Gilles de Rais (1405 ?–26 October 1440) was a Marshal of France, Joan of Arc's comrade in arms, and a murderer. He was the son of Guy de Laval/Rais and Marie de Craon. He became rich when a relative died. He was made a Marshal of France in 1429. He spent much of his money putting on a play that he wrote. He dabbled in alchemy. His criminal career began in 1434. In 1440, he was arrested, tried, and hanged. De Rais may have killed 140 people. Most of his victims were young boys. He may have been the inspiration for the 1697 fairy tale "Bluebeard" by Charles Perrault.
Ligeia
"Ligeia" is a short story by Edgar Allan Poe. It was first published in "The American Museum" in 1838. It was revised and reprinted many times during Poe's lifetime.
The story tells of an unnamed narrator's beautiful wife Ligeia. She composes the poem "The Conqueror Worm" before dying. The narrator then marries the Lady Rowena. She shortly sickens and dies. The narrator stays with her body overnight. She comes back from the dead as Ligeia.
Criticism was positive. Charles Eames of "The New World" wrote, "The force and boldness of the conception and the high artistic skill, with which the writer's purpose is wrought out, are equally admirable." Thomas Dunn English wrote in October 1845 that "Ligeia" was "the most extraordinary, of its kind, of his productions".
In 1964, director Roger Corman adapted the story to a movie, "The Tomb of Ligeia", starring Vincent Price.
The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar
"The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar" is a short story by Edgar Allan Poe. It was first published in 1845. The tale tells of a dying, mesmerized man whose body disintegrates once the trance is lifted. Poe was inspired to write the tale after reading a description of an operation performed upon a mesmerized patient. The tale has a great deal of gore, leading to the speculation that Poe had studied medical texts. "Valdemar" has been adapted to the movies and to radio drama.
The narrator mesmerizes an ill friend, M. Valdemar. Valdemar reports first that he is dying and then that he is dead. The narrator leaves him in a mesmeric state for seven months. During this time Valdemar is without pulse, heartbeat, or breath. His skin is cold and pale. Finally, the narrator tries to wake him. Valdemar's swollen black tongue begs to be returned to sleep or to be fully wakened. He shouts "dead! dead!" repeatedly. The narrator takes Valdemar out of the trance and his body immediately disintegrates into a "nearly liquid mass of loathsome—of detestable putrescence."
Poe was inspired to write "Valdemar" after reading a letter about an operation on a mesmerized patient. The tale was published in December 1845 in two different New York journals. One used the title "The Facts in M. Valdemar's Case". In England, the tale was published first as "Mesmerism in Articulo Mortis" and later as "The Last Days of M. Valdemar".
Poe employs detailed descriptions and high levels of gore in "Valdemar". He may have studied medical texts. Valdemar's eyes at one point leak a "profuse outflowing of a yellowish ichor", for example. The tale's imagery is summed up in the final lines: "...his whole frame at once — within the space of a single minute, or even less, shrunk—crumbled—absolutely rotted away beneath my hands. Upon the bed, before that whole company, there lay a nearly liquid mass of loathsome—of detestable putrescence." The disgusting imagery probably inspired later fiction including that of H. P. Lovecraft. Those final lines make up one of the most powerfully effective moments in Poe's work, incorporating shock, disgust, and uneasiness into one moment. This ending shows that attempts to appropriate power over death will have hideous results and, therefore, ultimately will be unsuccessful.
Movie adaptations include a segment in Roger Corman's "Tales of Terror" (1962) and George A. Romero's "Two Evil Eyes" (1990). "Edgar Allan Poe's Valdemar" (2000) was a dramatic adaptation for National Public Radio.
Yayoi period
The is a time in the history of Japan which is traditionally dated 300 BC to 300 AD.
Early evidence of Yayoi culture is found on the island of Kyūshū. Over time, it spread to the island of Honshū.
Iron and bronze were first used in Japan at about the same time. Iron was used for tools and weapons. Bronze was used for ritual objects such as mirrors, daggers and spears.
The Yayoi tools included as axes and hoes for agriculture etc., but also weapons such as arrowheads and swords.
The Yayoi people (弥生人 "Yayoi jin") were ancient people that migrated to the Japanese archipelago from southeastern China during the Yayoi period (300 BCE–300 CE). Modern Japanese people are direct descedants of the Yayoi and have about 97% Yayoi DNA.
The Yayoi and the modern Japanese people are closely related to other East Asian (or Mongoloid) people, such as Chinese or Vietnamese people. They belonged to the haplogroup O and spoke the proto-Japonic languages. Most scientists and linguists suggest that they originated somewhere in southeastern China and migrated from their into Japan.
Pepin the Hunchback
Pepin the Hunchback (, , c. 767 - 811) was a prince of Frankish Empire. He was the first son of Charlemagne and grandson of Pepin the Short.
Party of Five
Party of Five is an American drama television series. It was broadcast on the FOX network from September 12, 1994 until May 3, 2000. The series is set in San Francisco, California. It was well liked by the critics but the series had very low ratings. The network wanted to stop broadcasting it after the 1994-1995 season but chose not to do this. The main stars of the series included Jennifer Love Hewitt, Scott Wolf, Matthew Fox, Lacey Chabert, David Collins, Paula Devicq, Scott Grimes, Michael A. Goorjian, Jeremy London and Neve Campbell. The series was given a "Best Drama" Golden Globe Award in 1996.
Pepin I of Aquitaine
Pepin I of Aquitaine, (or Pepin V of Aquitaine, ca. 797 - 838) was the Carolingian dynasty king of Aquitaine from 814 to 838. He was the second son of emperor Louis the Pius.
Louis the Pious
Louis the Pious, also called Louis I, (778 - 840) was the third Carolingian King of Franks and 2nd Holy Roman Emperor (814 - 840), King of Aquitaine 781 to 814. He was Charlemagne's sixth son.
Institut supérieur européen de gestion group
Institut supérieur européen de gestion group (ISEG group) is a group of two French higher education schools (ISG Programme Business & Management, ISEG Marketing and Communication school) created in 1980.. The group is in seven places, in Paris, Bordeaux, Nantes, Lille, Lyon, Strasbourg and Toulouse (France). ISEG group delivers Bachelor's degree and Master's degree.
ISEG group's main area is entrepreneurship.
Greek chorus
A chorus in a classical Greek play typically serving to formulate, express, and comment on the moral issue that is raised by the dramatic action or to express an emotion appropriate to each stage of the dramatic conflict.
Éric Boullier
Éric Boullier (born 9 November 1973) is the team principal of the McLaren Formula One team and vice-president of Formula One Team Association.
He graduated from Institut polytechnique des sciences avancées.
Rickey with the Tuft
"Rickey with the Tuft" or "Riquet with the Tuft" () is a fairy tale by Charles Perrault. It was first published in Paris in 1697 by Claude Barbin in "Histoires ou contes du temps passé", a collection of eight fairy tales by Perrault. The story is about an ugly but intelligent gnome prince who bestows wit on a beautiful but stupid princess in return for marriage. She renders Rickey handsome. The tale is not of folk otigins, but is a literary fairy tale. It has Cupid and Psyche and Beauty and the Beast elements. Similar tales include Catherine Bernard's version of the tale in her 1695 novel "Inès du Cordoue", and Marie-Jeanne Lhéritier's "Ricdin-Ricdon". Another similar tale is Giambattista Basile's "Lo Cattenaccio" (The Padlock) from "Pentamerone".