South of Midnight’s story takes players on a fairly brisk quest to save player-character Hazel’s mother, who gets swept away in a flood right at the beginning of the game. That quest puts Hazel in front of an array of fantastical creatures and monsters, the vast majority of which areinspired by Deep South American folklore.
The Honey Island Swamp Monster and Altamaha-ha are two such folklore-inspired beings. But while many ofSouth of Midnight’s folklore-inspired creatures serve as bosses and roadblocks in Hazel’s way, Honey and Altamaha-ha don’t present such a direct threat. Instead, their role inSouth of Midnight’s story is surprisingly bittersweet.
The Bittersweet Story of South of Midnight’s Honey Island Monster and Altamaha-ha Explained
Risking Everything for the Chance of a Better Life
Long beforeSouth of Midnight’s Hazelbecomes a Weaver, a woman named Ayotunde and her infant child lived aboard a cruise ship that sailed around the bayous. Ayotunde worked in servitude on the ship, and yearned for a life of freedom for her and her baby. She had heard rumors of a secret village in the nearby swamplands that could be a safe haven, and she decided to leap from the deck of the ship – baby cradled tightly in her arms – in an attempt to find it.
Against all odds, Ayotunde and her baby managed to reach the muddy shores of the swamplands, but they were far from safe. The ship’s crew were hot on their heels, and in an attempt to evade them, she hid her baby in a hollowed-out tree and led them away. But when Ayotunde returned to the tree, she found her child missing.
Desperation Turns Into Despair
Ayotunde began scouring every inch of swampland to find her missing child, hurling clumps of mud around her in her desperation. Though she never found what she was looking for, Ayotunde refused to stop searching. Eventually, the magic of the swampturned her into Altamaha-ha, a giant mermaid-like creature.
In her new form, Altamaha-ha sought revenge on the ship and its crew. Seeing the monster approach, the ship’s captain ran the boat aground, allowing Altamaha-ha to rip it to pieces. But revenge wasn’t enough for Altamaha-ha, she wanted her child back. For decades, Altamaha-ha continued her desperate and fruitless search.
The Altamaha-ha comes from Georgia folklore, and is usually depicted as a serpent-like sea creature.
A Bittersweet Ending
After Ayotunde’s baby was left in the hollowed-out tree, it was embraced by a magical plant, where it was kept safe for a while. Eventually,Mahalia, a Weaverof the secret swampland village, found the plant and took the baby back to safety. The baby grew quickly, and the older it got, the more unnatural features it began to sprout. Within just a few years, the child was covered in moss and vines, and his skin turned to tree bark.
When Mahalia left, the boy – now nicknamed Honey – was left to wander the swamp alone. Years later, during the events ofSouth of Midnight’s story, Hazel guides Honey back to Altamaha-ha, who never seized her search for her baby. The two embrace, and they’re transformed into their spirit versions. Together, they walk hand-in-hand into the afterlife.
