Mad Monarchs of European History - Research Paper Example

? Mad Monarchs of European History                   Four monarchs of European history were labeled as mad because of their violence and eccentricities. Nevertheless, an in-depth investigation of their lives and their acts sought to reveal that they were simply mentally or physiologically ill, and hence did not deliberately commit their acts or showed their eccentricities without any reason. The paper is divided into the Related Literature, Symptoms, Causes, Arousal, Guilt and Conclusion. The Related Literature introduces the four monarchs and why their cases are subjects of psychological inquiry. In Symptoms, the manifestations of each of their diseases– repressed homosexuality, porphyria, schizophrenia, sadism – are presented both historically and in view of current medical literature. The causes of these diseases are then discussed, as well as what aroused them or whether they felt guilty of their acts. Lastly, various specific treatment methods are presented, and a conclusion confirming the hypothesis. Mad Monarchs of European History A number of kings, queens, dukes, countesses and other monarchs who lived in pre-modern Europe were believed to be mad. Although claims point out that these “mad” monarchs were indeed violently murderous, overly extravagant, excessively temperamental or seriously insane, current evidence points out that they were simply suffering from psychological and physiological illnesses. If these illnesses had been properly diagnosed and treated during their time, they would have been labeled as “sick” and not necessarily “mad.” An in-depth investigation into the lives of four monarchs of European history – King Ludwig II of Bavaria, King George III of England, King Charles VI of France, and Countess Elizabeth Bathory of Hungary – seeks to reveal that they did not deliberately do evil acts but only manifested symptoms of familiar diseases. Review of Related Literature Ludwig II As the 19th century King of Bavaria, Ludwig II was often called the “The King of Hearts” by the Germans. According to Dixon (1999), the reason for this was that he “captured the hearts of all those who saw him” thus making them “raving mad about him.” In Fact, King Ludwig himself wrote, “I carry my heart to the throne, a heart which beats for my people…I will do anything in my power to make my people happy [for] their welfare, their peace are the conditions for my own happiness.” Thus, the monarch indeed deserved the title of “The King of Hearts.” However, despite this natural love of Ludwig II for his people, he was also known as the Mad King or Mad Ludwig because he is said to have been “legally insane” (Flippo, 2010). Overall, his condition seemed to have been similar to repressed homosexuality that sometimes governs a life of extravagance and leads to suicide. George III Amidst the American War of Independence in the late 18th century, the whole world – including the British Colonies who were fighting for independence, and Great Britain herself – did not know that King George III was suffering from a strange illness that kept him raving mad with wild outbursts and bizarre behavior (Macalpine & Hunter, 1966). They did not know whether the king was just suffering from fever or a form of “mental derangement.” There was a reported recovery in 1789 only to know that the disease relapsed twelve years later. Modern evidence shows that the disease is porphyria, a rare hereditary disorder with exactly the same symptoms as the British monarch suffered more than two centuries ago. Charles VI Charles VI of France had two popular names – Charles the Beloved and Charles the Mad – although it was the latter that defined his reputation as among the raving mad monarchs of European history. As one of the monarchs of Europe who was directly involved in the Hundred Years’ War between England and France from the 14th to 15th century, Charles VI became king when he was only twelve. He became King of France in 1388 but began to suffer from “recurrent bouts of madness” four years later in 1392, in which he would often imagine himself being made of glass and would break at the slightest touch or shock (Sommerville, 2011). From then on, Charles VI lived a life filled with more insanity than sanity. In fact, Pfau (2008) says that the French king’s mental illness was even considered “the root cause of the disintegration of the French realm,” which means that the monarch’s severe bouts of insanity indirectly negatively affected the stability of the French kingdom during the time of his reign, and this threat to political stability went on even until Charles VI’s death in 1422. This meant that the whole reign of Charles VI was almost completely a failure because of his mentally deranged condition. The main diagnosis, however, was schizophrenia characterized mostly by delusions of persecution. Elizabeth Bathory The anglicized name of Elizabeth Bathory actually came from the Hungarian Erzsebet Bathory. Known as the Blood Countess or Countess Dracula, she was one of the most infamous countesses of Hungary in the 16th century, well known for her grisly murders of claimed 650 girls and women from 1585 to 1610, and the legend that she bathed in the blood of her victims (Grace, 2011; Vronsky, 2007; Kord, 2009). However, Kord (2009) states that the actual number of her victims was in fact not 650 but ranged from 36 to 650, and that the girl named Susanna, who accused Bathory of murdering 650 women later amended her claim to 80 victims. Bathory’s infamy was aggravated not only by the fact that she killed girls and women but that she did so in gruesome ways. The murders, tortures and mutilations were real as the corpses were found in a grain silo, behind the castle, in the cornfields and in the forest (Vronsky, 2007). However, the question is – What was Bathory really suffering from? Vronsky (2007) claims that it was sadism, and goes on to describe Bathory as a “hedonist lust killer” and a “highly sadistic power-control freak.” The reason for this, according to Vronsky, is that the Blood Countess always chose female victims and that she bit them on the shoulders and breasts. Symptoms King Ludwig II and Repressed Homosexuality King Ludwig II’s insanity was evidenced by several symptoms. These included being overly concerned about the buildings of his castles and sometimes interfering with the architects’ decisions, and being extremely fussy about his looks, once had dinner with his favorite horse at the dining table (Monteagudo, 1999). He also devised grandiose titles for him like the “Moon King” or the “Fairy King,” and held parties which were homosexual in theme (Flippo, 2010). The king was an alleged homosexual and his homosexual acts somehow irked the Bavarian Cabinet. Ludwig II somehow had no control over his eccentricities and extravagances, which he often did as a homosexual. He would splurge a lot whenever he threw parties that invited stable-lads and troopers, and where he would ask the good-looking soldiers to strip and danced together as the monarch watched. Another evidence of his homosexuality was his relationship with the 19th century German musician Richard Wagner, to whom the king wrote, “I love no woman…as I love you” (Monteagudo, 1999). Dixon (1999) adds that the king once had shared a rather “intimate” relationship with a blue-eyed Prussian named Richard Hornig. Monteagudo (1999) says that King Ludwig II of Bavaria enjoyed watching half-naked soldiers and male workers at the stables, and he often threw parties where he invited soldiers and stable-men to dance naked. Moreover, Heinroth (2006) states that the king later on is believed to have committed suicide, probably as a sign of increasing insanity. What was suspected as the reason behind King Ludwig II’s eccentricities and occasional homosexual acts was actually repressed homosexuality. Based on modern science, repressed homosexuality has symptoms that include luxury and extravagance, which are mainly associated with hedonism – the old label of homosexuality derived from Christian theologians (Balch, 1986). Another symptom of repressed homosexuality includes homosexuality anxiety, which is characterized by compulsive checking and worries about appearing gay (Williams, 2008). Williams (2008) also adds that sexual obsessions in a person with repressed homosexuality may manifest especially in the form of incest, unfaithfulness, profane thoughts, and unusual behaviors. King George III and Porphyria According to Macalpine and Hunter (1966), the “madness” – wild outbursts and bizarre behavior – of King George III occurred five times and even threatened political stability in Great Britain. The king was said to have suffered from a series of symptoms ranging from severe abdominal pain, aches, muscular weakness, and stiffness that mimicked gout and rheumatism. For several days, he suffered various separate attacks characterized by other symptoms such as colic and constipation, excessive sweating, racing pulse, cramps, and delirium. The king’s insomnia and incessant talking, as well as alternating periods of excitement and confusion somehow overwhelmed and confused the king’s physicians themselves. In a modern sense, these symptoms define porphyria. Levin (2007) states that porphyria usually involves three major symptoms namely abdominal pain, photophobia or sensitivity to light usually leading to rashes, and problems with the muscular and nervous systems. Other symptoms may include red or brown urine, feelings of heat, blistering, numbness, unexplained pain in the arms, back and legs, and muscle weakness. A majority, if not all, of these symptoms also parallel those of King George III. Charles VI’s Schizophrenia and Delusions of Persecution As one proof of his insanity, King Charles VI would often make decisions hastily out of anger or resentment, and would usually react violently (Hunt, 1830). Hunt (1830) notes that, on one occasion, Charles VI declared war on the Duke of Brittany, or Bretagne, in his own country and brought with him his whole army there (Pfau, 2008). While he was in Brittany, a page, who may have been falling asleep, accidentally dropped the lance upon the helmet of the king. This was said to have created a noise that immediately irritated the king, thus he rushed “like a madman” toward the page dead who caused the noise and struck him dead. As the king turned into a raving madman, he had to be seized, disarmed and bound with ropes. After he was transported in a cart, he was exhausted, speechless and motionless. He also had a low pulse and seemed to have experienced shock. Aside from his excessive and uncontrollable anger during this particular event, Kibler (1995) adds that other manifestations of Charles VI’s alleged mental illness included psychotic episodes, recurring delusions of persecution, inconsistency in decision-making, and many other symptoms characteristic of schizophrenia. According to Merrill (2010) and Coon et al. (2007), schizophrenia is characterized by a wide variety of symptoms that are specific to the type of schizophrenia that one is suffering from. Psychotic symptoms may include disordered thinking and hallucinations. Catatonic symptoms may include delusions of grandeur or persecution as well as negative feelings. Paranoid symptoms include anger and argumentativeness. The symptoms of the disorganized type may take the form of inappropriate laughter and social withdrawal. Elizabeth Bathory’s Sadism According to Grace (2011), Bathory tortured her victims in several ways before they died. The women were beaten, starved, frozen, sexually abused, burns, and their hands, faces and genitals mutilated. And as if that was not bad enough, the flesh on their faces or other body parts were bitten off. Vronsky (2007) adds that the girls’ genitals were burned with a candle, their mouths were ripped open with Bathory’s own hands, and they were burned with heated metal rods. Others were dragged in the snow and doused with cold water afterwards until they froze to death. Some had themselves poured with boiling water that tore away their skin. It was the bloodbaths, however, that gave Bathory the title of Blood Countess. There was no evidence of these bloodbaths (Vronsky, 2007; Kord, 2009). Nevertheless, according to legend, it was said that the bloodbath was carried out in such a way that the women were hauled up in suspended barrels with many spikes inside. The victims were then rocked and rolled while the Blood Countess showered in their blood below (Vronsky, 2007). Lieberman et al. (2006), however, states that Bathory would slit open her victims’ abdomens and collect their blood in a tub where she would bathe. In fact, according to Vronsky (2007), this personal ritual of bathing in blood may have started when Bathory struck a chambermaid so hard on the face that her blood spurted from her nose onto the countess’ face. When Bathory wiped the blood off, legend says that she noticed a partial rejuvenation on the part of the skin touched by the blood. From then on, her bloodbaths began, mainly for the preservation of her youth (Bayer, 2004). Although the bloodbaths were a legend, this may have explained why Bathory’s beauty was still preserved even when she died at the age of 54 (Vronsky, 2007). According to Hucker (2005), these sadistic acts, in the modern sense, translate as sexual sadism. Sexual sadism usually shows as torture, severe beatings, murder, rape, cutting, burning or stabbing in the area of the breast or buttocks. All these symptoms included those of Bathory herself. Mild sadism, however, may only involve sexual role-playing and using gags or blindfolds during the sexual activity. Causes Repressed Homosexuality Repressed homosexuality has a number of causes. The suicidal tendencies may be caused by discrimination (Waidzunas, 2005). Other causes include the possibility of an extended family of which homosexuals are a part, as well as the idea of gays not having a “world of their own, their own institutions, or forms of socializing” (Zea, 2000). These causes somehow all boil down to discrimination. As for King Ludwig II, the king may have secretly, or even unconsciously, experienced discrimination. This means that his homosexuality had no avenues for expression in a society whose language is power and in a position of great authority. Thus, King Ludwig II’s homosexuality had to be repressed. Occasionally, however, it would show up in his excesses and extravagance. Moreover, King Ludwig II may have harbored suicidal thoughts and thus was said to have allegedly killed himself (Heinroth, 2006). Porphyria Current medical research states that the probable cause of King George III’s porphyria, according to Connor (2005), was arsenic poisoning. Recent findings showed that the king’s hair had abnormally high levels of arsenic, which may have triggered porphyria in a genetically predisposed individual like King George. Porphyria is characterized by the accumulation of toxins in the blood. The arsenic may have come from the “emetic tartar” medicine that was made from the chemical element antimony and was given to the king. Antimony was a source of arsenic, and this may have explained everything. Furthermore, Cox et al. (2005) state that arsenic interferes with the metabolism of haem, which in turn contributed to King George’s severe and prolonged bouts of porphyria. Aside from arsenic poisoning, other causes of porphyria, according to Levin (2007), include drugs, hormones, infections and alcohol. The major cause, however, remains to be genetic. This genetic defect prevents the natural release of porphyrins from the human body through stool or urine. Schizophrenia and Delusions of Persecution According to Lieberman et al. (2006), the alleged cause of the schizophrenia suffered by Charles VI of France was purely genetic, although during his time it may have been attributed to imbalances of humors, abnormalities of the ventricles of the brain, or instances of demonic possessions. Schizophrenia, however, is currently known to have various other causes. Merrill (2010) points out that both genetic and environmental factors cause schizophrenia. The genetic factor may run in families with a history of the disease itself. The environmental factors, on the other hand, may include the possibility of infection during fetal development. Sadism For Bathory’s case, several authors cited various causes. Kord (2009) says that the cause of her murders could have been lesbianism. However, Blankenship et al. (2006) further imply that the murderous character of Bathory was due to the influence of a bisexual and nymphomaniac aunt, Countess Klara Bathory, whom the Blood Countess often visited during the early years of her marriage. Moreover, Bathory may also have been influenced by her own husband, Count Ferenc Nadasdy, a soldier who gave Bathory lessons on how he would torture war prisoners. However, Torres and Watson (1998) points out on the possibility that Bathory may have had polycystic kidney disease, but the authors do not elaborate on the possible physiological correlations between the disease and the murderous nature of Bathory. Lieberman et al. (2006), on the other hand, points out to epileptic seizures, schizophrenia, or bipolar disorder as three possible causes of her murderous acts. Despite the lack of medical evidence during Bathory’s time to establish that the aforementioned causes indeed lead to sadistic acts of murder, these causes still somehow shed light on the nature of sadism itself. According to Hucker (2005), the causes of sexual sadism are governed by several theories. Certain psychodynamic theories state that a child who has witnessed his parents having sexual intercourse will develop a death instinct and will become a sexual sadist later on. On the other hand, some behavioral theories suggest that one may develop a psychic imprinting during the first experiences of sex, especially during childhood or adolescence. Other theories may involve endocrine and brain abnormalities. As for Bathory, there was no clear evidence as to the exact cause of her sadism, but some evidence points out to behavioral theories. Arousal In the case of King Ludwig II, his arousal was mainly sexual in nature – naked young stable-men and soldiers (Monteagudo, 1999). He was aroused also by Richard Wagner and Richard Honig, men of high esteem (Monteagudo, 1999; Dixon, 1999). While King George III suffered mainly involuntary attacks of porphyria and was not reported to have been aroused by anything during these attacks, Charles VI was somehow aroused by the slightest provocations to which he would react extremely violently (Hunt, 1830). Such provocations would include a mere piece of information or a noise (Hunt, 1830; Pfau, 2008). Lastly, Bathory was aroused perhaps by the idea of blood and pain, or perhaps by the innocence of the women that she murdered, although no exact account of such arousals have been documented. Guilt Except for King George III, who somehow did not harm or endanger anyone’s life because of his porphyria attacks, the three other monarchs – King Ludwig II, King Charles VI and Countess Elizabeth Bathory – did cause other people trouble. King Ludwig II’s meticulousness somehow bothered his architects, and his excesses caused violent reactions among the members of the Bavarian cabinet (Monteagudo, 1999). Nevertheless, it was not stated whether he felt guilty about these acts, for he might not have even known that such acts had negative consequences. King Charles VI, just like the Bavarian king, may not have felt any guilt from the decisions he had hastily done and from the innocent people he had killed with his own hands out of unreasonable rage, including the page at Brittany who merely made noise with his lance (Pfau, 2008). For Elizabeth Bathory, it was the same. There was no reference stating that she was full of guilt when she was imprisoned in her castle until her death (Vronsky, 2007). Treatment King Ludwig II’s repressed homosexuality was not treated for it was practically not diagnosed during his lifetime. Mental illness was the diagnosis. However, current treatment for repressed homosexuality includes reassurance, counseling and medications (Williams, 2008). King George III’s porphyria was somehow slightly treated. Part of King George’s treatment was hospitalization and torture as these were still accepted forms of therapy for the mentally ill in the 16th and 17th centuries, along with beating, whipping and starvation (Seager, 2000). These methods, however, were not known to have exactly contributed to the temporary recovery of the king in 1789. However, current treatment for porphyria includes admission into hospital, sedation of the pain with opiates, and diet adjustments (Elder et al., 1997). King Charles VI neither had diagnosis nor treatment for his schizophrenia. Nowadays, schizophrenia can be treated through hospitalization, adequate rest, and neuroleptic medications (Merrill, 2010). Lastly, Elizabeth Bathory was treated during her time more like a murderer than a mental patient, hence, she was not diagnosed nor treated for sexual sadism. Nevertheless, current treatment for sexual sadism includes behavioral treatments and neurosurgical operations (Hucker, 2005). Conclusion Four of the monarchs of European history – King Ludwig II of Bavaria, King George III of England, King Charles VI of France, and Countess Elizabeth Bathory of Hungary – were all labeled mad by the people of their times, but they were actually merely ill mentally, and in the case of George III, physiologically. Ludwig II was suffering from repressed homosexuality yet his contemporaries were not able to link this to his excesses. George III had porphyria but doctors were able to determine neither its cause nor its treatment. Charles VI was merely considered temperamental and unpredictable by his colleagues, when in fact he was suffering from schizophrenia. Lastly, no Hungarian in the 16th century ever thought a murderous criminal Elizabeth Bathory was someone with an illness known as sexual sadism. On the whole, if these four monarchs had only been properly diagnosed and treated, they would have been able to live normal human lives. Unfortunately, medical science was not as developed during their times as it is now, thus George III’s illness was not exactly determined, and that two of them like Ludwig II and Charles VII were identified as eccentric but not necessarily requiring treatment. Bathory, in a similar way, was regarded as a criminal and not a mentally ill patient who needed help. References Balch, D. L. Romans 1:24-27, Science, and Homosexuality. Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary 1986. http://209.76.204.79/docs/balch.rom1.pdf Bayer, K. The Anti Aging Trend: Capitalism, Cosmetics and Mirroring the Spectacle. Communication, Culture and Technology Program 2004. 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