Leo Taxil : hoaxter or early truthteller?

Was Leo Taxil a hoaxter or an early truthteller? What is your opinion on him?

See THE CONFESSION OF LEO TAXIL

Leo Taxil was a liar and a hoaxster by his own admission.

In his final performance he had gathered the heads of society and government in a theater to reveal the biggest secrets of all and then came out and laughed his ass off and told them how stupid they were for believing him.

I will post a source in a moment, but Taxil himself admitted it was all a hoax.

Here you go:

Taxil Hoax

In the course of time, I happened to secure two collaborators, not more than two: one was a fellow I knew since childhood, whom I took at first for a ride and to whom I ascribed the pseudonym of Dr. Bataille; the other was Miss Diana Vaughan, a French Protestant, rather on the free-thinking side, a professional typist and the representative of one of the typewriter manufacturers in the United States. I needed both to achieve the success of the last episode of this joyful prank, which American newspapers call "the biggest hoax of modern times."" (Many laughs. Murmurs.)

Originally posted by OutoftheBoxthinker
Was Leo Taxil a hoaxter or an early truthteller? What is your opinion on him?

See THE CONFESSION OF LEO TAXIL

Taxil claimed that every Friday, a winged demon carried Albert Pike to the planet Venus to have tea with Lucifer.

Liar or truthteller? You be the judge.

Originally posted by emsed1
I will post a source in a moment, but Taxil himself admitted it was all a hoax.

It wouldn't be the first nor the last time a person made such a statement after being coerced to do so by means of threats, torture or otherwise. His mere admittance is insufficient as evidence.

Originally posted by Masonic Light
Taxil claimed that every Friday, a winged demon carried Albert Pike to the planet Venus to have tea with Lucifer.

Were his statements really that fringy? Do you have any links to transcripts of his orriginal claims?

Originally posted by OutoftheBoxthinker


Were his statements really that fringy? Do you have any links to transcripts of his orriginal claims?

It's from his book "The Devil In The 19th Century". Also, Brother A.E. Waite covered the whole mess in his book about the Taxil Hoax called "Devil Worship In France", which can be read in full here.

Originally posted by Masonic Light
It's from his book "The Devil In The 19th Century". Also, Brother A.E. Waite covered the whole mess in his book about the Taxil Hoax called "Devil Worship In France", which can be read in full here.

Regarding Dr. Bataille, the author of The Devil in the 19th Century, Taxil claims to have been Bataille, and that the name was taken from a friend of his, Sapeck, who was also known as Bataille. However, it is now known that Dr. Bataille was Dr Charles Hacks. So who was Hacks? And why would Taxil seek to protect him by claiming to be Bataille?

Thusfar, you've only given reasons NOT to believe Taxil when he claimed he was a hoaxter.

Originally posted by OutoftheBoxthinker
Regarding Dr. Bataille, the author of The Devil in the 19th Century, Taxil claims to have been Bataille, and that the name was taken from a friend of his, Sapeck, who was also known as Bataille. However, it is now known that Dr. Bataille was Dr Charles Hacks. So who was Hacks? And why would Taxil seek to protect him by claiming to be Bataille

This source indicates you've got it switched around...thought to be Hacks, confirmed to be "Taxil", whose real name was Jogand-Pagés.

The alleged author of Le Diable au XIX. Siècle., published in Paris in 1892, a book that created a sensation with its revelations of the secret rites and orgies of many diabolic societies. The author claimed personal experience with devil worship. This exciting and colorful work of some 800,000 words attracted enormous attention and its stories of worldwide diabolic conspiracies associated with Freemasonry were widely discussed. It was first thought to be the work of Dr. Charles Hacks, who contributed a preface entitled "Revelations of an Occultist." Hacks was a real, although shadowy, figure. The book was later revealed to be the work of journalist and editor Gabriel Jogand-Pagés, also known as "Leo Taxil," who confessed to fabricating the book as an anti-Freemasonry, anticlerical hoax.

Bataille, Dr. [Gabriel Jogand-Pagés]. Le Diable au XIX. Siècle. Paris, 1892.

Originally posted by JoshNorton
This source indicates you've got it switched around...thought to be Hacks, confirmed to be "Taxil", whose real name was Jogand-Pagés.

Considering the possibility that Taxil's "confession" was cohersed, there is nothing to link Taxil to Dr. Bataille. Hence, one can only judge Taxil's words on freemasonry by the words actually published under his own name.

[edit on 8-8-2008 by OutoftheBoxthinker]

Originally posted by OutoftheBoxthinker


Considering the possibility that Taxil's "confession" was cohersed, there is nothing to link Taxil to Dr. Bataille. Hence, one can only judge Taxil's words on freemasonry by the words actually published under his own name.

Indeed. Yet it was Taxil's words on Freemasonry published under his own name that started the whole mess to begin with. His books are far beyond absurd...the "Jerry Springer Show" quality of them are readily apparent, and no reasonable person took him seriously even before his confession. He was a sort of 19th century Bill Schnoebelen.

Originally posted by Masonic Light
Indeed. Yet it was Taxil's words on Freemasonry published under his own name that started the whole mess to begin with. His books are far beyond absurd...the "Jerry Springer Show" quality of them are readily apparent, and no reasonable person took him seriously even before his confession. He was a sort of 19th century Bill Schnoebelen.

All I know about Taxil is that he claimed there was a secret society within freemasonry called the Palladium and that these Palladium practiced the worship of Baphomet/Lucifer/Satan. I am, however, not aware of any details with regards to these statements nor any arguments he used for these claims. Considering the Knights Templar were also accused of worship of Baphomet/Lucifer/Satan and considering there exists a link between the Knights Templar and freemasonry, I would at least like to take a look at the arguments for this theory, as farfetched as they may sound.

Originally posted by OutoftheBoxthinker
All I know about Taxil is that he claimed there was a secret society within freemasonry called the Palladium and that these Palladium practiced the worship of Baphomet/Lucifer/Satan. I am, however, not aware of any details with regards to these statements nor any arguments he used for these claims. Considering the Knights Templar were also accused of worship of Baphomet/Lucifer/Satan and considering there exists a link between the Knights Templar and freemasonry, I would at least like to take a look at the arguments for this theory, as farfetched as they may sound.

So now what? Are you saying that Pope Clement's absolution of the Templars on their charges of heresy was also coerced?

Originally posted by JoshNorton
So now what? Are you saying that Pope Clement's absolution of the Templars on their charges of heresy was also coerced?

I'm quite sceptical about documents like the Chinon parchment suddenly emerging after many centuries that happen to be the ONLY evidence for a certain claim. Aren't you?!?

[edit on 8-8-2008 by OutoftheBoxthinker]