The 48 Laws Of Power

Crowds

thronging

toseeheron

openingnight

causedariot.Shehadnow

becomeacult

figure, spawningmany

imitations. Onereviewer

wrote,

“MataHari

personifies

allthe

poetry

of

India,

its

mysticism,

its

voluptuous-

ness,
its
hypnotizing

charm.”Another

noted,

“If

India

possesses

suchunex-

pected

treasures,

thenallFrenchmenwill

emigrate

totheshoresofthe

Ganges.”

SoonthefameofMataHariandhersacredIndiandances

spread

be-

yond

Paris.Shewasinvitedto

Berlin,Vienna,

Milan.Overthenextfew

years

she

performedthroughout

Europe,

mixedwiththe

highest

socialcir-

cles,

andearnedanincomethat

gave

heran

independencerarelyenjoyed

by

awomanofthe

period.

Then,

neartheendofWorldWar

I,

shewasar-

restedin
France,tried,convicted,

and

finally

executedasaGerman

spy.

Onlyduring

the

trial

didthe

truth

come

out:MataHariwasnotfrom

java

or

India,

hadnot

grownup

in

the

Orient,

didnot

have

a

drop

ofEastern

bloodinher

body.

Herrealnamewas

Margaretha

Zelle,

andshecame

fromthestolidnorthern

province

of

Friesland,

Holland.

Interpretation

When

Margaretha

Zellearrivedin

Paris,

in

1904,

she

hadhalfa

francin

her

pocket.

Shewasoneofthethousandsofbeautiful

younggirls

who

flocked to Paris

everyyear,

taking

work as artists’

models, nightclub

dancers,

orvaudeville

performers

attheFolies

Bergére.

Afterafew

years

they

would

inevitably

be

replacedbyyoungergirls,

andwouldoften

end

up

onthe

streets,

turning

to

prostitution,

orelse

returning

tothetown

they

came

from,

olderandchastened.

Zellehad

higher

ambitions.Shehadno dance

experience

and had

never

performed

inthe

theater,

butasa

young

girl

shehadtraveledwith

her

family

andhad

witnessedlocal dances

in

Java

andSumatra. Zelle

clearly

understoodthatwhatwas

important

in

heractwasnotthedanceit-

self,

orevenherfaceor

figure,

buther

ability

tocreateanairof

mystery

aboutherself.The

mystery

shecreated

lay

not

just

inher

dancing,

orher

costumes,

orthestoriesshewould

tell,

orherendlessliesabouther

origins;

it

lay

inan

atmosphereenvelopingeverything

shedid.Therewas

nothing

you

could

say

forsure

about

her——she

was

alwayschanging,always

sur-

prising

heraudiencewithnew

costumes,

new

dances,

newstories.Thisair

of

mystery

leftthe

publicalways

wanting

toknow

more,

always

wondering

abouthernextmove.MataHariwasnomorebeautifulthan

many

ofthe

other

younggirls

whocameto

Paris,

andshewasnota

particularlygood

dancer.

What

separated

her

fromthe

mass,

whatattractedandheld

the

public’s

attentionandmadeherfamousand

wealthy,

washer

mystery.

People

areenthralled

bymystery;

becauseitinvitesconstant

interpreta-

tion,

they

nevertireofit.The

mysterious

cannotbe

grasped.

Andwhat

cannotbeseizedandconsumedcreates

power.

LAW 6

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