France

Leon Dénizarth Hippolyte Rivail, a Parisian intellectual of the mid-nineteenth century, took a particular interest in paranormal phenomena and, amongst others, investigated a poltergeist in the Rue des Noyers. It was an extremely malevolent poltergeist, smashing windows and objects all over the house, and ultimately it drove the occupants away. Rivail used a medium whose contact, a spirit known as ‘St Louis’, was able to get in touch with the poltergeist.

The poltergeist was apparently a bad-tempered creature who instantly threatened to throw stones at those who had disturbed him. Rivail asked the poltergeist, ‘Was there anyone in the Rue des Noyers who helped you play tricks on the occupants?’ The poltergeist said that it had operated through a maid servant who had been extremely frightened by what had been happening. (This is further evidence that there needs to be some sort of focus for poltergeist activity, though in this case the personification of the poltergeist conflicts with many modern investigations which suggest that poltergeists are ‘forces’ rather than individual spirits. The matter becomes even more complicated if one takes into account cases of mischievous spirits that have been known to tell lies to mediums and in effect ‘pose’ as poltergeists.)

The ‘poltergeist’ in this case identified himself as a rag-and- bone man who had died at the turn of that century and who was taking revenge for the fact that he had been mocked for drinking too heavily when he was alive.

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