MAX's True Detective Season 4 brings its audience to Alaska after a group of scientists mysteriously vanished. What is the true TSALAL meaning in True Detective Season 4? Is there a real TSALAL research facility in Alaska? Here's what we know.
What Does TSALAL Mean?
In Hebrew, the word "TSALAL" was used in the Old Testament to say "to be, to become, or to grow dark."
In the literary industry, the first English writer to have gained notoriety for using this word was Edgar Allan Poe. He used the word in his 1838 story, entitled The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket.
In the story, Tsalal was the name of the mysterious Antarctic island that a group of violent and cannibalistic natives inhabited.
This story was later continued by Julius Verne, 50 years after Poe died in his 1897 story, entitled An Antarctic Mystery.
Another famous writer who used the name was Thomas Ligotti, who was inspired by the name and used it for his short story called The Tsalal.
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TSALAL Meaning in True Detective Season 4 Explained
According to a Reddit post, TSALAL meaning in True Detective Season 4 is not just an easter egg referencing Ligotti or Poe.
In fact, it has something to do with a "dark alt-history setting" known as Green Antarctica. This references the real-life continent as habitable. The Tsalal people reside in the continent and practice some horrifying customs.
Although this may sound similar to Poe's work, the Tsalal in Green Antarctica has a subgroup known as the Hali people. Their roots can be traced back to the city of Carcosa. They also worship the Kings in Yellow.
With this, the TSALAL meaning in True Detective Season 4 is the name of the research station where the eight scientists were reported missing.
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Is the TSALAL Arctic Research Station Real?
Fortunately, the TSALAL Arctic Research Station in True Detective Season 4 is entirely fictional.
Season 4 showrunner Issa López decided to set the story in Antarctica to give the series a look into the continent. She drew inspiration from the mysterious disappearance of Russian hikers in the Dyatlov Pass.
With this inspiration, López did as much research as she could into Alaska's geography, culture, and people.
But in real life, the TSALAL research station is not real. There are two Arctic research stations in existence: the Toolik Field Station and the Barrow Observatory. These research stations, however, do not have any mysterious disappearances that will pique the minds of their audience.
You can watch more episodes of True Detective Season 4 on Max.
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