more on Cthulhu’s appearance

This is Michael Austin, making a good point:

“I may be mistaken, but I’m pretty sure all of the descriptions given of Cthlulhu are actually descriptions of representations of him. For instance, the passage where he is described as a mix of octopus, dragon and human is actually the description of the bas-relief scultpure created by Wilcox. The longer description that I remember is actually of the Cthulhu idol worshiped by the voodoo cult:

‘It represented a monster of vaguely anthropoid outline, but with an octopus-like head whose face was a mass of feelers, a scaly, rubbery-looking body, prodigious claws on hind and fore feet, and long, narrow wings behind. This thing, which seemed instinct with a fearsome and unnatural malignancy, was of a somewhat bloated corpulence, and squatted evilly on a rectangular block or pedestal covered with undecipherable characters.’

Later on, when he is awakened, he is described as beyond description, though Lovecraft mentiones “flabby claws” and a “squid-head with writhing feelers.” I think it is safe to say that Cthulhu remains beyond any phenomenological description, but certainly characters have created representations of him, and that isn’t to say that we are to believe they are exact either. Even the drawing you posted of him by Lovecraft looks as though it could simply be a sketch of the statue’s description.”

Excellently put, and the “squid-head with writhing feelers” point would also explain why the head has to be the octopus part, bot the dragon part.