The mordrake story ends with poor edward committing suicide to escape the other and its whispering. It is said that poet and writer charles lotin hildreth may have actually first created the story of edward mordrake in an article purporting to be factual, published in 1895 in the boston. The twofaced outcast is another novel about edward mordake, originally written in russian in 20122014 and published in 2017 by helga royston. According to the story, his extra face could laugh and cry. The edward mordrake story being taken at face value begins with an entry in the 1896 book anomalies and curiosities of medicine. Feb 08, 2014 they didnt need to worry about killing edward, because he did it for himself at the age of 23. Jimmy and maggie have a runin with twisty the clown. It is unclear whether mordrake truly existed, but his.
The narrative of a doomed man, cursed with a second face on the back of his head, is a staple of true horror listicles, medical mystery compilations, and did you know. He was portrayed by wes bentley, who also portrays john lowe in season 5. The story of edward mordrake is one of the most captivating urban legends. The story of the twoheaded edward mordake mordrake has gone viral almost overnight. Its halloween and those who work at the freak show have a day off. Edward mordrake was a 19thcentury english nobleman born with a second face on the back of his head. The story of edward mordrake, the man with two faces edward mordake is the apocryphal subject of an urban legend who was, according. Lets discover together the story of edward mordrake, the man with two faces. The story of edward mordrake is perhaps one of the most american horror stories. However, theres reason to believe the story is entirely false, as it cites no definite sources, and mentions two doctors who were supposedly involved in edward s care that theres otherwise no record of from the time. The story of edward mordrake is one of the most captivating urban legends of the internet, featuring a wealthy man from the 1800s who supposedly had a second face on the back of his head. Coming from a noble family, he was considered in his time as a man very cultivated in the arts of music and studious. An image that claims to show the skull of edward mordrake has gone viral over the last week. His unusual case occurred early in medical history and is referenced only in tales handed down.
Different versions of mordrake s story have since been featured in plays, television, and music tom waits song poor edward and many of these retellings present mordrake as a real man. Sep 06, 2017 this episode of american horror story. A state in which edward mordrake was a sad, cursed soul. Freak shows third episode takes inspiration for a new character from the real life edward mordrake, the two faced prince but with a classic american horror story twist. Mordrake fought against not only the shocked reactions of normal persons but against the evil he felt inhabited his very body. Edward mordrake, the twofaced hoax ripleys believe it. You confess to him that you are not considered a freak, but an ordinary human being. A short film based on the story of mordrake entitled edward the damned was released in 2016. For all you potterheads the story of edward mordake is chillingly similar but dates back to victorian england times, centuries before jk rowling based her setting for harry potter. The real story of edward mordrake, the man with two faces. The story of edward mordrake is as compelling as it is woeful.
The big villain this year is a killer clown named twisty, but wes bentley is playing a creep of another sort. The true horror story of edward mordrake the family. Freak show presents part two of the saga of edward mordrake wes bentley, an aristocrat turned murderous freak by. According to the urban legend, mordrake was a rich, handsome man who was born with a second face on the back of his head that gave. A nineteenthcentury british man named edward mordrake also spelled mordake was born with a rare medical condition in the form of a extra face on the back of his head. The article describes a number of cases of what hildreth refers to as human freaks, including a woman who had the tail of a fish, a man with the body of a spider, a man who was halfcrab, and edward mordake. Jul 23, 2017 however, as to edward mordrakes torment by his evil twin and his subsequent suicide, there may perhaps never be any verification. He is a character in freak show portrayed by wes bentley. Elsa defies superstition to rehearse on halloween, summoning the spirit of edward mordrake and his ghostly band of freaks.
Edward mordrake the man with 2 faces haunted story. The two headed man edward mordrake fact or fiction. Oct 30, 2014 this fourth episode of american horror story. The post, from facebook page pictures in history, explains that edward mordrake was a man born with a. Actually consists of congenital duplication of notochord, a common embryonic structure in all vertebrates whose fold causes the generation of two nerve ridges w. This has ended up blurring the lines between fact and fiction, making it difficult to differentiate the fiction from reality. Sometimes described as a female face, it would only whisper demonic things to him at night, and, driven mad, mordrake took his own life at the age of 23. With sarah paulson, evan peters, michael chiklis, frances conroy. Inside the myth of edward mordrake the man with two faces. The following wellknown story of edward mordrake, though taken from lay sources. Freak show draws on 19th century lore surrounding the tragic life and death of the episodes titular character, edward mordrake.
The tale of his life has become so muddled through the passage of time that no solid date of birth or death is evident to modern researchers. Mar 10, 2020 edward mordrake in the popular cultures. Sep 27, 2016 mordrake suffered a congenital craniofacial syndrome called diprosopia or duplication. Freak show presents part two of the saga of edward mordrake wes bentley, an aristocrat turned murderous freak by the voice in his head from the. Oct 22, 2014 the story of edward mordrake dates back to victorian era england. Mordrake lived in complete seclusion, refusing all visitors, even members of his own family. Part 1 opens during a routine tour of the american morbidity. Oct 23, 2014 last nights episode of american horror story. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading edward mordake. Learn the harrowing tale of edward mordrake on american. The disturbing true story of american horror storys new villain edward mordrake. Edward mordrakes mummified head photo isnt real, twofaced.
Ethel then tells us the terrifying tale of edward mordrake, a carny superstition that if any freak performs on halloween, his spirit will arrive and take away one of the souls from the camp. The following wellknown story of edward mordake, though taken from lay sources, is of sufficient notoriety and interest to be mentioned here. While mordrake himself was handsome and poised, the face opposite to his own was malformed, hideous, and deranged, and would whisper. After almost a hundred years, the story of edward mordrake has gained popularity again in the 2000s via memes, songs, and tv shows. The person referring to it was charles lotin hildreth and he was known to be a science fiction and poetry writer, so it is likely that he was able to invent this story. The search for information about mordake led researchers to an old book.
Its titled poor edward, and theres even a rather depressing claymation video set to the song. Freak show is freaking us out, and were only a few episodes in. If they do, someone ends up dead and with the demons smile on their face. Lets discover together the story of edward mordrake, the man with two. A front normal face and a small one at the back of his head devil twin. Edward mordrake x reader chapter 1, an american horror. Canadian metal band viathyn released a song called edward mordrake on their 2014 album cynosure. The story of edward mordrake, the man with two faces edward mordake is the apocryphal subject of an urban.
Yet while this case could be classified as an urban legend, it does not stop there. Edward mordrake is a mysterious man with two faces. Twitter this photo of a wax construction of what edward mordrake might have looked like continues to set the internet abuzz. In fact, id say your beauty is otherworldly in itself. Other ancient articles say that mordrake was a principled hair born in the 1800s who had a normal face in front of this head, and a small one on the back. Edward mordrake x reader nsfw chapter 1, an american. Oct 30, 2014 after last weeks truly disappointing episode, i had zero expectations for edward mordrake, pt 2. Freak shows twopart halloween episode features hunger games. Oct 23, 2014 while thats certainly the case here, well have to wait until we see edward mordrake in its entirety before deciding if this story telling excursion was really worth it. George gould and walter pyle wrote about mordake in their 1896 book anomalies and curiosities of medicine. Yes, edward mordrake is a character worth rememberinghis tragic tale worth telling. No records of edward mordrake exist and photos spreading online claiming to show the man are mere wax models the man would have lived before cameras were accessible to the mainstream and.
The story of edward mordrake, the man with two faces, comes from a book of medical oddities which seemed to have copied it from a fictional newspaper article. Mordake is featured as the 2 very special cases on a list of 10 people with extra limbs or digits in the 1976 edition of the book of lists. Nov 14, 2017 edward mordrake, the man with two faces was a nineteenthcentury englishman named edward mordake or mordrake born with a malevolent second face on the back of his head. Edward mordake in anomalies and curiosities of medicine. You read right this is the tale of a man by the name edward mordake. Mordrake hunts for a freak soul to add to his ghost troupe. Wax interpretation of edward mordake by an unknown artist. His story only appears in a few scattered books, and he was buried in an unmarked grave, supposedly at his request. He was said to be graceful, with a youthful, handsome look, but tarnished by his extra face. Ethel tells the the story of edward mordrake, a man with a second face on the back of his head. Most accounts put his age at 23 when he ended his own life. A fictional account of the life and death of edward mordake. Pyle included the mordrake story in their book, anomalies and curiosities of medicine, a collection of peculiar medical cases.
Sep 27, 2019 the story of edward mordrake, the man with two faces edward mordake is the apocryphal subject of an urban legend who was, according to the legend, born in the 19th century, heir to an. However, it carried more myth than anything as mordrake is apparently the reason that freaks dont perform on halloween. This is the story as told in anomalies and curiosities of medicine. The story of edward mordrake dates back to victorian era england.
Even so, the story of edward mordake and his two faces is one that has already graced the record books. He says the second face is a lie detector, and asks for the story of how she ended up in her current predicament. American horror story season 4, subtitled freak show, played host to the realitybased, literally twofaced character of edward mordrake. Freak show, edward mordrake, pt 1, edward mordrake, pt 2, and curtain call, show the character edward mordrake, played by wes bentley. According to the urban legend, mordrake was a rich, handsome man who was born. One of the most successful anthology tv shows ever, american horror story is set to air its landmark tenth season in 2020, and was also recently renewed by the fx network for three more seasons.
One of the weirdest as well as most melancholy stories of human deformity is that of edward mordake, said to have been heir to one of the noblest peerages in england. Edward mordake variously mordrake is the apocryphal subject of an urban legend who was. Edward mordake sometimes spelled mordrake was, so the story. The narrative of a doomed man, cursed with a second face on the back of his. Edward mordrake was a 19th century english nobleman who had an extra face on the back of his head. This viral post of a man driven to suicide by his demonic. From the real edward mordrake to a killer clown, jacob stolworthy takes a look at the influences behind american horror story. He has managed unconvincingly to stumble through his life as a hermit who lives with his elderly mother. Edward mordakea mystery solved the museum of hoaxes. American horror story freakshow the story of edward mordrake. Mordake, considered one of the human freaks of the 19th century, was born with an additional face on the back of his head. The show went on to describe how mordrake joined a sideshow and eventually killed everyone in it before taking his own lifeand then haunting sideshows every halloween. Edward mordrakes mummified head photo isnt real, two. According to the story, mordrake was an affluent and gorgeous man who had two faces one at the back and one in front.
Illustrations above depict others with extra heads. Airing only two episodes prior to the third of the season, surprisingly a lot of information has been introduced to viewers. The true tale of edward mordrake mordrake has been lost to history. Mordrake was based off the story of edward mordake, who dates back to the late 19 th century. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Aug 15, 2016 american horror story the freaks tell bet and dot the story of edward mordrake 4x3 edward mordrake part 1. Freak show continues next wednesday with edward mordrake. May 29, 2018 the story of edward mordrake, the man with two faces, comes from a book of medical oddities which seemed to have copied it from a fictional newspaper article. Mordrake also made an appearance in the 1977 edition of the book. And the few writings mentioning edward mordrake from 1895 are not considered reliable sources.
Jul 08, 2019 story of edward mordrake true or false. Edward mordrake, the twofaced hoax ripleys believe it or not. There are no medical documentations that edward ever existed. The first known description of mordake is found in an 1895 boston post article authored by fiction writer charles lotin hildreth. The agony seems to pour out of you now, telling him of your scars, your past failures, your insecurity, your guilt. Edward mordake man with creepy parasitic twin head. As she sings, edward mordrake emerges in a green mist on the freak show grounds and, entranced by the music, enters the tent to watch elsa. Freak show told the story of edward mordrake, a man with two faces. A short film based on the story of mordake entitled edward the damned was released in 2016. American horror story the freakshow influences telegraph. As the story goes, mordrake sometimes mordake was born into nobility but was cursed with a second face on the back of his head. From there the story have been picked up now and again, typically in literary works but also on tv perhaps most popularly on american horror story. Dell toledo portrayed by michael chiklis as adult dell, edward gelhaus as young dell also known as the strongman, is the father of jimmy, exhusband of ethel, husband.