Lucretia Borgia

[dom]

One of the Dark Shadows writers must be fixated on Lucretia Borgia. Today (7/24) was the second time I've heard the name used on the show.

For those of you who don't know, Lucretia Borgia, 1480 - 1519,  was said to have drank (drunk?) the blood of young woman (virgins?) to stay youthful and beautiful (as it was told to me). The legends are unfounded according to my source.

One of my all-time favorite lines/moments on the show happened (during the '66 storyline) after Liz and Vicki had one of their "behind closed drawing room doors talks".  Roger was either standing in the foyer or on his way to entering the drawing room, and the doors opened to reveal a very disappointed Vicky whisking by him and up the stairs without so much as a word of recognition. I believe Liz came out and muttered something about their having a "little talk". And Roger looks her in the eyes and says something like, "Why is it that every time a young woman finishes a conversation with you they end up looking like they just had dinner with Lucretia Borgia?"

Now you all know that Louis Edmonds as Roger can deliver a quip like nobody else. It was pa-riceless! I must have hit the rewind button no less than five times. That scene rolls me out the door every time. The name alone makes me giggle.

Dom


P.S. In today's (second?) episode Nicholas Blair mentioned Lucretia Borgia to Angelique as a possible spirit to conjure up to use as the life-force for Eve.

[RingoCollins]

I thought he said 'Victor Borga'  

Hello everyone, my name is Liberace, and I've got a secret!

[Barnabas]

Here's a question for everybody: who would YOU choose to conjure up as the female spirit for the life force for Eve? Nicholas had some good suggestions, but I would have suggested maybe Lizzie Borden or some other 20th century woman.

[Julia99]

Today they mentioned Elizabeth Bathory not Lucretia Borges.  

Elizabeth was a well educated, protestant, Hungarian noblewoman in the 16th century.  She was married to Ferenc Nadasdy, a well-regarded, warrior of that time against the Turks.  There is a very good book about Countess Bathory by a Boston College professor, the book is entitled, The Bloody Countess if anyone is interested.  .don't read that fiction trash that's out there. . .for the definitive answer's on her. . read the non-fiction book by the Prof.  And while she did not bath in the blood of young virgins as legend tells is, she did murder a fair number of women.  Basically, she was a female sadist/serial killer.  

[LdyAnne]

I believe you have confused the two women that Nicky mentioned today Lucrezia Borgia and Elizabeth Bƒ¡thory, .
Lucrezia Borgia was born in Italy, the daughter of Pope Alexander VI and was accused of incest with her father and brother as well as participation in several murders attributed to her father and brother.  One of the victims was her own second husband.  She died the pious wife of the Duke of Ferrara at the age of 39.

Elizabeth Bƒ¡thory 1560-1614 was a Hungarian coutess who tortured and murdered some 650 young women and bathed in their warm blood to keep herself beautiful. When she was eventually found out she was sentenced to imprisonment in one room at her own castle.  She was walled up there, living in darkness and solitary confinement until her death in 1640.

[dom]

I stand corrected, I think?

When I asked who Lucretia Borgia was after hearing Roger refer to Liz as such I was told of the Elizabeth Bath(g)ory legend. Kind of ironic that she died of Trask Syndrome.

Thanks for the polite and well informed correction, Ldyanne!

Grateful Dom

[LdyAnne]

"And while she did not bath in the blood of young virgins as legend tells is, she did murder a fair number of women.  "

Here is a link to a BBC site on Elizabeth Bathory
http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A593084
There is as you stated some question if she bathed in the blood.  However her tortures of the young women did involve massive blood loss.

Ldyanne

[Cassandra]

One of the Dark Shadows writers must be fixated on Lucretia Borgia. Today (7/24) was the second time I've heard the name used on the show.



Dom

Hi dom,  I believe that it was also mentioned a third time on the show. I remember a scene with Carolyn & Vicky in the drawing room at Collinwood and the two women were discussing Cassandra's sudden strange arrival. As I recall, Vicky was saying something about Cassandra's striking resemblence to the portrait of Angelique and that it was quite possible that the two were one of the same.  Carolyn found this all very amusing and said to Vicky, "next thing you'll be telling me is that she's Lucretia Borgia!!"    Vicky, on the other hand didn't find it amusing at all.

[Luciaphile]

Here's a question for everybody: who would YOU choose to conjure up as the female spirit for the life force for Eve? Nicholas had some good suggestions, but I would have suggested maybe Lizzie Borden or some other 20th century woman.

Well, it depends.  Looking for the most evil woman in history?  Not Lizzie Borden.  She was acquitted, actually, but even if she did kill her father and stepmother, I think there are probably a lot more choices out there besides Borden that would work better than a probably demented ax-murderer.

Luciaphil

[dom]

Here's a question for everybody: who would YOU choose to conjure up as the female spirit for the life force for Eve? Nicholas had some good suggestions, but I would have suggested maybe Lizzie Borden or some other 20th century woman.

Well, it depends.  Looking for the most evil woman in history?  Not Lizzie Borden.  She was acquitted, actually, but even if she did kill her father and stepmother, I think there are probably a lot more choices out there besides Borden that would work better than a probably demented ax-murderer.

Luciaphil

Hillary Clinton?

Only kidding, I like Hillary. And she wasn't known back then...
Dom

[Bob_the_Bartender]

Now, Dom, aren't you being the least bit "politically incorrect" with that exceedingly amusing suggestion?

Bob the Bartender, who deplores the fact that, I believe, either P.J. O'Rourke or Patrck Buchanan once compared the junior senator from the great state of New York with "Nurse Ratched" from the book, "One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest."

[dom]

Bob the Bartender, who deplores the fact that, I believe, either P.J. O'Rourke or Patrck Buchanan once compared the junior senator from the great state of New York with "Nurse Ratched" from the book, "One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest."

Nurse Ratched!?! Now there's a (fictional) woman who's life-force would have worked very much in Blair's favor!

Dom (Who nominates his ex-wife for most evil woman of the 20th century...)

[Craig_Slocum]

I like the name Lucretia, it reminds me of my favorite song by The Sisters Of Mercy, "Lucretia My Reflection". Dance the ghost with me.

[VictoriaWintersRox]

Yay I finally know who she is from this thread LOL. It's been bothering me for quite some time now, but everytime I looked her up I couldn't spell her name right   I remember hearing about her on an episode of Three's Company when they were talkinga bout famous women. Chrissy mentioned Lucretia and Janet told her she poisioned people. Chrissy responds by says 'Yeah, but she was very good at it'. Anyway now I can watch that episode in peace  

[Julian]

Regarding potential life forces for Eve - Martha Stewart? Seriously, did you see the look in Martha's eyes when she told the anchorwoman on the CBS morning show that she just wanted to focus on her salad?  I hope that anchor had on a good pair of running shoes that morning.  I bet Martha would make short work of Danielle Roget.