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Necronomicon

The Necronomicon relating to a fictional book of magic, invented by H. P. Lovecraft and frequently featured in his Cthulhu mythos tales.

Meaning and etymology of title
Lovecraft cites the meaning of the title as translated from the Greek language: nekros (corpse), nomos (law), eikon (image): "An image of the law of the dead." A more prosaic (but probably more correct) translation, is via conjugation of nemo (to consider): "Concerning the dead." Another etymology that has been suggested here is "knowledge of the dead," from Greek nekrós (corpse, dead), and gnomein (to know), on the apparent assumption that the g could be lost; the person so suggesting thinks this "seems to fit better with the subject treated in the book."

Another possible meaning is "The Book of the Law of the Dead Gods."

Greek editions of Lovecraft's works have commented that in Greek the word can have several different meanings when broken at its roots. More specifically:

Necro-Nomicon
The Book of the Law of the Dead, derived from Nomicon (Book of Law).
Necro-Nomo-icon
The Book of Dead Laws.
Necro-Nemo-ikon
A Study or Classification of the Dead.
Necro-Nomo-eikon
Image of the Law of the Dead.
Necro-Nemein-Ikon
Book Concerning the Dead.
Necr?-Nomo-eikon
Law of Dead Images.
Necr-Onom-icon
The Book of Dead Names, derived from onoma (name).
Ne-Crono-Mycon
Timeless fungus.

Non-historicity
Though Lovecraft insisted the book was pure invention (and other writers invented passages from the book in their own works), there are accounts of some people actually believing his Necronomicon to be a real book. Even during Lovecraft's life he received letters from fans inquiring about the Necronomicon's actuality.

This issue was confused in the late 1970s by the publication of a book purporting to be a translation of the "real" Necronomicon. This book, by the pseudonymic "Simon," published by Schlangekraft ("snake power", an Illuminatus reference) and then in Avon paperback, attempted to connect the fictional Lovecraft mythology to Sumerian Mythology. The claims made in the preface of Simon's Necronomicon connecting Lovecraft's work to historical Sumerian mythology is entirely a product of Simon's imagination, although the religious and magical systems in Simon's Necronomicon are consistent with confirmed Sumerian or Babylonian material described by reliable sources such as historians H.W.F. Saggs (The Greatness that Was Babylon) and Georges Roux (Ancient Iraq), and sociologists A.T. Mann and Jane Lyle (Sacred Sexuality).

A blatant hoax version of the Necronomicon was produced by paranormal researcher and writer Colin Wilson, describing how it was translated by computer from a discovered "cipher text." It is truer to the Lovecraftean version and even incorporates quotations from Lovecraft's stories into its passages.

Such historical "Books of the Dead" as the ancient Egyptian Book of the Dead or the Tibetan Bardo Thodol are sometimes described as "real Necronomicons." They should not be confused with it, as their thrust is information to be read or remembered by the dead, rather than by the living to summon the dead. Lovecraft, however, may have been inspired by them.

Probable derivations

Various writers in the school of the Cthulhu Mythos have "quoted" from the Necronomicon, amongst them Clark Ashton Smith and August Derleth.

Necronomicon was the title of a book of paintings by the Swiss artist H. R. Giger (published in 1978); it was a quite appropriate title for his particularly sinister style of blended machinery and flesh.

In Sam Raimi's popular movies Evil Dead 2, and Army of Darkness, the Necronomicon Ex Mortis appears as an evil book of magic. (And in Evil Dead, the first of the trilogy that also includes them, hearing a recording of an academic reading from a similar book is blamed for all of the character Ash's later trouble.)

Science fiction author Neal Stephenson derived the title of his book Cryptonomicon from the Necronomicon featured in the Evil Dead movies, not knowing that the name had originated with H. P. Lovecraft.

The movie Necronomicon is based on Lovecraft's stories.

Terry Pratchett's Discworld features an "evil book" known as the Necrotelecomnicon, a parody of the title.
In The Simpsons, Bob Dole reads from the Necronomicon at the Republican headquarters.

In The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy, Billy steals Grim's copy of "The Bad Book" to raise Yog Soloth.

In an episode of Aqua Teen Hunger Force, Frylock almost gives Meatwad the Necronomicon instead of The Bible.

In an episode of Justice League Unlimited, shortly after entering Hades' library, Shayera and Wonder Woman come across the Necronomicon. Mere minutes later, Felix Faust casually mentions the book by name.

In an episode of The Venture Brothers, Dr. Orpheus refuses to swear on a Bible before taking the witness stand in court, instead preferring to take the oath on the Necronomicon.

In a level of Max Payne, Max encounters Necronomicon and Paradise Lost, among people who believe in the somewhat unrelated Norse mythology.
In Castlevania 64 for Nintendo 64, the option menu is a book entitled 'Necronomicon'.

In the video game Tales of Phantasia, a character named Klarth can equip a book called 'Necronomicon.'

In the video game Tales of Symphonia, a character named Abyssion possesses a book called 'Necronomicon.'

Digital Pinball: Necronomicon is a Japanese video pinball game for the Sega Saturn console.

In Megatokyo, a webcomic, one of the characters finds a book called Necrowombicon, said to be used to make Daikatana. The Necrowombicon has its origins in the webcomic Penny Arcade.

In the humourous film noir movie, Cast a Deadly Spell, Fred Ward plays the private detective H. Phillip Lovecraft, who is hired by a questionable character to retrieve a book called The Necronomicon, that has been stolen from the latter's personal library.

In Defense of the Ancients, the Necronomicon is an item that gives an increase to the Intelligence statistic and allows a player to summon two soldiers with necromatic powers. It is mainly useful to mages.

In 1971, science fiction author Larry Niven published a humorous short story called The Last Necronomicon.

In the comic Van Von Hunter. There is a book called Notdanecronomicon, that when touched without saying "all clear" it summons an undead army.

In the webcomic Sam and Fuzzy there is a book called "the necro-deatho-bookikon" reffered to as mainstream satanistic garbage.

In the 2nd edition Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay core book, there's a very thinly-veiled reference on page 219: "Another such volume is the Book of the Dead, written by the mad Arabyan prince Abdul ben Raschid ... Only the most strong-willed can read these books and retain any sense of sanity. These forbidden tomes tell of the horrible secrets of the beyond, of the dark insane dreams that the dead dream in their eternal rest."

In the song "Twisted", rapper Tech N9ne threatens to make a Christian read their kids the Necronomicon on Christmas.

In the Wild Arms video game series, the Necronomicon is an item that can be equipped to a magic user in order to greatly increase their magic statistics.