Esoteric Order of Dagon
The
Esoteric Order of Dagon is a fictional
cult in the
Cthulhu mythos of
H.P. Lovecraft.
Esoteric Order of Dagon was the primary religion in
Innsmouth after Captain Obed Marsh returned from the South Seas with the dark religion circa 1838. It quickly took root due to its promises of expensive gold artifacts and fish, which were desired by the primarily-fishing town.
The central beings worshipped by the Order were the
Deep Ones,
Father Dagon,
Mother Hydra, and, to a lesser extent,
Cthulhu. The Deep Ones were seen largely as intermediaries between the various gods, rather than as gods themselves. Even so, the cultists sacrificed various locals to the Deep Ones at specific times in exchange for a limitless supply of gold and fish.
The Esoteric Order of Dagon (which masqueraded as the local
Masonic movement) had three oaths which members had to take. The first was an oath of secrecy, the second, an oath of loyalty, and the third, an oath to marry a Deep One and bear or sire its child.
The Esoteric Order of Dagon was seemingly destroyed when one of Obed Marsh's
lost descendants sent the U.S. Treasury Department to seize the town. As a result, the town was more or less destroyed, and the Order was thought disbanded.
* In the movie
Dagon, the Esoteric Order of Dagon appears as the primary antagonist.
* The Esoteric Order is also featured in many
Call of Cthulhu role-playing game supplements.
* "
The Shadow over Innsmouth"
*
A group named after the Esoteric Order of Dagon
