Yig

Yig, the Father of Serpents, is a half-anthropomorphic Great Old One who was worshipped as a god in Central America and the southern states of the USA. While he had an arbitrary and capricious nature he was also fiercely protective of his serpentine offspring and would punish anyone who dared harm them. He is the father of Ayi'ig and the mate of the outer god Yidhra. Even though Yig is quick to anger he is also easy to please as long as no harm comes to his children, the snakes.

Origin and beliefs

In the early 1920s an "American Indian ethnologist" conducted extensive research into snake lore from Guatemala through to Oklahoma. He described Yig as the dark prototype for the more benevolent Quetzalcoatl and Kukulcan.

By the time of his investigation the enthnologist found that the population of Oklahoma were often to afraid to discuss the legend but this had not always been the case. Before the land-rush of 1889 the plains tribes were more open than the Pueblo or desert nomads about their worship of Yig but the influx of white immigrants led to a series of unnatural tragedies. Belief was more common in the west than it was in the transplanted south eastern tribes.

Unlike most of the Great Old Ones he was rarely malicious but would enter a feeding frenzy in Autumn, leading the Pawnee, Wichita and Caddo of Oklahoma to drum constantly from August through to October to drive him away. In addition to this the Wichita would make offerings of corn to appease him. (HPL: The Curse of Yig)