![Count of St Germain](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/62/Count_of_St_Germain.jpg)
The Comte de Saint Germain (; – 27 February 1784) was a
Europe
Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...
an adventurer, with an interest in
science
Science is a systematic endeavor that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe.
Science may be as old as the human species, and some of the earliest archeological evidence for ...
,
alchemy
Alchemy (from Arabic: ''al-kīmiyā''; from Ancient Greek: χυμεία, ''khumeía'') is an ancient branch of natural philosophy, a philosophical and protoscientific tradition that was historically practiced in China, India, the Muslim world, ...
and
the arts
The arts are a very wide range of human practices of creative expression, storytelling and cultural participation. They encompass multiple diverse and plural modes of thinking, doing and being, in an extremely broad range of media. Both ...
. He achieved prominence in European
high society of the mid-18th century.
Prince Charles of Hesse-Kassel considered him to be "one of the greatest philosophers who ever lived". St. Germain used a variety of names and titles, an accepted practice amongst royalty and nobility at the time. These include the Marquis de Montferrat, Comte Bellamarre, Chevalier Schoening, Count Weldon, Comte
Soltikoff
The House of Saltykov ( rus, Салтыков, p=səltɨˈkof) is the name of an old Russian noble family which can trace their ancestry back to 1240. In March 1730 the family was awarded with the title of Count in Russia, granted to them by Empre ...
, Graf Tzarogy, and Prinz Ragoczy. In order to deflect enquiries as to his origins, he would make far-fetched claims, such as being 500 years old, leading
Voltaire
François-Marie Arouet (; 21 November 169430 May 1778) was a French Age of Enlightenment, Enlightenment writer, historian, and philosopher. Known by his ''Pen name, nom de plume'' M. de Voltaire (; also ; ), he was famous for his wit, and his ...
to sarcastically dub him "The Wonderman" and that "He is a man who does not die, and who knows everything".
His real name is unknown while his birth and background are obscure, but towards the end of his life, he claimed that he was a son of Prince
Francis II Rákóczi
Francis II Rákóczi ( hu, II. Rákóczi Ferenc, ; 27 March 1676 – 8 April 1735) was a Hungarian nobleman and leader of Rákóczi's War of Independence against the Habsburgs in 1703–11 as the prince ( hu, fejedelem) of the Estates Confedera ...
of
Transylvania
Transylvania ( ro, Ardeal or ; hu, Erdély; german: Siebenbürgen) is a historical and cultural region in Central Europe, encompassing central Romania. To the east and south its natural border is the Carpathian Mountains, and to the west the Ap ...
. His name has occasionally caused him to be confused with
Claude Louis, Comte de Saint-Germain
Claude Louis, Comte de Saint-Germain (15 April 1707 – 15 January 1778), French general, was born on 15 April 1707, at the Château of Vertamboz.
Educated at Jesuit schools, he intended to enter the priesthood, but at the last minute obtaine ...
, a noted French general.
Background
The count claimed to be a son of
Francis II Rákóczi
Francis II Rákóczi ( hu, II. Rákóczi Ferenc, ; 27 March 1676 – 8 April 1735) was a Hungarian nobleman and leader of Rákóczi's War of Independence against the Habsburgs in 1703–11 as the prince ( hu, fejedelem) of the Estates Confedera ...
, the
Prince
A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. Th ...
of Transylvania, which could possibly be unfounded. However, this would account for his wealth and fine education.
The will of Francis II Rákóczi mentions his eldest son, Leopold George, who was believed to have died at the age of four.
The speculation is that his identity was safeguarded as a protective measure from the persecutions against the
Habsburg
The House of Habsburg (), alternatively spelled Hapsburg in Englishgerman: Haus Habsburg, ; es, Casa de Habsburgo; hu, Habsburg család, it, Casa di Asburgo, nl, Huis van Habsburg, pl, dom Habsburgów, pt, Casa de Habsburgo, la, Domus Hab ...
dynasty.
At the time of his arrival in Schleswig in 1779, St. Germain told
Prince Charles of Hesse-Kassel that he was 88 years old. This would place his birth in 1691, when Francis II Rákóczi was 15 years old.
St. Germain was supposedly educated in Italy by the last of the Medicis,
Gian Gastone, his alleged mother's brother-in-law. He was believed to be a student at the
University of Siena
The University of Siena ( it, Università degli Studi di Siena, abbreviation: UNISI) in Siena, Tuscany, is one of the oldest and first publicly funded universities in Italy. Originally called ''Studium Senese'', the institution was founded in 1240 ...
.
Throughout his adult life, he deliberately spun a confusing web to conceal his actual name and origins, using different pseudonyms in the different places of Europe that he visited.
Historical figure
He appears to have begun to be known under the title of the Count of St Germain during the early 1740s.
England
According to David Hunter, the count contributed some of the songs to ''L'incostanza delusa'', an opera performed at the
Haymarket Theatre
The Theatre Royal Haymarket (also known as Haymarket Theatre or the Little Theatre) is a West End theatre on Haymarket in the City of Westminster which dates back to 1720, making it the third-oldest London playhouse still in use. Samuel Foote ...
in London on all but one of the Saturdays from 9 February to 20 April 1745.
Later, in a letter of December of that same year,
Horace Walpole
Horatio Walpole (), 4th Earl of Orford (24 September 1717 – 2 March 1797), better known as Horace Walpole, was an English writer, art historian, man of letters, antiquarian, and Whigs (British political party), Whig politician.
He had Strawb ...
mentions the Count St. Germain as being arrested in London on suspicion of espionage (this was during the
Jacobite rebellion of 1745), but released without charge:
The other day they seized an odd man, who goes by the name of Count St. Germain. He has been here these two years, and will not tell who he is, or whence, but professes wo wonderful things, the firstthat he does not go by his right name; and the second that he never had any dealings with any woman – nay, nor with any succedaneum. He sings, plays on the violin wonderfully, composes, is mad, and not very sensible. He is called an Italian, a Spaniard, a Pole; a somebody that married a great fortune in Mexico, and ran away with her jewels to Constantinople; a priest, a fiddler, a vast nobleman. The Prince of Wales
Prince of Wales ( cy, Tywysog Cymru, ; la, Princeps Cambriae/Walliae) is a title traditionally given to the heir apparent to the English and later British throne. Prior to the conquest by Edward I in the 13th century, it was used by the rulers ...
has had unsatiated curiosity about him, but in vain. However, nothing has been made out against him; he is released; and, what convinces me that he is not a gentleman, stays here, and talks of his being taken up for a spy.
The Count gave two private musical performances in London in April and May 1749.
On one such occasion,
Lady Jemima Yorke described how she was "very much entertain'd ''by him'' or ''at him'' the whole Time – I mean the Oddness of his Manner which it is impossible not to laugh at, otherwise you know he is very sensible & well-bred in conversation".
She continued:
He is an Odd Creature, and the more I see him the more curious I am to know something about him. He is everything with everybody: he talks Ingeniously with Mr Wray, Philosophy with Lord Willoughby
Baron Willoughby of Parham was a title in the Peerage of England with two creations. The first creation was for Sir William Willoughby who was raised to the peerage under letters patent in 1547, with the remainder to his heirs male of body. A ...
, and is gallant with Miss Yorke, Miss Carpenter, and all the Young Ladies. But the Character and Philosopher is what he seems to pretend to, and to be a good deal conceited of: the Others are put on to comply with Les Manieres du Monde, but ''that'' you are to suppose his real characteristic; and I can't but fancy he is a great Pretender in All kinds of Science, as well as that he really has acquired an uncommon Share in some.
Walpole reports that St Germain:
spoke Italian and French with the greatest facility, though it was evident that neither was his language; he understood Polish, and soon learnt to understand English and talk it a little ..But Spanish or Portuguese seemed his natural language.[The Yale edition of Horace Walpole correspondence (1712–1784), vol 26, pp20-21]
Walpole concludes that the Count was "a man of Quality who had been in or designed for the Church. He was too great a musician not to have been famous if he had not been a gentleman".
Walpole describes the Count as pale, with "extremely black" hair and a beard. "He dressed magnificently,
ndhad several jewels" and was clearly receiving "large remittances, but made no other figure".
France
St. Germain appeared in the French court around 1748. In 1749, he was employed by
Louis XV
Louis XV (15 February 1710 – 10 May 1774), known as Louis the Beloved (french: le Bien-Aimé), was King of France from 1 September 1715 until his death in 1774. He succeeded his great-grandfather Louis XIV at the age of five. Until he reache ...
for diplomatic missions.
A
mime and English comedian known as Mi'Lord Gower impersonated St. Germain in Paris salons. His stories were wilder than the real count's (he had advised Jesus, for example). Inevitably, hearsay of his routine got confused with the original.
Giacomo Casanova describes in his memoirs several meetings with the "celebrated and learned impostor". Of his first meeting, in Paris in 1757, he writes:
The most enjoyable dinner I had was with Madame de Robert Gergi, who came with the famous adventurer, known by the name of the Count de St. Germain. This individual, instead of eating, talked from the beginning of the meal to the end, and I followed his example in one respect as I did not eat, but listened to him with the greatest attention. It may safely be said that as a conversationalist he was unequalled.
St. Germain gave himself out for a marvel and always aimed at exciting amazement, which he often succeeded in doing. He was scholar, linguist, musician, and chemist, good-looking, and a perfect ladies' man. For a while he gave them paints and cosmetics; he flattered them, not that he would make them young again (which he modestly confessed was beyond him) but that their beauty would be preserved by means of a wash which, he said, cost him a lot of money, but which he gave away freely.
He had contrived to gain the favour of Madame de Pompadour
Jeanne Antoinette Poisson, Marquise de Pompadour (, ; 29 December 1721 – 15 April 1764), commonly known as Madame de Pompadour, was a member of the French court. She was the official chief mistress of King Louis XV from 1745 to 1751, and rema ...
, who had spoken about him to the king In the British English-speaking world, The King refers to:
* Charles III (born 1948), King of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms since 2022
As a nickname
* Michael Jackson (1958–2009), American singer and pop icon, nicknamed "T ...
, for whom he had made a laboratory, in which the monarch – a martyr to boredom – tried to find a little pleasure or distraction, at all events, by making dyes. The king had given him a suite of rooms at Chambord, and a hundred thousand francs for the construction of a laboratory, and according to St. Germain the dyes discovered by the king would have a materially beneficial influence on the quality of French fabrics.
This extraordinary man, intended by nature to be the king of impostors and quacks, would say in an easy, assured manner that he was three hundred years old, that he knew the secret of the Universal Medicine, that he possessed a mastery over nature, that he could melt diamonds, professing himself capable of forming, out of ten or twelve small diamonds, one large one of the finest water without any loss of weight. All this, he said, was a mere trifle to him. Notwithstanding his boastings, his bare-faced lies, and his manifold eccentricities, I cannot say I thought him offensive. In spite of my knowledge of what he was and in spite of my own feelings, I thought him an astonishing man as he was always astonishing me.
Dutch Republic
In March 1760, at the height of the
Seven Years' War
The Seven Years' War (1756–1763) was a global conflict that involved most of the European Great Powers, and was fought primarily in Europe, the Americas, and Asia-Pacific. Other concurrent conflicts include the French and Indian War (1754 ...
, St. Germain travelled to
The Hague
The Hague ( ; nl, Den Haag or ) is a city and municipality of the Netherlands, situated on the west coast facing the North Sea. The Hague is the country's administrative centre and its seat of government, and while the official capital of ...
. In Amsterdam, he stayed at the bankers Adrian and
Thomas Hope and pretended he came to borrow money for Louis XV with diamonds as
collateral
Collateral may refer to:
Business and finance
* Collateral (finance), a borrower's pledge of specific property to a lender, to secure repayment of a loan
* Marketing collateral, in marketing and sales
Arts, entertainment, and media
* ''Collate ...
. He assisted
Bertrand Philip, Count of Gronsveld
Bertrand Philip Sigismund Albrecht, Count of Gronsveld-van Diepenbroick-Impel (19 November 1715, Empel – 15 November 1772, Amsterdam) was a former Dutch envoy in Berlin to Frederick the Great.
He was the fourth son of Johann Bertram Arnold, Fr ...
starting a porcelain factory in
Weesp as furnace and colour specialist. St. Germain tried to open peace negotiations between Britain and France with the help of
Duke Louis Ernest of Brunswick-Lüneburg
Louis Ernest of Brunswick-Lüneburg-Bevern (25 September 1718, Wolfenbüttel – 12 May 1788, Eisenach) was a field-marshal in the armies of the Holy Roman Empire and the Dutch Republic, the elected Duke of Courland (1741). From 13 November 1750 t ...
. British diplomats concluded that St. Germain had the backing of the
Duc de Belle-Isle and possibly of Madame de Pompadour, who were trying to outmanoeuvre the French Foreign Minister, the pro-Austrian
Duc de Choiseul {{Unreferenced, date=April 2019
Choiseul is an illustrious noble family from Champagne, France, descendants of the comtes of Langres. The family's head was Renaud III de Choiseul, comte de Langres and sire de Choiseul, who in 1182 married Alix ...
. However, Britain would not treat with St. Germain unless his credentials came directly from the French king. The Duc de Choiseul convinced
Louis XV
Louis XV (15 February 1710 – 10 May 1774), known as Louis the Beloved (french: le Bien-Aimé), was King of France from 1 September 1715 until his death in 1774. He succeeded his great-grandfather Louis XIV at the age of five. Until he reache ...
to disavow St. Germain and demand his arrest.
Count Bentinck de Rhoon, a Dutch diplomat, regarded the arrest warrant as internal French politicking, in which Holland should not involve itself. However, a direct refusal to extradite St. Germain was also considered impolitic. De Rhoon, therefore, facilitated the departure of St. Germain to England with a passport issued by the British Ambassador,
General Joseph Yorke. This passport was made out "in blank", allowing St. Germain to travel in May 1760 from
Hellevoetsluis to London under an assumed name, showing that this practice was officially accepted at the time.
From St. Peterburg, St. Germain travelled to Berlin, Vienna, Milan,
Ubbergen, and
Zutphen (June 1762), Amsterdam (August 1762), Venice (1769), Livorno (1770), Neurenberg (1772), Mantua (1773), The Hague (1774), and
Bad Schwalbach
Bad Schwalbach (called Langenschwalbach until 1927) is the district seat of Rheingau-Taunus-Kreis, in Hesse, Germany.
Geography
Geographic location
Bad Schwalbach is a spa town some 20 km northwest of Wiesbaden. It lies at 289 to 465&nbs ...
.
Death
In 1779, St. Germain arrived in
Altona in
Schleswig, where he made an acquaintance with
Prince Charles of Hesse-Kassel, who also had an interest in mysticism and was a member of several secret societies. The count showed the Prince several of his gems and he convinced the latter that he had invented a new method of colouring cloth. The Prince was impressed and installed the Count in an abandoned factory at
Eckernförde
Eckernförde ( da, Egernførde, sometimes also , nds, Eckernför, sometimes also ) () is a German town in Schleswig-Holstein, Rendsburg-Eckernförde, on the coast of the Baltic Sea approximately 30 km north-west of Kiel. The population is ...
he had acquired especially for the Count, and supplied him with the materials and cloths that St. Germain needed to proceed with the project. The two met frequently in the following years, and the Prince outfitted a laboratory for alchemical experiments in his nearby summer residence
Louisenlund, where they, among other things, cooperated in creating gemstones and jewelry. The prince later recounts in a letter that he was the only person in whom the count truly confided. He told the prince that he was the son of the Transylvanian Prince Francis II Rákóczi, and that he had been 88 years of age when he arrived in Schleswig.
The count died in his residence in the factory on 27 February 1784, while the prince was staying in
Kassel
Kassel (; in Germany, spelled Cassel until 1926) is a city on the Fulda River in northern Hesse, Germany. It is the administrative seat of the Regierungsbezirk Kassel and the district of the same name and had 201,048 inhabitants in December 2020 ...
, and the death was recorded in the register of the St. Nicolai Church in
Eckernförde
Eckernförde ( da, Egernførde, sometimes also , nds, Eckernför, sometimes also ) () is a German town in Schleswig-Holstein, Rendsburg-Eckernförde, on the coast of the Baltic Sea approximately 30 km north-west of Kiel. The population is ...
. He was buried 2 March and the cost of the burial was listed in the accounting books of the church the following day. The official burial site for the count is at Nicolai Church (German ''St. Nicolaikirche'') in Eckernförde. He was buried in a private grave. On 3 April the same year, the mayor and the city council of Eckernförde issued an official proclamation about the auctioning off of the count's remaining effects in case no living relative would appear within a designated time period to lay claim on them. Prince Charles donated the factory to the crown and it was afterward converted into a hospital.
Jean Overton Fuller found, during her research, that the count's estate upon his death was a packet of paid and receipted bills and quittances, 82 Reichsthalers and 13 shillings (cash), 29 various groups of items of clothing (this includes gloves, stockings, trousers, shirts, etc.), 14 linen shirts, eight other groups of linen items, and various sundries (razors, buckles, toothbrushes, sunglasses, combs, etc.). No diamonds, jewels, gold, or any other riches were listed, nor were kept cultural items from travels, personal items (like his violin), or any notes of correspondence.
Music by the Count
The following list of music comes from Appendix II from Jean Overton Fuller's book ''The Comte de Saint Germain''.
Trio Sonatas
Six sonatas for two violins with a bass for harpsichord or violoncello:
* Op. 47 I. F major, , Molto adagio
* Op. 48 II. B-flat major, , Allegro
* Op. 49 III. E-flat major, , Adagio
* Op. 50 IV. G minor, , Tempo giusto
* Op. 51 V. G major, , Moderato
* Op. 52 VI. A major, , Cantabile lento
Violin solos
Seven solos for solo violin:
* Op. 53 I. B-flat major, , Largo
* Op. 54 II. E major, , Adagio
* Op. 55 III. C minor, , Adagio
* Op. 56 IV. E-flat major, , Adagio
* Op. 57 V. E-flat major, , Adagio
* Op. 58 VI. A major, , Adagio
* Op. 59 VII. B-flat major, , Adagio
English songs
* Op. 4 ''The Maid That's Made for Love and Me'' (''O Wouldst Thou Know What Sacred Charms''). E-flat major (marked B-flat major),
* Op. 5 ''It Is Not that I Love You Less''. F major,
* Op. 6 ''Gentle Love, This Hour Befriend Me''. D major,
* Op. 7 ''Jove, When He Saw My Fanny's Face''. D major,
Italian arias
Numbered in order of their appearance in the ''Musique Raisonnee'', with their page numbers in that volume.
:
*
* Op. 8 I, pp. 1–5. ''Padre perdona, oh! pene'', G minor,
* Op. 9 II, pp. 6–10. ''Non piangete amarti'', E major,
* Op. 10 III, pp. 11–15. ''Intendo il tuo'', F major,
* Op. 1 IV, pp. 16–20. ''Senza pietà mi credi'',* G major, (marked but there are 6 quavers to the bar)
* Op. 11 V, pp. 21–26. ''Già, già che moria deggio'', D major,
* Op. 12 VI, pp. 27–31. ''Dille che l'amor mio'',* E major,
* Op. 13 VII, pp. 32–35. ''Mio ben ricordati'', D major,
* Op. 2 VIII, pp. 36–39. ''Digli, digli'',* D major,
* Op. 3 IX, pp. 40–45. ''Per pieta bel Idol mio'',* F major,
* Op. 14 X, pp. 46–50. ''Non so, quel dolce moto'', B major,
* Op. 15 XI, pp. 51–55. ''Piango, è ver; ma non procede'', G minor,
* Op. 16 XII, pp. 56–57. ''Dal labbro che t'accende'', E major,
* Op. 4/17 XIII, pp. 58–61. ''Se mai riviene'', D minor,
* Op. 18 XIV, pp. 62–63. ''Parlerò; non e permesso'', E major,
* Op. 19 XV, pp. 64–65. ''Se tutti i miei pensieri'', A major,
* Op. 20 XVI, pp. 66–67. ''Guadarlo, guaralo in volto'', E major,
* Op. 21 XVII, pp. 68–69. ''Oh Dio mancarmi'', D major,
* Op. 22 XVIII, pp. 70–71. ''Digli che son fedele'', E major,
* Op. 23 XIX, pp. 72–73. ''Pensa che sei cruda'', E minor,
* Op. 24 XX, pp. 74–75. ''Torna torna innocente'', G major,
* Op. 25 XXI, pp. 76–77. ''Un certo non so che veggo'', E major,
* Op. 26 XXII, pp. 78–79. ''Guardami, guardami prima in volto'', D major,
* Op. 27 XXIII, pp. 80–81. ''Parto, se vuoi così'', E major,
* Op. 28 XXIV, pp. 82–83. ''Volga al Ciel se ti'', D minor,
* Op. 29 XXV, pp. 84–85. ''Guarda se in questa volta'', F major,
* Op. 30 XXVI, pp. 86–87. ''Quanto mai felice'', D major,
* Op. 31 XXVII, pp. 88–89. ''Ah che neldi'sti'', D major,
* Op. 32, XXVIII, pp. 90–91. ''Dopp'un tuo Sguardo'', F major,
* Op. 33 XXIX, pp. 92–93. ''Serberò fra' Ceppi'', G major,
* Op. 34 XXX, pp. 94–95. ''Figlio se più non vivi moro'', F major,
* Op. 35 XXXI, pp. 96–98. ''Non ti respondo'', C major,
* Op. 36 XXXII, pp. 99–101. ''Povero cor perché palpito'', G major,
* Op. 37 XXXIII, pp. 102–105. ''Non v'è più barbaro'', C minor,
* Op. 38 XXXIV, pp. 106–108. ''Se de' tuoi lumi al fuoco amor'', E major,
* Op. 39 XXXV, pp. 109–111. ''Se tutto tosto me sdegno'', E major,
* Op. 40 XXXVI, pp. 112–115. ''Ai negli occhi un tel incanto'', D major, (marked but there are 4 crotchets to the bar)
* Op. 41 XXXVII, pp. 116–118. ''Come poteste de Dio'', F major,
* Op. 42 XXXVIII, pp. 119–121. ''Che sorte crudele'', G major,
* Op. 43 XXXIX, pp. 122–124. ''Se almen potesse al pianto'', G minor,
* Op. 44 XXXX, pp. 125–127. ''Se viver non posso lunghi'', D major,
* Op. 45 XXXXI, pp. 128–130. ''Fedel faro faro cara cara'', D major,
* Op. 46 XXXXII, p. 131. ''Non ha ragione'', F major,
Literature about the Count
Biographies
The best-known biography is
Isabel Cooper-Oakley
Harriet Isabella (Isabel) Cooper-Oakley (31 January 1854 – 3 March 1914), was a prominent Theosophist and author.
She was born in Amritsar, India to (Frederic) Henry Cooper, C.B., commissioner of LahoreMadame Blavatsky: The Woman Behind the Myt ...
's ''The Count of St. Germain'' (1912), which gives a satisfactory biographical sketch. It is a compilation of letters, diaries, and private records written about the count by members of the French aristocracy who knew him in the 18th century. Another interesting biographical sketch can be found in ''The History of Magic'', by
Eliphas Levi, originally published in 1913.
Numerous French and German biographies also have been published, among them ' by Peter Krassa, ' by Marie-Raymonde Delorme, and ' by Pierre Ceria and François Ethuin. In his work ''Sages and Seers'' (1959), Manly Palmer Hall refers to the biography ''Graf St.-Germain'' by E. M. Oettinger (1846).
Books attributed to the Count
Discounting the snippets of political intrigue, a few musical pieces, and one mystical poem, there are only two pieces of writing attributed to the Count: ''
La Très Sainte Trinosophie'' and the untitled
Triangular Manuscript.
The first book attributed to the Count of Saint Germain is ''
La Très Sainte Trinosophie'' (''The Most Holy Trinosophia''), a beautifully illustrated 18th century manuscript that describes in symbolic terms a journey of spiritual initiation or an alchemical process, depending on the interpretation. This book has been published several times, most notably by Manly P. Hall, in Los Angeles, California, in 1933. The attribution to St. Germain rests on a handwritten note scrawled inside the cover of the original manuscript stating that this was a copy of a text once in St. Germain's possession.
However, despite Hall's elaborate introduction describing the Count's legend,
The Most Holy Trinosophia
''La Très Sainte Trinosophie'', ''The Most Holy Trinosophia'', or ''The Most Holy Threefold Wisdom'', is a French esoteric book, allegedly authored by Alessandro Cagliostro or the Count of St. Germain. Due to the dearth of evidence of authorshi ...
shows no definitive connection to him.
The second work attributed to St. Germain is the untitled 18th century manuscript in the shape of a triangle. The two known copies of the Triangular Manuscript exist as Hogart Manuscript 209 and 210 (MS 209 and MS 210). Both currently reside in the
Manly Palmer Hall
Manly Palmer Hall (18 March 1901 – 29 August 1990) was a Canadian author, lecturer, astrologer and mystic. Over his 70-year career he gave thousands of lectures and published over 150 volumes, of which the best known is ''The Secret T ...
Collection of Alchemical Manuscripts at the
Getty Research Library. Nick Koss decoded and translated this manuscript in 2011 and it was published as
The Triangular Book of St. Germain by Ouroboros Press in 2015. Unlike the first work, it mentions St. Germain directly as its originator. The book describes a magical ritual by which one can perform the two most extraordinary feats that characterized the legend of Count of St. Germain, namely procurement of great wealth and extension of life.
In Theosophy
Myths, legends, and speculations about St. Germain began to be widespread in the late 19th and early 20th centuries and continue today. They include beliefs that he is
immortal, the
Wandering Jew
The Wandering Jew is a mythical immortal man whose legend began to spread in Europe in the 13th century. In the original legend, a Jew who taunted Jesus on the way to the Crucifixion was then cursed to walk the Earth until the Second Coming. Th ...
, an alchemist with the
elixir of life
The elixir of life, also known as elixir of immortality, is a potion that supposedly grants the drinker eternal life and/or eternal youth. This elixir was also said to cure all diseases. Alchemists in various ages and cultures sought the means ...
, a
Rosicrucian, and that he prophesied the
French Revolution
The French Revolution ( ) was a period of radical political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in November 1799. Many of its ideas are considere ...
. He is said to have met the forger Giuseppe Balsamo (alias
Cagliostro) in London and the composer
Rameau in Venice. Some groups honor Saint Germain as a
supernatural being
Supernatural refers to phenomena or entities that are beyond the laws of nature. The term is derived from Medieval Latin , from Latin (above, beyond, or outside of) + (nature) Though the corollary term "nature", has had multiple meanings si ...
called an
ascended master.
In fiction
The count has inspired a number of fictional creations:
* The German writer
Karl May
Karl Friedrich May ( , ; 25 February 1842 – 30 March 1912) was a German author. He is best known for his 19th century novels of fictitious travels and adventures, set in the American Old West with Winnetou and Old Shatterhand as main pro ...
wrote two stories with the ''Graf von Saint Germain'' appearing as antagonist: ''Aqua benedetta'' (1877) and its largely extended version ''Ein Fürst des Schwindels'' (1880).
* The Comte is a significant character in the Victorian time-travel novella, ''A Peculiar Count in Time'', by M .K. Beutymhill.
* The Comte is the main protagonist in an ongoing series of historical romance/horror novels by
Chelsea Quinn Yarbro
Chelsea Quinn Yarbro (born September 15, 1942) is an American writer. She is known for her series of historical horror novels about the vampire Count Saint-Germain.
Biography
Yarbro was born in Berkeley, California. She attended Berkeley schoo ...
.
* He appears as the Master manipulator behind the scenes in Katherine Kurtz' 1996 novel, ''Two Crowns for America,'' about America's fight for independence.
* The mystic in the
Alexander Pushkin
Alexander Sergeyevich Pushkin (; rus, links=no, Александр Сергеевич ПушкинIn pre-Revolutionary script, his name was written ., r=Aleksandr Sergeyevich Pushkin, p=ɐlʲɪkˈsandr sʲɪrˈɡʲe(j)ɪvʲɪtɕ ˈpuʂkʲɪn, ...
story "
The Queen of Spades".
* In ''The Red Lion: The Elixer of Life'' by Maria Szepes, he appears as Saint Germain
* The character of Agliè in the novel ''
Foucault's Pendulum
''Foucault's Pendulum'' (original title: ''Il pendolo di Foucault'' ) is a novel by Italian writer and philosopher Umberto Eco. It was first published in 1988, and an English translation by William Weaver appeared a year later.
''Foucault's P ...
'' by
Umberto Eco is an occultist who claims to be the Count St. Germain.
* He is the main character of the historical mystery novel based on his early adventures, ''The Man Who Would Not Die'', written by Paul Andrews. He is presented as the son of
Prince Rákóczi.
* He is a significant character in
Diana Gabaldon's
''Outlander'' series, specifically 1992's ''
Dragonfly in Amber
''Dragonfly in Amber'' is the second book in the ''Outlander'' series of novels by Diana Gabaldon. Centered on time travelling 20th century nurse Claire Randall and her 18th century Scottish Highlander warrior husband Jamie Fraser, the books ...
'', and an apparent time traveler in Gabaldon's spin-off novella, "
The Space Between
"The Space Between" is a song written by the Dave Matthews Band. It was released on their 2001 album, ''Everyday''. It was the album's first hit single and the band's first top 40 hit, with its peak at number 22 in the United States – several ...
".
* In the novelization ''
The Night Strangler'', from the
TV film of the same title, it is strongly hinted that the immortal villain, Dr. Richard Malcolm, is actually the Count St. Germain. When asked directly, Malcolm laughs ironically but does not deny it.
* He is the main antagonist in ''The
Ruby Red Trilogy
''The Ruby Red Trilogy '' is a series of three young adult fantasy novels by German writer Kerstin Gier. The three books are: ''Ruby Red'', ''Sapphire Blue'' and ''Emerald Green''. The books have been translated into over twenty-seven languag ...
'', written by
Kerstin Gier. He is the founder of a secret lodge which is controlling people with a time-travelling gene, and he is trying to gain immortality through the said time-travellers.
* In
Kōta Hirano's ''
Drifters'', the character of count Saint Germi is inspired by him. He is voiced by
Tomokazu Sugita in the anime adaptation.
*
Robert Rankin
Robert Fleming Rankin (born 27 July 1949) is a prolific British author of comedic fantasy novels. Born in Parsons Green, London, he started writing in the late 1970s, and first entered the bestsellers lists with ''Snuff Fiction'' in 1999, by ...
's character Professor Slocombe, in the various books of ''
The Brentford Trilogy
The Brentford Trilogy is a series of eleven novels by writer Robert Rankin. They humorously chronicle the lives of a couple of drunken middle-aged layabouts, Jim Pooley and John Omally, who confront the forces of darkness in the environs of West Lo ...
'', is often described as bearing an uncanny resemblance to the Comte; when the Professor annotates the Comte's ancient notebooks, even the handwriting is nearly identical. Another character, now quite old, born in the Victorian era, has stated that Professor Slocombe was an old man even then.
* He is introduced as a supporting character in the novel
''The Magician'', the second book in the fantasy series ''
The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel
''The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel'' is a series of six fantasy novels written by Irish author Michael Scott, completed in 2012. The first book in the series, '' The Alchemyst'', was released in 2007, and the sequels were released ...
'' by Michael Scott.
* He is a character in ''
Castlevania: Curse of Darkness'', where he is a time traveler. He fights with Zead, who is the avatar of Death.
* He is a character in Netflix's 2017
''Castlevania'', appearing as an itinerant magician in search of the "Infinite Corridor" voiced by
Bill Nighy.
* He is mentioned in
''Raidou Kuzunoha vs. The Soulless Army'' as a time agent, yet the player never meets him.
* He is played by
James Marsters
James Wesley Marsters (born August 20, 1962) is an American actor, musician, singer, comic book writer, and audiobook narrator.
He is sometimes credited in various anime series and video games as David Gray and Sam Majesters in the series ''Dr ...
in the TV series ''
Warehouse 13
''Warehouse 13'' is an American science fiction television series that originally ran from July 7, 2009, to May 19, 2014, on the Syfy network, and was executive produced by Jack Kenny and David Simkins for Universal Cable Productions. Described ...
''. He is an immortal who used a ring with a gem from the
Philosopher's stone used to revitalize plants and heal people to accumulate wealth throughout the ages. The ring was taken by
Marie-Antoinette
Marie Antoinette Josèphe Jeanne (; ; née Maria Antonia Josepha Johanna; 2 November 1755 – 16 October 1793) was the last queen of France before the French Revolution. She was born an archduchess of Austria, and was the penultimate child and ...
and buried in the
Catacombs
Catacombs are man-made subterranean passageways for religious practice. Any chamber used as a burial place is a catacomb, although the word is most commonly associated with the Roman Empire.
Etymology and history
The first place to be referred ...
beneath Paris.
*
Hoshino Katsura used him as inspiration for the character of the Millennium Earl in the manga series ''
D. Gray Man
''D.Gray-man'' is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Katsura Hoshino. Set in an alternate 19th century, it tells the story of a young Allen Walker, who joins an organization of exorcists named the Black Order. They use an a ...
''.
* In ''
Master of Mosquiton
is a Japanese manga series written by Hiroshi Negishi and Satoru Akahori and illustrated by Tsutomu Isomata about a girl named Hitomebore Inaho whose grandmother was in love with a vampire. Inaho meets a vampire at an all-girls Catholic hig ...
'' Mosquiton's enemy is an immortal demon loosely based on the Count of St. Germain.
* He is portrayed by Miya Rurika in the play ''Azure Moment'' by Takarazuka Revue.
* Prominent Bengali fiction author Shariful Hasan made the character Count Saint Germain in his ''Samvala'' Trilogy inspired by him.
* The
visual novel
A , often abbreviated as VN, is a form of digital semi-interactive fiction. Visual novels are often associated with and used in the medium of video games, but are not always labeled as such themselves. They combine a textual narrative with sta ...
''
Code: Realize − Guardian of Rebirth'' depicts him as an eccentric aristocrat hosting
Arsène Lupin
Arsène Lupin (French pronunciation: ʁsɛn lypɛ̃ is a fictional gentleman thief and master of disguise created in 1905 by French writer Maurice Leblanc. The character was first introduced in a series of short stories serialized in the magazi ...
,
Impey Barbicane,
Victor Frankenstein, and
Van Helsing in his manor.
* In the
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board ex ...
podcast ''The Lovecraft Investigations'', he is revealed to be the mortal guise of
Nyarlathotep and a central antagonist of the series.
* The character of Jack Elderflower in the novel ''Gather the Fortunes'', by Bryan Camp.
* In the tabletop role-playing game ''
Unknown Armies
''Unknown Armies'' is an occult-themed roleplaying game by John Scott Tynes and Greg Stolze, published by Atlas Games. The first edition was published in 1998, with the second and third editions being released in 2002 and 2017 respectively. The ...
'' by John Scott Tynes and Greg Stolze, he is the First and Last Man, the only immortal character in the setting, whose lifespan encompasses the first and last lives of human beings.
* In the manga ''The Case Study of Vanitas'', Noe's teacher and Dominique's grandfather tells them he is currently going by that name.
* He appears as a playable character in the Japanese
otome game series ''
Ikemen Vampire''. In the series, he is the sire and the host for those who he has given a second lease in life including
Napoleon Bonaparte
Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...
,
Isaac Newton
Sir Isaac Newton (25 December 1642 – 20 March 1726/27) was an English mathematician, physicist, astronomer, alchemist, theologian, and author (described in his time as a "natural philosopher"), widely recognised as one of the grea ...
,
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle,
Leonardo da Vinci
Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci (15 April 14522 May 1519) was an Italian polymath of the High Renaissance who was active as a painter, Drawing, draughtsman, engineer, scientist, theorist, sculptor, and architect. While his fame initially res ...
,
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...
,
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (27 January 17565 December 1791), baptised as Joannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart, was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical period. Despite his short life, his rapid pace of composition r ...
,
Vincent van Gogh
Vincent Willem van Gogh (; 30 March 185329 July 1890) was a Dutch Post-Impressionism, Post-Impressionist painter who posthumously became one of the most famous and influential figures in Western art history. In a decade, he created about 2 ...
,
Theo Van Gogh,
Jeanne d'Arc (who is named as Jean d'Arc and is a man), and
Osamu Dazai. The series portrays him as a kind, mild-mannered, intelligent, respectable and respected nobleman of immeasurable wealth as well as a protective father or older sibling figure to all his residents including his human butler.
* He figures prominently in various works by Japanese rock artist
Kamijo, including the album ''Sang'' and the single "Persona Grata".
* He is the mentor and co-conspirator of the player in the 2022 indie adventure game,
Card Shark'.
* In the light novel ''Fate/strange fake'', he was Richard the Lionheart's court mage and mentor, who claimed to be nothing more than an aristocrat and a swindler while also owning a car, claiming to have met Alexander the Great, and being able to sense and talk to the person witnessing the flashback of his first meeting with King Richard.
* The Count appears in two novels by
Andrzej Sarwa: ''Wieszczba krwawej głowy'' (The Prophetess of the Bloody Head) and ''Cmentarz św. Medarda'' (Saint Medard's Graveyard).
* He was referenced as a villain in the fourth season of the anime ''
Symphogear
is a Japanese anime television franchise animated by Satelight. The original season aired on Tokyo MX between January and March 2012. The second season entitled ''Symphogear G'' aired between July and September 2013, The third season, ''Sy ...
'', along with
Alessandro Cagliostro
Count Alessandro di Cagliostro (, ; 2 June 1743 – 26 August 1795) was the pseudonym, alias of the Italian occultist Giuseppe Balsamo (; in French usually referred to as Joseph Balsamo).
Cagliostro was an Italian adventurer and self-styled ...
and
François Prelati, all portrayed as women.
References
Further reading
* Marie Antoinette von Lowzow, ''Saint-Germain – Den mystiske greve'', Dansk Historisk Håndbogsforlag, Copenhagen, 1984. . (in Danish).
*
Melton, J. Gordon ''Encyclopedia of American Religions'' 5th Edition New York:1996 Gale Research Chapter 18--"The Ancient Wisdom Family of Religions" Pages 151–158; see chart on page 154 listing ''Masters of the Ancient Wisdom''; Also see Section 18, Pages 717-757 Descriptions of various Ancient Wisdom religious organizations
* Chrissochoidis, Ilias. "The Music of the Count of St. Germain: An Edition",
Society for Eighteenth-Century Music Newsletter' 16 (April 2010),
–7
* Fleming, Thomas. "The Magnificent Fraud." ''American Heritage'', February 2006 (2006).
* Hausset, Madame du. "The Private Memoirs of Louis XV: Taken from the Memoirs of Madame Du Hausset, Lady's Maid to Madame De Pompadour." ed Nichols Harvard University, 1895.
* Hunter, David. "The Great Pretender." ''Musical Times'', no. Winter 2003 (2003).
* Pope-Hennessey, Una. ''The Comte De Saint-Germain. Reprint ed, Secret Societies and the French Revolution. Together with Some Kindred Studies by Una Birch.'' Lexington, Kentucky: Forgotten Books, 1911.
* Saint-Germain, Count de, ed. ''The Music of the Comte St.Germain.'' Edited by Manley Hall. Los Angeles, California: Philosophical Research Society, 1981.
* Saint-Germain, Count de. ''The Most Holy Trinosophia.'' Forgotten Books, N.D. Reprint, 2008.
* Slemen, Thomas. ''Strange but True.'' London: Robinson Publishing, 1998.
* Walpole, Horace. "Letters of Horace Walpole." ed Charles Duke Yonge. New York: Putman's Sons, 9 Dec. 1745.
* d'Adhemar, Madame Comtesse le. "Souvenirs Sur Marie-Antoinette." Paris: Impremerie de Bourgogne et Martinet, 1836.
* Cooper-Oakley, Isabella. ''The Comte De Saint Germain, the Secret of Kings.'' 2nd ed. London: Whitefriars Press, 1912.
* SAINT GERMAIN ON ADVANCED ALCHEMY, by David Christopher Lewis, Meru press,
External links
''The Comte de St. Germain''(1912) by
Isabel Cooper-Oakley
Harriet Isabella (Isabel) Cooper-Oakley (31 January 1854 – 3 March 1914), was a prominent Theosophist and author.
She was born in Amritsar, India to (Frederic) Henry Cooper, C.B., commissioner of LahoreMadame Blavatsky: The Woman Behind the Myt ...
, at sacred-texts.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:St Germain, Count Of
1784 deaths
18th-century alchemists
18th-century Hungarian people
18th-century occultists
18th-century philosophers
Forteana
Hungarian philosophers
Longevity myths
Members of the Kit-Kat Club
Rákóczi family
Unidentified people
Year of birth uncertain