The famous Russian, Ivan IV (Ivan the Terrible) (1533-1584) suffered a horrific childhood. It was full of murder and intrigue. His father died of natural causes when Ivan was three. His mother may have been assassinated.
Ivan was a sickly child. He was surrounded by the Boyars who held collective power. They controlled him. Despite such things, when Ivan gained command, his rule was one of peace and reform.
From Ivan to Ivan the Terrible
In 1547 Ivan was proclaimed Tsar of Russia. This was a title of great power. It could enable a good ruler to achieve much. It would empower a bad one to engage in bloody dominion. This article does not rehash Ivan’s life and exploits. Those are covered in our cited references. We will say in later life Ivan became harsh, even paranoid. He tortured and killed even close friends. In one outburst he murdered his son!
What caused the change from his passive personality to one of aggression and violence? For Ivan turned maniacal. He became suspicious of everyone. The change coincided with the death of his beloved wife.
What Went Wrong?
Despite the timing, historians pinpoint Ivan’s sickly nature. In view of the medicine of those times, they exhumed his body. Tests proved conclusive. Ivan’s remains were full of mercury. Ivan seems to have died of syphilis. Syphilis was treated with mercury.
While his childhood cannot be ignored, it seems mercury was the cause of madness. Effects include nervousness, irritability, change of temperament, and tremor.
Is There Evidence?
Consider this description found on page 377 of the book Ivan the Terrible, by Kazimierz Waliszewski (1904). Then you decide.
“During the second half of the Sovereign’s life, as to which we possess most information, his habitual expression struck the majority of witnesses as being threatening and gloomy, though he often burst into roars of laughter….
“Ivan was energetic to the point of violence, and yet timid down to outright cowardice; his pride amounted to positive madness, and his humility occasionally descended to baseness. He was intelligent, and yet capable of saying and doing the most foolish things.”
Note: You might also enjoy Beginner Level Russian Crossword
References:
[…] quirkyscience […]
[…] their will. His personality change is also reminiscent of syphilis. When he became ruler, he was intelligent and peaceful. But as the years progressed, paranoia and rage turned him into a sadistic torturer and serial […]
It may be so. I don’t know. But one thing is clear. Mercury was present, and mercury -in and of itself- produces severe changes in mental processes.
[…] a bad choice. He was coming to the end of his reign, where his intolerances (some would say madnesses) had reached their […]
[…] He beat his pregnant daughter-in-law, who was not properly dressed, and caused her to miscarry her child. His son confronted him. In a fit of rage, Ivan the Terrible struck his own son on the head with a pointed staff and killed him. This murder was immortalized by Russian realist artist Ilya Repin in one of the most haunting paintings ever created.[1] […]
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