El Hamel, Chouki. "What is the 'curse' of Ham?" Throughlines. www.throughlines.org/suite-content/what-is-the-curse-of-ham. [Date accessed].
What is the "curse" of Ham?
The curse of Ham myth shaped a set of beliefs about the inferiority of Black people, which persists in our world today.
From the Bible to the Talmud, from The Faerie Queen to The Merchant of Venice, from Toni Morrison’s Sula to Adult Swim’s The Boondocks, the curse of Ham mythology is an undying and deeply rooted part of our contemporary consciousness, manifesting itself in literature, film, politics, and popular entertainment. But what is the “curse" of Ham and how did it take shape? How has it molded our understanding of race and why is it still with us today?
Further learning
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Ham and the rationale for colonization
The Hamitic myth was used as a justification for the colonial endeavors of European countries in the late medieval period. This rhetoric traveled to the Americas and became a theological reasoning for the institution of American chattel slavery.
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Spenser and his racializing influences
Comparing episodes from The Faerie Queene with episodes from the works that inspired Spenser, in particular excerpts from Ariosto’s and Tasso’s works, is a productive way to draw attention to how racialization travels and mutates across national traditions.
