Mini: Houdini Beneath the Pyramids (Lovecraft Short Story)

The History of Egypt Podcast

Dominic Perry

Society & Culture, History

4.8 • 2.1K Ratings

🗓️ 6 January 2024

⏱️ 110 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

A tale of terror and tombs. In 1924, Weird Tales magazine published "Imprisoned with the Pharaohs" (aka "Under the Pyramids"). A short story in which Harry Houdini, world-famous escape-artist, illusionist, and advocate of rationalism, came face-to-face with horrors beyond his comprehension. The tale is work of horror, ghost-written by H.P. Lovecraft. It is a fun story, worthy of the genre. Logo image: The statue of Khafra / Khephren in Cairo's old museum (Photo Dominic Perry). Timecodes: Story Part One: 00:01:40. Story Part Two: 00:38:39. Commentary: 01:18:50. Sources: H.P. Lovecraft, “Imprisoned with the Pharaohs,” Weird Tales magazine at WikiSource. R. Emrys and A. M. Pillsworth, ‘Harry Houdini Versus Cosmic Horror: “Under the Pyramids”’, TOR.com, accessed 12.27.2023. D. Harms, Cthulu Mythos Encyclopedia: A Guide to the Horrors Created and Inspired by H.P. Lovecraft (3rd edn, Chelsea, 2012). S. T. Joshi and D. E. Schultz, An H. P. Lovecraft Encyclopedia (2001). H. P. (Howard P. Lovecraft, The New Annotated H.P. Lovecraft (2014). D. Norris, ‘Lovecraft and Egypt: A Closer Examination’, Lovecraft Annual (2016), 3–45. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Spark your creativity with the Sims. Sometimes you might feel like you're not creative
0:07.0	and you have to go in search of your creative spark again. Maybe this is catching up with creative
0:11.9	friends, experimenting with a new look or trying out a new recipe.
0:16.0	And thanks to The Sims, inspiration is just one game and one spark away.
0:21.0	Ready to spark something? Download The Sims 4 and play for free. This episode is an adaptation of a short story that was written and published in
0:37.5	1924. It includes language and themes that reflect the cultural attitudes and mores of that time.
0:45.3	It also includes themes of horror and violence that may not be suitable for everyone.
0:50.7	Please use discretion when listening to this episode. And now a special presentation from Weird Tales magazine.
1:09.0	Our guest tonight, the exceptional escape artist, the inimitable illusionist, the spellbinding scientist,
1:15.3	the unparalleled performer of practical magic, Mr. Harry Hudini.
1:20.9	Hudini has shocked and delighted with his daring escapes, including the suspended straight
1:26.0	jacket, the overboard underwater crate, the Chinese water torture cell, and the only man to survive being buried alive for 90 full minutes.
1:35.0	Now the great man himself reveals a story like you've never heard before.
1:40.0	A tale from the ancient deserts, the land of pyramids and pharaohs, the immortal
1:45.8	monuments of Egypt.
1:48.1	This story revealed exclusively to weird tales will delight, astound, and perhaps even frighten.
1:54.8	This is not a story for the faint of heart, so put the little ones to bed, gather close together,
2:00.2	and hear the tale of Hudini beneath the pyramids.
2:03.6	Mystery attracts.
2:07.6	Mystery attracts mystery.
2:11.0	Ever since the wide appearance of my name as a performer of unexplained feats, I have
2:16.7	encountered strange narratives and events which my calling has led people to link
	...

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