Marie Anne Lenormand

55
Marie Anne Lenormand bigraphy, stories - French fortune-teller

Marie Anne Lenormand : biography

27 May 1772 – 25 June 1843

Marie Anne Adelaide Lenormand (1772–1843) was a French professional fortune-teller, active for more than 40 years and of considerable fame during the Napoleonic era. Lenormand claimed to have given cartomantic advice to many famous persons, among them leaders of the French revolution (Marat, Robespierre and St-Just), Empress Josephine and Czar Alexander. In 1814 Lenormand started a second literary career and published many texts, causing many public controversies. Lenormand was imprisoned more than once, though never for very long. In France Lenormand is considered the greatest cartomancer of all time, highly influential on the wave of French cartomancy that began in the late 18th century.

Early life

Lenormand was born on 27 May 1772 in Alençon, Normandy, to Jean Louis Antoine Lenormand, a draper, and Marie Anne Lenormand (neé Gilbert). Lenormand was orphaned at the age of five and educated in a convent school. Lenormand left Alençon for Paris in 1786.

Lenormand cards

After Lenormand’s death her name was used on several cartomancy decks including a deck of 36 illustrated cards known as the Petit Lenormand or simply Lenormand cards still used extensively today. The 36 card Lenormand deck is modelled on a deck of cards published c1799 as part of Das Spiel der Hoffnung (The Game of Hope), a game of chance designed by Johann Kaspar Hechtel of Nuremberg.

Works

  • Les souvenirs prophétiques d’une sibylle sur les causes secrétes de son arrestation – Paris (1814) (592 pages)
  • Anniversaire de la mort de l’impératrice Josephine (1815)
  • La sibylle au tombeau de Louis XVI (1816)
  • Les oracles sibyllins ou la suite des souvenirs prophétiques – Paris (1817) (528 pages)
  • La sibylle au congrès d’Aix-la-Chapelle (1819) (316 pages)
  • Mémoires historiques et secrets de l’impératrice Joséphine, Marie-Rose Tascher-de-la-Pagerie, première épouse de Napoléon Bonaparte – Paris (1820) (556 pages)
  • Mémoire justificatif présenté par Mlle Le Normand (1821) (20 pages)
  • Cri de l’honneur (1821) (18 pages)
  • Souvenirs de la Belgique – Cent jours d’infortunes où le procès mémorable (1822) (416 pages)
  • L’ange protecteur de la France au tombeau de Louis XVIII (1824)
  • L’ombre immortelle de Catherine II au tombeau d’Alexandre Ier (1826)
  • L’ombre de Henri IV au palais d’Orléans (1830) (107 pages)
  • Le petit homme rouge au château des Tuileries – Paris (1831) (107 pages)
  • Manifeste des dieux sur les affaires de France (1932) (60 pages)
  • Arrêt suprême des dieux de l’Olympe en faveur de Mme. la duchesse de Berry et de son fils (1833) (144 pages)

Possibly author of

  • Histoire de Jean VI. de Portugal, depuis sa naissance jusqu’à sa mort en 1826. – Paris : Ponthieu, 1827

Death

Lenormand died in Paris on 25 June 1843 and is buried in Division 3 of Père Lachaise Cemetery.