Alraune
Encyclopedia
Alraune is a novel by German novelist Hanns Heinz Ewers
published in 1911. It is also the name of the female lead character.
-shaped Mandrake
root or Mandragora officinarum was widely believed to be produced by the semen of hanged men under the gallows
. Alchemists
claimed that hanged men ejaculated
after their neck
s were broken and that the earth absorbed their final "strengths". In some versions, it is blood instead of semen. The root
itself was used in love philtre
s and potion
s while its fruit
was supposed to facilitate pregnancy
. Witches who "made love" to the Mandrake root were said to produce offspring
which had no feeling
s of real love
and had no soul.
and individuality: genetics
versus environment
. A scientist, Professor Jakob ten Brinken, interested in the laws of heredity
, impregnates a prostitute in a laboratory
with the semen of a hanged murderer. The prostitute conceives a female child who has no concept of love, whom the professor adopts. The girl, Alraune, suffers from obsessive sexuality and perverse relationship
s throughout her life. She learns of her unnatural origins and she avenges herself against the professor.
Several movies have shown the influence of the Alraune theme:
Hanns Heinz Ewers
Hanns Heinz Ewers was a German actor, poet, philosopher, and writer of short stories and novels. While he wrote on a wide range of subjects, he is now known mainly for his works of horror, particularly his trilogy of novels about the adventures of Frank Braun, a character modeled on himself...
published in 1911. It is also the name of the female lead character.
Legend
The basis of the story of Alraune dates to the Middles Ages in Germany. The humanoidHumanoid
A humanoid is something that has an appearance resembling a human being. The term first appeared in 1912 to refer to fossils which were morphologically similar to, but not identical with, those of the human skeleton. Although this usage was common in the sciences for much of the 20th century, it...
-shaped Mandrake
Mandrake (plant)
Mandrake is the common name for members of the plant genus Mandragora, particularly the species Mandragora officinarum, belonging to the nightshades family...
root or Mandragora officinarum was widely believed to be produced by the semen of hanged men under the gallows
Gallows
A gallows is a frame, typically wooden, used for execution by hanging, or by means to torture before execution, as was used when being hanged, drawn and quartered...
. Alchemists
Alchemy
Alchemy is an influential philosophical tradition whose early practitioners’ claims to profound powers were known from antiquity. The defining objectives of alchemy are varied; these include the creation of the fabled philosopher's stone possessing powers including the capability of turning base...
claimed that hanged men ejaculated
Ejaculation
Ejaculation is the ejecting of semen from the male reproductory tract, and is usually accompanied by orgasm. It is usually the final stage and natural objective of male sexual stimulation, and an essential component of natural conception. In rare cases ejaculation occurs because of prostatic disease...
after their neck
Neck
The neck is the part of the body, on many terrestrial or secondarily aquatic vertebrates, that distinguishes the head from the torso or trunk. The adjective signifying "of the neck" is cervical .-Boner anatomy: The cervical spine:The cervical portion of the human spine comprises seven boney...
s were broken and that the earth absorbed their final "strengths". In some versions, it is blood instead of semen. The root
Root
In vascular plants, the root is the organ of a plant that typically lies below the surface of the soil. This is not always the case, however, since a root can also be aerial or aerating . Furthermore, a stem normally occurring below ground is not exceptional either...
itself was used in love philtre
Philtre
A philtre or philter is a magic potion.The word may also refer to:*Philtre *Le Philtre, an 1831 opera by Daniel Auber*Philtre, an album by Nitin Sawhney*"Philter", a track from The Fantastic Plastic Machine...
s and potion
Potion
A potion is a consumable medicine or poison.In mythology and literature, a potion is usually made by a magician, sorcerer, dragon, fairy or witch and has magical properties. It might be used to heal, bewitch or poison people...
s while its fruit
Fruit
In broad terms, a fruit is a structure of a plant that contains its seeds.The term has different meanings dependent on context. In non-technical usage, such as food preparation, fruit normally means the fleshy seed-associated structures of certain plants that are sweet and edible in the raw state,...
was supposed to facilitate pregnancy
Pregnancy
Pregnancy refers to the fertilization and development of one or more offspring, known as a fetus or embryo, in a woman's uterus. In a pregnancy, there can be multiple gestations, as in the case of twins or triplets...
. Witches who "made love" to the Mandrake root were said to produce offspring
Offspring
In biology, offspring is the product of reproduction, of a new organism produced by one or more parents.Collective offspring may be known as a brood or progeny in a more general way...
which had no feeling
Feeling
Feeling is the nominalization of the verb to feel. The word was first used in the English language to describe the physical sensation of touch through either experience or perception. The word is also used to describe experiences, other than the physical sensation of touch, such as "a feeling of...
s of real love
Love
Love is an emotion of strong affection and personal attachment. In philosophical context, love is a virtue representing all of human kindness, compassion, and affection. Love is central to many religions, as in the Christian phrase, "God is love" or Agape in the Canonical gospels...
and had no soul.
Fiction
The novel deviates from the myth by concentrating on the issues of artificial inseminationArtificial insemination
Artificial insemination, or AI, is the process by which sperm is placed into the reproductive tract of a female for the purpose of impregnating the female by using means other than sexual intercourse or natural insemination...
and individuality: genetics
Genetics
Genetics , a discipline of biology, is the science of genes, heredity, and variation in living organisms....
versus environment
Nature versus nurture
The nature versus nurture debate concerns the relative importance of an individual's innate qualities versus personal experiences The nature versus nurture debate concerns the relative importance of an individual's innate qualities ("nature," i.e. nativism, or innatism) versus personal experiences...
. A scientist, Professor Jakob ten Brinken, interested in the laws of heredity
Heredity
Heredity is the passing of traits to offspring . This is the process by which an offspring cell or organism acquires or becomes predisposed to the characteristics of its parent cell or organism. Through heredity, variations exhibited by individuals can accumulate and cause some species to evolve...
, impregnates a prostitute in a laboratory
Laboratory
A laboratory is a facility that provides controlled conditions in which scientific research, experiments, and measurement may be performed. The title of laboratory is also used for certain other facilities where the processes or equipment used are similar to those in scientific laboratories...
with the semen of a hanged murderer. The prostitute conceives a female child who has no concept of love, whom the professor adopts. The girl, Alraune, suffers from obsessive sexuality and perverse relationship
Intimate relationship
An intimate relationship is a particularly close interpersonal relationship that involves physical or emotional intimacy. Physical intimacy is characterized by romantic or passionate love and attachment, or sexual activity. The term is also sometimes used euphemistically for a sexual...
s throughout her life. She learns of her unnatural origins and she avenges herself against the professor.
In other media
There have been a number of films based on the myth and the novel of Alraune.- 1918: AlrauneAlraune (1918 film)Alraune is a 1918 science fiction horror film directed by Michael Curtiz and Edmund Fritz and starring Géza Erdélyi. Little is known about this film which is now believed to be lost...
, an 80 minute HungarianHungaryHungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
movie which is now believed to be lost - 1918: Alraune, die Henkerstochter, genannt die rote HanneAlraune, die Henkerstochter, genannt die rote HanneAlraune, die Henkerstochter, genannt die rote Hanne is a 1918 silent science fiction horror film directed by Eugen Illés and Joseph Klein and starring Max Auzinger in which a Doctor uses the sperm of a dead man to impregnate a prostitute...
, an 88 minute GermanGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
movie directed by Eugen Illés - 1928: AlrauneAlraune (1928 film)Alraune is a 1928 silent science fiction horror film directed by Henrik Galeen and starring Brigitte Helm in which a prostitute is artificially inseminated with the semen of a hanged man. The story is based upon the legend of Alraune and the powers of the mandrake root to impregnate women...
, also known as Unholy Love, a 125 minute black and white, silent German version directed by Henrik (Heinrich) Galeen. It starred Brigitte HelmBrigitte HelmBrigitte Helm was a German actress, best remembered for her dual role as Maria and her double, the Maschinenmensch, in Fritz Lang's 1927 silent film Metropolis.-Career:...
as Alraune and Paul Wegener as the scientist Professor Jakob ten Brinken. It uses the novel and is regarded by critics as the definitive version of Alraune. When this film was first shown in Britain, film censorsBritish Board of Film ClassificationThe British Board of Film Classification , originally British Board of Film Censors, is a non-governmental organisation, funded by the film industry and responsible for the national classification of films within the United Kingdom...
removed the details of the woman's origins, thereby making the story and motivations confusing to British audiences. - 1930: Alraune, also known as The Daughter of Evil, a 103 minute black and white German version directed by Richard OswaldRichard OswaldRichard Oswald was an Austrian director, producer, and screenwriter.Richard Oswald, born in Vienna as Richard W. Ornstein, began his career as an actor on the Viennese stage. He made his film directorial debut at age 34 with Das Eiserne Kreuz...
and again starring Brigitte Helm as Alma Raune (Alraune). This is the sound version of the above film. - 1952: Alraune, or The Unnatural, a black and white German version directed by Arthur Maria Rabenalt. This had an all-star German cast including Hildegard KnefHildegard KnefHildegard Frieda Albertine Knef was a German actress, singer and writer. She was billed in some English language films as Hildegard Neff or Hildegarde Neff.-Early years:...
as Alraune and Erich von StroheimErich von StroheimErich von Stroheim was an Austrian-born film star of the silent era, subsequently noted as an auteur for his directorial work.-Background:...
as the scientist. - 1998–2004: Alraune, a series of black and white German comic books illustrated by Tony Greis. Only a single issue was published each year the last being volume 8 in 2004. The comic books deviate significantly from the novel. The main character is cursed and must live as if she is Alraune until she can find a way out from under the curse.
- 2009-present: artist and musician iamamiwhoamiIamamiwhoamiiamamiwhoami is an electronic music and multimedia project headlined by Swedish singer-songwriter Jonna Lee. Videos released from the project's YouTube channel have spread virally. The first clip was uploaded on December 4, 2009, and was forwarded to a number of music journalists and blogs. Another...
is heavily inspired by the Alraune tale.
Several movies have shown the influence of the Alraune theme:
- EmbryoEmbryo (1976 film)Embryo is a 1976 science fiction / horror film directed by Ralph Nelson. Starring Rock Hudson and Barbara Carrera, it is now in public domain because of missing copyright indication.-Plot:...
(1976) - The Species trilogy:
- Species (1995)
- Species IISpecies IISpecies II is a 1998 sequel to the 1995 film Species. It stars Natasha Henstridge, Michael Madsen and Marg Helgenberger, all of whom reprise their roles from the first film. It also features actor James Cromwell as "Senator Judson Ross"...
(1998) - Species IIISpecies IIISpecies III is a 2004 science fiction film. Directed by Brad Turner, it is the third installment of the Species series and stars Robert Knepper, Sunny Mabrey, Robin Dunne, Amelia Cooke, and John Paul Pitoc...
(2004)
See also
- MandrakeMandrake (plant)Mandrake is the common name for members of the plant genus Mandragora, particularly the species Mandragora officinarum, belonging to the nightshades family...
- AlrunaAlrunaAlruna is a Germanic female personal name, from Proto Germanic *aliruna, from ali- "strange" and runa "secret", rune...
- Artificial inseminationArtificial inseminationArtificial insemination, or AI, is the process by which sperm is placed into the reproductive tract of a female for the purpose of impregnating the female by using means other than sexual intercourse or natural insemination...
- GynoidGynoidA gynoid is anything which resembles or pertains to the female human form. It is also used in American English medical terminology as a shortening of the term Gynecoid ....
- HomunculusHomunculusHomunculus is a term used, generally, in various fields of study to refer to any representation of a human being. Historically, it referred specifically to the concept of a miniature though fully formed human body, for example, in the studies of alchemy and preformationism...
- Nature versus nurtureNature versus nurtureThe nature versus nurture debate concerns the relative importance of an individual's innate qualities versus personal experiences The nature versus nurture debate concerns the relative importance of an individual's innate qualities ("nature," i.e. nativism, or innatism) versus personal experiences...
- List of films made in Weimar Germany