Esther Markussen ’s Reviews > Satanic Feminism: Lucifer as the Liberator of Woman in Nineteenth-Century Culture > Status Update

Chapter: Lucifer and the Lesbians

Although text like "méphistophéla" and others seems to have made the conception of lesbianism as something satanic widespread, it's undoubtably Renée Vivien who carries this chapter.

Not only did she openly identify as lesbian, she also unapolygetically embrances the sinfull notion of it, reclaiming it through satanic inversion. Satanism thus becomes sexual liberation in her work.

So I just finished the chapter on "satanic women in decadent litterature". It honestly seems like decadence is a really fun to read genre, with over the top symbolism and drama. However, as most of the twxt in this, the relationship with satan and women seems to be ambivalient at best, walking in the line between feminism and misogony, satanism and christian demonization.

"According to Przybyszewski, the Christian religion [...] Preaces 'Be poor in spirit and Hubble, be obedient, follow the example don't think!'"

I love it when my readings match up, cause wasn't that what I just critiziced in my bible update?

Litterally my thoughts ecxactly on Christianity

This chapter I have just begun on decadence, is almost 100 pages long😦 I mean how long can it take to explain that decadence is, flamboyant art-snobs who believed their writhing was the highest form of sensual and spiritual art?

And of course they loved to use satan symbolically, what else causes a god scandal?

This is the closest I have to a bible, and it isn't religious text. It doesn't attempt to tell you how to live, or right and wrong, as it is a historical research. However through it, you understand the connection between feminism and demonization. How christianity has been used to repress women, and demonize masculine, gay or just free women. And then how satan, representing opposition, has been used as a liberator.

Done with chapter 5 on "Satan as the Emancipator of women in Gothic literature". Intresting is how vampires and werewolf women, are representative of the subversion of patriarcial ideals, as they are unmotherly, wild and free. Thus can be read feministic as liberating. However through the eyes of authors like Bram Stoker and Le Fanu, are intended as a warning, and sexist protrayl of feminist. So again ambivalent

Remind me to read "La Morte amoureuse". A priest is seduced by a unholy female vampire, who represents, in constrast to the church, freedom, sexual liberation and beauti. Sounds magnificantly sensual and is perhaps one of the earliest vampire works, being from 1836!

"There is an old tradition of viewing vampirism as almost synonymous with satanism"
Well, well, well... it's always exciting to find out how predictable I am... He aslo mentions that the church, in 1744, saw vampirism as a consequense of over-active imagination, and gosh I hope so😫

Actually I'm only on page 133, but I decided to move to the last two champters, because I had a feeling that Faxneld saved the best for last. And finally a dource that truly livebup to the books name. The story of Mary maclane, which this chapter deals with in detail, is the diary of a 19 year old girl, who praises the devil and devour herself to him. It's giving the satanic bible but if Lavey were a gay teen girl

"Women and men are but souls temporarily incarnated in female or male bodies, and that even in particular lifetime many women are more male than some men and vice versa. It is therefore inappropiate to impose special restrictions of any kind on women" this is pro trans anti-gendernorms statement is argued by Susan E. Gay (yes that's her surname) in 1890! Amazing