A childish act of violence

[sovay]

Today I learned about the depopulation of Malaga Island in 1912. The short course: after ordinarily existing for half a century on a small island off the coast of Maine, a mixed-race fishing community was demonized as physically and mentally degenerate, its families eventually evicted en masse by order of the state governor, dispersed into the mainland population or forcibly institutionalized. All traces of habitation were razed right down to emptying the island's cemetery. Innsmouth, no fish people needed. No one has built or lived on the island since. I am glad to read that some of the descendants are now reuniting. Otherwise it is simply more evidence that white supremacy is why we can't have nice things.

Comments

[sovay]

I’ve long suspected Lovecraft loosely based “Facts Concerning the Late Arthur Jermyn and His Family" on the life and works of 19th-century naturalist and taxidermist Charles Waterton

How so?

and I wouldn’t be surprised if he’d heard of this settlement.

Me neither: I know he put his horror of miscegeneration and his horror of his own family history and his fascination-repulsion with the sea into the story, but Malaga just feels too close to be pure parallel evolution, right down to the eugenics.

IIRC “Innsmouth” does indirectly reference it via the stationmaster who notes the presence of several such villages along the coast and theorizes the rumours about Innsmouth are “simple race prejudice.”

He does, although he then ruins any possibility of nuance by stating that he doesn't blame people for holding such prejudices: he feels the same way about the people of Innsmouth himself. (Thanks, Howard.)

[moon_custafer]

Waterton invented modern taxidermy, but in addition to preserving specimens he wasn’t above shaving a red monkey pelt, altering its features into a caricature of some local official he was feuding with, and exhibiting it to guests without comment, just waiting for them to notice the resemblance.

I believe he’d also returned from his travels with a wife who was viewed as rather exotic (she was part Arawak and a good deal younger than him) though I think she was attractive and well-liked rather than violent and mysteriously veiled. Sadly she died shortly after the birth of their son.

[sovay]

in addition to preserving specimens he wasn’t above shaving a red monkey pelt, altering its features into a caricature of some local official he was feuding with, and exhibiting it to guests without comment, just waiting for them to notice the resemblance.

That is a commitment to trolling I can respect.

Sadly she died shortly after the birth of their son.

I am sorry to hear that. I see why you wonder if the wife from abroad became part of Lovecraft's story.

[moon_custafer]

I think there was yet another story where the name of the historical werewolf pinged something in my memory and a bit of searching turned up the actual trial, although HPL had either changed or misremembered the date by a couple of centuries.