Summary
Delicate, the twelfth season of American Horror Story, draws its inspiration from Danielle Valentine's gripping novel, Delicate Condition. The narrative revolves around Anna Alcott, a talented young actress, as she unravels a dark and intricate plot to prevent her from embracing motherhood.
Kim Kardashian's portrayal of Siobhan Walsh has sparked a theory connecting her character to Greek mythology, particularly the goddess Arachne. Arachne was renowned for her weaving abilities and her rivalry with Athena.
On the other hand, Cara Delevingne's character, Ivory, is speculated to be an Anansi from Akan mythology. An Anansi is a cunning trickster who haunts Anna and conceals a malevolent secret, evident from the scenes where she injects her with spiders. The presence of spider mythology in Delicate could potentially tie in with previous seasons like Coven and Cult.
Many details regarding American Horror Story season 12, Delicate, remain shrouded in mystery, including the true nature of Kim Kardashian's character. However, a theory stemming from mythology sheds light on the overarching theme. Despite recent seasons not achieving the same level of success as their predecessors, American Horror Story continues to thrive and prepares for the highly anticipated release of its 12th installment. Entitled Delicate, this season draws inspiration from Danielle Valentine's book, Delicate Condition, and welcomes back familiar faces like Emma Roberts, Billie Lourde, Denis O'Hare, and Leslie Grossman.
American Horror Story: Delicate delves into the journey of Anna Alcott (portrayed by Roberts), a budding actress yearning to conceive a child. However, as soon as Anna becomes pregnant, she becomes suspicious of a sinister conspiracy intent on obstructing her motherhood. Even after being informed of a miscarriage, Anna remains convinced of her pregnancy and finds it increasingly difficult to trust anyone. Joining Roberts is Kim Kardashian in the role of Siobhan Walsh, whose significance in Delicate's narrative remains unknown. Nevertheless, a compelling theory speculates that it may be connected to spider mythology, a theme hinted at in promotional material and trailers.
American Horror Story: Delicate Characters Represent Spider Mythology
The teasers for each season of American Horror Story are known for their lack of plot details. Instead, they use symbolism and cryptic elements to hint at the horror themes of the season. The latest season, Delicate, follows this trend with posters and teasers featuring spiders, women with white hair, and Kim Kardashian's character, who appears pregnant with a large spider as her belly. Many fans have theorized a connection between Kardashian's character and Greek mythology, specifically the goddess Arachne.
Arachne is a central figure in a tale from Greek mythology, found in Book Six of Ovid's Metamorphoses. According to the story, Arachne was a Lydian maiden and the daughter of Idmon of Colophon. She displayed exceptional weaving skills from a young age and became renowned for her talent. Arachne believed her skills surpassed those of Athena, the goddess of wisdom and crafts, but she refused to admit that Athena had played a part in her abilities. This angered Athena, who challenged Arachne to a weaving competition. Athena's weaving depicted four different contests between mortals and gods, with the gods punishing mortals for presuming themselves equal to the divine. Arachne's weaving, on the other hand, showcased how the gods, especially Zeus, mistreated and deceived mortals. Athena acknowledged the beauty of Arachne's work, despite finding it insulting to the gods.
Enraged, Athena angrily destroyed Arachne's weaving and struck her on the head with her shuttle. In a fit of shame, Arachne took her own life by hanging herself. Moved by pity, Athena decided to transform her into a spider, granting her the ability to weave intricate webs for eternity. Another character from American Horror Story: Delicate that has been speculated to have connections to spider mythology is Ivory, portrayed by Cara Delevingne, who is depicted as an Anansi. In Akan mythology, the Anansi is a mischievous trickster renowned for cleverly outwitting and overpowering stronger adversaries through its cunning, inventiveness, and cleverness.
How Spider Mythology Fits American Horror Story: Delicate’s Story
According to Valentine's novel, Kim Kardashian's character Siobhan Walsh is an aging actor who is facing health issues. However, Siobhan's determination to support Anna's quest for motherhood and advance her own career as Anna's manager remains unyielding, as depicted in Delicate's trailer. Drawing inspiration from the tale of Arachne, Siobhan's struggles could be attributed to the machinations of a rival, akin to Athena's role in Arachne's downfall. This backstory may have compelled Siobhan to explore unconventional avenues to sustain her career, such as her involvement in a secretive organization like a coven or a cult, with their intricate webs symbolizing the interconnectedness of their members.
How Spider Mythology In American Horror Story: Delicate Can Link To Past Seasons
: The Anansi reference perfectly complements Cara Delevingne's character, Ivory, as she slyly plays tricks on Anna. Ivory's presence in the American Horror Story: Delicate trailers showcases her stalking Anna and working at the hospital where Anna receives care. Notably, Ivory even oversees Anna's ultrasound, implying a sense of authority. In the teasers, Ivory chillingly injects Anna with spiders, indicating that she is harboring something truly sinister.Siobhan's possible connections to Arachne and the webs entwined in the American Horror Story: Delicate teasers may potentially tie in with previous seasons Coven and Cult. It is conceivable that Siobhan (as well as Ivory) could be members of a coven, akin to the one depicted in Rosemary's Baby, which heavily influenced Delicate Condition. However, their intentions for Anna may deviate from those showcased in Rosemary's Baby. Alternatively, Siobhan could be associated with a cult that has set their sights on Anna, with the aim of either recruiting her or utilizing her for their own gain.