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{{Short description|18th-century European adventurer and intellectual}}
{{redirect|Comte de Saint Germain|other uses}}
{{distinguish|Claude Louis, Comte de Saint-Germain}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2023}}

{{Infobox person
| name               = The Count of St. Germain
| image              = Count of St Germain.jpg
| caption            = Engraving by Nicolas Thomas, 1783 (based on a painting then owned by [[Jeanne Camus de Pontcarré]] and now lost<ref>"The Count of St. Germain", Johan Franco, Musical Quarterly (1950) XXXVI(4): 540-550</ref>), contained at the [[Louvre]]<ref>Hall, Manley P. (preface) ''The Music of the Comte de St.Germain'' Los Angeles: Philosophical Research Society, 1981</ref>
| native_name        = Comte de Saint Germain
| other_names        = Marquess of Montferrat (Fr. Marquis de Montferrat), Count Bellamarre (Fr. Comte Bellamarre), Knight Schoening (Fr. Chavelier Schoening), Count Weldon, Count Soltikoff (Fr. Comte Soltikoff), Manuel Doria, Graf Tzarogy, Prince Ragoczy (Ge. Prinz Ragoczy)
| birth_date         = 1691 or 1712
| death_date         = 27 February 1784
| death_place        = [[Eckernförde]], [[Germany]]
}}
{{Theosophy}}

The '''Count of St. Germain''' ([[French language|French]]: '''''Comte de Saint Germain'''''; {{IPA|fr|kɔ̃t də sɛ̃ ʒɛʁmɛ̃}}; {{circa|1691 or 1712}} – 27 February 1784)<ref>Isabel Cooper Oakley, p45</ref> whose real name and origins remain unknown, was a European adventurer who had interests and achievements in science, [[alchemy]], philosophy, and [[the arts]]. He rose to prominence in the European [[High society (social class)|high society]] of the mid-18th century due to his works and interests. He associated himself with some of the top contemporary figures of the time, including [[Casanova]], [[Voltaire]] and [[Mozart]].

The count used a variety of names and titles, including the Marquess of Montferrat (Fr. ''Marquis de Montferrat''), Count Bellamarre (Fr. ''Comte Bellamarre''),  Knight [[Schöningen|Schoening]] (Fr. ''Chevalier Schoening''), Count Weldon, Count [[Saltykov|Soltikoff]] (Fr. ''Comte Soltikoff''), Manuel Doria, Graf Tzarogy, and Prince Ragoczy (De. ''Prinz Ragoczy''). He appears to have begun to be known under the title of the Count of St Germain during the early 1740s.<ref>{{cite web |last=Chrissochoidis |first=Ilias |title=The Music of the Count of St. Germain: An Edition |url=http://ichriss.ccarh.org/Germain.pdf |access-date=2024-02-08}}</ref>

He is said to have made far-fetched claims (such as being 500 years old),<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=w6Y_AQAAMAAJ&pg=PA10 |title=A Dictionary of Symbolic Masonry: Including the Royal Arch Degree; According to the System Prescribed by the Grand Lodge and Supreme Grand Chapter of England |last=Oliver |first=George |publisher=Jno. W. Leonard |year=1855 |pages=10 |language=en}}</ref> leading Voltaire to dub him "the Wonderman", and that "he is a man who does not die, and who knows everything".<ref>{{Cite web |title=Comte de Saint-Germain &#124; Britannica |url=https://www.britannica.com/biography/comte-de-Saint-Germain |access-date=25 January 2023 |website=Encyclopædia Britannica |language=en}}</ref><ref>Frederick II. "Correspondance avec M. de Voltaire." Oevres Posthumes de Frederic II. Tome XIV. Amsterdam, 1789.  Pages 255 - 257</ref> [[Prince Charles of Hesse-Kassel|Charles]], the prince of Hesse-Kassel, is recorded as having called him "one of the greatest philosophers who ever lived".<ref>S. A. Le Landgrave Charles, Prince de Hesse, ''Mémoires de Mon Temps'', p. 135. Copenhagen, 1861.</ref>

== Origins ==
The count's birth and background remain obscure; nothing is known with certainty of his origins. Toward the end of his life, he claimed to be the son of [[Francis II Rákóczi]], the [[prince of Transylvania]];<ref name="jstor2">{{cite journal |last1=Hunter |first1=David |year=2003 |title=Monsieur le Comte de Saint-Germain: The Great Pretender |journal=The Musical Times |volume=144 |issue=1885 |pages=40–44 |doi=10.2307/3650726 |jstor=3650726}}</ref><ref>Spellings used are those given in ''The Comte de St. Germain'' by Isabel Cooper-Oakley</ref> while without hard evidence,<ref>''The Comte de St. Germain'' by Isabel Cooper-Oakley. Milan, Italy: Ars Regia, 1912.</ref><!--allegedly by Duchess [[Duchess Violante Beatrice of Bavaria|Violante Beatrice of Tuscany]]--> this would account for his wealth and evident fine education.<ref name="autogenerated1">{{cite journal |last1=Franco |first1=Johan |year=1950 |title=The Count of St. Germain |journal=The Musical Quarterly |volume=36 |issue=4 |pages=540–550 |doi=10.1093/mq/xxxvi.4.540 |jstor=739641}}</ref>

The will of Francis II mentions Leopold George,  his eldest son, who was believed to have died at the age of four.<ref name="autogenerated1" /> It has been speculated that his identity was falsified to protect against persecution from the [[House of Habsburg|Habsburgs]].<ref name="autogenerated1" />  At the time of his arrival in Schleswig in 1779, he told Prince Charles of Hesse-Kassel that he was 88 years old,<ref>S. A. Le Landgrave Charles, Prince de Hesse, ''Mémoires de Mon Temps'', p. 133. Copenhagen, 1861.</ref> making his year of birth 1691, when Francis II was 15 years old.

St. Germain was supposedly educated in Italy by [[Gian Gastone]], the [[grand duke of Tuscany]] and allegedly his mother's brother-in-law. He was believed to be a student at the [[University of Siena]].<ref name="jstor2" />

Throughout his adult life, he deliberately concealed his actual name and origins, using a multitude of pseudonyms in the different places he visited.
{{Blockquote|text=The [[Créquy family|Marquis de Crequy]] declared that St. Germain was an [[Alsatian Jew]], Simon Wolff by name, and was born at [[Strasbourg]] about the close of the 17th or the beginning of the 18th century; others insist that he was a Spanish [[Jesuit]] named Aymar; and others again intimate that his true title was the Marquis de Betmar, and that he was a native of Portugal. The most plausible theory, however, makes him the natural son of an Italian princess and fixes his birth at [[San Germano Chisone|San Germano]], in [[Savoy]], about the year 1710; his ostensible father being one Rotondo, a tax-collector of that district.|author=[[Phineas Taylor Barnum]]|source=''The Humbugs of the World'', 1886.}}

== Career ==

=== England ===
According to David Hunter, the count contributed some of the songs to ''L'incostanza delusa'', an opera performed at the [[Haymarket Theatre]] in London on all but one of the Saturdays from 9 February to 20 April 1745.<ref name="jstor2"/> Later, in a letter of December of that same year, [[Horace Walpole]] mentions Count St. Germain as being arrested in London on suspicion of espionage (this was during the [[Jacobite rebellion of 1745]]), but released without charge:

<blockquote>The other day they seized an odd man, who goes by the name of Count St. Germain. He has been here these two years, and will not tell who he is, or whence, but professes [two wonderful things, the first] that he does not go by his right name; and the second that he never had any dealings with any woman – nay, nor with any [[wikt:succedaneum|succedaneum]] [substitute, i.e. for a woman]. He sings, plays on the violin wonderfully, composes, is mad, and not very [[sensibility|sensible]]. He is called an Italian, a Spaniard, a Pole; somebody that married a great fortune in Mexico, and ran away with her jewels to Constantinople; a priest, a fiddler, a vast nobleman. The [[Frederick, Prince of Wales|Prince of Wales]] has had an unsatiated curiosity about him, but in vain. However, nothing has been made out against him; he is released; and, what convinces me that he is not a gentleman, stays here, and talks of his being taken up for a spy.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.gutenberg.org/files/12073/12073.txt |title=Letter to Sir Horace Mann |date=9 December 1745 |publisher=Project Gutenberg}}</ref>
</blockquote>

The Count gave two private musical performances in London in April and May 1749.<ref name="jstor2"/> On one such occasion, [[Jemima Yorke, 2nd Marchioness Grey|Lady Jemima Yorke]] described how she was "very much entertain'd ''by him'' or ''at him'' the whole Time – I mean the Oddness of his Manner which it is impossible not to laugh at, otherwise you know he is very sensible & well-bred in conversation".<ref name="jstor2"/> She continued: <blockquote>He is an Odd Creature, and the more I see him the more curious I am to know something about him. He is everything with everybody: he talks Ingeniously with [[Daniel Wray|Mr Wray]], Philosophy with [[Richard Verney, 13th Baron Willoughby de Broke|Lord Willoughby]], and is gallant with Miss Yorke, Miss Carpenter, and all the Young Ladies. But the Character and Philosopher is what he seems to pretend to, and to be a good deal conceited of: the Others are put on to comply with Les Manieres du Monde, but ''that'' you are to suppose his real characteristic; and I can't but fancy he is a great Pretender in All kinds of Science, as well as that he really has acquired an uncommon Share in some.<ref name="jstor2"/></blockquote>

Walpole reports that St Germain: <blockquote>spoke Italian and French with the greatest facility, though it was evident that neither was his language; he understood Polish and soon learnt to understand English and talk it a little [...] But Spanish or Portuguese seemed his natural language.<ref name="ReferenceA">The Yale edition of Horace Walpole correspondence (1712–1784), vol 26, pp20-21</ref></blockquote> Walpole concludes that the Count was "a man of Quality who had been in or designed for the Church. He was too great a musician not to have been famous if he had not been a gentleman".<ref name="ReferenceA"/> Walpole describes the Count as pale, with "extremely black" hair and a beard. "He dressed magnificently, [and] had several jewels" and was clearly receiving "large remittances, but made no other figure".<ref name="ReferenceA"/>

=== France ===
St. Germain appeared in the French court around 1748. In 1749, he was employed by [[Louis XV]] for diplomatic missions.<ref>Isabel Cooper Oakley, The Comte de St. Germain: the secret of kings (1912), p.94</ref>

A [[mime]] and English comedian known as Mi'Lord Gower impersonated St. Germain in Paris salons. His stories were wilder than the real count's (he had advised Jesus, for example). Inevitably, hearsay of his routine got confused with the original.{{citation needed|date=May 2015}}

[[Giacomo Casanova]] describes in his memoirs several meetings with the "celebrated and learned impostor". Of his first meeting, in Paris in 1757, he writes:

<blockquote>The most enjoyable dinner I had was with Madame de Robert Gergi, who came with the famous adventurer, known by the name of the Count de St. Germain. This individual, instead of eating, talked from the beginning of the meal to the end, and I followed his example in one respect as I did not eat, but listened to him with the greatest attention. It may safely be said that as a conversationalist he was unequalled.
St. Germain gave himself out for a marvel and always aimed at exciting amazement, which he often succeeded in doing. He was a scholar, linguist, musician, and chemist, good-looking, and a perfect ladies' man. For a while he gave them paints and cosmetics; he flattered them, not that he would make them young again (which he modestly confessed was beyond him) but that their beauty would be preserved by means of a wash which, he said, cost him a lot of money, but which he gave away freely.
He had contrived to gain the favour of [[Madame de Pompadour]], who had spoken about him to [[Louis XV of France|the king]], for whom he had made a laboratory, in which the monarch – a martyr to boredom – tried to find a little pleasure or distraction, at all events, by making dyes. The king had given him a suite of rooms at Chambord, and a hundred thousand francs for the construction of a laboratory, and according to St. Germain the dyes discovered by the king would have a materially beneficial influence on the quality of French fabrics.
This extraordinary man, intended by nature to be the king of impostors and quacks, would say in an easy, assured manner that he was three hundred years old, that he knew the secret of the Universal Medicine, that he possessed a mastery over nature, that he could melt diamonds, professing himself capable of forming, out of ten or twelve small diamonds, one large one of the finest water without any loss of weight. All this, he said, was a mere trifle to him. Notwithstanding his boastings, his bare-faced lies, and his manifold eccentricities, I cannot say I thought him offensive. In spite of my knowledge of what he was and in spite of my own feelings, I thought him an astonishing man as he was always astonishing me.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Memoires of Casanova, Complete, by Jacques Casanova de Seingalt |url=http://www.gutenberg.org/files/2981/2981.txt |via=Project Gutenberg|access-date=2013-04-30}}</ref></blockquote>

=== Dutch Republic ===
In March 1760, at the height of the [[Seven Years' War]], St. Germain travelled to [[The Hague]]. In Amsterdam, he stayed at the bankers Adrian and [[Thomas Hope (1704-1779)|Thomas Hope]] and pretended he came to borrow money for Louis XV with diamonds as [[collateral (finance)|collateral]].<ref>Gedenkschriften van G.J. Hardenbroek, deel I, p. 160-161, 220-221</ref> He assisted [[Bertrand Philip, Count of Gronsveld]] starting a porcelain factory in [[Weesp]] as furnace and colour specialist.<ref>[https://www.oks.nl/storage/app/media/fulltext/051_OttemaN_VergeetboekGeraakteBronnenHollandsPorcelein.pdf Forgotten Sources of Information about Dutch Porcelain by NANNE OTTEMA]</ref> St. Germain tried to open peace negotiations between Britain and France with the help of [[Duke Louis Ernest of Brunswick-Lüneburg]]. British diplomats concluded that St. Germain had the backing of the [[Charles Louis Auguste Fouquet, duc de Belle-Isle|Duc de Belle-Isle]] and possibly of Madame de Pompadour, who were trying to outmanoeuvre the French Foreign Minister, the pro-Austrian [[Étienne François, duc de Choiseul|Duc de Choiseul]]. However, Britain would not treat with St. Germain unless his credentials came directly from the French king. The Duc de Choiseul convinced [[Louis XV]] to disavow St. Germain and demand his arrest. [[Willem Bentinck van Rhoon|Count Bentinck de Rhoon]], a Dutch diplomat, regarded the arrest warrant as internal French politicking, in which Holland should not involve itself. However, a direct refusal to extradite St. Germain was also considered impolitic. De Rhoon, therefore, facilitated the departure of St. Germain to England with a passport issued by the British Ambassador, [[Joseph Yorke, 1st Baron Dover|General Joseph Yorke]]. This passport was made out "in blank", allowing St. Germain to travel in May 1760 from [[Hellevoetsluis]] to London under an assumed name, showing that this practice was officially accepted at the time.<ref>Isabel Cooper Oakley, The Comte de St. Germain: the secret of kings (1912), pp.111-27 and Appendices</ref>

From St. Peterburg, St. Germain travelled to Berlin, Vienna, Milan, [[Ubbergen]], and [[Zutphen]] (June 1762),<ref>{{Cite web|title=The Count of Saint-Germain|author = David Pratt|url=http://davidpratt.info/st-germain1.htm|date=September 2012|access-date=25 January 2023|website=davidpratt.info}}</ref>{{Unreliable source?|date=June 2023}}<ref>[http://www.gahetna.nl/collectie/archief/pdf/NL-HaNA_1.13.15.ead.pdf National Archives, p. 11]</ref> Amsterdam (August 1762), Venice (1769), Livorno (1770), Neurenberg (1772), Mantua (1773), The Hague (1774), and [[Bad Schwalbach]].

==Works==

=== Musical works ===
The following list of music attributed to the count comes from Appendix II from Jean Overton Fuller's book ''The Comte de Saint Germain''.<ref>Overton-Fuller, Jean. The Comte De Saint-Germain.  Last Scion of the House of Rakoczy. London, UK: East-West Publications, 1988. Pages 310-312.</ref>

==== Trio Sonatas ====
Six sonatas for two violins with a bass for harpsichord or violoncello:
* Op. 47 I. F major, {{sfrac|4|4}}, Molto adagio
* Op. 48 II. B-flat major, {{sfrac|4|4}}, Allegro
* Op. 49 III. E-flat major, {{sfrac|4|4}}, Adagio
* Op. 50 IV. G minor, {{sfrac|4|4}}, Tempo giusto
* Op. 51 V. G major, {{sfrac|4|4}}, Moderato
* Op. 52 VI. A major, {{sfrac|3|4}}, Cantabile lento

==== Violin solos ====
Seven solos for solo violin:
* Op. 53 I. B-flat major, {{sfrac|4|4}}, Largo
* Op. 54 II. E major, {{sfrac|4|4}}, Adagio
* Op. 55 III. C minor, {{sfrac|4|4}}, Adagio
* Op. 56 IV. E-flat major, {{sfrac|4|4}}, Adagio
* Op. 57 V. E-flat major, {{sfrac|4|4}}, Adagio
* Op. 58 VI. A major, {{sfrac|4|4}}, Adagio
* Op. 59 VII. B-flat major, {{sfrac|4|4}}, Adagio

==== English songs ====
* Op. 4 ''The Maid That's Made for Love and Me'' (''O Wouldst Thou Know What Sacred Charms''). E-flat major (marked B-flat major), {{sfrac|3|4}}
* Op. 5 ''It Is Not that I Love You Less''. F major, {{sfrac|3|4}}
* Op. 6 ''Gentle Love, This Hour Befriend Me''. D major, {{sfrac|4|4}}
* Op. 7 ''Jove, When He Saw My Fanny's Face''. D major, {{sfrac|3|4}}

==== Italian arias ====
Numbered in order of their appearance in the ''Musique Raisonnee'', with their page numbers in that volume.<ref>{{cite book |last=Saint-Germain |first=Count de |editor=Hall, Manley |year=1981 |title=The Music of the Comte St.&nbsp;Germain |place=Los Angeles, California |publisher=Philosophical Research Society}}</ref>
:<nowiki>*</nowiki> {{small|An asterisk marks titles performed in ''L'Incostanza Delusa'' and published in the book of ''Favourite Songs'' from that opera.}}
* Op. 1 IV, pp.&nbsp;16–20. ''Senza pietà mi credi'',* G major, {{sfrac|6|8}} (marked {{sfrac|3|8}} but there are 6 quavers to the bar)
* Op. 2 VIII, pp.&nbsp;36–39. ''Digli, digli'',* D major, {{sfrac|3|4}}
* Op. 3 IX, pp.&nbsp;40–45. ''Per pieta bel Idol mio'',* F major, {{sfrac|3|8}}
* Op. 4/17 XIII, pp.&nbsp;58–61. ''Se mai riviene'', D minor, {{sfrac|3|4}}
* Op. 8 I, pp.&nbsp;1–5. ''Padre perdona, oh! pene'', G minor, {{sfrac|4|4}}
* Op. 9 II, pp.&nbsp;6–10. ''Non piangete amarti'', E major, {{sfrac|4|4}}
* Op. 10 III, pp.&nbsp;11–15. ''Intendo il tuo'', F major, {{sfrac|4|4}}
* Op. 11 V, pp.&nbsp;21–26. ''Già, già che moria deggio'', D major, {{sfrac|4|4}}
* Op. 12 VI, pp.&nbsp;27–31. ''Dille che l'amor mio'',* E major, {{sfrac|4|4}}
* Op. 13 VII, pp.&nbsp;32–35. ''Mio ben ricordati'', D major, {{sfrac|3|4}}
* Op. 14 X, pp.&nbsp;46–50. ''Non so, quel dolce moto'', B{{sup|{{music|flat}}}}  major, {{sfrac|4|4}}
* Op. 15 XI, pp.&nbsp;51–55. ''Piango, è ver; ma non-procede'', G minor, {{sfrac|4|4}}
* Op. 16 XII, pp.&nbsp;56–57. ''Dal labbro che t'accende'', E major, {{sfrac|3|4}}
* Op. 18 XIV, pp.&nbsp;62–63. ''Parlerò; non-e permesso'', E major, {{sfrac|4|4}}
* Op. 19 XV, pp.&nbsp;64–65. ''Se tutti i miei pensieri'', A major, {{sfrac|4|4}}
* Op. 20 XVI, pp.&nbsp;66–67. ''Guadarlo, guaralo in volto'', E major, {{sfrac|3|4}}
* Op. 21 XVII, pp.&nbsp;68–69. ''Oh Dio mancarmi'', D major, {{sfrac|4|4}}
* Op. 22 XVIII, pp.&nbsp;70–71. ''Digli che son fedele'', E{{sup|{{music|flat}}}}  major, {{sfrac|3|4}}
* Op. 23 XIX, pp.&nbsp;72–73. ''Pensa che sei cruda'', E minor, {{sfrac|4|4}}
* Op. 24 XX, pp.&nbsp;74–75. ''Torna torna innocente'', G major, {{sfrac|3|8}}
* Op. 25 XXI, pp.&nbsp;76–77. ''Un certo non-so che veggo'', E major, {{sfrac|4|4}}
* Op. 26 XXII, pp.&nbsp;78–79. ''Guardami, guardami prima in volto'', D major, {{sfrac|4|4}}
* Op. 27 XXIII, pp.&nbsp;80–81. ''Parto, se vuoi così'', E{{sup|{{music|flat}}}} major, {{sfrac|4|4}}
* Op. 28 XXIV, pp.&nbsp;82–83. ''Volga al Ciel se ti'', D minor, {{sfrac|3|4}}
* Op. 29 XXV, pp.&nbsp;84–85. ''Guarda se in questa volta'', F major, {{sfrac|4|4}}
* Op. 30 XXVI, pp.&nbsp;86–87. ''Quanto mai felice'', D major, {{sfrac|3|4}}
* Op. 31 XXVII, pp.&nbsp;88–89. ''Ah che neldi'sti'', D major, {{sfrac|4|4}}
* Op. 32, XXVIII, pp.&nbsp;90–91. ''Dopp'un tuo Sguardo'', F major, {{sfrac|3|4}}
* Op. 33 XXIX, pp.&nbsp;92–93. ''Serberò fra' Ceppi'', G major, {{sfrac|4|4}}
* Op. 34 XXX, pp.&nbsp;94–95. ''Figlio se più non-vivi moro'', F major, {{sfrac|4|4}}
* Op. 35 XXXI, pp.&nbsp;96–98. ''Non ti respondo'', C major, {{sfrac|3|4}}
* Op. 36 XXXII, pp.&nbsp;99–101. ''Povero cor perché palpito'', G major, {{sfrac|3|4}}
* Op. 37 XXXIII, pp.&nbsp;102–105. ''Non v'è più barbaro'', C minor, {{sfrac|3|8}}
* Op. 38 XXXIV, pp.&nbsp;106–108. ''Se de' tuoi lumi al fuoco amor'', E major, {{sfrac|4|4}}
* Op. 39 XXXV, pp.&nbsp;109–111. ''Se tutto tosto me sdegno'', E major, {{sfrac|4|4}}
* Op. 40 XXXVI, pp.&nbsp;112–115. ''Ai negli occhi un tel incanto'', D major, {{sfrac|4|4}} (marked {{sfrac|2|4}} but there are 4 crotchets to the bar)
* Op. 41 XXXVII, pp.&nbsp;116–118. ''Come poteste de Dio'', F major, {{sfrac|4|4}}
* Op. 42 XXXVIII, pp.&nbsp;119–121. ''Che sorte crudele'', G major, {{sfrac|4|4}}
* Op. 43 XXXIX, pp.&nbsp;122–124. ''Se almen potesse al pianto'', G minor, {{sfrac|4|4}}
* Op. 44 XXXX, pp.&nbsp;125–127. ''Se viver non-posso lunghi'', D major, {{sfrac|3|8}}
* Op. 45 XXXXI, pp.&nbsp;128–130. ''Fedel faro faro cara cara'', D major, {{sfrac|3|4}}
* Op. 46 XXXXII, p.&nbsp;131. ''Non ha ragione'', F major, {{sfrac|4|4}}

=== Literary works ===
Discounting the snippets of political intrigue, a few musical pieces, and one mystical poem, there are only two pieces of writing attributed to the Count: ''[[The Most Holy Trinosophia|La Très Sainte Trinosophie]]'' and the untitled [[The Triangular Book of St. Germain]] (The Triangular Manuscript).

The first book attributed to the Count of Saint Germain is ''La Très Sainte Trinosophie'', a beautifully illustrated 18th century manuscript that describes in symbolic terms a journey of spiritual initiation or an alchemical process, depending on the interpretation. This book has been published several times, most notably by Manly P. Hall, in Los Angeles, California, in 1933. The attribution to St. Germain rests on a handwritten note scrawled inside the cover of the original manuscript stating that this was a copy of a text once in St. Germain's possession.<ref name="autogenerated1" /> However, despite Hall's elaborate introduction describing the Count's legend, The Most Holy Trinosophia shows no definitive connection to him.

The second work attributed to St. Germain is the untitled 18th century manuscript in the shape of a triangle. The two known copies of the Triangular Manuscript exist as Hogart Manuscript 209 and 210 (MS 209 and MS 210). Both currently reside in the [[Manly Palmer Hall]] Collection of Alchemical Manuscripts at the [[Getty Research Library]].<ref>[http://archives.getty.edu:8082/cgi/f/findaid/findaid-idx?sid=03f0401fb10042bc4019633097a12996;c=utf8a;idno=US%3A%3ACMalG%3A%3A950053;view=reslist;didno=US%3A%3ACMalG%3A%3A950053;subview=standard;cc=utf8a;byte=13584613;focusrgn=contentslist CIFA: Search Form]  {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080212174136/http://archives.getty.edu:8082/cgi/f/findaid/findaid-idx?sid=03f0401fb10042bc4019633097a12996%3Bc%3Dutf8a%3Bidno%3DUS%3A%3ACMalG%3A%3A950053%3Bview%3Dreslist%3Bdidno%3DUS%3A%3ACMalG%3A%3A950053%3Bsubview%3Dstandard%3Bcc%3Dutf8a%3Bbyte%3D13584613%3Bfocusrgn%3Dcontentslist |date=12 February 2008 }}. Archives.getty.edu:8082. Retrieved 7 May 2011.</ref> Nick Koss decoded and translated this manuscript in 2011 and it was published as ''The Triangular Book of St. Germain'' by Ouroboros Press in 2015.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://ouroboros-press.bookarts.org/portfolio/triangular-book-of-st-germain/ |title=TRIANGULAR BOOK OF ST. GERMAIN {{!}} Ouroboros Press |website=ouroboros-press.bookarts.org |access-date=20 November 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181120221135/http://ouroboros-press.bookarts.org/portfolio/triangular-book-of-st-germain/ |archive-date=20 November 2018 |url-status=dead}}</ref> Unlike the first work, it mentions St. Germain directly as its originator. The book describes a magical ritual by which one can perform the two most extraordinary feats that characterized the legend of Count of St. Germain, namely procurement of great wealth and extension of life.

== Final days ==
The count arrived in [[Altona, Hamburg|Altona]], [[Schleswig]], in 1779, where he made an acquaintance with Prince Charles of Hesse-Kassel, both of whom had an interest in mysticism. Charles was a member of several [[secret societies]] including the [[Illuminati|Bavarian Illuminati]] and a Secret Society of [[Ancient Order of Freesmiths|Freesmiths]]. The count showed Charles several of his gems and convinced the latter that he had invented a new method of colouring cloth. Charles, impressed, installed the count in an abandoned factory at [[Eckernförde]] which Charles had acquired especially for the count, and supplied the count with the materials and cloths needed to proceed with the project.<ref>The memoirs of Prince Charles of Hesse-Kassel, (''Mémories de mon temps. Dicté par S.A. le Landgrave Charles, Prince de Hesse. Imprimés comme Manuscrit'', Copenhagen, 1861). von Lowzow, 1984, pp. 306-8.</ref> The two met frequently in the following years, and Charles outfitted a laboratory for alchemical experiments in his nearby summer residence [[Stiftung Louisenlund|Louisenlund]], where they, among other things, cooperated in creating gemstones and jewelry. Charles later recounts in a letter that he was the only person in whom the count truly confided.<ref>Letter from Charles of Hesse-Kassel to Prince Christian of Hesse-Darmstadt, 17 April 1825. von Lowzow, 1984, p. 328.</ref> The count told Charles that he was the son of Francis II Rákóczi, and that he had been 88 years of age when he arrived in Schleswig.<ref>von Lowzow, 1984, p. 309.</ref>

=== Death ===
The count died in his residence in the factory on 27 February 1784 when Charles was staying in [[Kassel]]. The death was recorded in the register of the St. Nicolai Church (De. ''St. Nicolaikirche'') in [[Eckernförde]].<ref>von Lowzow, 1984, p. 323.</ref> He was buried on 2 March at Eckernförde in a private grave, the cost of which was listed in the accounting books of the church the following day.<ref>10 thaler for renting the plot for 30 years, 2 thaler for the gravedigger, and 12 marks to the bell-ringer. von Lowzow, 1984, p. 324.</ref> On 3 April, that is, a little over a month from his death, the mayor and the city council of Eckernförde issued an official proclamation about the auctioning off of the count's remaining effects in case no living relative would appear within a designated time period to lay claim on them.<ref>''Schleswig-Holsteinischen Anzeigen auf da Jahr 1784'', Glückstadt, 1784, pp. 404, 451. von Lowzow, 1984, pp. 324-25.</ref>

Charles donated the factory to the crown and it was afterward converted into a hospital.

[[Jean Overton Fuller|Jean Fuller]] found in 1988, during her research, that the count's estate upon his death was a packet of paid bills, receipts, and quittances; 82 Reichsthalers and 13 shillings in cash; and 29 various groups of items of clothing (gloves, stockings, trousers, shirts, etc.), 14 linen shirts, eight other groups of linen items, and various sundries: razors, buckles, toothbrushes, sunglasses, combs, etc.  No diamonds, jewels, gold, or any other riches were listed, nor were kept cultural items from travels, personal items (like his violin), or any notes of correspondence.<ref>Overton-Fuller, Jean. The Comte De Saint-Germain.  Last Scion of the House of Rakoczy. London, UK: East-West Publications, 1988. Pages 290-296.</ref>

== Legacy ==
{{More citations needed section|date=June 2016}}

=== In literature ===

==== Biographies ====
The best-known biography is [[Isabel Cooper-Oakley]]'s ''The Count of St. Germain'' (1912), which gives a satisfactory biographical sketch. It is a compilation of letters, diaries, and private records written about the count by members of the French aristocracy who knew him in the 18th century. Another interesting biographical sketch can be found in ''The History of Magic'', by [[Eliphas Levi]], originally published in 1913.<ref>Levi, Eliphas. ''The History of Magic''. York Beach, Maine: Samuel Weiser, 1999. {{ISBN|978-0-87728-929-6}}.</ref>

Numerous French and German biographies also have been published, among them ''{{lang|de|Der Wiedergänger: Das zeitlose Leben des Grafen von Saint-Germain}}'' by Peter Krassa, ''{{lang|fr|Le Comte de Saint-Germain}}'' by Marie-Raymonde Delorme, and ''{{lang|fr|L'énigmatique Comte De Saint-Germain}}'' by Pierre Ceria and François Ethuin. In his work ''Sages and Seers'' (1959), Manly Palmer Hall refers to the biography ''Graf St.-Germain'' by E. M. Oettinger (1846).<ref>Hall, Manly P. ''Sages and Seers''. Los Angeles: Philosophical Research Society, 1959. {{ISBN|978-0-89314-393-0}}.</ref>

==== Fiction ====
The count has inspired a number of fictional creations:

* He appears as a playable character in the Japanese [[otome]] game series ''[[Ikemen Vampire]]''. In the series, he is the sire and the host for those who he has given a second lease in life including [[Napoleon Bonaparte]], [[Isaac Newton]], [[Sir Arthur Conan Doyle]], [[Leonardo da Vinci]], [[William Shakespeare]], [[Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart]], [[Vincent van Gogh]], [[Theo van Gogh (art dealer)|Theo Van Gogh]], [[Jeanne d'Arc]] (who is named as Jean d'Arc and is a man), and [[Osamu Dazai]]. The series portrays him as a kind, mild-mannered, intelligent, respectable and respected nobleman of immeasurable wealth as well as a protective father or older sibling figure to all his residents including his human butler.
* He appears as the Master manipulator behind the scenes in [[Katherine Kurtz]]' 1996 novel, ''Two Crowns for America,'' about America's fight for independence.
* He figures prominently in various works by Japanese rock artist [[Kamijo (musician)|Kamijo]], including the album ''Sang'' and the single "Persona Grata".<ref>{{Cite web|date=24 March 2021|title=Interview with KAMIJO|url=https://www.jame-world.com/en/article/157104-interview-with-kamijo.html|access-date=12 January 2022|website=JaME}}</ref>
* He is a character in ''[[Castlevania: Curse of Darkness]]'', where he is a time traveler. He fights with Zead, who is the avatar of Death.
* He is featured in Gold Keys Boris Karloff Thriller issue 3 ( april 1963 ) in " The Man who Lived Forever "
* He is a character in Netflix's 2017 [[Castlevania (TV series)|''Castlevania'']], appearing as an itinerant magician in search of the "Infinite Corridor" voiced by [[Bill Nighy]].
* He is a significant character in [[Diana Gabaldon]]'s [[Outlander (book series)|''Outlander'' series]], specifically 1992's ''[[Dragonfly in Amber]]'', and an apparent time traveler in Gabaldon's spin-off novella, "[[The Space Between (novella)|The Space Between]]".
* He is introduced as a supporting character in the novel [[The Magician: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel#Characters new to the series|''The Magician'']], the second book in the fantasy series ''[[The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel]]'' by Michael Scott.
* The Count of St. Germain makes a few appearances in the [[Megami Tensei]] novels and video games:
** He appears as a recurring antagonist in the ''New Digital Devil Story'' novel series, though these books refer to him as the Earl of Saint Germain, rather than a count.
** He makes a brief cameo in [[Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner: Raidou Kuzunoha vs. The Soulless Army|''Raidou Kuzunoha vs. The Soulless Army'']] as a time tourist, whom the player meets while traveling between time periods. He is also mentioned in the game's sequel, [[Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner 2: Raidou Kuzunoha vs. King Abaddon|''Raidou Kuzunoha vs. King Abaddon'']], where he serves as one of the main character's clients.
** He appears in both ''[[Shin Megami Tensei IV]]'' and its sequel, ''[[Shin Megami Tensei IV: Apocalypse]]''. While he is not seen in the former, he is mentioned as the client for some sidequests in the game's DLC. In the latter, he appears all around the world as a time-traveling shopkeeper who will trade powerful items to the player in exchange for gemstones.
* He is played by [[James Marsters]] in the TV series ''[[Warehouse 13]]''. He is an immortal who used a ring with a gem from the [[Philosopher's stone]] used to revitalize plants and heal people to accumulate wealth throughout the ages. The ring was taken by [[Marie-Antoinette]] and buried in the [[Catacombs]] beneath Paris.
* He is portrayed by Miya Rurika in the play ''Azure Moment'' by Takarazuka Revue.
* He is the main antagonist in ''The [[Ruby Red Trilogy]]'', written by [[Kerstin Gier]]. He is the founder of a secret lodge which is controlling people with a time-travelling gene, and he is trying to gain immortality through the said time-travellers.
* He is the main character of the historical mystery novel based on his early adventures, ''The Man Who Would Not Die'', written by Paul Andrews. He is presented as the son of [[Francis II Rákóczi|Prince Rákóczi]].<ref>Andrews, Paul ''The Man Who Would Not Die''. Smashwords, 2014. {{ISBN|978-1-310-54765-2}}.</ref>
* He is the mentor and co-conspirator of the player in the 2022 indie adventure game ''[[Card Shark]]''.<ref>{{Cite web|date=29 May 2022|title=Card Shark| url=https://www.cardsharkgame.com/}}</ref>
* He was referenced as one of several villains in the fourth season of the anime ''[[Symphogear]]'', along with [[Alessandro Cagliostro]] and [[François Prelati]], all portrayed as women.
* [[Hoshino Katsura]] used him as inspiration for the character of the [[Millennium Earl]] in the manga series ''[[D. Gray Man]]''.
* In [[Kōta Hirano]]'s ''[[Drifters (manga)|Drifters]]'', the character of count Saint Germi is inspired by him. He is voiced by [[Tomokazu Sugita]] in the anime adaptation.
* In ''[[Master of Mosquiton]]'', Mosquiton's enemy is an immortal demon loosely based on the Count of St. Germain.
* In the [[BBC]] podcast ''The Lovecraft Investigations'', he is revealed to be the mortal guise of [[Nyarlathotep]] and a central antagonist of the series.
* In the light novel ''Fate/strange fake'', he was Richard the Lionheart's court mage and mentor, who claimed to be nothing more than an aristocrat and a swindler while also owning a car, claiming to have met Alexander the Great, and being able to sense and talk to the person witnessing the flashback of his first meeting with King Richard.
* In the manga ''The Case Study of Vanitas'', Noe's teacher and Dominique's grandfather tells them he is currently going by that name.
* In the novelization ''[[The Night Strangler (film)#Novelization of TV Film|The Night Strangler]]'', from the [[The Night Strangler (film)|TV film of the same title]], it is strongly hinted that the immortal villain, Dr. Richard Malcolm, is actually the Count St. Germain. When asked directly, Malcolm laughs ironically but does not deny it.<ref>Rice, Jeff. ''[[The Night Strangler (novel)|The Night Strangler]].'' New York City: Pocket Books, 1974. {{ISBN|978-0-671-78352-5}}.</ref>
* In ''The Red Lion: The Elixer of Life'' by Maria Szepes, he appears as Saint Germain
* In the tabletop role-playing game ''[[Unknown Armies]]'' by John Scott Tynes and Greg Stolze, he is the First and Last Man, the only immortal character in the setting, whose lifespan encompasses the first and last lives of human beings.
* Prominent Bengali fiction author Shariful Hasan made the character Count Saint Germain in his ''Samvala'' Trilogy inspired by him.
* [[Robert Rankin]]'s character Professor Slocombe, in the various books of ''[[The Brentford Trilogy]]'', is often described as bearing an uncanny resemblance to the Comte; when the Professor annotates the Comte's ancient notebooks, even the handwriting is nearly identical. Another character, now quite old, born in the Victorian era, has stated that Professor Slocombe was an old man even then.
* The character of Agliè in the novel ''[[Foucault's Pendulum]]'' by [[Umberto Eco]] is an occultist who claims to be the Count St. Germain.<ref>Eco, Umberto ''Foucault's Pendulum''. London: Random House, 2001. {{ISBN|978-0-09-928715-5}}.</ref>
* The character of Jack Elderflower in the novel ''Gather the Fortunes'', by Bryan Camp.
* The Comte is a significant character in the Victorian time-travel novella, ''A Peculiar Count in Time'', by M .K. Beutymhill.
* The Comte is the main protagonist in an ongoing series of historical romance/horror novels by [[Chelsea Quinn Yarbro]].
* The Count appears in two novels by [[Andrzej Sarwa]]: ''Wieszczba krwawej głowy'' (The Prophetess of the Bloody Head) and ''Cmentarz św. Medarda'' (Saint Medard's Graveyard).
* The German writer [[Karl May]] wrote two stories with the ''Graf von Saint Germain'' appearing as antagonist: ''Aqua benedetta'' (1877) and its largely extended version ''Ein Fürst des Schwindels'' (1880).<ref>Online texts of ''[https://www.karl-may-gesellschaft.de/kmg/primlit/erzaehl/hist/aqua/aqua-benedetta-einleitung.php Aqua benedetta]'' and ''[https://www.karl-may-gesellschaft.de/kmg/primlit/erzaehl/sammlung/hsschtz/index.php?seite=176 Ein Fürst des Schwindels]''</ref>
* The mystic in the [[Alexander Pushkin]] story "[[The Queen of Spades (story)|The Queen of Spades]]".
* In the [[Damian Paladin]] stories by [[Mike Chinn]] he appears as a quasi immortal who has some unspecified past grievances with Paladin and [[Andy Raven]].
* In the [[manga]] series [[Dandadan]], he appeared as a mysterious yet powerful figure who collects the abilities of other paranormal beings.

=== In theosophy ===
The count, also sometimes referred to as '''Master Rákóczi''' or '''Master R''', is seen as a legendary spiritual master of the ancient wisdom in various [[Theosophy (Blavatskian)|Theosophical]] and post-Theosophical teachings, said to be responsible for the [[New Age]] culture of the [[Age of Aquarius]] and identified with the [[Count Saint Germain]] (''[[floruit|fl.]]'' 1710–1784), who has been variously described as a [[courtier]], adventurer, inventor, [[Alchemy|alchemist]], pianist, violinist, and amateur composer.

Some write that the name St. Germain invented for himself was a French version of the Latin ''[[Sanctus Germanus]]'', meaning "Holy Brother".<ref>Schroeder, Werner ''Ascended Masters and Their Retreats'' Ascended Master Teaching Foundation 2004, pages 250 – 255</ref><ref>Luk, A.D.K.. ''Law of Life – Book II''. Pueblo, Colorado: A.D.K. Luk Publications 1989, pages 254 – 267</ref><ref>Booth, Annice ''The Masters and Their Retreats '' Summit Lighthouse Library June 2003, pages 312 – 322</ref> In the [[Ascended master|Ascended Master]] Teachings (but not in traditional Theosophy), the ''Master R'', or the ''Master Rákóczi'', is a separate and distinct being from St. Germain.
====Biographies====
There are several "authoritative" biographers on St. Germain who usually do not agree with one another. Probably the two best-known biographies are [[Isabel Cooper-Oakley]]'s ''The Count of St. Germain'' (1912), and [[Jean Overton-Fuller]]'s ''The Comte de Saint-Germain: Last Scion of the House of Rakoczy'' (1988). The former is a compilation of letters, diaries, and private records written about the Count by members of the French aristocracy who knew him in the 18th century.

Raymond Bernard's book ''The Great Secret – St. Germain'' is biographical and covers many aspects of the Count's life, including his conflation with Sir [[Francis Bacon]], and the author of the [[Shakespeare]]an opus. ''The Great Secret, Count St. Germain'' purports that St. Germain was actually [[Francis Bacon]] by birth, and later [[Baconian theory|authored the complete Plays attributed to Shakespeare]]. Bernard also contends, as does the [[Saint Germain Foundation]] in Schaumburg, Illinois, that [[Francis Bacon]] was the child of [[Elizabeth I of England|Queen Elizabeth]] and [[Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester|Lord Dudley]] but that it was kept quiet. According to this theory, Francis was raised by the Bacon family, yet knew of his true birth, and left numerous hints throughout the [[Shakespeare]]an canon of this, in the form of explicit clues in the text of the plays, in pictures, and in the alleged use of [[Bacon's cipher]] in the works. [[Manly Palmer Hall]], in his ''[[Manly Palmer Hall#Works|The Secret Teachings of All Ages]]'', describes some of the same attributes as Bernard, including the attribution of the writings of Shakespeare to a great adept like Francis Bacon, who could be amalgamated with the Count of St. Germain.

There have also been numerous French and German biographies, among them ''{{lang|de|Der Wiedergänger: Das zeitlose Leben des Grafen von Saint-Germain}}'' by [[Peter Krassa]], ''Le Comte de Saint-Germain'' by [[Marie-Raymonde Delorme]], and ''L'énigmatique Comte De Saint-Germain'' by [[Pierre Ceria]] and [[François Ethuin]].

====Books claimed by Guy Ballard to have been dictated to him by Saint Germain====
Saint Germain is the central figure in a series of books published by the Saint Germain Press (the publishing arm of the Saint Germain Foundation). The first two volumes, ''Unveiled Mysteries'' and ''The Magic Presence'', written by [[Guy Ballard]] as "Godfré Ray King", describe Saint Germain as an [[Ascended master]], like [[Master Jesus|Jesus]], who is assisting humanity. In these first two books, Ballard discusses his personal experiences with Saint Germain and reveals many teachings that are in harmony with [[Theosophy (Blavatskian)|Theosophy]]. The third volume, ''The 'I AM' Discourses'', contains material that is foundational to the [[sacred scripture]]s of the [["I AM" Activity|"I AM" Religious Activity]], founded in 1930 – the first of the Ascended Master Teachings religions.

There are 20 volumes in the Saint Germain Series of Books, which are also referred to as the "Green Books". Another significant work, the ''[[Comte de Gabalis]]'', is said to be from the hand of Sir Francis Bacon before he Ascended and returned as Sanctus Germanus or Saint Germain. First printed in 1670, the book includes a picture of the [[The Polish Rider|Polish Rider]], [[Rembrandt]]'s famous painting at the [[Frick Collection]] in New York City, which is said to be of Sir Francis Bacon, AKA the [[Comte de Gabalis]], or the Count of the [[Kabbalah|Cabala]]. Lotus Ray King (Edna Ballard's pen name), wife of [[Guy Ballard]], talked about this book having been authored by the Ascended Master Saint Germain in the Round Table Talks of the "I AM" Religious Activity.

====Claimed encounters with Saint Germain====
Several [[Theosophy (Blavatskian)|Theosophists]] and practitioners of alternate esoteric traditions have claimed to have met Saint Germain in the late 19th or early 20th centuries: 
* [[Annie Besant]] said that she met the Count in 1896.
* [[Charles Webster Leadbeater|C. W. Leadbeater]] claimed to have met him in Rome in 1926 and gave a physical description of him as having [[brown eyes]], [[Olive skin|olive colored skin]], and a pointed beard; according to Leadbeater, "the splendour of his Presence impels men to make obeisance".<ref>Leadbeater, C.W. ''The Masters and the Path''. Adyar, India: Theosophical Publishing House, 1927 (Revised from 1925 edition) (Reprint: Kessinger Publishing, 1997) Page 32</ref> Leadbeater said that Saint Germain showed him a robe that had been previously owned by a [[Roman Emperor]] and that Saint Germain told him that one of his residences was a castle in [[Transylvania]]. According to Leadbeater, when performing [[Incantations|magical rituals]] in his castle in Transylvania, Saint Germain wears "a suit of golden chain-mail which once belonged to a [[Roman Emperor]]; over it is thrown a magnificent cloak of [[Tyrian purple]], with on its clasp a [[heptagram|seven-pointed star]] in diamond and [[amethyst]], and sometimes he wears a glorious robe of violet."<ref>Leadbeater, C.W. ''The Masters and the Path''. Adyar, India: Theosophical Publishing House, 1927 (Revised from 1925 edition) (Reprint: Kessinger Publishing, 1997) Page 240</ref>
*[[David Christopher Lewis]], living spiritual teacher, claims that Saint Germain first came to him in person on 10 June 2004 in his home in Paradise Valley, Montana, and continued to come many times thereafter.<ref>"{{title case|SAINT GERMAIN ON ADVANCED ALCHEMY}}" (Meru Press, 2015)</ref>
* [[David Narozny]], living Czech music composer, claims to have met St Germain in Pruhonice on 23 May 2014.
* [[Dorothy Leon]], living author, has claimed to have had several encounters with Saint Germain and is an avowed disciple of his.
* [[Edgar Cayce]], the "Sleeping Prophet", was asked while in trance if Saint Germain was present. Cayce's reply was: "When needed." (From reading # 254–83 on 14 February 1935.)
* [[Guy Ballard]], founder of the [["I AM" Activity]], claimed that he met Saint Germain on [[Mount Shasta]] in California in August 1930, and that this initiated his "training" and experiences with other [[Ascended master]]s in various parts of the world.<ref>King, Godfre Ray. ''Unveiled Mysteries''. Chicago, Illinois: Saint Germain Press 1934</ref>
* [[Miroslav Zimmer]], living poet, claim to have met St Germain in the Malá Fatra mountains in Slovakia in 2011 in the company of a Sam Bennett.
* [[Peter Mt. Shasta]], living spiritual teacher and author, claims that Saint Germain materialized before him in Muir Woods, Marin County, California, as well as many other times, some of which encounters he documents in his book.<ref>Peter Mt. Shasta. "Adventures of a Western Mystic: Apprentice to the Masters, Book II:" Church of the Seven Rays 2010</ref>

====Esoteric activities====
Many groups honor Saint Germain as a [[supernatural being]] called a Master of the Ancient Wisdom or an [[Ascended master]]. In the Ascended Master Teachings he is referred to simply as Saint Germain, or as the Ascended Master Saint Germain. As an Ascended Master, Saint Germain is believed to have many [[Magic (paranormal)|magical]] powers such as the ability to teleport, [[Levitation (paranormal)|levitate]], walk through walls, and to inspire people by [[telepathy]], among others.{{fact|date=September 2024}}

The Theosophical Society after Blavatsky's death considered him to be a [[Mahatma]], Master of the Ancient Wisdom, or Adept. [[Helena Blavatsky]] said that he was one of her Masters of Wisdom and hinted that he had given her secret documents. Some [[esotericism|esoteric]] groups credit him with inspiring the [[Founding Fathers]] to draft the [[United States Declaration of Independence]] and the [[United States Constitution|Constitution]], as well as providing the design of the [[Great Seal of the United States]].<ref>[[Hall, Manly P.]] ''The Secret Teachings of All Ages'' "An Encyclopedic Outline of Masonic, Hermetic, Qabbalistic and Rosicrucian Symbolical Philosophy Being an Interpretation of the Secret Teachings Concealed within the Rituals, Allegories and Mysteries of all Ages" H.S. Crocker Company, Inc. 1928 See chapter on "St. Germain"</ref>

In [[New Age]] beliefs, Saint Germain is associated with the color violet, the jewel [[amethyst]], and the ''[[Maltese cross]]'' rendered in violet (usually the ''iron cross style cross patee'' version). He is also regarded as the "Chohan of the Seventh Ray".<ref>"Saint Germain" (claimed to have been dictated by St. Germain to [[Mark Prophet]]) ''Studies in Alchemy'' Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA: 1974 Summit Lighthouse. See occult biographical (actually [[Hagiography|hagiographical]]) sketch of Saint Germain, pages 80–90 (The original edition of this book is printed in violet type on cream colored paper.)</ref> According to [[The Theosophical Society]], the [[Seven Rays]] are seven metaphysical principles that govern both individual souls and the unfolding of each 2,158-year-long [[Astrological Age]]. Since according to Theosophy, the next [[Astrological Age]], the [[Age of Aquarius]], will be governed by the Seventh (Violet) Ray (the Ray of Ceremonial Order), Saint Germain is sometimes called "The Hierarch of the Age of Aquarius".  According to the Ascended Master Teachings, Saint Germain is "The God of Freedom for [[Solar System|this system of worlds]]".  According to the Ascended Master Teachings, the preliminary lead-up to the beginning of the Age of Aquarius began on 1 July 1956, when Ascended Master Saint Germain became the Hierarch of the Age of Aquarius, replacing the former [[Astrological age]] Hierarch, the Ascended Master Jesus, who had been for almost 2,000 years the "Hierarch of the [[Age of Pisces]]".

In the works authored by Alice A. Bailey, Saint Germain is called ''Master Rakóczi'' or the ''Master R.''<ref name="fire1237">Bailey, Alice A, '' A Treatise on Cosmic Fire'' (Section Three – Division A – Certain Basic Statements), 1932, Lucis Trust. 1925, p 1237</ref> In the Ascended Master Teachings, the Master Rakoczi, otherwise known as the Great Divine Director, is regarded as Saint Germain's teacher in the Great White Brotherhood of Ascended Masters. Alice A. Bailey's book ''The Externalisation of the Hierarchy'' (a compilation of earlier revelations published posthumously in 1957) gives the most information about his reputed role as a Spiritual Master. Saint Germain's spiritual title is said to be ''Lord of Civilization'', and his task is the establishment of the new civilization of the Age of Aquarius.<ref>Bailey, Alice A. ''The Externalisation of the Hierarchy'' New York:1957—Lucis Press (Compilation of earlier [[revelation]]s by Alice A. Bailey) Page 667</ref> He is said to telepathically influence people who are seen by him as being instrumental in bringing about the new civilization of the Age of Aquarius. Alice A. Bailey stated that "sometime after AD 2025", Jesus, the Master Rakóczi (Saint Germain), Kuthumi, and others in the Spiritual Hierarchy would "externalise"<!--British spelling of externalize-->, i.e., descend from the spiritual worlds, and interact in visible tangible bodies on the Earth in [[ashram]]s, surrounded by their disciples.<ref>Bailey, Alice A. ''The Externalisation of the Hierarchy'' New York:1957—Lucis Press (Compilation of earlier revelations by Alice A. Bailey) Page 530</ref>

Alice A. Bailey said that St. Germain is the "manager of the executive council of the Christ".<ref>{{cite book |last=Bailey |first=Alice A. |title=The Externalisation of the Hierarchy |location=New York |date=1957 |publisher=Lucis Press (Compilation of earlier revelations by Alice A. Bailey) |page=508 }}</ref> Theosophists regard "the Master Jesus" and "Christ" as two separate and distinct beings. They believe in the [[Gnostic]] [[Christology]] espoused by [[Cerinthus]] (''fl.'' c. 100 [[Common Era|CE]]), according to which "Christ" is a being who was incarnated in Jesus only during the three years of the [[ministry of Jesus]]. According to certain Theosophists, "Christ" is identified as being a highly developed spiritual entity whose actual name is Maitreya. This Maitreya is the same being known in Buddhism as the Bodhisattva Maitreya, who is in training to become the next Buddha on Earth. According to Alice A. Bailey, the "executive council of the Christ" is a specific subgroup of the Masters of the Ancient Wisdom, charged with preparing the way for the [[Second Coming]] of Christ and the consequent inauguration of the Age of Aquarius.{{fact|date=September 2024}}

====Previous incarnations====
According to [[The Theosophical Society]] (not to be confused with the [[United Lodge of Theosophists]]) and the [[Ascended Master Teachings]], Saint Germain was incarnated as the following. (Note: Not all Theosophical and Ascended Master Teaching groups accept all of these incarnations as valid. St. Germain's incarnations as St. Alban, Proclus, Roger Bacon and Sir Francis Bacon are universally accepted.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.flammeviolette.com/#saint_germain|title=Qui est le Maître Saint-Germain ? (Who is Master Saint-Germain?) | access-date=2024-02-08 | language=fr}}</ref>

* Ruler of a [[Root race#Early beginnings of the Aryan root race|Golden Age civilization centered in a city called "The City of the Sun"]] 70,000 years ago located in the then-lush and verdant area that is now the [[Sahara Desert]], originally a colony sent out from [[Root race#The civilization of Atlantis|Atlantis]].
* High priest in [[Root race#The civilization of Atlantis|the civilization of Atlantis]] 13,000 years ago, serving in the ''Order of Lord Zadkiel'' in the ''Temple of Purification'', located in an Atlantean colony that had been sent out from the main island of [[Atlantis]] that had been established on the island now called [[Cuba]].
* [[Samuel (Bible)|Samuel]], 11th-century BC religious leader in Israel who served as prophet, priest, and last of the Hebrew judges.
* [[Hesiod]], Greek poet whose writings serve as a major source of insight into Greek mythology and cosmology (c. 700 BC).
* [[Plato]], Philosopher who studied with students of Pythagoras and scholars in Egypt. He established his own school of philosophy at the Academy in Athens. (427–347 BC).
* [[St. Joseph|Saint Joseph]], 1st century AD, Nazareth. Husband of Mary and guardian of Jesus.
* [[Saint Alban]], late 3rd or early 4th century, town of Verulamium, renamed St. Albans, Hertfordshire, England. First British martyr – he had sheltered a fugitive priest, became a devout convert, and was put to death for disguising himself as the priest so that he could die in his place.
* [[Proclus]], c. 410 – 485 AD. Athens. The last major Greek Neoplatonic philosopher. He headed the Platonic Academy and wrote extensively on philosophy, astronomy, mathematics, and grammar.
* [[Merlin (wizard)|Merlin]]. Mythical magician and counselor at King Arthur's Camelot who inspired the establishment of the Order of the Knights of the Round Table.
* [[Roger Bacon]], c. 1220–1292 AD, England. Philosopher, educational reformer, and experimental scientist. Forerunner of modern science renowned for his exhaustive investigations into alchemy, optics, mathematics, and languages.<ref>Although [[C.W. Leadbeater]] claims that Roger Bacon was a past incarnation of Saint Germain and the [[Church Universal and Triumphant]] (the main Ascended Master Teachings religion) also accepts this, some sources and some Ascended Master Activities believe that Roger Bacon was a past incarnation of the Ascended Master [[Morya (Theosophy)|El Morya]]</ref>
* Organizer behind the scenes for the Secret Societies in Germany in the late 14th and early 15th centuries. The creation of a possibly fictional character named "[[Christian Rosenkreuz]]" was inspired by his efforts.
* [[Christopher Columbus]], 1451–1506 AD. Believed to have been born in Genoa, Italy and settled in Portugal. Landed in the Americas in 1492 during the first of four voyages to the New World sponsored by [[Ferdinand II of Aragon|King Ferdinand]] and [[Isabella I of Castile|Queen Isabella]] of Spain.
* [[Francis Bacon]], 1561–1626, England. Philosopher, statesman, essayist and literary master, [[Baconian theory|author of the Shakespearean plays]] (according to the [[Ascended Master Teachings]]), father of inductive science, and herald of the [[scientific revolution]].

====Ascension into masterhood====
According to the Ascended Master Teachings, Francis Bacon faked his own death on Easter Sunday, 9 April 1626, and even attended his own funeral in disguise. It is believed by the adherents of the Ascended Master Teachings that he then traveled secretly to [[Transylvania]] (then part of [[Hungary]], now part of [[Romania]]) to the Rakoczy Mansion of the [[Rakóczi|noble family of Hungary]]. Finally, on 1 May 1684, he is believed to have attained (by his knowledge of [[alchemy]]) his physical Ascension (attaining [[immortality]] and eternal youth—the sixth level of Initiation), at which time Francis Bacon adopted the name "Saint Germain".<ref>"Saint Germain" (claimed by the [[Church Universal and Triumphant]] to have been [[Channeling (mediumistic)|dictated]] by Saint Germain to [[Mark Prophet]]) ''Studies in Alchemy'' Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA: 1974 Summit Lighthouse. See occult biologographical sketch of history of Saint Germain, pages 80–90</ref>

===Skeptical view===
The scholar [[K. Paul Johnson]] maintains that the "Masters" that [[Madame Blavatsky]] wrote about and produced letters from were actually idealizations of people who were her mentors.<ref>Johnson, Paul K. Initiates of Theosophical Masters (Albany, NY: State University of New York Press, 1995){{page needed|date=August 2024}}</ref>{{page needed|date=August 2024}}

Also see the article "Talking to the Dead and Other Amusements" by [[Paul Zweig]], ''The New York Times'', 5 October 1980, which maintains that Madame Blavatsky's revelations were fraudulent.{{full citation needed|date=February 2022}}

==See also==
* [[Occult theories about Francis Bacon]]
* [[Shakespeare authorship question]]

== References ==
{{reflist|30em}}

==Further reading==
* Chrissochoidis, Ilias. "The Music of the Count of St. Germain: An Edition", ''[http://secm.org/newsletter/volume16.pdf Society for Eighteenth-Century Music Newsletter]'' 16 (April 2010), [6–7].
* Cooper-Oakley, Isabella. ''The Comte De Saint Germain, the Secret of Kings.'' 2nd ed. London: Whitefriars Press, 1912.
* d'Adhemar, Madame Comtesse le. "Souvenirs Sur Marie-Antoinette." Paris: Impremerie de Bourgogne et Martinet, 1836.
* Fleming, Thomas. "The Magnificent Fraud." ''American Heritage'', February 2006 (2006).
* Hausset, Madame du. "The Private Memoirs of Louis XV: Taken from the Memoirs of Madame Du Hausset, Lady's Maid to Madame De Pompadour." ed Nichols Harvard University, 1895.
* Hunter, David. "The Great Pretender." ''Musical Times'', no. Winter 2003 (2003).
* Marie Antoinette von Lowzow, ''Saint-Germain – Den mystiske greve'', Dansk Historisk Håndbogsforlag, Copenhagen, 1984. {{ISBN|978-87-88742-04-6}}. (in Danish).
* [[Gordon Melton|Melton, J. Gordon]] ''Encyclopedia of American Religions'' 5th Edition New York:1996 Gale Research {{ISBN|978-0-8103-7714-1}} {{ISSN|1066-1212}} Chapter 18--"The Ancient Wisdom Family of Religions" Pages 151–158; see chart on page 154 listing ''Masters of the Ancient Wisdom''; Also see Section 18, Pages 717-757 Descriptions of various Ancient Wisdom religious organizations
* Pope-Hennessey, Una. ''The Comte De Saint-Germain. Reprint ed, Secret Societies and the French Revolution.  Together with Some Kindred Studies by Una Birch.'' Lexington, Kentucky: Forgotten Books, 1911.
* SAINT GERMAIN ON ADVANCED ALCHEMY, by David Christopher Lewis, Meru press, {{ISBN|978-0-9818863-5-0}}
* Saint-Germain, Count de, ed. ''The Music of the Comte St.Germain.'' Edited by Manley Hall. Los Angeles, California: Philosophical Research Society, 1981.
* Saint-Germain, Count de. ''The Most Holy Trinosophia.'' Forgotten Books, N.D. Reprint, 2008.
* Slemen, Thomas. ''Strange but True.'' London: Robinson Publishing, 1998.
* Walpole, Horace. "Letters of Horace Walpole." ed Charles Duke Yonge. New York: Putman's Sons, 9 December 1745.

==External links==
{{Wikiquote}}
* [http://www.sacred-texts.com/sro/csg/index.htm ''The Comte de St. Germain''] (1912) by [[Isabel Cooper-Oakley]], at sacred-texts.com
* [http://www.i-am-teachings.com/httpswwwweeblycomeditormainphp.html] article on Saint Germain, also text "Adventures of a Western Mystic: Apprentice to the Masters, Book II, by Peter Mt. Shasta
* [http://www.randi.org/encyclopedia/Saint%20Germain,%20Claude%20Louis,%20Compte%20de.html ''An Encyclopedia of Claims, Frauds, and Hoaxes of the Occult and Supernatural: Saint Germain ''] at the James Randi Educational Foundation
* [http://www.alchemylab.com/count_saint_germain.htm Comte Saint-Germain:  The Immortal]
* [http://www.sacred-texts.com/sro/csg/index.htm ''The Comte de St. Germain''] (1912) by [[Isabel Cooper-Oakley]], at sacred-texts.com
* [http://www.saintgermainfoundation.org/ ''The Saint Germain Foundation''], teaching arm of the [["I AM" Activity]], the original publisher of Ascended Master Teachings beginning in 1934

{{Ascended Master Teachings}}

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