Never trust a Swedish-Russian-Estonian- English count poet and author of the macabre, who probably had not seen the entirety of the Styrian region.

“Vampire stories are generally located in Styria; mine is also. Styria is by no means the romantic kind of place described by those who have certainly never been there. It is a flat, uninteresting country, only celebrated by its turkeys, its capons, and the stupidity of its inhabitants.” (“The Sad Vampire”)

All right, Count Eric Stanislaus Stenbock, whose anniversary of his interment falls tomorrow, I’ll forgive your ignorance as you lived during the Victorian era.

Graz, the region’s capital, is governed by the communists. I admit that their mentality is different from the Viennese. But Styria is considered to be the lung of the country because of how green it is. Don’t tell me there is nothing romantic in here. One Austrian archduke found his one true love in this region despite his family’s disappointment.

NBC Hannibal (2013-2015) / The Queen of the Damned (1988), Anne Rice / The Vampire Lestat (1985), Anne Rice / The True Story of A Vampire (1894), Count Stanislaus Eric Stenbock / Carmilla (1872), J. Sheridan Le Fanu

"Could he daily feel a stab of hunger for you and find nourishment at the very sight of you? Yes. But do you... ache for him?"

will's struggle with morality is reflected by his relationship with and feelings towards hannibal; his struggle between hating and loving hannibal gives us insight into his conflicting morals. i found this really similar to the way vampires' effects on humans are described in a lot of vampire literature: this struggle between repulsion and attraction, which will also experiences throughout the show towards hannibal

Midnight Pals: Large Adult Son

Eric Stenbock: hello midnight society Stenbock: i'm Count Eric Stanislaus Stenbock Stenbock: [producing life-size mannequin] and this is my son le Petit Comte Thomas Ligotti: Ligotti: Ligotti: Ligotti: Stephen King: you're uh King: really staring at that mannequin kinda intently there, tom Ligotti: hm

Eric Stenbock: submitted for the approval of the midnight society, i call this the true story of the vampire Stenbock: one sec, let me just get le Petit Comte comfortable first Stenbock: how are you doing le Petit Comte Stenbock: Ligotti: Stenbock: Ligotti: Stenbock: Ligotti: Stenbock: he says he's doing good

RL Stine: hey does your puppet talk Stine: my puppet talks Stenbock: does my what talk? Stine: your puppet Stenbock: Stenbock: you mean my son? Stine: yeah your puppet there Stenbock: Stenbock: never speak to me or my son every again

RL Stine: i just wanted to know if le petit comte talks RL Stine: [producing ventriloquist dummy] cuz knothead here talks RL Stine: especially when i drink a glass of water RL Stine: watch he'll sing the old gray mare Stenbock: how dare you

Stenbock: submitted for the approval of the midnight society, i call this the true tale of a vampire Stenbock: it's the story of carmilla Sheridan Le Fanu: Stenbock: not THAT carmilla Stenbock: a totally different carmilla

Stenbock: this carmilla story is not to be confused for sheridan la fanu's carmilla Stenbock: for one thing, this isn't a lesbian vampire story Stenbock: it's a gay vampire story Stenbock: extremely gay Bram Stoker: oh no Anne Rice: oh yes

Stenbock: so carmilla lives in a castle with her sexy brother gabriel and their dad Stenbock: and she's narrating this story so Stenbock: she's all "hey its me carmilla, let me tell you what i look like" Stenbock: "i'm just an average girl, but i think i'm pretty hot" Stenbock: "but boy my brother, damn what a smoke show" Stenbock: "pouty youthful mouth, tangled blonde locks, the whole deal" Stenbock: "you know how it is"

Stenbock: "so my brother was so kind and gentle, filled with nothing but love" Stenbock: "just loved animals" Stenbock: "and animals loved him" Stenbock: "he was a delicate cinnamon bun too good for this cruel bitch of a world"

Stenbock: "anyway this vampire comes to our castle" Stenbock: "and he's always hanging out with my brother" Stenbock: "but my brother is suddenly all sick and pale and doesn't have as much blood as usual" Stenbock: "suspiciously vampiric"

Stenbock: "anyway then my brother died and the vampire left, the end" Stenbock: what do you think of that Ligotti: Ligotti: Ligotti: King: thom it's not going to move, it's not real Ligotti: hm

Viol d'Amor by Count Stanislaus Eric Stenbock

Count Stenbock was a 19th century nobleman of Swedish descent who held a domain in what is now Estonia. His father died when he was a boy, as did his maternal grandfather, so he was incredibly wealthy for much of his life, although his property was administered for him by his paternal grandfather during childhood. Many of his other relatives perished during his youth, so he was always a bit…

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Kolga ♥

Count Stanislaus Eric Stenbock, Of Kings and Things: Strange Tales and Decadent Poems, edited by David Tibet (London: Strange Attractor Press, 2018). 319 pages. Hardcover special edition, signed by David Tibet. https://www.ebay.com/itm/254537626729

‘Tis a soft bed, a feathery pillow, Oh, let me rest upon thy wave; Lull me to sleep upon thy billow, And let thy waters be my grave.”

S.E. Stenbock, excerpt from the poem Ode to the East Sea (Love, Sleep & Dreams, 1881)

A strange delicious scent, mingled of honeysuckle, jasmine, incense and spices. Then before me there was a faint glimmer of rose-violet colour, bordered with silver, from which the scent seemed to emanate. Then the light grew brighter, and in the midst thereof there was an apparition, something incomparably and entirely beautiful. It was a figure entirely nude, shaped like the Greek Hermaphrodite. But, oh, how much more beautiful! All conceivable beauties of both sexes were blended in its beautiful lines. The face was beyond description in its incredible loveliness. Its long hair was bronze coloured, with threads of gold. The mouth was infinitely sweet, the eyes, which were of dark violet, infinitely sad. [...] The figure advanced towards me - it threw its arms around me and kissed me. A sensation of extreme pleasure penetrated every nerve of my body. Then the vision seemed to melt into a dream; I had certainly fallen asleep, but the voice spoke still. It told a long account of the entire history of the universe; how it was created by a malignant god, and how he was the Redeemer, and how all that was beautiful on the earth was his work and if he had assistance from those whom he sought to benefit, all things would come again to their original fair order, and that he should come to his own inheritance again. Then the voice became sadder than ever: “There is another they call the Redeemer, (here the voice varied between scoffing and sadness) He suffered for a few hours and I suffer always. Yet even to Him I was merciful. I offered Him all the Kingdoms of the earth if He would but worship me, for I thought to love Him as I love thee. They put His cross on their crowns, and trample down the people in His name. I am the consoler of the afflicted - the friend of the poor and down-trodden. The refuge of sinners - the seat of wisdom; the morning star - the chief of angels.”

Count Eric Stanislaus Stenbock, Faust

Teach us to pray for the beloved dead, Since we are blind and know not what is best. The still small voice of Silence answering said, ‘Pray for rest.’ Oh, my lost love, and shall I therefore pray That thou may’st sleep through an eternal night? The still small voice of Silence answered, ‘Nay, Pray for light.’

Count Stanislaus Eric Stenbock, “Requiem,” The Shadow of Death (1893)

Of Kings and Things  

Strange Tales and Decadent Poems by Count Stanislaus Eric Stenbock

Strange Attractor Press, 2018.

doll, roses, paper, lace

Doll ❧ Do you collect anything?

When I’m in London I go mudlarking on the Thames, so I have a green metal box of Victorian trinkets and pieces of Roman pottery. I also collect bones, books, dried flowers, charms, and things that are a combination of some or all of those.

Roses ❧ Are you in love?

I’m finding it hard to differentiate between different kinds of love.

Paper ❧ What are you currently reading?

Of Kings and Things by Count Stanislaus Eric Stenbock, Powers of Horror by Julia Kristeva, and Uzumaki by Junji Ito.

Lace ❧ What kind of clothing do you wear?

I like to dress up as an idiot gay witch-man, which is what I am. I wear bones.

Stenbock, Count Stanislaus Eric. STUDIES OF DEATH: ROMANTIC TALES. London: David Nutt, 1894.

Price $ 9,750

https://www.lwcurrey.com/pages/books/155534/count-stanislaus-eric-stenbock/studies-of-death-romantic-tales

Count Stanislaus Eric Stenbock, Of Kings and Things: Strange Tales and Decadent Poems, ed. by David Tibet (London: Strange Attractor Press, 2018). Hardcover special edition, signed by David Tibet. https://www.ebay.com/itm/254537626729

Tagged by @acosmic

I tag........... @rm-renfield @northangerland @freemasonic @ratgenders @turnipwine

Top three ships:

(I don’t really do shipping/a lot of my favourite books don’t leave much room for romantic interpretation, so who knows.)

1. Sherlock Holmes and John Watson from the Arthur Conan-Doyle stories. I was super into the books when I was a kid! I love the way their relationship doesn’t really ‘work’, and how the fact that they clearly care so much about each other never totally overcomes their differences in personality and methods of emotional expression. Like, there’s one story where Watson straight up says it was worth being shot to have Holmes show him affection in a way he himself fully understands. As much as the theory that Mary Morstan was a beard is nice, seeing the two of them fall in (at least some sort of) love, drift apart, and come together again over the course of their whole adult lives gets me in the heart because of how realistic it feels. Even before I realised people were “allowed” to be gay, the idea of two men sharing their lives the way they did gave me an inkling of what I could be when I grew up.

2. Sue Trinder and Maud Lilly in Fingersmith/Sook Hee and Lady Hideko in The Handmaiden! In the book they’re way shittier people who actually feel like god-awful teens in their first ever relationship, which I love. The handmaiden is hands down the most visually gorgeous film I’ve ever seen and just. Heart-wrenchingly beautiful in every way. Sook Hee destroying the library for Hideko is the most romantic gesture I have ever seen in media. Gothicism......

3. Maldoror and the enormous, man-eating shark. I read Les Chants du Maldoror for the first time when I was 16-ish and convinced I was the most repulsive, inhuman thing ever to have existed, so a guy seeing a monstrous shark and going, “Yes, we are kindred spirits. I am in love with you.” really spoke to me.

Honourable mentions:

Chiron and Kevin from Moonlight (for obvious reasons), Jonathan Sims and Martin Blackwood from The Magnus Archives (fellow annoying neurodivergent monster-man Jonathan Sims finds love, Martin is wonderful), Jane Eyre and Edward Rochester (terrible, horrible, hilarious), Richie Tozier and Eddie Kaspbrack from IT (yuck)

Last movie I watched:

Hellraiser

Book I am reading:

Powers of Horror by Julia Kristeva, Of Kings and Things by Count Stanislaus Eric Stenbock

Food I am craving:

Dim sum........ har gao............