Arthur Jermyn
Encyclopedia
"Facts Concerning the Late Arthur Jermyn and His Family" is a short story
by H. P. Lovecraft
, written in 1920
. The story was first published in the journal The Wolverine in March and June of 1921
. To Lovecraft's distaste, the story was retitled "The White Ape" when it appeared in Weird Tales
in 1924
; subsequent reprintings titled it "Arthur Jermyn" until the corrected publishing in Dagon and Other Macabre Tales in 1986.
Critic William Fulwiler suggests that the plot of "Arthur Jermyn" may have been inspired by Edgar Rice Burroughs
' novels The Return of Tarzan
(1913) and Tarzan and the Jewels of Opar
(1916), in which the lost city of Opar
is "peopled by a hybrid race resulting from the matings of men with apes."
s of Sir Arthur Jermyn, a British
nobleman
. His great-great-great-grandfather, Sir Wade Jermyn, had been an early explorer of the Congo region
, whose books on a mysterious white civilization there had been ridiculed. He had been confined to an asylum
in 1765. Lovecraft describes how the Jermyn family has a peculiar physical appearance that began to appear in the children of Wade Jermyn and his mysterious and reclusive wife, whom Wade claimed was Portuguese
.
Wade's son, Philip Jermyn, was a sailor that joined the navy after fathering his son, and disappeared from his ship one night as it lay off the Congo coast. Philip's son, Robert Jermyn, was a scientist who made two expeditions into the interior of Africa. He married a daughter of the (fictional) 7th Viscount Brightholme and fathered three sons, one of which, Nevil Jermyn, had a son, Alfred, who was Arthur Jermyn's father. In 1852, Robert Jermyn met with an explorer, Samuel Seaton, who described "a grey city of white apes ruled by a white god". Robert killed the explorer after hearing this, as well as all three of his own sons. Nevil Jermyn managed to save his son Alfred before his death.
Alfred Jermyn grew up to inherit his grandfather's title, but abandoned his wife and child to join a circus
, where he became fascinated with a gorilla "of lighter colour than the average". He became its trainer, but was killed in Chicago after an incident in which he attacked the gorilla. Arthur Jermyn inherited the family possessions, and moved into Jermyn House with his mother.
Arthur Jermyn is described as having a very unusual appearance, and supposedly the strangest in the line descended from Sir Wade Jermyn. Arthur became a scholar, eventually visiting the Belgian Congo
on a research expedition, where he heard tales of a stone city of white apes and the stuffed body of a white ape goddess, which had since gone missing. Returning to a trading post, Arthur talks to a Belgian
agent who offers to obtain and ship the goddess' body to him. Arthur accepts his offer and returns to England. After a period of several months, the body arrives at Jermyn House. Arthur begins his examination of the mummy
, only to run screaming from the room and later commit suicide by dousing himself in oil and setting himself alight
.
Lovecraft then describes the contents of the stuffed goddess' coffin—the ape goddess has a golden locket around her neck with the Jermyn arms
on it, and bears a striking resemblance to Arthur Jermyn. It is clear that Wade Jermyn's supposedly Portuguese wife was really the ape goddess, and all of his descendants
were the product of their union. Arthur's remains are neither collected or buried, on account of this. The mummy is removed and burnt by the Royal Anthropological Institute
.
x White Ape Princess (?-?)
1. Sir Philip Jermyn (?-?), sailor
x ? (?-?), Gypsy
1. Sir Robert Jermyn, Bt. (?-1854), anthropologist and scholar
x Lady Brightholme (?-?)
1. ? Jermyn (~1815 – 19 October 1852), deformed
2. Nevil Jermyn (~1816 – 19 October 1852)
x ? (? - c.1850), dancer
1. Sir Alfred Jermyn, Bt. (1850 - ?), Circus animal trainer
x ? (? - 1911), music-hall singer
1. Sir Arthur Jermyn (~1855 – 3 August 1913), poet
3. ? Jermyn (~1817 – 19 October 1852), deformed
Short story
A short story is a work of fiction that is usually written in prose, often in narrative format. This format tends to be more pointed than longer works of fiction, such as novellas and novels. Short story definitions based on length differ somewhat, even among professional writers, in part because...
by H. P. Lovecraft
H. P. Lovecraft
Howard Phillips Lovecraft --often credited as H.P. Lovecraft — was an American author of horror, fantasy and science fiction, especially the subgenre known as weird fiction....
, written in 1920
1920 in literature
The year 1920 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:*Agatha Christie publishes her first novel, The Mysterious Affair at Styles, introducing the long-running character detective, Hercule Poirot....
. The story was first published in the journal The Wolverine in March and June of 1921
1921 in literature
The year 1921 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-New books:*Edgar Rice Burroughs – Tarzan the Terrible*James Branch Cabell – Figures of Earth*Hall Caine – The Master of Man*Willa Cather – Alexander's Bridge...
. To Lovecraft's distaste, the story was retitled "The White Ape" when it appeared in Weird Tales
Weird Tales
Weird Tales is an American fantasy and horror fiction pulp magazine first published in March 1923. It ceased its original run in September 1954, after 279 issues, but has since been revived. The magazine was set up in Chicago by J. C. Henneberger, an ex-journalist with a taste for the macabre....
in 1924
1924 in literature
The year 1924 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:* Ford Madox Ford publishes the first book of a four-volume work titled Parade's End published between 1924 and 1928.-New books:*Michael Arlen - The Green Hat...
; subsequent reprintings titled it "Arthur Jermyn" until the corrected publishing in Dagon and Other Macabre Tales in 1986.
Inspiration
In a letter, Lovecraft described the story's surprising impetus:Critic William Fulwiler suggests that the plot of "Arthur Jermyn" may have been inspired by Edgar Rice Burroughs
Edgar Rice Burroughs
Edgar Rice Burroughs was an American author, best known for his creation of the jungle hero Tarzan and the heroic Mars adventurer John Carter, although he produced works in many genres.-Biography:...
' novels The Return of Tarzan
The Return of Tarzan
The Return of Tarzan is a novel written by Edgar Rice Burroughs, the second in his series of books about the title character Tarzan. It was first published in the pulp magazine New Story Magazine in the issues for June through December 1913; the first book edition was published in 1915 by A. C....
(1913) and Tarzan and the Jewels of Opar
Tarzan and the Jewels of Opar
Tarzan and the Jewels of Opar is a novel written by Edgar Rice Burroughs, the fifth in his series of books about the title character Tarzan. It first appeared in the November and December issues of All-Story Cavalier Weekly in 1916, and the first book publication was by McClurg in 1918.-Plot...
(1916), in which the lost city of Opar
Opar
Opar is a fictional lost city in Edgar Rice Burroughs's series of Tarzan novels.Burroughs may have taken the name from the Biblical reference to Ophir, whence King Solomon supposedly received a cargo of "gold, silver, sandalwood, precious stones, ivory, apes and peacocks" every three years, via...
is "peopled by a hybrid race resulting from the matings of men with apes."
Synopsis
The story begins by describing the ancestorAncestor
An ancestor is a parent or the parent of an ancestor ....
s of Sir Arthur Jermyn, a British
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
nobleman
Nobility
Nobility is a social class which possesses more acknowledged privileges or eminence than members of most other classes in a society, membership therein typically being hereditary. The privileges associated with nobility may constitute substantial advantages over or relative to non-nobles, or may be...
. His great-great-great-grandfather, Sir Wade Jermyn, had been an early explorer of the Congo region
Congo Basin
The Congo Basin is the sedimentary basin that is the drainage of the Congo River of west equatorial Africa. The basin begins in the highlands of the East African Rift system with input from the Chambeshi River, the Uele and Ubangi Rivers in the upper reaches and the Lualaba River draining wetlands...
, whose books on a mysterious white civilization there had been ridiculed. He had been confined to an asylum
Psychiatric hospital
Psychiatric hospitals, also known as mental hospitals, are hospitals specializing in the treatment of serious mental disorders. Psychiatric hospitals vary widely in their size and grading. Some hospitals may specialise only in short-term or outpatient therapy for low-risk patients...
in 1765. Lovecraft describes how the Jermyn family has a peculiar physical appearance that began to appear in the children of Wade Jermyn and his mysterious and reclusive wife, whom Wade claimed was Portuguese
Portuguese people
The Portuguese are a nation and ethnic group native to the country of Portugal, in the west of the Iberian peninsula of south-west Europe. Their language is Portuguese, and Roman Catholicism is the predominant religion....
.
Wade's son, Philip Jermyn, was a sailor that joined the navy after fathering his son, and disappeared from his ship one night as it lay off the Congo coast. Philip's son, Robert Jermyn, was a scientist who made two expeditions into the interior of Africa. He married a daughter of the (fictional) 7th Viscount Brightholme and fathered three sons, one of which, Nevil Jermyn, had a son, Alfred, who was Arthur Jermyn's father. In 1852, Robert Jermyn met with an explorer, Samuel Seaton, who described "a grey city of white apes ruled by a white god". Robert killed the explorer after hearing this, as well as all three of his own sons. Nevil Jermyn managed to save his son Alfred before his death.
Alfred Jermyn grew up to inherit his grandfather's title, but abandoned his wife and child to join a circus
Circus
A circus is commonly a travelling company of performers that may include clowns, acrobats, trained animals, trapeze acts, musicians, hoopers, tightrope walkers, jugglers, unicyclists and other stunt-oriented artists...
, where he became fascinated with a gorilla "of lighter colour than the average". He became its trainer, but was killed in Chicago after an incident in which he attacked the gorilla. Arthur Jermyn inherited the family possessions, and moved into Jermyn House with his mother.
Arthur Jermyn is described as having a very unusual appearance, and supposedly the strangest in the line descended from Sir Wade Jermyn. Arthur became a scholar, eventually visiting the Belgian Congo
Belgian Congo
The Belgian Congo was the formal title of present-day Democratic Republic of the Congo between King Leopold II's formal relinquishment of his personal control over the state to Belgium on 15 November 1908, and Congolese independence on 30 June 1960.-Congo Free State, 1884–1908:Until the latter...
on a research expedition, where he heard tales of a stone city of white apes and the stuffed body of a white ape goddess, which had since gone missing. Returning to a trading post, Arthur talks to a Belgian
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
agent who offers to obtain and ship the goddess' body to him. Arthur accepts his offer and returns to England. After a period of several months, the body arrives at Jermyn House. Arthur begins his examination of the mummy
Mummy
A mummy is a body, human or animal, whose skin and organs have been preserved by either intentional or incidental exposure to chemicals, extreme coldness , very low humidity, or lack of air when bodies are submerged in bogs, so that the recovered body will not decay further if kept in cool and dry...
, only to run screaming from the room and later commit suicide by dousing himself in oil and setting himself alight
Self-immolation
Self-immolation refers to setting oneself on fire, often as a form of protest or for the purposes of martyrdom or suicide. It has centuries-long traditions in some cultures, while in modern times it has become a type of radical political protest...
.
Lovecraft then describes the contents of the stuffed goddess' coffin—the ape goddess has a golden locket around her neck with the Jermyn arms
Coat of arms
A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
on it, and bears a striking resemblance to Arthur Jermyn. It is clear that Wade Jermyn's supposedly Portuguese wife was really the ape goddess, and all of his descendants
Parahuman
A parahuman or para-human is a term used to describe a human-animal hybrid or chimera. Scientists have done extensive research into the mixing of genes or cells from different species, e.g...
were the product of their union. Arthur's remains are neither collected or buried, on account of this. The mummy is removed and burnt by the Royal Anthropological Institute
Royal Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland
The Royal Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland is the world's longest established anthropological organization, with a global membership. Since 1843, it has been at the forefront of new developments in anthropology and new means of communicating them to a broad audience...
.
Jermyn family
1. Sir Wade Jermyn (?-1767), African explorerx White Ape Princess (?-?)
1. Sir Philip Jermyn (?-?), sailor
x ? (?-?), Gypsy
1. Sir Robert Jermyn, Bt. (?-1854), anthropologist and scholar
x Lady Brightholme (?-?)
1. ? Jermyn (~1815 – 19 October 1852), deformed
2. Nevil Jermyn (~1816 – 19 October 1852)
x ? (? - c.1850), dancer
1. Sir Alfred Jermyn, Bt. (1850 - ?), Circus animal trainer
x ? (? - 1911), music-hall singer
1. Sir Arthur Jermyn (~1855 – 3 August 1913), poet
3. ? Jermyn (~1817 – 19 October 1852), deformed
External links
- Wikisource:Facts Concerning the Late Arthur Jermyn and His Family, text of Arthur Jermyn at Wikisource
- Winesburg, Ohio, Sherwood Anderson; complete text at Bartleby.com
- The Return of Tarzan, Edgar Rice Burroughs; complete text at Project Gutenberg
- Tarzan and the Jewels of Opar, Edgar Rice Burroughs; complete text at Project Gutenberg