Do you know that there once lived a man, well-known in the social circle and was a charmer in every sense, who suddenly disappeared without leaving any trace… Some believe that he died but if he did, neither his body nor his grave could ever be found. Even if he disappeared then where had he gone? Was he a god-send angel, an eternal being? Is it possible for a human being to disappear for decades together and remain a mystery even in today’s world of advancement…
The Count of St. Germain who is believed to have died on February 27, 1784 was a courtier, adventurer, inventor, amateur scientist, violinist, amateur composer and a mysterious gentleman. He also displayed some amazing skills with the practice of alchemy. He was known as ‘Der Wundermann’ (meaning’ The Wonderman’). He was a man whose origin was unknown and who disappeared suddenly without leaving a trace.
Since his death, various occult organizations have adopted him. Some consider him as a model figure and some even as a powerful deity. In recent years, several people have claimed to be the Count of St. Germain. (It must be considered here, that St. Germain was never regarded as a saint by the Roman Catholic Church. The “st.” Before his name, refers to his alleged home).
The mysterious figure that we today know as the comte de Saint-Germain was first witnessed in 1710 under the name of Marquis de Montferrat. He was best known as a recurring figure in the stories of several strands of occultism, especially those connected to Theosophy where he is also referred to as the Master Rakoczi or the Master R and acknowledged with the divine powers and longevity. Some sources write that his name is not familiar but it was invented by him as a French version of the Latin Sanctus Germanus meaning “Holy Herman” or “Holy Brother Herman”. St. Germanus was a lay brother of the Benedictine order. Spotted in Venice by a musician named Rameau and Parisian socialite called Madam de Gergy, he had the appearance of a man between 40 and 50 years of age. It was an appearance he would hold all his life and he would officially die in 1784. However, many people believe that he never actually passed away. To them, this enigmatic character has become the ‘Saint-Germain, the deathless’. Saint-Germain’s provenance was never revealed, not even by those he had taken into his confdence.
For his entire life he looked like a middle-aged, strongly built man of average height. He was an amazing storyteller with incredible stories and had some impressive talents. He could create fantastic jewels, had a complete understanding of music and art, and was able to provide people with potions which he claimed were the elixir of youth. He was never seen eating or drinking but he enjoyed the company of women and mixed with the aristocrats well.
He never seemed to age. His great period of celebrity was in Paris between 1750 and 1760. His main role was that of a spy for king Louis XV. However, his friendship with the king created many enemies within the French government and he was forced to fee to England. He re-surfaced in Russia under the name General Soltikov and played a major role in the 1762 revolution. At the start of Louis XVI’s reign he reappeared in Paris and, through an old friend, the Countesse d’ Adhemar, he issued a warning to Queen Mariek Antoinette of the dangers that were building for the French monarchy. Saint-Germain tried to see the king personally, but the police were ordered to capture the Comte by the king’s minster. Again, Charles of Hesse cassel in the Duchy of Schlesing, Austria.
It was said that he revealed many of his secrets to the count but by 1784 Saint-Germain had got bored of his life and he died. However, there is no official record of his death and no tombstone bearing his name. He left all his papers, many of which concerned free masonry, to the count, but like Louis XV, Charles never revealed anything about Saint-Germain’s real history. Indeed, even though he claimed to be sad that Saint-Germain had died, many commentators have suggested that he did not appear upset and there is a theory that he may have been privy to a staged death. Certainly, further reports of Saint-Germain have been recorded. In 1786, he met the Empress of Russia and 1788, he was apparently the official French representative at the World Convention of Freemasons.
The Countess of d’ Adhemar said she had met her old friend in 1789, 1875 and 1821, and that each time he looked no older than her memory of him. It is said that he continued to have an influence on secret societies and may even have been a guiding light of the Rosicrusians. So who was the strange character? Parisians who disliked him said he was the son of a Portuguese Jew named Aymar or an Alsatian Jew called Wolff. However, the general feeling at the time was that he was the natural son of Spain’s Charles ll’s widow, Marie de Neubourg. A More recent study has suggested that he may actually have been on of the sons of Prince Francis Racoczi ll of Transylvania. The prince gave his children to the Emperor of Austria to bring up but one of them was said to have died at a young age. It is now considered that this child may have, in fact, been raised by a family in the little village of San Germano in Italy. This would account for how he assumed the name the Comte de Saint-Germain.
There is a huge uproar of myths, legends and speculations about St. Germain that began to be widespread in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. They include beliefs that he is immortal, the Wandering Jew, an alchemist with the “Elixir of Life”, a Rosicrucian, and that he prophesied the French Revolution. He is said to have met the forger Giuseppe Balsamo (alias Cagliostro) in London. However, some people, particularly those involved with the Theosophy movement, believe that Saint-Germain may have been one of the ‘great masters’, sent to show developed men the errors of their ways. They believe that he may be still wandering the Earth, waiting for the right time to reappear and counsel man through troubled waters. Until then, however, the mystical figure known as the Comte de Saint-Germain will remain a mystery.
