Hounds of Tindalos

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A Hound of Tindalos is a creation of Frank Belknap Long for the Cthulhu Mythos of H.P. Lovecraft. The fictional creatures first appeared in Long's short story "The Hounds of Tindalos" (1931). Lovecraft mentions the creatures in his short story "The Whisperer in Darkness" (1931).

[edit] Description

"They are lean and athirst!" he shrieked... "All the evil in the universe was concentrated in their lean, hungry bodies. Or had they bodies? I saw them only for a moment, I cannot be certain."
—Frank Belknap Long, "The Hounds of Tindalos"

The Hounds of Tindalos dwell in the distant past of the earth, when normal life had not yet advanced past one-celled animals. They are said to inhabit the angles of time, while other beings (such as humankind and all common life) descend from curves. The Hounds are thought to be immortal and are believed to lust after something in humankind and other normal life, and will follow victims through time and space to get it. Their appearance is unknown because no characters who meet them survive long enough to give a description.

Though the Hounds are sometimes pictured as canine, probably because of the evocative name of the first story in which they appeared, it is not likely that they appear as such. Various pastiches suggest that the Hounds are more bat-like in appearance, like the byakhee, or may appear even worse. The name Hounds of Tindalos refers more to the creatures' habits than their appearance.

Because of their relationship with the angles of time, they can materialize through any corner if it is fairly sharp—120º or less. When a Hound is about to appear, it materializes first as smoke pouring from the corner, and finally the head emerges followed by the thing's body. It is said that once a human becomes known to one of these creatures, a Hound of Tindalos will pursue the victim through anything to reach its quarry.

[edit] Other appearances

The Hounds are minor Final Fantasy X-2 lupine spirit-creatures, named Tindalos in the game.

The Hounds chase the time-traveler De Marigny in Brian Lumley's Elysia (book VI of the "Titus Crow" or Cthulhu Cycle Deities saga).

Shadow Hearts uses a very loose interpretation of one of the creatures as a boss. Tindalos, as it is referred to, is depicted as resembling the rotting corpse of a giant, skinned dog, and is of a very different origin from the Hounds.

Macho Women with Guns is a comedy role-playing game that parodies many subjects, including the Cthulhu Mythos. Its list of "critters" includes the Puppies of Tindalos.

In the Unspeakable Vault of Doom, a webcomic satirizing the Cthulhu Mythos beings, there is a lean, dog-like being capable of passing through other dimensions known as "Tindaloo", which sometimes acts as the "family dog" to the deities.