Wednesday, November 5, 2014

The Devil, Herman's Hermits, and Herman the Recluse

What do Herman's Hermits have in common with Herman the Recluse?  Jezebel and the devil.
Herman's Hermits singing Jezebel (1966)
"If ever a devil was born
Without a pair of horns
It was you, Jezebel, it was you!
If ever a pair of eyes
Promised paradise
It was you, Jezebel, it was you!
If ever a devil's plan
Was made to torment man
Decieving me
Grieving me
Leaving me blue
Jezebel, it was you!"
Gigas Codex, 13th Century

Herman the Recluse, an apocryphal Benedictine monk at the 13th century monastery of Podlažice, is the putative author of the Gigas Codex.  The giant tome, hand crafted from 160 baby cows (or maybe donkeys), contains the Vulgate, the Chronicle of Prague, and a large drawing of the devil.  Thus, the manuscript is lovingly known as "The Devil's Bible," leading many a wayward soul to study this book in search of necromancy, only to find another dusty transcription of the Bible in latin.
  
Jezebel of course makes her appearance in the Third Book of Kings, 16:31.  

Frankie Laine, the composer of Jezebel, often wrote of the devilish femme fatal: Swamp Girl, Satan Wears a Satin Gown.  Although Frankie Laine's Satan wore a satin dress, Herman the Recluse's Satan wore polka-dot undies, more akin to Paul Vance and Lee Pockriss' "Yellow Polka Dot Bikini." 

No comments:

Post a Comment