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The Gnophkehs are a fictional race in the Cthulhu Mythos. They are humanoid cannibals described as being covered in coarse, matted hair with large protruding ears and proboscidean noses. They originally lived in Hyperborea and worshiped the Great Old One Rhan-Tegoth.[1] But Rhan-Tegoth eventually forgot them when he entered a stone-like hibernation state. They were invaded and driven to the land of Lomar by the Tsathoggua-worshipping Voormis.

The papyrus reputedly preserved the darkest secrets of the occult wisdom of the detested Gnophkehs, which name denoted the repulsively hirsute cannibals whom Yhemog's ancestors had driven into exile in the arctic barrens. This scroll contained, in fact, the most arcane and potent ceremonials whereby the Gnophkehs had worshipped [sic] their atrocious divinity, who was no less than an avatar of the cosmic obscenity Rhan-Tegoth, and was attributed to Morloc himself, the Grand Shaman.
— Lin Carter and Clark Ashton Smith, "The Scroll of Morloc"

Later on they were again invaded by humans from Zobna and driven even further up north. It was there that Ithaqua, the wind-walker, appeared, to whom the Gnophkhehs transferred their allegiance. They started to harass the Voormis again as they grew in power contributing to the demise of the Voormis civilization.[2]

The Gnophkehs in Lomar were eventually destroyed when Ithaqua and Aphoom-Zhah brought about the Ice Age along with the remnants of the Voormis in Hyperborea and the human civilization in Zobna.[3]


Often confused with the humanoid Gnophkehs, the Gnoph-keh (note the hyphen) refers to a fictional species of non-humans that once dwelt in Hyperborea (present-day Greenland). They are violent, hairy, demonic entities, with an affinity for cold, ice and snow. Artwork portrays them as similar to very large six-legged polar bears, with a narwhal-like horn.[4] Their existence is entwined with the humanoid Gnophkehs who worshiped them[5] as totemic mediators with Ithaqua.[6] They might also be further linked with Rhan-Tegoth and Aphoom-Zhah.[7]

See also[edit]


  • Harms, Daniel (1998). "Gnoph-keh". The Encyclopedia Cthulhiana (2nd ed. ed.). Oakland, CA: Chaosium. p. 122. ISBN 1-56882-119-0. 
—"Gnophkehs", pp. 122–123, ibid.
  • Carter, Lin; Clark Ashton Smith (1976). The Year's Best Fantasy Stories 2. United States: DAW Books. ISBN 978-4-511-24812-0.