Count of St. Germain
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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The Count of St. Germain (fl. 1710–1784) has been variously described as a courtier, adventurer, charlatan, inventor, alchemist, pianist, violinist and amateur composer, but is best known as a recurring figure in the stories of several strands of occultism – particularly those connected to Theosophy, where he is also referred to as the Master Rakoczi or the Master R and credited with near god-like powers and longevity. Some sources write that his name is not familial, but was invented by him as a French version of the Latin Sanctus Germanus, meaning "Holy Brother."
In Fiction
The Count has inspired a number of fictional creations, from the mystic in the Alexander Pushkin story "The Queen of Spades", to Umberto Eco's Foucault's Pendulum.