Immacolata
Encyclopedia
Immacolata aka the Incantatrix aka The Witch is a fictional character
, created by Clive Barker
and featured in his 1987 epic fantasy novel
Weaveworld
. One of the main villain
s in the book, she is an immensely powerful witch, her main goal being the destruction of the race she comes from, the magical creatures known as the Seer
kind. Immacolata has also been turned into a comic character, after Weaveworld
was adapted into a 1991 limited series
by Epic Comics
.
line of sorcerers, being a direct descendant of Lilith
. While an embryo
in her mother's uterus
, Immacolata manifested her inherent evil for the first time, using the umbilical cord
s of her triplet
sisters in order to strangle them. As a result, she was the only one of the triplets to be born alive. However, even though she murdered her sisters, the young Immacolata also bound them with a spell that forced both of them to constantly accompany her in the form of ghost
s throughout her life and protect her. Indeed, the two sisters (the Hag and Magdalene) were forced to serve their sister as ectoplasm
s, although they were granted the promise that as soon as their assistance was no longer required in her ploys, she would instantly dismiss them to find death and eternal rest. Immacolata spent most of her childhood
wandering around graveyard
s and having a morbid interest in death
and pain.
, Immacolata longed for power and control over the magical world of the Fugue, the world of the Seerkind. She started gathering loyals, who worshipped her as a goddess and committed several horrific crimes in her name. Her attempts to take over the back-then disorganised Fugue bore no fruit. After many bloody encounters between Immacolata's devotees and her enemies, the witch was found guilty of her crimes and was sentenced to exile by her peers. She was then forced to abandon the Fugue and started wandering aimlessly to the human world (The Kingdom of Cuckoos) for many centuries (she did not age, thanks to the power of the menstruum). Even in the human world, Immacolata started gathering a secret circle of fanatics who worshipped her and called her by several aliases, such as Black Madonna, Lady of the Sighs and Mater Maleficorium (mother of evil). Eventually though, she grew bored and always felt, in sharp contrast to the Cuckoos, to be able to fit in human society one day. At some point in the late 20th century, she met the greedy human known as Shadwell. The two decided to cooperate in order to find the rug within which laid woven the world of the Fugue. Immacolata even gave Shadwell a suit by use of which he could mesmerise others and control their will. At the same time, she kept having visions of the Scourge, the destructive force that had once almost destroyed the Seerkind, which was now lost in profound slumber, though the possibility of its reawakening filled the Incantatrix with terror. Immacolata later battled Suzanna Parish, granddaughter of the last guardian of the rug, Mimi Laschenski, but quite unexpectedly, when Suzanna was struck by the menstruum, the ethereal liquid force Immacolata wielded, she acquired it herself. After obtaining the rug, Immacolata wanted to destroy it but Shadwell insisted on performing a secret auction for some interested billionaires. Eventually though, the world of the Fugue was unleashed. Amid the chaos, Immacolata and her sisters wandered in the world where the witch was attacked by one of the lions of Romo, a Seerkind man who happened to be Mimi's first man. Romo wanted to exact revenge from her and his lion gravely injured Immacolata and deformed her face, before she killed it. The Incantatrix escaped but later both of her sisters were "slain" and she herself was betrayed by Shadwell who abandoned her (after she seemingly went insane, following the death of the Hag). Immacolata, half-mad and in a pathetic condition, was captured by the Seerkind. After Suzanna accidentally met her again, she tried to remind Immacolata of her past. Her effort was met with success, as Immacolata regained sanity, killed everyone around her (save for Suzanna) and flew towards the Temple of Loom, the centre of the Fugue, with the purpose of killing Shadwell and thus contaminating the temple with blood so as to bring forth the destruction of the Fugue. Instead, it was her blood that was shed after she was mortally stabbed by Shadwell, an act which indeed unmade the Fugue.
storing the bones of those Seerkind who were killed by the Scourge. These series of underground crypts were located in the catacombs of a small church, hidden away in London
and dedicated to Saint Philomena and Saint Callixtus. The place used to be a favourite hideaway for Immacolata when she was alive and the priests of the church had formed a secret cult
, with the purpose of worshipping her. At the time the Three Sisters started haunting the catacombs, the cult grew even more loyal, now dubbing Immacolata with the novel name Lady of the Night. Later, Suzanna went to the church to meet with the Three Sisters (Immacolata still being the dominant personality) who warned her of the upcoming threat of the Scourge. Eventually, Shadwell and the Scourge (who had possessed Hobart) invaded the church, with the purpose of burning it down, since it was renowned for being a sanctuary of magic. The Three Sisters mocked the two villains and apparently disintegrated forever, after Uriel
(the Scourge) used its holy flames to incinerate the walls of the tomb
.
, the Hag is an old and infertile female entity and the Magdalene is sensual and hedonistic as well as a mother, birthing demonic creatures called by-blows created through the rape of human men and used for Immacolata's bidding.
abilities (she can summon the phantasms whose soul
s she has collected, including her sisters') she also possibly became a ghost herself following her death, finally joining her sisters in the same plane.
, Immacolata makes reference to the demon
s known as the Cenobite
s, although she calls them by the name "The Surgeons" in an apparently sarcastic reference to the mutilation
s they perform on their unfortunate victims as well as their own bodies. These fictional demons have made frequent appearances in Barker's works, most prominently in Hellraiser
. Immacolata mentions that hundreds of years ago, a man (whom she calls "Domville") wanted to impress her and ultimately seduce her. The man aspired to be a necromancer and summoned the Surgeons. According to Immacolata, the Surgeons were summoned from a long-lost world and were quite displeased at Domville's invocation
. They then proceeded to hunt him down all over London
. Domville entered Immacolata's temple and begged her to make them stop. Immacolata declined, however, and the man was subjected to unspeakable torment
s until she spared him of his suffering in exchange for his soul, which came into her possession after he died. The ectoplasm
remained horribly deformed ever since and under Immacolata's orders until she opted for using it in Weaveworld
so as to slay some Seerkind.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
, created by Clive Barker
Clive Barker
Clive Barker is an English author, film director and visual artist best known for his work in both fantasy and horror fiction. Barker came to prominence in the mid-1980s with a series of short stories which established him as a leading young horror writer...
and featured in his 1987 epic fantasy novel
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
Weaveworld
Weaveworld
Weaveworld is a novel by Clive Barker. It was published in 1987 and could be categorized as dark fantasy. It deals with a parallel world, like many of Barker's novels, and contains many horror elements....
. One of the main villain
Villain
A villain is an "evil" character in a story, whether a historical narrative or, especially, a work of fiction. The villain usually is the antagonist, the character who tends to have a negative effect on other characters...
s in the book, she is an immensely powerful witch, her main goal being the destruction of the race she comes from, the magical creatures known as the Seer
Seer
Seer or Seers or SEER may refer to:Predicting the future* A clairvoyant, prophet, oracle, or diviner* The Seer , a fictional character on the television series Charmed...
kind. Immacolata has also been turned into a comic character, after Weaveworld
Weaveworld
Weaveworld is a novel by Clive Barker. It was published in 1987 and could be categorized as dark fantasy. It deals with a parallel world, like many of Barker's novels, and contains many horror elements....
was adapted into a 1991 limited series
Limited series
A limited series is a comic book series with a set number of installments. A limited series differs from an ongoing series in that the number of issues is determined before production and it differs from a one shot in that it is composed of multiple issues....
by Epic Comics
Epic Comics
Epic Comics was a creator-owned imprint of Marvel Comics started in 1982, lasting through the mid-1990s, and being briefly revived on a small scale in the mid-2000s.- Origins :...
.
Early life
Immacolata was a powerful witch, who was born as a member of the secret race of the Seerkind – mystical beings whose magical abilities have made them the object of fear and hatred by humans. The powers and appearance of the Seerkind have led humans ("Cuckoos", as the Seerkind derogatorily call them) to portray these beings in myths and fables. Immacolata claimed that she was the only descendant of the first pure genealogicalGenealogy
Genealogy is the study of families and the tracing of their lineages and history. Genealogists use oral traditions, historical records, genetic analysis, and other records to obtain information about a family and to demonstrate kinship and pedigrees of its members...
line of sorcerers, being a direct descendant of Lilith
Lilith
Lilith is a character in Jewish mythology, found earliest in the Babylonian Talmud, who is generally thought to be related to a class of female demons Līlīṯu in Mesopotamian texts. However, Lowell K. Handy notes, "Very little information has been found relating to the Akkadian and Babylonian view...
. While an embryo
Embryo
An embryo is a multicellular diploid eukaryote in its earliest stage of development, from the time of first cell division until birth, hatching, or germination...
in her mother's uterus
Uterus
The uterus or womb is a major female hormone-responsive reproductive sex organ of most mammals including humans. One end, the cervix, opens into the vagina, while the other is connected to one or both fallopian tubes, depending on the species...
, Immacolata manifested her inherent evil for the first time, using the umbilical cord
Umbilical cord
In placental mammals, the umbilical cord is the connecting cord from the developing embryo or fetus to the placenta...
s of her triplet
Multiple birth
A multiple birth occurs when more than one fetus is carried to term in a single pregnancy. Different names for multiple births are used, depending on the number of offspring. Common multiples are two and three, known as twins and triplets...
sisters in order to strangle them. As a result, she was the only one of the triplets to be born alive. However, even though she murdered her sisters, the young Immacolata also bound them with a spell that forced both of them to constantly accompany her in the form of ghost
Ghost
In traditional belief and fiction, a ghost is the soul or spirit of a deceased person or animal that can appear, in visible form or other manifestation, to the living. Descriptions of the apparition of ghosts vary widely from an invisible presence to translucent or barely visible wispy shapes, to...
s throughout her life and protect her. Indeed, the two sisters (the Hag and Magdalene) were forced to serve their sister as ectoplasm
Ectoplasm
Ectoplasm may refer to:* Ectoplasm , the outer part of the cytoplasm* Ectoplasm , supposed physical substance that manifests as a result of spiritual energy or psychic phenomenon...
s, although they were granted the promise that as soon as their assistance was no longer required in her ploys, she would instantly dismiss them to find death and eternal rest. Immacolata spent most of her childhood
Childhood
Childhood is the age span ranging from birth to adolescence. In developmental psychology, childhood is divided up into the developmental stages of toddlerhood , early childhood , middle childhood , and adolescence .- Age ranges of childhood :The term childhood is non-specific and can imply a...
wandering around graveyard
Graveyard
A graveyard is any place set aside for long-term burial of the dead, with or without monuments such as headstones...
s and having a morbid interest in death
Death
Death is the permanent termination of the biological functions that sustain a living organism. Phenomena which commonly bring about death include old age, predation, malnutrition, disease, and accidents or trauma resulting in terminal injury....
and pain.
Adulthood
As an adultAdult
An adult is a human being or living organism that is of relatively mature age, typically associated with sexual maturity and the attainment of reproductive age....
, Immacolata longed for power and control over the magical world of the Fugue, the world of the Seerkind. She started gathering loyals, who worshipped her as a goddess and committed several horrific crimes in her name. Her attempts to take over the back-then disorganised Fugue bore no fruit. After many bloody encounters between Immacolata's devotees and her enemies, the witch was found guilty of her crimes and was sentenced to exile by her peers. She was then forced to abandon the Fugue and started wandering aimlessly to the human world (The Kingdom of Cuckoos) for many centuries (she did not age, thanks to the power of the menstruum). Even in the human world, Immacolata started gathering a secret circle of fanatics who worshipped her and called her by several aliases, such as Black Madonna, Lady of the Sighs and Mater Maleficorium (mother of evil). Eventually though, she grew bored and always felt, in sharp contrast to the Cuckoos, to be able to fit in human society one day. At some point in the late 20th century, she met the greedy human known as Shadwell. The two decided to cooperate in order to find the rug within which laid woven the world of the Fugue. Immacolata even gave Shadwell a suit by use of which he could mesmerise others and control their will. At the same time, she kept having visions of the Scourge, the destructive force that had once almost destroyed the Seerkind, which was now lost in profound slumber, though the possibility of its reawakening filled the Incantatrix with terror. Immacolata later battled Suzanna Parish, granddaughter of the last guardian of the rug, Mimi Laschenski, but quite unexpectedly, when Suzanna was struck by the menstruum, the ethereal liquid force Immacolata wielded, she acquired it herself. After obtaining the rug, Immacolata wanted to destroy it but Shadwell insisted on performing a secret auction for some interested billionaires. Eventually though, the world of the Fugue was unleashed. Amid the chaos, Immacolata and her sisters wandered in the world where the witch was attacked by one of the lions of Romo, a Seerkind man who happened to be Mimi's first man. Romo wanted to exact revenge from her and his lion gravely injured Immacolata and deformed her face, before she killed it. The Incantatrix escaped but later both of her sisters were "slain" and she herself was betrayed by Shadwell who abandoned her (after she seemingly went insane, following the death of the Hag). Immacolata, half-mad and in a pathetic condition, was captured by the Seerkind. After Suzanna accidentally met her again, she tried to remind Immacolata of her past. Her effort was met with success, as Immacolata regained sanity, killed everyone around her (save for Suzanna) and flew towards the Temple of Loom, the centre of the Fugue, with the purpose of killing Shadwell and thus contaminating the temple with blood so as to bring forth the destruction of the Fugue. Instead, it was her blood that was shed after she was mortally stabbed by Shadwell, an act which indeed unmade the Fugue.
Afterlife
After all three sisters had expired, they merged into a unified ghost being which haunted the Shrine of Mortalities, an underground cryptCrypt
In architecture, a crypt is a stone chamber or vault beneath the floor of a burial vault possibly containing sarcophagi, coffins or relics....
storing the bones of those Seerkind who were killed by the Scourge. These series of underground crypts were located in the catacombs of a small church, hidden away in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and dedicated to Saint Philomena and Saint Callixtus. The place used to be a favourite hideaway for Immacolata when she was alive and the priests of the church had formed a secret cult
Cult
The word cult in current popular usage usually refers to a group whose beliefs or practices are considered abnormal or bizarre. The word originally denoted a system of ritual practices...
, with the purpose of worshipping her. At the time the Three Sisters started haunting the catacombs, the cult grew even more loyal, now dubbing Immacolata with the novel name Lady of the Night. Later, Suzanna went to the church to meet with the Three Sisters (Immacolata still being the dominant personality) who warned her of the upcoming threat of the Scourge. Eventually, Shadwell and the Scourge (who had possessed Hobart) invaded the church, with the purpose of burning it down, since it was renowned for being a sanctuary of magic. The Three Sisters mocked the two villains and apparently disintegrated forever, after Uriel
Uriel
Uriel is one of the archangels of post-Exilic Rabbinic tradition, and also of certain Christian traditions...
(the Scourge) used its holy flames to incinerate the walls of the tomb
Tomb
A tomb is a repository for the remains of the dead. It is generally any structurally enclosed interment space or burial chamber, of varying sizes...
.
Immacolata's sexuality
Immacolata is constructed by Barker as a woman who defies her sensuality and remains decidedly a virgin throughout her adult life. Clive Barker has remarked on her sexuality: "She's kind of sexy, yet dangerous at the same time. And yet a virgin, which makes her all the more sexier of course". Immacolata is seen rejecting the sexual advances of her accomplice, Shadwell, who is attracted to her. She appears to believe that her power somehow stems from her virginity - and thus sees the latter as a form of sacristy that preserves her status as a goddess-like being (thus enhancing an abstract association of her character with Virgin Mary, herself being called the Black Madonna). All three sisters possess unique aspects of sexuality: Immacolata is portrayed as a mysterious and attractive, young-looking woman who persists on sexual abstinenceSexual abstinence
Sexual abstinence is the practice of refraining from some or all aspects of sexual activity for medical, psychological, legal, social, philosophical or religious reasons.Common reasons for practicing sexual abstinence include:*poor health - medical celibacy...
, the Hag is an old and infertile female entity and the Magdalene is sensual and hedonistic as well as a mother, birthing demonic creatures called by-blows created through the rape of human men and used for Immacolata's bidding.
Powers and abilities
Immacolata has the ability to manifest raptures: like most of the Seerkind, she is able to produce illusions that mentally influence its receivers. Her most distinguishing aspect is the fact that she wields the menstruum: a glaring and strangely "alive" force that enables her to fly, create a shield around her body, unleash potentially lethal beams and much more, as soon as she concentrates enough to fully manifest it. Immacolata mentions at one point that only women can wield the menstruum (as does Suzanna later) and also that this force has driven many women mad and/or suicidal. The term itself seems to come from the same word which denotes the initial flow of menstrual blood (thus reaffirming the association of this power with womanhood). She also possesses several spells as well as the ability of seeing visions and communicating telepathically with her sisters. She is also able to summon several abominations and half-aborted monsters and control them. Additionally, she can attempt to alter the nature of certain objects, thanks to the menstruum. Because of her magical abilities and the menstruum, she did not age (she remained biologically young, although she was already hundreds of years old). Thanks to her necromanticNecromancy
Necromancy is a claimed form of magic that involves communication with the deceased, either by summoning their spirit in the form of an apparition or raising them bodily, for the purpose of divination, imparting the ability to foretell future events or discover hidden knowledge...
abilities (she can summon the phantasms whose soul
Soul
A soul in certain spiritual, philosophical, and psychological traditions is the incorporeal essence of a person or living thing or object. Many philosophical and spiritual systems teach that humans have souls, and others teach that all living things and even inanimate objects have souls. The...
s she has collected, including her sisters') she also possibly became a ghost herself following her death, finally joining her sisters in the same plane.
Reference to Cenobites
At one point in the novel WeaveworldWeaveworld
Weaveworld is a novel by Clive Barker. It was published in 1987 and could be categorized as dark fantasy. It deals with a parallel world, like many of Barker's novels, and contains many horror elements....
, Immacolata makes reference to the demon
Demon
call - 1347 531 7769 for more infoIn Ancient Near Eastern religions as well as in the Abrahamic traditions, including ancient and medieval Christian demonology, a demon is considered an "unclean spirit" which may cause demonic possession, to be addressed with an act of exorcism...
s known as the Cenobite
Cenobite (Hellraiser)
The Cenobites are extradimensional beings who appear in the works of Clive Barker, including the novella The Hellbound Heart and the nine Hellraiser films...
s, although she calls them by the name "The Surgeons" in an apparently sarcastic reference to the mutilation
Mutilation
Mutilation or maiming is an act of physical injury that degrades the appearance or function of any living body, usually without causing death.- Usage :...
s they perform on their unfortunate victims as well as their own bodies. These fictional demons have made frequent appearances in Barker's works, most prominently in Hellraiser
Hellraiser
Hellraiser is a 1987 British and American horror film based upon the novella The Hellbound Heart by Clive Barker, who also wrote the screenplay and directed the film. Hellraiser explores themes of sadomasochism and morality under duress and fear. The film spawned a series of sequels...
. Immacolata mentions that hundreds of years ago, a man (whom she calls "Domville") wanted to impress her and ultimately seduce her. The man aspired to be a necromancer and summoned the Surgeons. According to Immacolata, the Surgeons were summoned from a long-lost world and were quite displeased at Domville's invocation
Invocation
An invocation may take the form of:*Supplication or prayer.*A form of possession.*Command or conjuration.*Self-identification with certain spirits....
. They then proceeded to hunt him down all over London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. Domville entered Immacolata's temple and begged her to make them stop. Immacolata declined, however, and the man was subjected to unspeakable torment
Torture
Torture is the act of inflicting severe pain as a means of punishment, revenge, forcing information or a confession, or simply as an act of cruelty. Throughout history, torture has often been used as a method of political re-education, interrogation, punishment, and coercion...
s until she spared him of his suffering in exchange for his soul, which came into her possession after he died. The ectoplasm
Ectoplasm
Ectoplasm may refer to:* Ectoplasm , the outer part of the cytoplasm* Ectoplasm , supposed physical substance that manifests as a result of spiritual energy or psychic phenomenon...
remained horribly deformed ever since and under Immacolata's orders until she opted for using it in Weaveworld
Weaveworld
Weaveworld is a novel by Clive Barker. It was published in 1987 and could be categorized as dark fantasy. It deals with a parallel world, like many of Barker's novels, and contains many horror elements....
so as to slay some Seerkind.