Hastur was originally introduced into modern writing by
Ambrose Bierce, who refers to the name on several occasions, so I am told. In early
Cthulhu Mythos writings, the name seems to be that of a place, associated with the stars
Aldebaran, the
Hyades and the
Pleiades, the city of
Carcosa and the
Lake of Hali. The play '
The King in Yellow' is said to be a ritual aimed at establishing communication with this place. The
Yellow Sign is also associated with Hastur.
The idea of Hastur as a creature is due to the interference of
August Derleth, one of the
H P Lovecraft's heirs. No precise description of this being has ever appeared, and the picture in the
Call of Cthulhu rule book of a
Salvador Dali-esque melted body is not terribly evocative. It was in the First Edition
Advanced Dungeons and Dragons Deities and Demigods book, first printing, that the legend about the name of Hastur first appears. Deriving from other accounts that certain
demons can hear their names spoken, and will respond, this legend asserts that anyone speaking the name of Hastur three times will suffer an awful death, purportedly at the hands of the
Great Old One himself.
Terry Pratchett and
Neil Gaiman use the name in
Good Omens to refer to a
Duke of Hell, who travels accompanied by another demon named
Ligur and causes trouble for the story's
protagonists.