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Alyson Dunlop's Blog

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Alyson Dunlop's Blog

Monthly Archives: May 2013

Christopher Lee: King of Horror RIP

31 Friday May 2013

Posted by Alyson Dunlop Shanes in Uncategorized

≈ 5 Comments

Tags

Charlemagne, Christopher Lee; horror; devils, Revelation; By the Sword and the Cross; The Omens of Death; heavy metal; Neverwhere; Neil Gaiman; Hammer Horror; Dracula; Frankenstein; The Mummy; Rasputin; Lord Summerisle; The Wicker Man; Scaramanga, steven moffat, villains, Vincent Price

dracula1

It is with great sadness that I have updated this dedication to Christopher Lee, which was originally written to commemorate his 91st birthday in May 2013.  

RIP Christopher Lee (1922-2015)

Christopher Lee, war veteran, actor, and singer, has one of the most impressive IMDB profiles – if not the most impressive. His acting career alone spanned eight decades and he never rested for one single year, since his career began.   Today we say a sad farewell to our hero.  He was, is, and always will be, my favourite horror actor.  It is with much respect that I would like to honour this most distinguished of men, one I have always admired and held in the highest esteem.   It was my ambition to appear on the big screen with him.  Alas.

Christopher Frank Carandini Lee was born in 1922. He graduated with a degree in classics (something we have in common!) from Wellington College, Berkshire. He served during WWII in the RAF and British Intelligence. It wasn’t until 1947 that he began his acting career. Since then, he had some kind of on-screen involvement every single year to date.  Furthermore, he was also a classically trained singer who released several albums: Devils, Rogues and Other Villains (1998); Revelation (2006); Charlemagne: By the Sword and the Cross (2010), Charlemagne: The Omens of Death, A Heavy Metal Christmas (2012), A Heavy Metal Christmas Too (2013), and Metal Knight (2014). 

Here is Lee’s Christmas message from 2012.

In his Christmas message to fans, Christopher talked about his involvement recording the radio play Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman.

Click to listen

Click image to listen

Christopher-Lee-Dracula-007-460x245Christopher Lee became famous for his involvement with Hammer Horror films, his most memorable and iconic role being Dracula. He played the part a total of 10 times: Dracula aka Horror of Dracula (1958); Dracula: Prince of Darkness (1966); Dracula has Risen from the Grave (1968); Count Dracula (1970); Taste the Blood of Dracula (1970); One More Time (1970); Scars of Dracula (1970); Dracula Today aka Dracula A.D. 1972 (1972) ; The Satanic Rites of Dracula 1973); Dracula Pere et fils (1976).

Christopher Lee as Dracula was my introduction to horror. They say you never forget your first love, and I never have. The Hammer Dracula movies were usually on TV on a Friday night and it was the only night in the week I was allowed to stay up late – I looked forward to it all week. Despite being the villain of the piece, I could not help but feel sorry for him when at last Peter Cushing would find some new way to destroy Count Dracula, be it through sunlight, water or a stake through the heart!

Lee also took on many other villainous roles: The Creature in The Curse of Frankenstein (1957); Kharis the Mummy in The Mummy (1959); Grigori Rasputin in Rasputin: The Mad Monk (1966); Lucifer in Poor Devil (1973); Lord Summerisle in The Wicker Man (1973); Scaramanga in The Man with the Golden Gun (1974); and, of course, Saruman in Lord of the Rings (2001-2003), The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012), and 123011-christopher-lee-hobbitThe Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (2014).

Christopher not only will always be my favourite horror actor, who starred ten times as my favourite horror villain, Dracula, he also starred as my favourite detective, Sherlock Holmes in Valley of Fear (1962) Sherlock Holmes and the Leading Lady (1991) and Incident at Victoria Falls (1992). He also played two other Sherlock Holmes characters: Sir Henry Baskerville in Hound of the Baskervilles (1959) and the detective’s brother Mycroft Holmes in The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes (1970).

christopherleeholmes

The actor/singer was not limited to horror.  However, he played the villain in about eighty five percent of his c200+ movies.  He amassed an appearance in approximately sixty three horror films (I may have lost count, but it’s about that…excluding fantasy and science-fiction). He also starred in numerous comedies. Despite his preferred roles, Lee evidently had a good sense of humour. Some of his horror biography includes: Howling 2: Stirba – Werewolf Bitch (1985) and playing Dr Catheter in Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990).

Christopher Lee will always be notorious for his villainous roles, his “deeply melodic basso voice” and his “towering height”. At 6 foot 5 inches, he was one of the tallest actors in Hollywood! He held the Guinness World Record for being “The Tallest Leading Actor”. He was an honorary member of three stuntmen’s unions, and did his own stunts until later years. He received a knighthood in the 2009 for his accomplishments in film, television and charity.

During his Hammer Horror years he met, and became good friends with, Peter Cushing, another actor I cherish. Cushing usually played the contrasting heroic protagonist to Lee’s villain. He died in 1994, aged 81, and would have been 102 this year on 26th May, the day before Lee’s birthday.

wicker man

Click image to watch “The Wicker Man”

Lee considered The Wicker Man to be his best film. The part of Lord Summerisle was especially written for him, and he thought of it as a tremendous movie. I agree. Unfortunately, about twenty minutes of the movie is cut, which Christopher always believed would have made it ten times better.  He also talked about his favourite role as Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan, in a press conference at Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival on 21st March 2002, giving a poignant reminder of life in the twenty first century.

 

jinnah

Click pic to view “Jinnah” Part 1

 Whilst Jinnah is not a horror, and Lee does not play the villain, it is an important and historically accurate portrayal of the life and times of Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan. It is also a film that would interest anyone living in an oppressed society, who wishes to be independent from their oppressors, with the message that independence does not (and should not) mean becoming enemies.

 

jin2

Click image to view

For Speeches, Articles, Quotes, Pictures, Videos, Slideshows and other Research material about Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah, please visit the following site – click here.

At 93 years of age, Lee still had that je nais se quoi. He was every bit as sexy, with a voice that would melt stone. He is – present tense – without a doubt, the Master of Horror. Nae, the King! He is the iconic Dracula, Prince of Darkness. He, along with Peter Cushing and Vincent Price, is a classic hero of horror.  The King is dead, but like the Prince of Darkness he is best known for playing, he is eternal.  His light will always shine, and he will always be loved and remembered.   

Christopher-Lee-as-Dracula-hammer-horror-films-6499554-800-600

RIP Christopher Lee

Your friend, A.D. (b. 1972)

Source:

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000489/

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Petrifying Primates: Monkeys and Apes in Science Fiction and Horror

24 Friday May 2013

Posted by Alyson Dunlop Shanes in Uncategorized

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

Altzheimer's, Andy Serkis, apes, baboon, Bela Lugosi, Brian Cox, Bride of the Gorilla, Caesar, chimp, chimpanzee, Chris Atkins, Congo, curse, Daedalus, Doctor Who, gorilla, Greek, Horror, Icarus, In the Shadow of Kilimanjaro, John Lithgow, King Kong, Link, Lon Chaney, Mars, Monkey Shines, monkeys, monster, mythology, orang-utan, Planet of the Apes, primates, primitive, Ray Harryhausen, Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Roddy McDownall, Roman, sci-fi, science fiction, Shakma, simians, The Ape Man, witchcraft

   chimpThey are often depicted as the primal and, therefore, frightening face of human nature.  Primates, the class of animals to which humans also belong, are often the source of our primitive fear.  We sometimes refer to them as our “cousins” in the animal kingdom, but in horror and science fiction they are our nightmares in the flesh.  They kill by attacking us or by spreading disease.  Either way, they are dangerous or to be feared, because in horror and science fiction, primates are human-like and just as unpredictable as we are. 

   Stories often involve the shady and bleak world of animal experimentation or exploitation.  The humans get the monkeys to perform for entertainment, or force them to endure pain and suffering because it will aid us in some way.  Just like in real life.  Whatever we want, the primate does it or is forced to do it.  Until, that is, it fights back.

   Some of the films take on elements of a slasher movie.  One victim after another is stalked by the predator, with a final survivor.  Sometimes there is more than one, but usually the outcome is bad for the primate.

   Several stories are set in Africa.  Sometimes, like King Kong, it begins on a primitive island or deep in the jungle where, of course, humans first invaded and captured the wild and free animals. 

   I first became absolutely fascinated by these stories when I watched King Kong (1933) as a little girl.  Monster movies were always televised on a Friday, early evening, and I loved them!   Unlike Ray Harryhausen, my fascination was not due to animation.  It was due to narrative.  It was only later in life, as an adult, that I saw there were even deeper layers to the story.  However, King Kong deserves a blog article of its own so I’ll avoid going into depth on the subject until a later date. 

   As far as I know, King Kong is the first  movie to depict primates as monstrous.  In 1943, The Ape Man starring Bela Lugosi came out, followed by Might Joe Young (1949). 

Click to view.

Click to view.

   Bride of the Gorilla (1951), starring Lon Chaney, is about the jungle (wildness) versus civilised behaviour.   When Barney lets a snake kill his boss, an old woman curses him with a “plant of evil”.  The old woman is a “wise woman” or “witch” who uses black magic.   Barney hears the “call of the wild” from the jungle on his wedding night.  He leaves to go into the jungle, which he appears to now be more in love with than he is with his wife.  His doctor believes he has been poisoned, and that the natives have many potions that can drive a man out of his mind and cause psychosis.  He also thinks Barney killed his boss, and his wife may be a constant reminder of his guilt of killing her first husband.  What they don’t know is that the potion has caused Barney to turn into a gorilla!

Click to view.

Click to view.

   In 1968, the first Planet of the Apes film came to screens.  Surprisingly, the movie got a G rating, for ‘general audience’.  When I first saw this film, probably round about the age of six or so, it terrified me on the same level as Doctor Who at that age.  Of course, having two big brothers meant that scary science fiction was often viewed in the house, so I spent a lot of time behind the sofa in those early days!  I was really surprised to learn it wasn’t more along the lines of an A or even 15 (which, of course, wasn’t a rating that existed back in the sixties).

  The film showed us what it would be like if the tables were turned and animals treated us the way we treat them.  After crash-landing on an alien planet, Taylor is captured by apes who can talk and act like humans.  He is befriended by Cornelius and Zira who help Taylor escape.

    However, Doctor Zaius is a religious scientist Taylor calls a “fanatic”.  He refuses to listen to reason, especially if it goes against his religious knowledge.  On Zaius’ instructions Cornelius reads 29th Scroll 6th verse (written by The Lawgiver of the Apes):

 Beware the beast Man, for he is the Devil’s pawn. Alone among God’s primates, he kills for sport or lust or greed. Yea, he will murder his brother to possess his brother’s         land. Let him not breed in great numbers, for he will make a desert of his home and       yours. Shun him; drive him back into his jungle lair, for he is the harbinger of    death….

  Zaius continues:

From the evidence, I believe his wisdom must walk hand and hand with his idiocy. His emotions must rule his brain. He must be a warlike creature who gives battle to      everything around him, even   himself…  The Forbidden Zone was once a paradise. Your breed made a desert of it ages ago!

   The ending proves Zaius to be correct.

   It’s a very thought-provoking film, not only about how we treat our planet and how we treat animals, but also how we treat other human beings and the prejudices amongst us.

   Planet of the Apes was extremely popular and there were several sequels:  Beneath the Planet of the Apes (1970); Escape from the Planet of the Apes (1971); Conquest of the Planet of the Apes (1972) and Battle for the Planet of the Apes (1973).   In 1974, there was a TV series and the following year an animated series Return to the Planet of the Apes.   In 2001, a remake was made, and in 2011 Rise of the Planet of the Apes came to our screens.  However, I will leave the latter until the end, seeing as I am working in chronological order!

Click to view.

Click to view.

   In The Shadow of Kilimanjaro (1986) is based on a true story about a drought in Africa which causes baboons to go ape-shit!  The baboons are predators stalking people one by one, first at night from the darkness; next in a gang attacking a lone driver who breaks down.  The threat is portrayed like an unruly mob, gang or individual stalker and becomes quite terrifying as the film progresses.  You do begin to wonder how on earth everyone will make it to the end of the film, as they appear to be outnumbered by the ferocious creatures who are hungry for their flesh….

Click to view.

Click to view.

   Link (also 1986) is about a college professor who employs one of his female students to look after his house.  He shares his house with two chimps, Voodoo and Imp and an orang- utan called Link.  The professor gives the girl three rules to live by

1.                  Humans are dominant.

2.                  Always forgive the primates, regardless of what they do.

3.                  Don’t get involved in their squabbles.  They sort them out.

Pretty soon the girl wishes she had never taken on the job, as she finds herself trapped in the isolated house on the rocky coast, trying to escape from one of the creatures which turns out to be a dangerous killer!  It seems the presence of a female in the house has sent him over the edge.  This is really more a story of sexism and male dominance.

Click to view.

Click to view.

   Dominance also features in the film Monkey Shines (1988).  It is about paraplegic Alan, who has his own personal monkey helper, Ella.  The monkey has been genetically altered by his friend Jeff, a scientist who gives Alan the monkey as a gift.  Ella loves Alan and seems to want to do things just for him, but everything starts to go wrong when Ella begins to carry out acts of revenge on behalf of Alan, unbeknownst to him.  Alan and Ella seem to be telepathically linked, as Alan begins to take on the monkeys rage and starts to have unusual mood swings.  Once he realises what is going on it is a pure battle of will to defeat the nasty little simian.

Click to view.

Click to view.

   In Shakma (1990), we find ourselves in another research lab.  Roddy McDowall is the professor and game master (which sounds an awful lot like gay master every time it’s said – I can’t help but think that is deliberate!) who engineers a game for his students.  Meanwhile we know that an aggressive baboon called Shakma has not been euthenised and has killed other primates in the lab.  The film has elements of the slasher as well as fairytale characters such as a hero, princess and villain.  Most of all Shakma is a film about brain vs brawn, but will intelligence win when up against such a vicious enemy?  I was honestly a little unnerved by the ferocity of the baboon, but the titles assure the audience that he was well-treated…

Click to view.

Click to view.

   Congo (1995) is an adventure story about a rescue expedition, which is also about finding the ultimate diamond.  It also features a rather adorable gorilla called Amy, who can use sign language.  She has nightmares about the jungle except when she paints images of it.  Amy wishes to return home to the jungle and her keepers decide to take her back to the Congo.  They team up with the rescue expedition as they are all going to the same place.  Like a traditional adventure film, there is only one woman and a bunch of men.

   The story is one of greed for material possessions, and there are many things to thwart the group on their way, not least of all the ultimate threat of the killer silver gorillas that have annihilated the original expedition.  The terrifying creatures are ready to defend the temple in the jungle and the diamonds that are the cause of so much greed.  If this film hasn’t been made into a game, I’d be very surprised!

Click to view.

Click to view.

   Finally, the most recent ape film, Rise of the Planet of the Apes was made in 2011, and began in a laboratory.  A doctor thinks he has found a potential cure for Altzheimer’s (ALZ1-12, a virus), but his test subject goes wild and is shot.   The programme is closed down.   However, the doctor discovers the wild chimp had a baby.  The baby chimp, which he rescues and calls Caesar, shows signs of exceptional intelligence.

   Caesar is well-named.  In captivity, he becomes the general of an army of apes that he trains himself.  He steals some ALZ virus to enhance the intelligence of the other apes in order to escape. 

   Apart from the name “Caesar”, there are a few other little nods to ancient Roman and Greek mythology, including Icarus and Mars, the mention of whom should warn us that there is trouble ahead.  Mars is the Roman god of war, and Icarus is the son of Daedalus.  Icarus flew too close to the sun and died as a result of his ambitions – for anyone paying attention there’s a helicopter scene near the end where this reference ties in.  There’s also a scene very reminiscent of a gladiatorial fight between Caesar and his rather nasty keeper in the “sanctuary”, at which point we also find out something extremely surprising about Caesar!  (But I won’t spoil it).

  Caesar shows compassion for his good keeper, though, and is reluctant to kill.   He is able to make tactical decisions to lead the other apes.  You can’t help but admire and respect him, and you hope that he survives the battle. 

   I’d definitely recommend seeing this film.  You’ll love it!  In fact, the only thing I didn’t like about this film was that it had to end!  Andy Serkis does a fantastic job playing Caesar.  There’s apparently another one, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, due out next year, and I can’t wait! I’ll definitely be going to the movies to watch it on the big screen.

   On one hand I love these films, on the other hand, they are sad reminders of the greed and stupidity of homo sapiens.  I despair at the treatment of some people towards our animal friends and I despair that we push Nature to a point where She turns round and slaps us very hard in the face…

   Until next week, be kind to all creatures, the planet and each other.  Your friend, A.D.

Scapegoating “Satanic” Sex Cults in the Sixties and Seventies

17 Friday May 2013

Posted by Alyson Dunlop Shanes in Uncategorized

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Aleister Crowley, astrology, atheist, Baphomet, Beelzebub, Beltaine, Beltane, Black Death, Brighid, Britt Ekland, Christopher Lee, City of the Dead, cults, Dennis Wheatley, Dogmas and Rituals of High Magic, dragons, Druids, Edward Woodward, Eliphas Levi, Emily Johnson, esoteric, fertility, Gallic Wars, Gerald Gardner, God, Goddess, Great Plague, Greek, Green Man, healing, Helen Duncan, heterosexual, homosexual, Horror, hypnosis, Imbolc, Jane York, Julius Caesar, Kafka, Knight's Templar, Lucifer, Magi, magic, Malleus Maleficarum, masturbation, May Day, Mendes, Mia Farrow, monotheist, Nods to the Old Gods, occult, pagan, Peaches Geldof, persecution, Persian priests, phallic, polytheist, power, reincarnation, Religion, Rome, Rosemary's Baby, Satan, satanic, scapegoat, Sex, sexually repressed, skyclad, snakes, spiritualist church, Spring Equinox, standing stones, Summer Isle, Summer Solstice, superstition, symbolism, The Devil Rides Out, The Goat of Mendes, The Great Beast 666, The May Pole, The Wicker Man, The Woman Who Came Back, Thelema, Venus, Victorian, Willow, witchcraft, Witchcraft Act, wizard, zodiac

Horror stories have always represented the fears of society, in exactly the same way as religious belief often mirrors the secular world. For example, superstitions changed during the outbreak of the Great Plague, when people began to blame the unexplained deaths on human sin and witchcraft (Malleus Maleficarum Part 1, Q XV)

Human beings have always had a bit of a negative obsession about the Other in society. Time and again we have scapegoated anyone who is different. Since ancient times, we’ve ridiculed and persecuted anyone who does not have the same beliefs as ourselves. The truth is, we are all very similar in all the ways that matter. We are all made up of the same stuff.

Hath not a Jew eyes? Hath not a Jew hands, organs,
dimensions, senses, affections, passions; fed with
the same food, hurt with the same weapons, subject
to the same diseases, heal’d by the same means,
warm’d and cool’d by the same winter and summer
as a Christian is? If you prick us, do we not bleed?
If you tickle us, do we not laugh? If you poison us,
do we not die?
(The Merchant of Venice, Shakespeare)

We often give different names for the same things that we each call truth, but decry another for using unusual terminology to describe. It doesn’t take much scratching of the surface to reveal that we are often talking about the same thing. The ancient Greeks coined the phrase ‘magic’ from the Magi, the Persian priests, whose customs were too strange for the Greeks to understand were holy in nature.

I hear Peaches Geldof has joined a sex cult. Shock, horror! She is now a believer in Thelema, the religion founded by occultist Aleister Crowley, who practised sex magic, with apparent “secret sexual techniques for masturbation, heterosexual and homosexual sex” (Guardian, author anonymous). Well…there’s only so much you can do, but I’m guessing we have to take into account the time that Aleister Crowley was practising his esoteric knowledge. This would have been right, slap bang, in the middle of sexually repressed Victorian times. Thank goodness we’ve evolved our notions of sexuality and what constitutes “perverse”.

Aleister Crowley died in 1947, with a reputation as The Great Beast 666, a name he positively lapped up. In 1944, a few years before his death, Helen Duncan, a psychic, was prosecuted and imprisoned under the 1735 Witchcraft Act for revealing wartime secrets. Six months later, in September 1944, Jane York (72) was also prosecuted under the same Act and in December of that year Emily Johnson of Redhill Spiritualist Church was given a severe warning by police. They told her she would be prosecuted if she did not stop her “activities”. The Act actually strove to stamp out the belief in witchcraft amongst the educated in society, but it was possible to prosecute people for pretending to “exercise or use any kind of witchcraft, sorcery, enchantment, or conjuration, or undertake to tell fortunes”.

Woman Who Came Back

Click picture to view

The prosecutions sparked off the creative minds in America, and the following year John H Kafka came up with the story for The Woman Who Came Back (1945). The unfortunate heroine, Lorna, finds herself the scapegoat of the townspeople and is accused of witchcraft for everything that goes wrong. It doesn’t help matters that a coincidental meeting and accident has caused Lorna to suspect they could well be right. Thankfully by the end no one believes in witchcraft. Phew!

By 1951, the Witchcraft Act was repealed and replaced by the Fraudulent Mediums Act, and the previously “underground” Craft of Wicca began to flourish, led by Gerald Gardner. Of course, ignorance breeds fear and, as I have mentioned, fear breeds the practice of scapegoating. By the 1960s movies on the subject of the occult began to get filmed, particularly anything to do with covens and Satanic devil-worshippers. A second wave of witchhunts began, this time within horror movies. City of the Dead (1960) with Christopher Lee paved the way for the paranoia about anything to do with witchcraft. In 1968, two very popular films in the genre were screened: Dennis Wheatley’s The Devil Rides Out and Rosemary’s Baby. Five years later, in 1973 The Wicker Man was filmed. Many more followed, but these are the main ones that set witchcraft and paganism against Christian morality and ethics, at least in the minds of the Christian audience.

Click picture to view

Click picture to view

The City of the Dead, starring Christopher Lee, is about a student who goes to a small town to find out information about witchcraft for her studies. Little does she realise that the townspeople are all evil devil-worshipping witches, who make lots of sacrifices, especially around about the time of Candlemas. Candlemas is a Christian festival for a start. It is the Feast of the Purification of the Virgin. However, in the pagan religion it is the festival of Imbolc, and marks the beginning of spring. It is associated with the virgin goddess, Brighid. We can clearly see here a distinct similarity between the purified virgin and the virgin goddess.

Nods to the Old Gods

Click picture to read preview

Lucifer is also mentioned in this film, and has long been synonymous with the Devil and his many other names: Satan, Beelzebub etc. In Nods to the Old Gods I have explained briefly that Lucifer’s name means “light bearer”, and that it was the name given to the dawn appearance of the planet Venus, which heralds daylight. Early Luciferians – devotees of the god Lucifer – worshipped dragons and snakes, as well as the sun. In more advanced ancient civilisations, dragons and snakes were not perceived as evil. In fact, they were often associated with power and healing.

Click on picture to view

Click on picture to view “The Devil Rides Out”

The opening sequence to The Devil Rides Out is full of imagery usually associated with magic, Satanism and astrology. Set to the background music, which is horrific and scary, it seems we are to imagine all these images are too. The zodiac signs are used in this sequence, and then again at the end, on the sacrificial altar of the devil worshippers. Also, in the opening sequence we are introduced to Baphomet, who will later appear on the floor of the observatory and again at the orgiastic party. He is a goat-headed being, referred to as “The Goat of Mendes” by Christopher Lee. The reality is that most modern scholars now agree “Baphomet” is a corruption of “Muhammad”. Baphomet was the name of the idol the Knight’s Templars were accused of worshipping in the 14th century. It is thought that during their occupation of the Outremer, they had begun to incorporate Islamic ideas into their belief system. This, the Inquisition of course declared to be heretical.

In the 19th century, Baphomet became more associated with the occult (the name occult means “hidden”, as in “hidden knowledge”). In 1854, Eliphas Lévi published Dogmas and Rituals of High Magic in which he drew his image of Baphomet. This image is the best-known picture of Baphomet (see below).

Baphomet by Eliphas Lévi

Baphomet by Eliphas Lévi

Lévi considered his Baphomet to be a depiction of the absolute in symbolic form:

The goat on the frontispiece carries the sign of the pentagram on the forehead, with one point at the top, a symbol of light, his two hands forming the sign of occultism, the one pointing up to the white moon of Chesed, the other pointing down to the black one of Geburah. This sign expresses the perfect harmony of mercy with justice. His one arm is female, the other male like the ones of the androgyne of Khunrath, the attributes of which we had to unite with those of our goat because he is one and the same symbol. The flame of intelligence shining between his horns is the magic light of the universal balance, the image of the soul elevated above matter, as the flame, whilst being tied to matter, shines above it. The beast’s head expresses the horror of the sinner, whose materially acting, solely responsible part has to bear the punishment exclusively; because the soul is insensitive according to its nature and can only suffer when it materializes. The rod standing instead of genitals symbolizes eternal life, the body covered with scales the water, the semi-circle above it the atmosphere, the feathers following above the volatile. Humanity is represented by the two breasts and the androgyne arms of this sphinx of the occult sciences.

The appearance of Basphomet in The Devil Rides Out is referred to as The Goat of Mendes, a name which Lévi also used to describe Baphomet. Herodotus described the god of Mendes (in Egypt) as having a goat’s face and legs, and that male goats were held in high regard by the Mendesians. E A Wallis Budge writes:

At several places in the Delta, e.g. Hermopolis, Lycopolis, and Mendes, the god Pan and a goat were worshipped; Strabo, quoting (xvii. 1, 19) …The Mendisians, according to this last writer, paid reverence to all goats, and more to the males than to the females, and particularly to one he-goat, on the death of which public mourning is observed throughout the whole Mendesian district; they call both Pan and the goat Mendes, and both were worshipped as gods of generation and fecundity. Diodorus (i. 88) compares the cult of the goat of Mendes with that of Priapus, and groups the god with the Pans and the Satyrs. The goat referred to by all these writers is the famous Mendean Ram, or Ram of Mendes, the cult of which was, according to Manetho, established by Kakau, the king of the IInd dynasty.

Lévi’s Baphomet became an important figure within Aleister Crowley’s mystical system of Thelema. For Crowley, The Devil is the God of any people that one personally dislikes. Baphomet represents life, love, light and liberty.

There are a couple of interesting points about The Devil Rides Out, particularly the character of Duc de Richleau (Lee), who has knowledge of esoteric scriptures which he has taken the time to memorise. Like the bad guy, Mocata, Richleau also has the ability to use both hypnosis and magic, which he utilises to defeat the powers of darkness. Furthermore, as Mocata raises the angel of death, Richleau manages to raise the dead, bringing Tanith into the body of his niece and commanding her to do his will. He even manages to re-write history and turn back time with his magic. Although not explicit in the film, Richleau, to all intents and purposes, is a most powerful wizard who has the knowledge and ability to use the highest of magic.

Cleverly, and most importantly, however, is the fact that the makers of the film have also brainwashed the audience into believing exactly what they want them to believe with the imagery they use….

Click photo to watch "Rosemary's Baby"

Click photo to watch “Rosemary’s Baby”

The same year, Rosemary’s Baby also hit cinemas. The heroine, Rosemary (Mia Farrow), becomes pregnant after having a weird lucid dream in which she imagines herself to copulate with the Devil. Controlled by her doctor and eccentric neighbour, Minnie, Rosemary becomes more and more isolated from all her friends. The climax, as Roman tells her, is that Satan is her son’s father.

In Nods to the Old Gods, I explain that Ha-Satan is usually translated as “adversary” (i.e. of God). In Arabic the term Shaitan means “astray” or “distant”. In the Quran, after Iblis refuses to bow to Adam with the rest of the angels, he becomes known as Shaitan, meaning “enemy”, “evil”, “rebel”, “devil”. In the Baha’i faith, however, Satan is not regarded as an independent evil power, but signifies the lower nature of human beings i.e. the evil ego within us. In conjunction with what we know of his relationship to Pan (the goat-headed fertility god of the ancient Greeks), it would seem that Satan also represents inner sexual instincts. In Rosemary’s Baby he is the sexual force used to impregnate her with the child of the Devil. The ultimate challenge for Rosemary is whether or not her maternal instinct will be powerful enough to overcome the revulsion she feels towards a child whose father is Satan.

Click photo to view "The Wicker Man"

Click photo to view “The Wicker Man”

In 1973, The Wicker Man gave an impression of pagan religions which has been hard to get rid of. Edward Woodward plays a cop who goes off to Summer Isle to investigate the disappearance of a little girl, Rowan Morrison. What he encounters are the uncooperative inhabitants of the island who seem intent on thwarting the policeman’s investigation.

He stays at the Green Man’s Inn, where he meets more of the weird townsfolk who proceed to sing a rather raunchy song to the landlord’s daughter, Willow (Britt Ekland), which perturbs the prudish Christian Sergeant Howie. He is further angered and unsettled by seeing couples having sex in a field outside, and a naked woman crying over the grave of her (presumably) dead husband.

The naked Willow sings a Siren’s song to try to entice the sexually suppressed and sweating virgin, Howie. However, he is engaged to another and believes sex before marriage to be wrong. He manages to withstand her charms, but more sex and frivolity are to follow. The following day is May Day Eve, and begins with boys dancing round a Maypole. He overhears the local school teacher explaining that the Maypole symbolises the penis, “venerated in religions such as ours as the generative force in nature” to which Howie makes it clear he is absolutely disgusted. Howie interprets the beliefs and teachings as “degeneracy, indecency, corruption and filth”. On discovering Rowan’s name in the school register, the teacher is forced to explain to Howie that when a person dies the belief of the Summer Isle inhabitants is that they return to nature: to air, to fire, to trees, to water, to animals. She explains that the children find it easier to understand reincarnations rather than resurrection.

Further investigations lead Howie to the residence of Lord Summerisle. On the way, he witnesses a strange ritual with naked women dancing round the fire within a circle of standing stones. Howie argues that the people of the island are practising false religion and false biology by believing in reproduction without intercourse. Lord Summerisle responds that Jesus himself was born of a virgin and a ghost. One belief is no less ridiculous than the other.

As Howie gets more and more angry, Lord Summerisle and the other residents seem to become more and more pleasant and happy. Throughout the film we hear about the sun god, the goddess of the field, the idea of sacrifice in order to gain a good harvest, John Barleycorn (the life of the fields) and the salmon of knowledge. The climax is a virgin sacrifice burned within the confines of a giant wicker man.

Is this what we pagans get up to? Well, no, not quite. Neo-paganism is based on the Old Religions and the practices depicted in the film are either twisted versions of the truth or complete nonsense in the modern age. It is true that the May Pole is a phallic symbol. In many ancient cultures, such as Rome, the penis was venerated as a potent fertility symbol and it wouldn’t have been unusual to see phallic symbols above doors, for example. It is only in modern times that our Christianised culture has forbidden us to worship such things.

The May Pole

The May Pole

Beltaine is an important date in the pagan calendar. It is on 30th April, the eve before May Day until May Day Night, and it is associated with sex and fertility. It is between the Spring Equinox (21st March) and the Summer Solstice (21st June), and it marks the beginning of summer. It was originally a Gaelic festival when symbolic fire rituals were performed to protect the cattle and people, and to encourage crops to grow. Flowers were displayed, and young girls washed their face in the May Day dew. A custom which sometimes still carries on to this day! I remember doing this when I was a young girl.

Nowadays, we generally don’t have much opportunity or requirement for driving cattle between two bonfires for cleansing and protection. We might wish for crops or plants to grow, though, and some pagan rituals might request that the Goddess of the Grain makes our land fertile. Pagans are very individual. Some might take a walk in nature, enjoying the changing seasons and lighting a candle, perhaps saying a prayer, performing a small ritual to mark the occasion or take a trip to Edinburgh to watch the Beltane Fire Festival. Some pagans choose Beltaine to marry, or consummate a relationship, because of its association with love and fertility. A few do carry out rituals naked or ‘skyclad’, but not all. In fact, not many. Most rituals are done robed. However, skyclad rituals are not frowned upon. The pagan ethic tends to be “each to their own”.

Beltane Fire Festival, Edinburgh

Beltane Fire Festival, Edinburgh

We don’t all believe in reincarnation, although some do. Paganism is so varied and there is no dogma to insist that you believe one thing over another. In fact, you can be pagan and a monotheist (one god), polytheist (many gods) or atheist (no god(s)). Paganism allows you to revere nature, and be of a scientific disposition at the same time, but for those who wish to believe in a god they can. This might seem strange, but we once did all live in harmony, with communities deciding which gods they would worship. Just because someone worshipped one god, did not necessarily mean they did not believe in the existence of the other gods. It seems to me that this system makes for a more harmonious existence amongst the cultures of the world. If we could all accept that we each have our own very different perspective of the world, we might at last live in harmony. Live and let live, as the saying goes!

As for the Wicker Man, there is only one account which alleges it was used by the Druids for human sacrifice. This was written by Julius Caesar in his Commentary on the Gallic War. The Druids may have used ritual sacrifice as a means of executing criminals, but whether they used a giant wicker man to do so is highly debateable. Nowadays, no humans are ever sacrificed, and animal sacrifice is frowned upon by the majority of pagan and magical communities and practitioners. Furthermore, most pagans do not believe in the Christian devil, as he is a later invention and stems from many of the early pagan gods who were misunderstood and, therefore, demonised as time went on. However, there are some people who practise both Christian and pagan religion, celebrating both Christian and pagan feast days. This is probably very similar to how it would have been in the early Celtic Christian world, when we learned to live side by side and more in harmony with each other. What went wrong?

If you think scapegoating doesn’t happen nowadays, you are very wrong. Children are named as witches, ostracised and attacked in parts of Africa, blamed for bringing bad luck to their villages. Just as alarming, is the fact that we don’t have to look much further than our own backyard to find that in British society the sick, disabled and immigrants are having the finger of blame pointed in their direction for all the ills of our desperate economic situation. Like in horror films depicting ancient gods as demonic, the public are often not aware of the level of brainwashing they are receiving, whilst innocent people suffer and die. Suicides have risen in the UK, as the poor find themselves more and more in debt, whilst the tax-avoiding rich are become richer. If you don’t see something very wrong with that, then you have indeed been brainwashed; and you are taking part in the age old practise of scapegoating.

Until next week, I hope we all see the light.

Your friend, A.D.

REFERENCES

http://www.guardian.co.uk/culture/shortcuts/2013/apr/15/peaches-geldof-aleister-crowley-sex-cult-oto

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2007/jan/24/comment.comment3 by Vanessa Chambers 24/1/2007

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Wicca

http://altreligion.about.com/od/symbols/a/baphomet.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baphomet

http://www.sacred-texts.com/pag/mm/mm01_15a.htm

VIDEOS

http://viooz.co/movies/1721-rosemarys-baby-1968.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJXl_gckMiU&wide=1

http://nobuffer.info/pl.php?url=19EE7B1849C4169D

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1kw9H6jDrVE

http://viooz.co/movies/1683-the-wicker-man-1973.html

OTHER FILMS

http://www.imdb.com/list/zti3t-aeJME/

Monster Myths to Monster Movies: The Tales That Inspired Harryhausen

10 Friday May 2013

Posted by Alyson Dunlop Shanes in Uncategorized

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

7th Voyage of Sinbad, Aeschylus, Apollonius, Arges, Argonautica, Aristophanes, automaton, Boreades, Brontes, bronze bulls, Catalogue of Women, Clash of the Titans, classics, Crete, Cronus, Cyclopes, Cyclops, Dead Man's Chest, Diodorus Siculus, Euripides, Euryale, forging, giant octopus, Gorgons, Greek, harpies, Helen, Hephaestus, Hesiod, Homer, hydra, Iliad, Jason and the Argonauts, Johnny Depp, King Phineus, Kres, magic, mechanical minotaur, Medusa, mermaids, metal-smith, Minoton, Moby Dick, monsters, myth, mythical creatures, Neptune, Odysseus, Odyssey, Orpheus, Penelope, Phinneas, Pindar, Pirates of the Caribbean, Polyphemus, Poseidon, Ray Harryhausen, sea monsters, sea snakes, Seventh Voyage of Sinbad, Sicily, Sinbad, Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger, Siren's Song, Sirens, Steropes, Talos, Tartarus, Tauric Chersonese, Tennyson, The Erinyes, The Fates, The Golden Fleece, The Golden Voyage of Sinbad, The Griffin, The Kraken, the sun, Theogony, Titans, Underworld, Uranus, Uriel, volcanoes, Vulcan, Zeus

Harryhausen MedusaLike most of you, I was first introduced to the ancient Greek monsters through watching films like Sinbad, Clash of the Titans and Jason and the Argonauts.   I was also fortunate enough to end up doing a degree in Classics, so I got to find out more about the origins of the mythical creatures Ray Harryhausen magically brought into our hearts and minds, fascinating and captivating us with his animations.  Because of him, pretty much most of you reading this will know what the Cyclops and Medusa look like.

I was so sad to read about Harryhausen’s death earlier this week, and it is to him that I dedicate this article.  In the words of a friend, thank you for the magic Ray.

Seventh Voyage of Sinbad (1958)

Sirens

ulysses-and-the-sirens-1891

By John William Waterhouse

 The name Sirens comes from the Greek Σειρηνες which translated is ‘seiraô’.  It means ‘entwiners’ or ‘binders’.  They are first mentioned by Hesiod in his Catalogue of Women, but they appear in many texts including the Argonautica, Euripides’ Helen and Homer’s Odyssey.  The myths describe them as being three sea creatures who lure mariners to their deaths with enchanting songs.  Jason and his Argonauts manage to pass by with the help of Orpheus who drowns out their singing with his music.  Odysseus manages to pass by unharmed by asking his men to tie him to the mast of the ship, while they put wax in their ears so that they will not hear the Siren’s Song and perish.  The Sirens are so upset that a man hears their song, but escapes, that they throw themselves into the sea and drown!  What an odd tale indeed!  And, of course, there are many theories on what it might all mean.

For starters, the word has survived in modern language.  The siren is the sound of a warning bell or alarm, and generally means that there is trouble somewhere ahead.  Did the Sirens foretell the coming of danger?  Sometimes the Siren is a woman, or a woman with wings.  Could it be warnings from women about dangers, or is it a warning that beautiful women are dangerous, or that men can be tempted into dangerous situations by beauty and desire?  Certainly, Odysseus faces many temptations before he returns back to his dutiful and faithful wife Penelope.  She is certainly more faithful than he is, that’s for sure!

Sirens, like the tales of mermaids, seem to be a symbol for dangerous seduction; the kind that lure men to their deaths.  In this respect, therefore, they represent the desires of a man that he cannot have, or should not have, which will ultimately be his demise.

The Cyclopes: The Elder and the Younger

Redon.cyclops

The Cyclops by Redon

 There are two breeds of Cyclopes, the one-eyed monster: The Elder and The Younger.  The Elder Cyclopes first appear in Hesiod’s Theogony, a Greek creation story.  Their names are Arges, Steropes, and Brontes and were cast into Tartarus (a part of the Underworld where people are tormented) by their father, Uranus, along with all the other Titans.  They assist Cronus in usurping Uranus’ government, but Cronus then also throws them into Tartarus.  Because Zeus releases them during his war with Cronus and the Titans, the Cyclopes give Zeus his thunderbolt and lightning, as well as a helmet for Hades (god of the Underworld) and a Trident for Poseidon (god of the sea).  The Elder Cyclopes are eventually killed.  Later, their tale appears in the Argonautica where they are shown to be metal forgers.

The Younger Cyclopes appear in Homer’s Odyssey.  Here they are a giant race of lawless shepherds who live in South West Sicily and eat humans!  They neglect agriculture, have no laws or political institutions and completely disregard Zeus (Hom. Od. vi. 5, ix. 106, &c., 190, &c., 240, &c., x. 200.)

They seem to represent natural forces, both destructive and creative.  I can’t help wondering if perhaps volcanoes play a part.  They too have one eye, and there are many in the area of Sicily.  That they had a destructive force is obviously a given, but they do also possess the power of creativity.  After eruptions, ash and lava form rich soil and land is fertile.  Its power of creativity is, therefore, enhanced.  Many different kinds of metal deposits are also found near underwater volcanoes and geothermal springs. Most of the metallic minerals mined in the world, such as copper, gold and silver, are associated with magmas found deep within the roots of extinct volcanoes located above subduction zones.  It doesn’t take much of an imagination to envisage the possibility that settlers in these areas would mine for metals and be inclined to go into trades such as metal-smithing and forging, hence the association with Hephaestus (Gr)/Vulcan (L.).  Furthermore, with just another little stretch of our imaginations it would be perfectly plausible to assume that these ancient people, who worship Vulcan, god of volcanoes (where the name comes from), might have drawn or tattoed an eye in the middle of their foreheads to represent their god, and the eye of the volcano….  These are how myths are born!

There’s probably much more to discover on this subject through studying the cults of Hephaestus/Vulcan.  I’ll leave that for another day, though.

Jason and the Argonauts (1963)/The Argonautica

Talos

Talos

Talos

 A bronze automaton (see Minoton).  Talos is forged by Haephastus.  He is a massive statue from Crete who is given the task of patrolling the island three times a day and driving pirates away with rocks or a fiery death-embrace (see Cyclopes).  His first appearance is the Argonautica.  He was eventually destroyed when he tried to stop the Argonauts from landing on Crete.  In one poem he is the son of the Cretan sun-god, Kres, as well as the father of Hephaestus, the fire god.  His name means ‘the sun’ but also ‘to cut down’ in the Cretan dialect. 

Harpies

The sons of Boreas, Kalais and Zetes, are hunting the Harpies. Laconian cylix 550 BC. Villa Gulia

The sons of Boreas, Kalais and Zetes, are hunting the Harpies.
Laconian cylix 550 BC. Villa Gulia

Harpies are the spirits of sudden gusts of wind.  They are known as the hounds of Zeus and are sent by him to snatch things, including people!  In Greek mythology, they are often blamed for sudden mysterious disappearances.  They are usually shown as winged women or women with the body of a bird.  They are mentioned in Homer’s Odyssey, by Hesiod in his Catalogue of Women and later in the Argonautica.  The Harpy Eagle is also named after them!

Two harpies were assigned by Zeus to torment King Phineus of Thrace.  In the film he is depicted as the blind prophet Phinneas.  The King is punished for revealing the secrets of the gods by having his food snatched away by the Harpies.  In the film it is for abusing his power of prophecy. They are captured by Jason and his crew in exchange for information.  King Phineus is mentioned briefly in Hesiod’s Catalogue of Women and he was the subject of a play called Phineus by Aeschylus which is unfortunately lost.  This story told of the arrival of the Argonauts at Phineus’ court, where the Boreades kill the Harpies and save Phineus.  Thankfully a few fragments survive at least.  The Harpies are mentioned in many other ancient texts including the Homer’s Iliad and Hesiod’s Theogony, both from round about 8th c BCE.

Hydra

By Ruth_Tay (deviantART)

By Ruth_Tay (deviantART)

In mythology, the Hydra is an enormous nine-headed water snake.  It is one of the twelve labours of Heracles (Gr.).  Whenever he cuts off one head, two grow in its place!  Eventually he cauterises the heads with fire.  During the battle he crushes a giant crab, which has come to assist the Hydra, beneath his heel.  Afterwards Hydra and the Crab became the constellations of Hydra and Cancer.

The Hydra first appears in Hesiods Theogony (8th/7th c BCE), and appears also in Apollonius’ Argonautica, as well as many other stories.   The Hydra is certainly representative of some kind of obstacle, however it has also been suggested that it represented ancient serpent worship.  This is something I would appreciate more information on, if anyone can enlighten me.

The Golden Voyage of Sinbad (1973)

Griffin

By Jim Nelson

By Jim Nelson

The Griffin is a beast with the head and wings of an eagle and the body of a lion.  A tribe of Griffins guarded gold deposits in northern and eastern mountains of Greece, which could have the same significance as the story of the men who guarded the Golden Fleece (see Minoton).  The Griffins are mentioned by several ancient Greek writers: Aeschylus in Prometheus Bound, Aristophanes in Frogs and Herodotus in Histories.

Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger (1977)

Minoton: The mechanical Minotaur

 minoton

Of course, most of us will have heard of the Minotaur from the Theseus myth, but Automotons also existed in the ancient world.  They are creatures crafted out of metal and given life by Hephaestus, the Greek smith-god.  There are four fire-breathing bronze bulls, which Hephaestus makes for King Aeetes of Colchis.  These appear for the first time in the Argonautica. 

Diodorus Siculus informs us what they are a couple of centuries later.   He tells us Aeetes puts up a wall where the Golden Fleece is and has it guarded by men of the Tauric Chersonese.  He says that it is because of these guards that the Greeks invented monstrous myths.  A rumour is spread that fire-breathing bulls and a sleepless dragon guard the fleece.  The imagery of the bull breathing fire is used by these men because of their strength and also due to their cruel way of murdering strangers (2).

Clash of the Titans (1981)

Medusa

By Caravaggio

By Caravaggio

Medusa is one of three Gorgons.  She has snake hair and her gaze turns men to stone.  The first written account appears to be by Hesiod who pictures The Gorgons as sea demons who have the ability to create reefs.  They are therefore the personification of dangerous reefs which are a threat to sailors.  In fact, another of the Gorgons is called Euryale, which means “she of the wide briny sea”.  Medusa is possibly a personification of the sea storms that drive sailors to their deaths.  It is also possible the three Gorgons are connected with The Furies, three ancient goddesses who represent drought, ruined crops and famine.

Interestingly, though possibly not important or relevant, the angel Uriel is the angel of wisdom who is associated with helping people to resolve conflicts.  In The Erinyes by Aeschyles, The Erinyes (Fates) were transformed into goddesses of good judgement and wisdom.   I just wonder if Uriel and Euryale have anything in common…

According to later classical poets, such as Pindar, Medusa is a beautiful maiden, “fair-cheeked”, who is turned into a monster by the goddess Athena for lying with the god Poseidon in Athena’s shrine.  Poseidon is the god of the sea, as well as earthquakes, so there is another nautical connection.  Could the myth simply mean that Medusa once represented the calm sea, and later represented the stormy sea?  The fact that she was mortal might also tie her to animal or plant and certainly her totem animal must be considered to be the snake.  Perhaps sea snakes.  I would need much more time than I currently have to really look into all that, but if anyone already has information, please do post a comment.  I’d be delighted to hear from you.

Kraken

Release the Kraken!

Release the Kraken!

I had to save the best for last!  Oh, but I am so sorry to disappoint you.  The Kraken was never a part of Greek mythology.  It first appeared in early Norwegian stories from the 12th c CE.  In 1752 it was described as being like a floating island, with arms, about a mile and a half across.  Later stories depicted it as a giant octopus.  There is a reference to it in Moby Dick, and Tennyson wrote a poem about it. 

It seems Ray Harryhausen just nicked it for Clash of the Titans, as did the the producers of Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest with Johnny Depp.

It probably just represents the dangers of the ocean from predatory creatures.  There have been several accounts of large creatures wrecking boats, such as the giant octopus, which can grow to about thirty feet long.  Tales of the Kraken probably grew from mariner’s tales and fears about sea creatures.

Recommendations

If you want to read more about Greek myths, I highly recommend you start with reading Hesiod, Homer (particularly the Odyssey), Aristophanes and Euripides.  They are much easier to get through.  I probably wouldn’t recommend the Argonautica – it’s not a big book, but it is pretty taxing to read.

Please do feel free to post comments, as it is impossible to fully cover such a vast subject in just a couple of days.

Until next week… As always, your friend, A.D.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_Fleece

http://www.theoi.com

http://library.thinkquest.org/C003603/english/volcanoes/theadvantages.shtml

http://vulcan.wr.usgs.gov/LivingWith/PlusSide/mineral_resources.html

http://www.rbhs.w-cook.k12.il.us/mancoff/sirens.htm

http://monsters.monstrous.com/kraken.htm

http://www.nowpublic.com/culture/release-kraken-what-kraken-kraken-origins-history-2600156.html

 

REFERENCES

(1)  Strabo (first century BC) Geography I, 2, 39 (Jones, H.L. (ed.) (1969) The Geography of Strabo (in eight volumes) London

Tran, T (1992) “The Hydrometallurgy of Gold Processing”, Interdisciplinary Science Reviews (UK), 17, pp. 356-365  

“Gold During the Classical Period”

Shuker, Karl P. N. (1997), From Flying Toads To Snakes With Wings, Llewellyn

 Renault, Mary (2004), The Bull from the Sea, Arrow (Rand)

(2)Diodorus Siculus, Library of History 4. 47. 2 – 3 (trans. Oldfather) (Greek historian C1st B.C.)

 

CURSE OF WHITECHAPEL: Jack the Ripper

03 Friday May 2013

Posted by Alyson Dunlop Shanes in Uncategorized

≈ 6 Comments

Tags

3 New Court, A Study in Terror, Aaron Kosminski, Aberline, Anne Chapman, Annie Chapman, Catherine Eddowes, Christopher Plummer, crime, Dark Annie, Dorset Street, Duke of Clarence, Dutfield's Yard, Elizabeth Stride, Fear, freemasonry, From Hell, Ginger, Horror, Jack the Ripper, Jack the Ripper (1988), Jack the Ripper Documentary, James Mason, John Neville, Johnny Depp, Juwes, Leather Apron, Long Liz, macabre, Mary Ann Kelly, Mary Ann Nichols, Mary Jane Kelly, Michael Caine, Mitre Square, murder, Murder by Decree, mutilations, Polly Nichols, prostitutes, Ripperologists, Sex, sex crime, Sir William Gull, terror, the queen's physician, The Real Jack the Ripper, Victorian London, Whitechapel murders

Few events have inspired crime and horror writers as much as the Whitechapel murders of 1888. From August to November of that year, the East End of London lived in complete and utter terror. Though there were other murders that year, five in particular were attributed to the hand of one suspect, known only by what was to become his most infamous name: “Jack the Ripper”. It is a name that should strike fear and loathing in even the bravest of people, for the vilest acts were committed by this one person. If, indeed, it was one person.

His victims were all penniless, alcoholic prostitutes, who walked the foggy streets of London’s East End. In order of murder:

Mary Ann “Polly” Nichols: 31st August

Mary Ann Nichols

Mary Ann had gone out on the streets, after an evening of drinking, to earn her lodgings for the night. She was seen by an acquaintance at 2.30am. By 3.15am she was found, in the spot where only half an hour earlier a policeman had passed by. Her throat and abdomen were both cut open, but there was very little blood, leading police to conclude she had been murdered elsewhere.

Anne Chapman (“Dark Annie”): 8th September

Anne Chapman

Anne Chapman, also drunk and in need of money for lodgings, went out at 1.45am, was last seen at 5.30am and was found in a back yard at 6am. Her face and tongue were swollen, indicating that she had possibly been gagged or suffocated. Her abdomen had been cut open, intestines lifted out and placed on her shoulder. All her pelvic organs were removed with one clean incision, leading investigators to conclude that The Ripper had knowledge of anatomy. The attending pathologist, Dr George Bagster Phillips, said he himself could not have performed the task in anything less than an hour. If the precise anatomical removal was deliberate, it was done at lightning speed.

Elizabeth Stride (“Long Liz”): 30th September

Elizabeth Stride 1872 Photo

Elizabeth had been drinking up until 6.30pm with a friend, before going out on the streets for her lodgings money. She was seen in another pub later, around 11pm, drinking with a man. By 1am she was found in a Dutfield’s Yard, behind the International Working Men’s Educational Club. Her throat had been slit. It is thought that the killer was disturbed by a salesman entering the yard with his horse and cart, and that the mutilation was probably left unfinished. It’s highly likely because simply killing Elizabeth was not enough to satiate the thirst of The Ripper that night.

Catherine Eddowes: 30th September

Catherine Eddowes 1883 Photo

Within half an hour of killing Elizabeth Stride, Catherine Eddowes was also murdered. Last seen at about 1.35am, after being let out of her police cell at 1am where she had been taken earlier in the evening to sober up, giving her name as “Mary Jane Kelly”, one of the pseudonyms of the fifth and final victim of the Ripper. Approximately ten minutes later, at 1.45am Catherine was found dead by a policeman in Mitre Square. Her throat was slit, her vocal chords were severed, abdomen ripped open, and intestines placed on her shoulder in a similar manner to that of Annie Chapman. Furthermore, the inside of her thighs had been sliced open. Her left renal artery was cut through, and the left kidney removed. Catherine’s womb was also partially removed. Her face, eyes, nose and ears were mutilated. The pathologist declared that someone with anatomical knowledge must have carried out the murder. It would have been a truly gruesome sight to behold. However, it was nothing to the next, and final, horror the police would encounter.

Mary Jane Kelly aka “Ginger” and “Mary Ann Kelly”: 9th November

Mary Jane Kelly

(Artist’s Impression)

Mary Jane Kelly was the only victim who had permanent lodgings. She lived at 3 New Court, an alley off of Dorset Street. Of all the Ripper murders, Mary Jane Kelly’s is the only one that is committed indoors. Because of this it is likely that The Ripper had time to carry out his sick deeds undisturbed. It’s possible that Mary Jane was drinking heavily all evening. There are a couple of unconfirmed sightings between 8 and 11pm, in two different pubs, and in the company of several gentlemen throughout the evening and the early hours of the following morning. By 10.45am her body was discovered. She was mutilated beyond recognition. The surface of her abdomen and thighs had been removed, her abdomen emptied, breasts cut off, arms slashed, face completely mutilated and unrecognisable, her neck was severed to the bone. Her organs were found in various locations in the room: her kidneys, uterus and one breast were underneath the bed, the other breast by her right foot, her liver lay between her feet, her intestines by her right side, her spleen to the right, skin from her abdomen and thighs lay on a table.

The room was a blood bath. The bed was saturated and the floor was a pool of about two feet square. There were several spatter marks on the walls in line with the neck. Her face was gashed all over, many times, as were her arms and calves. It was a truly horrific murder. Of all the macabre killings, Mary Jane Kelly’s murder was probably the most abhorrent and ghastly of them all.

Ripperologists generally agree that out of all the murders going on in London at that time, these five were committed by the same person known as Jack the Ripper. Who he is depends on who you talk to. There are more theories than the five murders he committed! The eyes of suspicion fell upon the Jewish community as Londoners looked for a scapegoat, preferring to believe it to be a foreigner than one of their own people. This may have been the case, but it is far from certain.

The royal and masonic theory is obviously a colourful and exciting angle, and very film-worthy. Several enjoyable movies have been made around this theory. On just a quick research of events, however, it would seem that the evidence is sketchy at best…disappointingly so! Still, never let the truth get in the way of a good story, eh?

So who, then, if not the Queen’s physician, or indeed the prince himself? Well, there was certainly an abundance of dodgy characters roaming the East End of Victorian London. The Ripper murders were not the only ones being committed either. It would be fair to say that the East End was poverty stricken, filthy and no doubt disease-ridden to boot. The fact that so many penniless prostitutes walked the dangerous foggy streets after sunset, looking for money to buy a bed for the night, some food the next day and enough left over to drink away all their troubles, gives us some idea of what kind of life those poor women were leading. They were extremely vulnerable, with few people who would miss them and probably drunk enough that they were incapable of defending themselves very much. Together with their trade, which forced them into the streets, a trade which had to be done in private, in the middle of the night, these women were easy prey for The Ripper.

One popular theory is that he killed them in a carriage before dumping them. One thing I’d say is that he had to be pretty confident of his surroundings and probably lived in the area. Most of the killings were done in what appears to be a very short time frame of 15-20 minutes. He was really very quick. Either he did have access to a carriage, or the killings were done by more than one man. It’s true he may have had a relative knowledge of anatomy, but possibly not any more than he’d read in a book. That he seemed to know where certain organs were, to me, proves nothing about any professional knowledge on the matter.

One of the more plausible theories is that The Ripper was a man called Aaron Kosminski, a Polish Jew. Kosminski had been named as The Ripper by police, but a witness who saw him with one of the victims, would not testify against a fellow Jew. Kosminski could not therefore be tried, but he did suffer from some kind of paranoid psychosis and so was taken to an asylum. There were no more Ripper murders after that, and the police closed down the investigation. This was despite the fact that more time had elapsed in between murders than it had between the last murder and the end of the police investigation, pointing to the suggestion that the police knew something they weren’t saying.

Regardless, everyone has a theory and a belief. 125 years later Jack the Ripper continues to strike fear into the hearts of those who read the story of the Whitechapel murders. He is the ultimate villain and the stereotypically demonic serial killer. His barbaric crimes will no doubt continue to inspire future writers as they always have done, everyone attempting to claim a piece of the truth for posterity, but it really doesn’t matter at the end of the day. What’s important is that the conditions were right for someone to take advantage of those innocent women: squalor and poverty which we should never allow to happen again. What matters most of all is that he stopped. Jack the Ripper’s reign of terror was over, but his rule of only 10 weeks will never be forgotten.

Until next week, hit the road Jack!  Your friend, A.D.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

http://www.casebook.org/

FILMS

Murder By Decree (1979) with Christopher Plummer as

Sherlock Holmes

A Study in Terror (1965) with John Neville as Sherlock

Holmes

Jack the Ripper (1988) with Michael Caine as Aberline.

Click here to watch online.

From Hell (2001) with Johnny Depp as Aberline.

Click here to watch online.

DOCUMENTARIES

The Real Jack the Ripper

Jack the Ripper Documentary (Part 1 of 6)

MORTUARY & CRIME SCENE PHOTOGRAPHS

mary-ann-nichols dead

Mary Ann Nichols, died 31st August 1888, aged 43.

Annie_Chapman dead

Anne Chapman “Dark Annie”, died 8th September 1888, aged 47.

elizabeth-stride dead

Elizabeth Stride “Long Liz”, died 30th September, aged 45.

catherine-eddowes-dead

Catherine Eddowes, died 30th September 1888, aged 46.

mary-jane-kelly-deadMary Jane Reconstruction

Mary Jane Kelly/Mary Anne Kelly/”Ginger”, died 9th November, aged (approx) 25 years old.  In the article above, there is only an artists impression available to ascertain the appearance of Mary Jane.  However, with modern technology it has been attempted to reveal what she might have actually looked like.

* With special thanks to Andy Young for introducing me to this subject.  Miss you.

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