La Bas or [DOWN THERE]
1891
by Joris-Karl Huysmans
(1848-1907)

This transcription was scanned in from my personal copy of: _Down There (La Bas)_ by J. K. Hysmans - Keene Wallace Translation. Paris. Privately printed for Subscriber. 1923 - Copyright in U.S of America by Charles and Albert Boni [no longer under copyright]

"I had to occupy myself with Gilles de Rais and the diabolism of the
Middle Ages to get contemporary diabolism revealed to me."
j-k h
[I] [II] [III] [IV] [V] [VI] [VII] [VIII] [IX]
[X] [XI] [XII] [XIII] [IVX] [XV] [XVI]
[XVII] [XVIII] [XIX] [XX] [XXI] [XXII]
Be sure to visit
Li' Ricky's La Bas index notes page!

Some background on this piece - in light of why I placed it on the net.
"La-Bas tells of the occultist revival that took place in France during the 1880's"
Encyclopaedia Britannica 1985.
"... 3 lines of interest in the book, the story of Gilles de Rais and his Sadism, the discussion of Satanism culmination in an extraordinary description of a modern celebration of the Black Mass and the narration of Duhtal liaison with Madme Chant."
-
p 38 Introduction to Hyusmans' "Against the Grain" by Hearilock Ellin 1931ed
More information about the author and this book below.

Digital Archive of PSYCHOHISTORY Digital Archive of
PSYCHOHISTORY
Articles & Texts
[Books texts] [Journal Articles] [Charts] [Prenatal]
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Trauma Model] [Cultic] [Web links] [Cartoons] [Other]

To report errors in this electronic
transcription please contact:
[email protected]

For information on:
Possession and 'hysteria' as affect of child abuse
Religious Healing in First-Century Christianity
In depth historical child abuse see Journal Articles .
Satanism and ritual abuse see Cultic section.

So why place this book on a Psychohistorical site? - Because The author had long career in the Ministry of the Interior of France - and gives an interesting look at the ttruth of the practice of Satanism - and Cult activity in the late 1800's. (The on going clandestine existence of a infanticidal modality child raising group within a more modern psychoclass.) It also deals with Charcot idea's as those of a living man and gives more 'light' on of some intresting child partices of the time and the 1400's.

Huysmans, Joris-Karl, original [Charles] The only son of a French mother and a Dutch father , Huysmans at 20 began a long career in the Ministry of the Interior, writing many of his novels on official time (and note paper). His early work, influenced by contemporary Naturalistic novelists ...
The ambitious and controversial _La-bas_, a tale of 19th century Satanists interwoven with a life of the medieval Satanist Gilles de Rais, introduced what was clearly an autobiographical protagonist, Durtal, who reappeared in Huysmans last three novels. ...
The chief fascination of Huysmans' work lies in its autobiographical content. Together his novels tell the story of a protracted spiritual odyssey, In each the hero tries to find happiness in some kind of spiritual and physical escapism; each ends on a note of disappointment and revolt until, in L'Pblat, Huysmans and his hero conclude that escapism is not only futile but wrong. Huysmans exemplified his hard-won belief in the value of suffering in his courageous bearing during the months of pain that preceded his death form cancer of the mouth.
Also a perceptive art critic, Huysmans helped with public recognition of the Impressionist painters. He was the first president of the Acadmie Gocourt, which annually awards a prestigious literary prize. Useful studies - Roibert Baldick's _The Life of Joris Huysmans_ (1955); James Laver's _First Decadent: Being the Strange Life of Joris Huysmans_ (1955).
Encyclopaedia Britannica 1985.

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Some other of Huysmans' other work may be found on Eldritch Press look under French literature in English translation and for original French TRY: ABU: la Bibliothèque Universelle. As of this date: La Bas was NOT found at eather of these sites 7.18.1999.

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Digital Archive of PSYCHOHISTORY Digital Archive of
PSYCHOHISTORY
Articles & Texts
[Books texts] [Journal Articles] [Charts] [Prenatal]
[
Trauma Model] [Cultic] [Web links] [Cartoons] [Other]

To report errors in this electronic
transcription please contact:
[email protected]

For information on:
Possession and 'hysteria' as affect of child abuse
Religious Healing in First-Century Christianity
In depth historical child abuse see Journal Articles .
Satanism and ritual abuse see Cultic section.
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