63. Chthonic

Cthulhu fans rejoice, because this week Emily and Kyle discuss the meaning and origin of chthonic, a word that likely inspired the name of Lovecraft’s most beloved beast.

They talk about this word’s association with both the underground and the underworld, and get in a delightful dose of Greek mythology to boot. Chthonic can be used to describe Greek gods of both Hell and Earth, including Hades, Persephone, Dionysus, and more.

Our hosts also bring in another word for describing the gods, this one deriving from the primordial god of the sky, Uranus. These “uranic” gods of Mount Olympus seem entirely opposite to the chthonic gods, even with their own forms of ritual and sacrifice. But Kyle and Emily discuss how they might not be so far apart after all.