21st Century Necromancer-Chapter 586 - 582: Bloody Mary (Please Subscribe, Request Monthly Tickets)

In the United Kingdom, especially in London, many strange and terrifying legends have circulated, some of which can be classified as urban ghost stories, while others are real historical events that incited horror.

The great London Strangling Panic of 1862, Spring-Heeled Jack, the Pig of Hampstead sewer, Vampire Dracula, Frankenstein's Monster, Barber Sweeney Todd, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, the mummies of the British Museum, Jack the Ripper, baby-abandonment killer Amelia Dyer, grave robbers Burke and Hare...

But when it comes to the most terrifying among these horror tales and monsters, as well as criminals, it's neither the most cunning criminal in history, Jack the Ripper, nor is it the baby-abandonment killer Amelia Dyer, who strangled over four hundred infants. Nor is it the household name Vampire Dracula or Frankenstein's Monster.

It is Europe's most famous female ghost, Bloody Mary.

Regarding the origin of Bloody Mary, there are at least fifty versions of the story circulating in European folklore. Some say she was a witch tried during the Middle Ages, while others say she was a disfigured bride...

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Of the many theories, the most convincing origins of Bloody Mary are threefold: one is the Hungarian notorious Vampire Countess Elizabeth Bathory, and another narrative is about a Countess by the name of Lee Kester.

In these two stories, Countess Elizabeth Bathory is a historical figure known for her blood-drinking deeds, a bona fide vampire, famous throughout Europe for her terrifying acts of cruelty and bloodthirstiness. Without the legend of Bloody Mary, her name alone was enough to rank her among the top ten most famous ghosts and monsters of Europe.

The story of Countess Lee Kester, on the other hand, is a sorrowful tale of love. The young and beautiful Countess encounters a handsome gentleman and falls hopelessly in love with him. But eventually, the gentleman leaves her, wishing that she remains young and beautiful by the time he returns, and he never comes back.

The young and beautiful Countess Lee Kester waited painfully for her heart's desire, until she was physically and emotionally drained and gravely ill. Her loyal housekeeper, hearing that the blood of virgins could invigorate one's spirit, killed the youngest maid in the house, used her blood for the Countess Lee Kester to drink, and bathed her body in it. This restored the Countess to vibrant health, and she became more and more beautiful.

To maintain her beauty, Countess Lee Kester developed a habit of bathing in blood, and only used that of virgins.

Her fearsome beautification approach led to her reputation as the most dazzling beauty in all of Europe, so much so that even at sixty, men committed suicide for her favor. However, Countess Lee Kester's heart always pined for her lover.

Regrettably, she never saw her lover again before she was burned to death by an angry mob. She perished in her own bathroom, leaving behind the terrifying legend of Bloody Mary.

However, compared to these two stories, it is Mary I, who truly existed in English history, that is the actual Bloody Mary, and the real origin of the entire epithet.

Mary I was a female monarch during the Tudor dynasty in England. Her father was Henry VIII, whose reign was one of the most powerful in English history. Her grandfather, Henry VII, founded the Tudor dynasty, while her maternal grandparents, Ferdinand and Elizabeth, created Spain. Her husband Philip was also the King of Spain, and her father-in-law, Charles V, was the Roman Emperor...

She was a girl of destiny, adorned with boundless glory and affection, who at the tender age of nine, was granted the title of Prince of Wales, a title traditionally reserved exclusively for the heir to the throne of the United Kingdom.

But because Henry VIII had remained childless for so long, he was obsessed with the problem of succession. Following the death of Mary I's mother, he successively married two more queens, who bore him Elizabeth I and Edward VI.

To legitimize his own heirs, Henry VIII even went as far as to promote religious reform and sever ties with the Roman Curia, declaring his marriage to Catherine, Mary I's mother, to be invalid. Consequently, Mary I became a "bastard" in the eyes of society. In an act of humiliation towards Mary I, Henry VIII once even made her serve as the governess to her sister, Elizabeth I.

Amidst such persecution, Mary I eventually reconciled with her father with the assistance of Henry VIII's sixth queen and, after outliving both Henry VIII and her brother Edward VI, she swiftly orchestrated a coup, disposed of Edward VI's designated successor, the nine-day Queen Jane Grey, and executed her, thus reclaiming the throne that was rightfully hers.

Once enthroned, to solidify her rule and legitimize her succession, Mary I restored the Catholic faith in England and aggressively persecuted Protestants, ordering the burning of approximately three hundred opponents, thus forging her harrowing nickname, Bloody Mary, in blood and iron.

Originally, the three legends represented three distinct individuals, but due to the widespread tales of Bloody Mary and the recent enthusiasm of some, even leading to a movie portrayal, these separate legends ultimately merged into one, creating a truly horrifying entity.

Fusing all the tales associated with Bloody Mary, the Crimson Queen, who combined the identities of a vampire, a beautiful countess, a tyrannical female ruler, a shrine maiden, a bride, a seer, and many more, stood at the top of the list that Sherlock Holmes had handed to Chen Yu.

"Queen Mary holds extravagant banquets every evening at Hampton Court; this is the only opportunity to see her. At all other times, the entire Hampton Court is under lockdown, inaccessible unless forcefully attacked. But if we were to force our way in, it would put Queen Mary on alert and give her time to prepare," said Lord Nelson, resigned to the fact that he couldn't persuade Chen Yu to change his plan, and thus disclosed what he knew.

Compared with the ordinary Sherlock Holmes and Professor Moriarty, Lord Nelson, who boasted a noble title, indeed had a more informed perspective on such matters.

"Then how shall we go about attending this banquet? I assume it's not something just anyone can attend, right?" Chen Yu expressed his doubt, having never been to such a banquet himself, but surmising that an invitation would be indispensable.

Lord Nelson nodded, "Indeed, Queen Mary carefully selects the guests for her evening banquets each day and dispatches invitations, without which one cannot attend the banquet."

"It looks like we'll need to find a way to get ourselves an invitation first," Chen Yu muttered, scratching his eyebrow as he contemplated how to acquire one.

However, just at that moment, a voice from downstairs shouted, "By the command of Her Majesty the Queen, Mary I of England and Ireland, we come to invite our esteemed guests to join Her Majesty's banquet this evening when the moon rises."