Hunting Horror

A Hunting Horror is a fictional monster in the Cthulhu Mythos of H. P. Lovecraft. The creature was first mentioned in Lovecraft's novella The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath (1926).

Description

And in the air about him were great viperine creatures, which had curiously distorted heads, and grotesquely great clawed appendages, supporting themselves with ease by the aid of black rubbery wings of singularly monstrous dimensions.
—August Derleth, The Lurker at the Threshold

Hunting Horrors resemble enormous ropy, black serpents or worms with bat-like or umbrella-like wings. Their forms are said to continually shift and change, twitching and writhing, so that it is hard to view them. Some may have only a single large wing rather than two.

These beings are dispelled by daylight, though a strong enough burst of light could sear one to dust. Hunting Horrors move swiftly and serve as harriers for the god Nyarlathotep. One of Nyarlathotep's avatars, the Haunter of the Dark, shares similar traits with the Hunting Horrors.

References

• Derleth, August; H. P. Lovecraft [1945] (2003). The Lurker at the Threshold. Pub Group West. ISBN 0-7867-1188-4. 

• Harms, Daniel (1998). "Hunting Horrors". The Encyclopedia Cthulhiana (2nd ed. ed.). Oakland, CA: Chaosium. pp. 142. ISBN 1-56882-119-0. 

• Lovecraft, Howard P. [1926] (1985). "The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath". In S.T. Joshi (ed.). At the Mountains of Madness and Other Novels (7th corrected printing ed.). Sauk City, WI: Arkham House. ISBN 0-87054-038-6.