An Arabic term that refers to both the chirping of nocturnal insects and the ambient sound made by the chattering of demons. This is the original title of the feared Necronomicon, the Book of Dead Names, penned by the Mad Arab, Abdul Alhazred.
Nor is it to be thought that man is either the oldest or the last of earth’s masters, or that the common bulk of life and substances walks alone. The Old Ones were, the Old Ones are, and the Old Ones shall be. Not in the spaces we know, but between them, They walk serene and primal, undimensioned and to us unseen. Yog-Sothoth knows the gate. Yog-Sothoth is the gate. Yog-Sothoth is the key and guardian of the gate. Past, present, future, all are one in Yog-Sothoth. He knows where the Old Ones broke through of old, and where They shall break through again. He knows where They have trod earth’s fields, and where They still tread them, and why no one can behold Them as They tread. By Their smell can men sometimes know Them near, but of Their semblance can no man know, saving only in the features of those They have begotten on mankind; and of those are there many sorts, differing in likeness from man’s truest eidolon to that shape without sight or substance which is Them. They walk unseen and foul in lonely places where the Words have been spoken and the Rites howled through at their Seasons. The wind gibbers with Their voices, and the earth mutters with Their consciousness. They bend the forest and crush the city, yet may not forest or city behold the hand that smites. Kadath in the cold waste hath known Them, and what man knows Kadath? The ice desert of the South and the sunken isles of Ocean hold stones where Their seal is engraven, but who hath seen the deep frozen city or the sealed tower long garlanded with seaweed and barnacles? Great Cthulhu is Their cousin, yet can he spy Them only dimly. Iä! Shub-Niggurath! As a foulness shall ye know Them. Their hand is at your throats, yet ye see Them not; and Their habitation is even one with your guarded threshold. Yog-Sothoth is the key to the gate, whereby the spheres meet. Man rules now where They ruled once; They shall soon rule where man rules now. After summer is winter, and after winter summer. They wait patient and potent, for here shall They reign again.
A sinister, sinuous incense of summoning, a herald and paean to the Primordial Gods of Darkness, Chaos, Madness and Decay.
kitten.spell –
It smells very strong, sharp, and cinnamony on me. It’s a little strong for me and easy to over do when putting on, but my partner LOVES it, and says that it “smells like the way [I] smell but more intense”
desertcryptid –
Spicy, sexy, dark, devious, and devine. This is my all-time favorite BPAL scent, perfect for luring unsuspecting victims into the woods for a ritualistic orgy. Or for being the best smelling in the room at all times.
twopeople007 –
Makes me think of gingerbread icecream full of glass. Sweet, but that quickly gives way to something dark. The darkness comes out more and more the longer i wear it, in a way that’s hard to put a finger on. Has impressive staying power. Definitely interested in buying again!
libbiehawker –
In the imp, it has a decidedly gourmand scent that reminds me of Dr. Pepper–a bit of spice but a lot of vanilla and sweetness. On my skin, it took on an assertively cinnamon note that drowned out everything else. There was a moment when it was drying down where I could get all the lovely complex notes everyone else got on dry-down–vanilla, resins, ginger, etc. I loved it for about a minute. And then it was just cinnamon. 🙁 But I have weird skin chemistry that only plays nicely with a very narrow range of ingredients, so having a perfume everyone else loves turn one-note and overpowering on me isn’t anything new. Alas! My search continues for the right gourmand scent, but if you love spicy and mouth-watering fragrances, give this one a try.
mtchyg –
This smells exactly like an Oatmeal Raisin cookie with some extra baking spice added in. Delicious, warm, inviting
ldircks91 –
Was totally not expecting to like this! Initially, it smells like a swirl of cinnamon, nutmeg, and cream — perfect for colder months and especially end-of-year festivities. But it stops just short of gourmand as it dries, becoming darker and more herbal with a fresh ginger top note. Makes me think of the way Poisoned Apple shifts from a sweet, wholesome scent to something tainted but still alluring.
Serena –
Evil gingerbread incense is very apt. Dark, delicious, wonderful smelling with a little bit of an off note at the end (which I assume will come forward more with the rest of the herbs as it ages, mine is rather new). I thought I wasn’t a foodie person but it turns out this (combined with Le Lethe) makes me feel so happy, autumn-wintery, and powerful, that I can’t help but be converted to the faction of people who love smelling like a witchy bakery. So much love for this scent, and definitely fits its namesake well.
karimelapples –
I ordered this a few days ago and I’m incredibly happy with it. From the bottle is rather sweet, but once it dries I can smell the ginger and a managerie of herbs and spices; the sweetness is still there but the ginger and resin is dominant. It’s complex and soothing at the same time, but using too much can be a bit overpowering. I highly recommend it if you like the scent of spices as much as I do.
artimisia –
Small disclaimer: I am not a foodie, so this imp was already fighting an uphill battle. That said, I didn’t care too much for this one. The ginger was there, but I was also getting a very strong smell of both cinnamon and nutmeg. There seemed to be a milky undertone in keeping with the whole baked goods theme. But it didn’t work on me at all. On me it smelled like soggy French toast with too much nutmeg added.
For a better foodie scent in the same vein, try Chimera. That one smells exactly like Cinnabons. Mmmm.
Dagny –
This is all I wear now. Spicy, sexy, and a little dangerous–the best armor there is.
lookingglass –
Yaaas! Evil gingerbread incense!
Hellokoi –
Cinnamon and spices usually don’t work on me from bpal, but this smells like sweet, delicious, just starting to burn around the edges gingerbread cookies. Wonderful and comforting.
Natalie –
I wasn’t off at first by the scent from the bottle: buttery caramel popcorn. It was unpleasantly buttery. However, determined to give every single purchase a try, I put it on. The smell from the bottle lasted about 30 seconds, transforming into a beautiful, dark, spicy, and richly brooding scent. It was quite fun bearing witness to said transformation. Lasts quite a while, too.
dementia_divine –
In the imp: Ginger and resins (but mostly ginger)! I like to think of it as evil gingerbread.
Wet: Ginger dominant, along with cinnamon, a hint of something citrus (I think it is the herbs?) and the resins. The herbs become sharper and stronger over time, but it remains ginger and spice dominant.
Dry: Mostly ginger and spices (along with a few herbs).
Verdict: I prefer this scent in candle form (as the candle is creamier than the perfume oil), but this is a nice gingerbread-like scent.
woodenmango –
Out of the vial” Oddly enough my very first thought was peanut butter then I then I realized it was more like ginger molasses cookies(as others have said). After a couple more sniffs it gets more astringent smelling, probably the herbs. On me it continues to kind of smell like ginger molasses cookies it gets warmer and abit spicier. Its surprisingly sweet after awhile (my geuss would be one of the resins is benzoin?). I like it alot.
Suzanne –
My ex got this for me years ago and I am buying myself another vial! I’ve described it as “an evil cookie.” I absolutely love ginger in all incarnations and this is one of the most delightful ways to get my fix. Has a certain unsettling warmth to it that matches the description perfectly.
lynsey.curtner –
It starts off smelling like gingerbread, which surprised me a bit as I was expecting something a little more sinister given the title, but as time goes on it rapidly turns into a pleasantly spicy, incense-y scent which I really liked. It’s actually kind of clever. Shub-Niggurath’s supposed to be a dark mother, fertility figure so it makes sense that this perfume starts off with a motherly scent that turns into something otherwordly and mysterious.
lynsey.curtner –
It starts off smelling like gingerbread, which surprised me a bit as I was expecting something a little more sinister given the title, but as time goes on it rapidly turns into a pleasantly spicy, incense-y scent which I really liked. It’s actually kind of clever. Shub-Niggurath’s supposed to be a dark mother, fertility figure so it makes sense that this perfume starts off with a motherly scent that turns into something otherwordly and mysterious.