I respect Tolkien’s philosophy that even an author shouldn’t know everything about their own world. Tom Bombadil is a good example of this mystery. I agree with it, but that makes writing eldritch horror tricky—because sometimes what you don’t understand are the very creatures you’re trying to describe.
Lets play a game
This idea came to me while working out recently. I decided to get in shape so I started walking in my back yard and wore a path through the grass. I noticed a spider coming up to the path and very carefully crossing it as I stepped over him and it got me thinking. What if I am the eldritch horror to him?
This idea is not mine alone. I have read several peoples ideas talking about what if you could show an ant the world from a human perspective for a few moments and then sent him back, that is how madness in these type of tales work. Others chimed into that discussion saying that if a bunch of ants started conducting a ritual in their kitchen they would notice and it could have horrific repercussions for the ants.
The Thought Experiment
My train of thought goes something like this.
What if insects lived only a single 90-day season, while humans lived an average of 90 years? Then every day in a human life would feel like an entire year to an insect. With 24 hours in a day and 12 months in a year, an insect’s “calendar” might look something like this:
Midnight - 2AM: January
2AM - 4AM: February
4AM - 6AM: March
6AM - 8AM: April
8AM - 10AM: May
10AM - Noon: June
Noon - 2PM: July
2PM - 4PM: August
4PM - 6PM: September
6PM - 8PM: October
8PM - 10PM: November
10PM - Midnight: December
That means that when I take my walks at 9AM, 12PM, and 5PM for about 30 minutes each it is like three times a year in the spring, summer, and autumn this great being comes out. It cares not for the insects that crawl across its path… how many die to it because it is a force of nature just walking through the world. What about when it does not show up for a year or more… or when it comes more often? What about the once a decade event where the great wind (lawn mower) comes with it?
A strange gathering of insects might draw my attention, as that spider once did. I have no ability to heal or grant what I would consider miracles… but what if I dropped food for them? What if I stepped on them? Without meaning to, I could easily bring fortune or disaster.
Writing Prompt
Imagine walking through your own backyard. From the perspective of the insects that live there, what myths, legends, or rituals might form around your presence? Would you bring them prosperity or despair? Fortune or Ruin?
