Cthulhu eating souls? Where does this meme come from?

[spookyparadigm]

It seems like every "skin-deep" internet take on Cthulhu has "him" eating your rending your soul.

This is, well, not exactly very Lovecraftian in any number of ways. Sure, you could argue that souls make an appearance in a few HPL stories (Thing on the Doorstep, The Terrible Old Man, maybe Shadow Out of Time), which does sort of clash with the more materialist perspective in most HPL stories, but it isn't the only time such a thing happens. But the "Cthulhu will eat your soul" thing is not even remotely reflected.

The "Calls for Cthulhu" videos probably have played a role in propagating this meme (as it is a major running gag in the videos), but I'm almost certain it predates them.

Can anyone point to an actual Cthulhu Mythos story in which the idea of Cthulhu "eating your soul" appears? The closest I can think of is Stross' "A Colder War," though there eat isn't exactly the word I'd use, but it could be interpreted that way. I've read some of the Derleth stories, though not all, and I don't remember this, though that seems like it might be a place to start.

[GBSteve]

'We will tear your soul apart' is a quote from Hellraiser (1987). "Or if I go away and lock this door, then nobody will come, ever, and youH die here in the dark, and those I serve will eat your flesh and eat your soul and leave your bones here in the dust?" is from The Tombs of Atuan by Ursula LeGuin (1971). The earliest mention of Cthulhu doing such that I can find is from 1996.

[Clangador]

Let's not forget Stormbringer from the '60s.

[spookyparadigm]

It just hit me, inspired by GBSteve's post.

It might be Hellraiser (to respond to Clangador's point, the idea of eating souls I guess isn't that old, nor is the idea of using them in the Christian Hell as building or other materials), but I think there is a more likely source that fits right in with geek love, easy access (the thing about this meme is that it goes with skin-deep Cthulhu familiarity. Someone who has read Moorcock or LeGuin AND is familiar with Cthulhu is probably not what we're looking for).

Instead, how about a very VERY geek friendly source, present and very quoted since the early days of the web, and with a nominal tie to Lovecraft through the Necronomicon?

http://movieclips.com/mTRy-army-of-d...the-king-baby/

and previously

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1-WBjJ1MliU

Still not sure when exactly this then becomes a Cthulhu "thing" but it is probably just someone like the writer at the 1996 link who fused the two

[BaneOfNyarlathotep]

I've always thought this was weird, too.

[Clangador]

Those movies were somewhat inspired by Lovecraft.

[anacharis]

What the Moon Brings, maybe?