The 2005 silent film “Call of Cthulhu” finally came up in my Netflix queue earlier this week. It’s a wonderfully done little movie, by the way, in a 1920s style with some Caligari-esque sets, and the closest adaption of an HP Lovecraft story I’ve seen (and I’ve seen a lot of loosely-based-on-Lovecraft movies).
Among the extras was a making-of featurette, in which some the film’s crew talked about the film’s design. I was struck, however, by the way they all pronounced “R’lyeh”–sort of like “Ruh-LAY,” with a strong emphasis on the second syllable.
Now, whenever I’ve had reason to speak aloud the dread name of the antedeluvian sunken city where Cthulhu fhtagns, I’ve pronounced it more like “Rye-la.”
So I ask now out of general curiosity, how do you pronounce it?
Well, no, you need squamous and eldritch organs of namelessly horrible speech to pronounce it correctly. The longer tongue might help a little - but good grief, OP, why are you even trying this?
Because if you don’t pronounce it right who knows what you might summon up? Do you just go around randomly pronouncing terms in summoning rituals and hope of the best?! :eek:
I’ve never dared to say it out loud–what do you think I am, some kind of fool?–but if I did, it would be something like Ruh-LIE-uh. If I lived long enough to get it out.
Look, if you’re interested, I hear there’s a spot opening up with the Sons of Sub-Niggurath… something about one of their acolytes being committed… I can put you in touch with some people who know some people…
They’ll need an answer soon though, the circle must be complete for the Shoggoth summoning come the equinox.
(To the OP: I don’t know if there’s an official pronunciation, but I’ve always said R’lyeh with an “R” like the first part of “red” followed by “lay”).
Whenever Cthulhu and I go out drinking, the same thing always happens. About 2 in the morning when he’s really hammered he gets all weepy and starts talking about the old days and home.
He pronounces it Rhuhl-YEt with the t kind of slurred but by that point everything is kind of slurred so…who knows.
