According to legend, Valdemar was a black mass of life created or released by the Great Old Ones when they penetrated the higher dimensions. This force then swept across the universe like a stain, almost destroying the Great Old Ones. These myths also state that it was a force that required life to contain its essence. The survivors, however, managed to kill it and buried Valdemar on the planet Ashkellia. Stories existed on numerous worlds, including Gallifrey, that the entity survived and awaited its resurrection. In fact, the riddle of Valdemar and the Great Old Ones is number six on the list of great ten mysteries of the Universe.