Meaning
What does Ph’nglui mglw’nafh cthulhu r’lyeh wgah’nagl fhtagn mean?
Ph’nglui mglw’nafh Cthulhu R’lyeh wgah’nagl fhtagn is a popular expression among fans of H. P. Lovecraft’s works.
It is a phrase that is frequently debated due to its cryptic nature, and its multiple meanings, depending on interpretation.
“Ph’nglui mglw’nafh Cthulhu R’lyeh wgah’nagl fhtagn” is generally translated as “In his house, dead Cthulhu of R’lyeh waits dreaming”; however, the words “fhtagn” and “wgah’nagl” have multiple meanings.
The word, “fhtagn” which is translated as “dreaming” can also be interpreted as “creating”, while the “wgah’nagl” can also be understood as a measure of time.
A different translation of the sentence could result in “from his place of power, inert Cthulhu of R’lyeh temporarily creates”.
This could be understood as the old god dreaming the very existence of all of us.
Origin
What's the origin of Ph’nglui mglw’nafh cthulhu r’lyeh wgah’nagl fhtagn?
The first mention of the phrase was published in the 1926 short story of H. P. Lovecraft, titled The Call of Cthulhu.
It is here, that the original, general translation can be found for the chant.
Spread & Usage
How did Ph’nglui mglw’nafh cthulhu r’lyeh wgah’nagl fhtagn spread?
The language, invented by Lovecraft became a topic of interest among many fans of his literary works, with plenty of people attempting to translate and interpret the phrase.
It has been cited in various different works in the past century, be it fantasy novels, new age grimoires or Reddit threads, the sacred mantra of Cthulhu can be found everywhere.

External resources
- Scifinow.co.uk – Ph’nglui mglw’nafh Cthulhu R’lyeh wgah’nagl fhtagn
- Wikipedia – Cthulhu