Seven Wives of Bluebeard

Anatole France

Description

French literary master Anatole France breathes new life into the age-old French folktale about a murderous aristocrat with a propensity for ending his many marriages in a not-so-legal manner. In France's version of the story, some newly uncovered evidence sheds light on Bluebeard's true nature and suggests that the legendary lover has been unfairly saddled with his reputation for rage killings.

Sujets

• Historical fiction

Informations

• Publié par: The Floating Press
• Date de parution: 01 décembre 2015
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781776593156
• Langue: English

Extrait

THE SEVEN WIVES OF BLUEBEARD
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ANATOLE FRANCE
Translated by
D. B. STEWART
 
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The Seven Wives of Bluebeard First published in 1920 Epub ISBN 978-1-77659-315-6 Also available: PDF ISBN 978-1-77659-316-3 © 2014 The Floating Press and its licensors. All rights reserved. While every effort has been used to ensure the accuracy and reliability of the information contained in The Floating Press edition of this book, The Floating Press does not assume liability or responsibility for any errors or omissions in this book. The Floating Press does not accept responsibility for loss suffered as a result of reliance upon the accuracy or currency of information contained in this book. Do not use while operating a motor vehicle or heavy equipment. Many suitcases look alike. Visit www.thefloatingpress.com
Contents
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Chapter I Chapter II Chapter III Chapter IV Chapter V
Chapter I
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THE strangest, the most varied, the most erroneous opinions havebeen expressed with regard to the famous individual commonly known asBluebeard. None, perhaps, was less tenable than that which made ofthis gentleman a personification of the Sun. For this is what a certainschool of comparative mythology set itself to do, some forty years ago.It informed the world that the seven wives of Bluebeard were the Dawns,and that his two brothers-in-law were the morning and the eveningTwilight, identifying them with the Dioscuri, who delivered Helena whenshe was rapt away by Theseus. We must remind those readers who mayfeel tempted to believe this that in 1817 a learned librarian of Agen,Jean-Baptiste Pérés, demonstrated, in a highly plausible manner, thatNapoleon had never existed, and that the story of this supposed greatcaptain was nothing but a solar myth. Despite the most ingeniousdiversions of the wits, we cannot possibly doubt that Bluebeard andNapoleon did both actually exist.
An hypothesis no better founded is that which Consists in identifyingBluebeard with the Marshal de Rais, who was strangled by the arm ofthe Law above the bridges of Nantes on 26th of October, 1440. Withoutinquiring, with M. Salomon Reinach, whether the Marshal committed thecrimes for which he was condemned, or whether his wealth, coveted by agreedy prince, did not in some degree contribute to his undoing, thereis nothing in his life that resembles what we find in Bluebeard's;this alone is enough to prevent our confusing them or merging the twoindividuals into one.
Charles Perrault, who, about 1660, had the merit of composing the firstbiography of this seigneur , justly remarkable for having married sevenwives, made him an accomplished villain, and the most perfect model ofcruelty that ever trod the earth. But it is permissible to doubt, ifnot his sincerity, at least the correctness of his information. He may,perhaps, have been prejudiced against his hero. He would not have beenthe first example of a poet or historian who liked to darken the coloursof his pictures. If we have what seems a flattering portrait of Titus,it would seem, on the other hand, that Tacitus has painted Tiberius muchblacker than the reality. Macbeth, whom legend and Shakespeare accuseof crimes, was in reality a just and a wise king. He never treacherouslymurdered the old king, Duncan. Duncan, while yet young, was defeated ina great battle, and was found dead on the morrow at a spot called theArmourer's Shop. He had slain several of the kinsfolk of Gruchno, thewife of Macbeth. The latter made Scotland prosperous; he encouragedtrade, and was regarded as the defender of the middle classes, the trueKing of the townsmen. The nobles of the clans never forgave him fordefeating Duncan, nor for protecting the artisans. They destroyed him,and dishonoured his memory. Once he was dead the good King Macbeth wasknown only by the statements of his enemies. The genius of Shakespeareimposed these lies upon the human consciousness. I had long suspectedthat Bluebeard was the victim of a similar fatality. All thecircumstances of his life, as I found them related, were far fromsatisfying my mind, and from gratifying that craving for logic andlucidity by which I am incessantly consumed.