Yig
Encyclopedia
Yig is a deity in H.P. Lovecraft's Cthulhu mythos
. He appears as a serpent man, serpent with bat-like wings, or as a giant snake.
Yig first appeared in the story "The Curse of Yig
", which was created by Zealia Bishop
and almost completely rewritten by Lovecraft. Although Yig is easy to anger, he is easy to please as well. Yig often sends his serpent minions, the children of Yig, to destroy or transform his enemies.
To Native Americans
in Lovecraft's story, Yig is regarded as "bad medicine". He is also alluded to in western American folklore. He is identified with the Mesoamerican deity Quetzalcoatl
, and may be a prototype for that god and other serpentine gods worldwide. Some authors identify him as the Stygian serpent god Set from Robert E. Howard's
Conan stories, and also with the Great Serpent worshiped by the Serpent People of Valusia from Howard's Kull stories.
Yig is the subject of a song by the shock rock band GWAR
entitled "Horror of Yig", which appears on their album Scumdogs of the Universe. Yig also appears in an often-used version of GWAR's logo, as well as appearing on-stage as a monster the band battles. The band The Darkest of the Hillside Thickets
, famous for their Lovecraft references, also refers to Yig in a song titled "Yig Snake Daddy". The death metal band Nile
also references the deity, as well as Father Set in their song "SSS Haa Set Yoth," drawing references between the two as serpent gods, postulating a mythological Lovecraftian interpretation of the Reptilian conspiracy proposed by David Icke
, namely that the Reptilians are in fact the children of Yig and Set.
Yig is also the name of a deity in the Arcanis Dungeons & Dragons
campaign setting. Yig was once (and may still) be worshipped by the Ssethregorean Empire, a group dominated by various lizard and snake-like beings. Yig in this mythos is a female deity, but still strongly associated with serpents, suggesting the name is not a coincidence.
Despite being spoken of on only a few occasions in Lovecraft's work, Yig is one of the Ancient Ones included in the Arkham Horror
board game, appearing alongside Great Old Ones such as Cthulhu
and Nyarlahotep.
Yig appears as a deity in Green Ronin's role-playing game Mutants & Masterminds, along side references to The King in Yellow
, as described in the Book of Magic sourcebook. the book gives three spells that can be invoked in his name, one of which is called The Curse of Yig
(mimicking the title of Bishop/Lovecraft's novel), which conjures snakes depending on the character's magic rank. The magic item, The Serpent Scepter, may also be linked to Yig, but the sourcebook doesn't explicitly describe this.
Cthulhu Mythos
The Cthulhu Mythos is a shared fictional universe, based on the work of American horror writer H. P. Lovecraft.The term was first coined by August Derleth, a contemporary correspondent of Lovecraft, who used the name of the creature Cthulhu - a central figure in Lovecraft literature and the focus...
. He appears as a serpent man, serpent with bat-like wings, or as a giant snake.
Yig first appeared in the story "The Curse of Yig
The Curse of Yig
"The Curse of Yig" is a short story by H. P. Lovecraft and Zealia Bishop in which Yig, "The Father of Serpents", is first introduced.-Background:...
", which was created by Zealia Bishop
Zealia Bishop
Zealia Brown-Reed Bishop was an American writer of short stories.Her stories appeared in the magazine Weird Tales. However, they were extensively revised by H. P...
and almost completely rewritten by Lovecraft. Although Yig is easy to anger, he is easy to please as well. Yig often sends his serpent minions, the children of Yig, to destroy or transform his enemies.
To Native Americans
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
in Lovecraft's story, Yig is regarded as "bad medicine". He is also alluded to in western American folklore. He is identified with the Mesoamerican deity Quetzalcoatl
Quetzalcoatl
Quetzalcoatl is a Mesoamerican deity whose name comes from the Nahuatl language and has the meaning of "feathered serpent". The worship of a feathered serpent deity is first documented in Teotihuacan in the first century BCE or first century CE...
, and may be a prototype for that god and other serpentine gods worldwide. Some authors identify him as the Stygian serpent god Set from Robert E. Howard's
Robert E. Howard
Robert Ervin Howard was an American author who wrote pulp fiction in a diverse range of genres. Best known for his character Conan the Barbarian, he is regarded as the father of the sword and sorcery subgenre....
Conan stories, and also with the Great Serpent worshiped by the Serpent People of Valusia from Howard's Kull stories.
Yig is the subject of a song by the shock rock band GWAR
GWAR
Gwar is a satirical heavy metal band formed in Richmond, Virginia, United States, in 1984. The band is best known for its elaborate science fiction/horror film inspired costumes, obscene lyrics and graphic stage performances, which feature humorous enactments of politically and morally taboo...
entitled "Horror of Yig", which appears on their album Scumdogs of the Universe. Yig also appears in an often-used version of GWAR's logo, as well as appearing on-stage as a monster the band battles. The band The Darkest of the Hillside Thickets
The Darkest of the Hillside Thickets
The Darkest of the Hillside Thickets is a rock band from Chilliwack, British Columbia, Canada. Their music largely consists of often tongue-in-cheek homages to the works of H. P...
, famous for their Lovecraft references, also refers to Yig in a song titled "Yig Snake Daddy". The death metal band Nile
Nile (band)
Nile is an American death metal band from Greenville, South Carolina, formed in 1993. Their music and lyrics are inspired by Ancient Egyptian/Near Eastern mysticism, history, religion, and art, as well as stories by H. P. Lovecraft.- History :...
also references the deity, as well as Father Set in their song "SSS Haa Set Yoth," drawing references between the two as serpent gods, postulating a mythological Lovecraftian interpretation of the Reptilian conspiracy proposed by David Icke
David Icke
David Vaughan Icke is an English writer and public speaker, best known for his views on what he calls "who and what is really controlling the world." Describing himself as the most controversial speaker in the world, he has written 18 books explaining his position, and has attracted a substantial...
, namely that the Reptilians are in fact the children of Yig and Set.
Yig is also the name of a deity in the Arcanis Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons is a fantasy role-playing game originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, and first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. . The game has been published by Wizards of the Coast since 1997...
campaign setting. Yig was once (and may still) be worshipped by the Ssethregorean Empire, a group dominated by various lizard and snake-like beings. Yig in this mythos is a female deity, but still strongly associated with serpents, suggesting the name is not a coincidence.
Despite being spoken of on only a few occasions in Lovecraft's work, Yig is one of the Ancient Ones included in the Arkham Horror
Arkham Horror
Arkham Horror is an adventure board game designed by Richard Launius, originally published in 1987 by Chaosium and most recently published in 2005 and revised in 2007 by Fantasy Flight Games. In both editions, players take on the role of investigators in H. P. Lovecraft's Massachusetts town of...
board game, appearing alongside Great Old Ones such as Cthulhu
Cthulhu
Cthulhu is a fictional character that first appeared in the short story "The Call of Cthulhu", published in the pulp magazine Weird Tales in 1928. The character was created by writer H. P...
and Nyarlahotep.
Yig appears as a deity in Green Ronin's role-playing game Mutants & Masterminds, along side references to The King in Yellow
The King in Yellow
The King in Yellow is a collection of short stories written by Robert W. Chambers and published in 1895. The stories could be categorized as early horror fiction or Victorian Gothic fiction, but the work also touches on mythology, fantasy, mystery, science fiction and romance...
, as described in the Book of Magic sourcebook. the book gives three spells that can be invoked in his name, one of which is called The Curse of Yig
The Curse of Yig
"The Curse of Yig" is a short story by H. P. Lovecraft and Zealia Bishop in which Yig, "The Father of Serpents", is first introduced.-Background:...
(mimicking the title of Bishop/Lovecraft's novel), which conjures snakes depending on the character's magic rank. The magic item, The Serpent Scepter, may also be linked to Yig, but the sourcebook doesn't explicitly describe this.