25: The Curse of Yig

For tonight's episode, I'll be reading "The Curse of Yig," by HP Lovecraft and Zealia Bishop, which was first published in the November, 1929 issue of Weird Tales.

This reading includes, first and foremost, some unkind descriptions and misunderstandings of traditional Native American and Central American culture, as well as the displacement of those people by white American settlers.

However, the most obviously racist terms used by Lovecraft and Bishop to describe American Indians have been excised from this reading, and replaced with the more textually appropriate term, "Indian." It is this reader's understanding that the term "Indian" is not immediately and obviously offensive, and has been used throughout the 20th and 21st Centuries to describe the the specific cultures Lovecraft and Bishop are referring to, both within and without those cultures.

While other terms certainly exist, none seem to be universally adopted as the most correct term, and most are much more modern than the period written about. A Wikipedia article on this sensitive topic can provide more background.

With that said, this reading also touches on the horrors of Oklahoma barbecue, a poorly performed Ozarkian accent, supernatural birth defects, nonconsensual asylum commitment, a dog that dies in the end, snake violence, and acute ophidiophobia. If these subjects are likely to upset you, you are urged to skip this podcast episode.

The ambient background sounds are by Michael Ghelfi Studios, and is available on YouTube by searching for "Serpents Temple Adventure Ambience."

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