#racial memory

Perhaps the oddest of all Lovecraft's fictional creatures with origins from worlds or planets beyond Earth are the FUNGI FROM YUGGOTH. These entities have come to earth from Yuggoth, which modern earthlings have come to call Pluto. Supposedly their ultimate point of origin is even farther away. Unlike most of Lovecraft's other alien creatures who may exist in the human psyche as 'racial memories', the Fungi - who are apparently the reality behind the, Yeti, Mi-Go, Abominable Snowman myths, look about as unlikely in that roll as anything could be! In essence the Fungi from Yuggoth are pink, crab-like monsters with mushroom heads, and the wings of a bat. What motivated Lovecraft to concoct such a thing to feature in his story, THE WHISPERER IN DARKNESS, is hard to fathom. Ultimately I think the idea seriously detracts from the story. Though 'Whisperer' was written at a time when Lovecraft was creating his greatest masterpieces, I personally don't think it measures up to tales like AT THE MOUNTAINS OF MADNESS, THE SHADOW OVER INNSMOUTH, or THE SHADOW OUT OF TIME, even remotely. Was Lovecraft making a sneering comment on the whole concept of Racial Memory itself? (Exhibit 347)

M. de Charlus...gave a little laugh that was peculiar to him, a laugh that had probably come down from some Bavarian or Lorraine grandmother, who had herself got the identical laugh from one of her forebears, so that it had been ringing out like this, unchanged, for a good few centuries in the lesser courts of old Europe, and its precious quality had been enjoyed, like that of certin old musical instruments now grown very uncommon.