the first one cause I figured it out in the first minutes that cap will die in the tomb but the reason of his coming there is pointless like he wasn't looking for it like other men he was lead there by the guide it would made more sense if he was a sacrifice
There was a prior version of this that was also professionally done, since taken off UA-cam like so many other Bloch, CAS, jack Vance, Kuttner, August derleth. I dont get it. Why is a horror babble recording of a story OK for copyright or whatever the reason, but the others are not. So many videos unavailable now in US at least.
When you say 'professionally done', was it uploaded by the narrator? Or did some random upload a copy of someone else's recording? I listen to audiobooks from the library, and there's usually a 'book copyright' and a 'recording copyright' mentioned at the beginning.
@@miarencrowsdaughter6434Certain recordings for CAS or Robert E Howard, or many others typically (not always) would have the weird tales magazine artwork are what I'm referring to. But like take the 'Zothique' or 'Poseidonis' cycles from CAS, both have stories still hosted, but many have gone missing in the last 12-18 months. Just trying to understand why certain things can still be made available and others can't be.
It's a complex issue, Michael -- as far as we can tell, the story is in the public domain. If we're wrong, we'll deal with the consequences in due course. We've had to take several other recordings down, so don't think we're immune to such action.
@@HorrorBabble That's the part I'm not getting. And I like what horror babble does, putting major effort into something that's ultimately consumed for basically free on my end. But some of those older recordings are so good and it sucks when they vanish. Its like the Lovecraft recordings, the main body of his work was originally recorded with 2 "main" different readers. When you listen and it says turn tape over occasionally, those recordings. There's no problem with those (seemingly) which comes full circle to my main question. Thanks for getting back to me. Keep on with the obscure.
@@michaelange5674 I know what you mean. I'm a huge fan of those older recordings, too. The respective rights holders just mustn't be happy about the recordings being uploaded here without their permission. I'm surmising, of course.
Why are Lovecraft protagonists always so unbelievably slow on the uptake?
Names similar to Carter goes down a deep hole... hmm
Are these thumbnails ai generated?
Midjourney.
The more I think about this, the more problematic this story is. Set aside the ridiculous stereotype of Egypt, offensive though it is. SPOILERS!
It is clear that the priest meant to kill Carteret from the beginning. Why tell him any of the truth? Why take him to the tomb of Nephren-Ka? The images seem to show the priest doing what he had already decided to do -- but surely it would have been smarter to knife Carteret in an alley?
And frankly, the math does not add up. One foot per day, every day, for roughly 3000 years would add up to something like 200 miles. Never mind the idea of one man, however inspired, painting 200 miles (and more) of hieroglyphics on walls in one go, I entertain grave doubts that Carteret could walk 200 miles in one evening.
One "out" would be to say that the climax of the story took place in a Twilight Zone outside normal space and time, but not only does the story give no hint of this, it seems to reject it definitively.
There were "Black Pharaohs" in the 8th century BC - the Nubian Dynasty. They were short--lived, but quite successful. One assumes the story is not about them.
Is there anything today that isn’t anti- “white man”? There’s never been a time in history where race was so front and center. Everything today is about race and/or sex. I guess this is what happens when people are viewed as a collective, and not as individuals. Which is what we are. Individuals)
One is judged by their immutable characteristics. Not by their character or merit.
It's not an insult to be called a Blochead, but don't say it too loud, we don't know who is listening.
Entirely too predictable, this one.
oh, 'cthulhu'. bye bye.
👍