Madame Blavatsky

Scott Duchesne (University of Guelph)

The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 1.2.1.07: English Writing and Culture of the Victorian Period, 1837-1901.
Vol. editors: Gillian Fenwick (University of Toronto), Jessica Gossling (Goldsmiths College, University of London)

Dates

Born 12 Aug 1831
Died 1891
Activity 1858-1891

Places

Born in Ukraine
Active in England; India; Russia; United States

Activities

Primary

Mystic
Religious writer

Resources

Blavatsky's Works

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Helena Petrovna Blavatsky (1831-1891) was a prominent occultist and spiritualist of the 19th century. Known best as “Madame” Blavatsky, she was also one of the most enigmatic public figures of her time. Best known for co-founding the Theosophical movement in 1875 and for her close association with the American and European Spiritualist movements, Blavatsky was also a prolific writer, best known for her two-volume magnum opus

The Secret Doctrine

(1888), described by the original publisher as an account of “the creation of the universe, the evolution of humankind, and the primordial tradition underlying the various religions, mythologies and philosophies of the world” (

Secret Doctrine

, 1). Simultaneously hailed as a prophet and decried as a charlatan, the 1991 edition of the

New Age

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1592 words

Citation: Duchesne, Scott. "Madame Blavatsky". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 07 July 2008 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=442, accessed 23 November 2024.]

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