Mata Hari - Courtesan or Femme Fatale

Exotic dancer, courtesan, and accused spy, Mata Hari has become the symbol of seductive treachery.

On August 7, 1876, Antje van der Meulen gave birth to Margaretha Geertruida Zelle in Leeuwarden, Friesland in the Netherlands. The child would grow up and become known as one of history’s most notorious femme fatales, Mata Hari.

With her father’s successful investments, Margaretha lived an affluent lifestyle, attending private schools until the age 13. Lavished with nearly everything a little girl wanted, she developed a strong taste for being the center of attention.

As with many good things, it wouldn’t last. In 1889, her father went bankrupt and her parents divorced. After much turmoil, Margaretha was sent to live with her godfather, Mr. Visser.

Here, her descent into the sensual world of men began. While studying to be a kindergarten teacher, the headmaster openly flirted with her. Offended by the headmaster’s brazen advances, Margaretha's godfather removed her from the institution, ending her educational career. Unhappy with her living arrangements, Margaretha fled to her uncle’s house in The Hague.

At 18, she answered a personal ad in a Dutch newspaper. Colonial Army Captain Rudolf MacLeod was looking for a wife, and Margaretha was looking for a way out. The two were married in Amsterdam on July 11, 1895. Coming from an affluent family himself, MacLeod’s marriage to Margaretha pushed her into the Dutch upper class, a position she took to easily.

MacLeod’s assignment took them to Java in the Dutch East Indies, where Margaretha gave birth two children, a boy and a girl. But the marriage began to disintegrate as MacLeod’s alcoholism and his blaming her for his lack of promotion, escalated. To add insult to injury, MacLeod blatantly kept both a native wife and a concubine.

Disillusioned by marriage, Margaretha searched for a new protector and eventually moved in with another officer, Van Rheedes. There she studied the Indonesian traditions and culture and joined a local dance company. In 1897, she revealed her new artistic name, Mata Hari, which literally translated in Indonesian means eye of the day.

After much urging, Margaretha returned to MacLeod, though his aggressive behavior hadn’t changed. Tragedy struck in 1899 when their son died of complications related to the treatment of syphilis. The family moved back to the Netherlands, where the couple eventually divorced. MacLeod retained custody of the daughter.

In 1903, Margaretha moved to Paris, where she became known as Lady MacLeod, and performed as a circus horse rider. Struggling to make a living, she took work posing as an artist’s model.

Her career caught fire in 1905, when she began gaining fame for her exotic dancing, and Mata Hari was officially born. Using her knowledge of the cultures she’d studied, Mata Hari blossomed in the entertainment world.

Seductive and flirtatious, Margaretha flaunted her body and captivated audiences. From her fame, she garnered the position of mistress for millionaire Emile Etienne Guimet.

Mata Hari became known as the Java princess of priestly Hindu birth. Pretending to be immersed in the art of sacred Indian dance, she was photographed numerous times nude or nearly nude, which fortunately or unfortunately helped strengthen MacLeod’s argument for keeping custody of their daughter.

Though her provocative style had her shedding clothes left and right, Mata Hari was rarely seen without a jeweled bra. Self-conscious of her small breasts, Margaretha kept the elaborate bra in place. Rumor has it she may have also worn a body stocking as her privates are not visible in photographs where they should be.

Her skill elevated exotic dance to a respectable status and opened new opportunities for entertainment, some which became world renowned in Paris during later years.

Along with her successful dancing career, Mata Hari was an extremely successful courtesan. Her sensuality and erotic nature far outweighed her lack of classic beauty. She was widely sought after by high-ranking military officers, politicians and even nobility. Her liaisons with influential men often took her across international borders.

As World War I approached, her reputation as a free-spirited artist changed to one of a dangerous seductress.

Due to her Dutch residency, Margaretha was able to freely cross national borders. She often travelled between France and the Netherlands by way of Spain and Britain to avoid the battlefields. During such tumultuous times, her travels invariably drew attention.

In 1916, she was arrested when her steamer from Spain made port in Falmouth in England. Brought to London, Margaretha was interrogated at length by Sir Basil Thomson, Assistant Commissioner at New Scotland Yard and in charge of counter-espionage, but she was later released.

Though the full account of the interrogation and her subsequent admission that she’d been working for French Intelligence is in Britain’s National Archives, it’s unclear whether she lied. Perhaps she believed the story made her sound more intriguing. A more traitorous theory is that the French authorities were using her and threw her to the dogs to prevent international embarrassment and backlash.

In January, 1917, messages to Berlin, describing the helpful activities of German spy, code-name H-21, were transmitted by the German military attaché’ in Madrid. French intelligence agents intercepted the messages and identified H-21 as Mata Hari. Oddly, the messages were in a code the German’s already knew the French had broken, leaving many historians to suspect the messages had been contrived and poor Margaretha had been wrongly set up as a double agent.

On February 13, 1917, Mata Hari was arrested in her room at the Hotel Plaza Athenee in Paris. She stood trial, accused of working for Germany and consequently causing the death of at least 50,000 soldiers.

Though French and British intelligence suspected Mata Hari of spying for the Germans, they could not produce any definitive evidence against her. Secret ink found in her room was one of the only incriminating pieces of evidence presented.

 

Despite the slew of letters she wrote to the Dutch Consul in Paris claiming her innocence, Mata Hari was slated for execution by firing squad.

On October 15, 1917, Father Arbaux, two sisters of charity, Captain Bouchardon, and Maitre Clunet, her lawyer, entered her cell in the early morning. Margaretha still slept, calm and untroubled. Gently shaken awake by the sisters, they informed her that her hour had come.

After hastily writing two letters and dressing, Mata Hari was taken from her cell to a waiting automobile. She was whisked through the still sleeping city, the time barely 5:30 AM.

Recreation of Mata Hari's from a movie made in 1920.

They arrived at Caserne de Vincennes, the barracks of the old fort which Germans stormed in 1870. The troops were already drawn up for execution. Twelve Zouaves, forming the firing squad line, stood at ease with their rifles.

When offered the blindfold, Mata Hari replied, “Must I wear that?”

She was allowed to be unblindfolded and unbound. Standing straight with grace and pride, Margaretha faced her executioners.

A sharp command sounded and the twelve men drew to attention. Another command and their rifles were hefted to their shoulders. Each man gazed down the barrel trained on the breast of their target.

She didn’t move, didn’t flinch.

A last command and the volley of shots rang through the morning.

Unlike the dramatic death scenes in the old time movies, Margaretha simply slumped to the ground, settling to her knees, her head always up. It’s said her expression didn’t change and for a fraction of a second she tottered there, gazing at her executioners, before bending at the waist and falling backwards.

A non-commissioned officer drew his revolver and placed the muzzle to her temple and shot, leaving no doubt that Mata Hari was dead.

A double-agent getting her just rewards, or a woman who’s only desire was to live and love large? The famous courtesan certainly fires the imagination of lust and intrigue.

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If you enjoyed Mata Hari, please read my next installment of Pleasure Planet on August 12.

asJaxon Vailsa

If you missed any of our previous posts and would like to catch up, you can purchase the Everything Erotic Volume I , Everything Erotic Volume II , Everything Erotic Volume III , Everything Erotic Volume IV , Everything Erotic Volume V , Everything Erotic Volume VI and Everything Erotic Volume VII anthologies as ebooks for only $2.99 each! Want it in print? Everything Erotic Volumes I-III is now available in paperback for $12.95.

Copyright © Jaxon Vail

Reference: Wikipedia, Femme Fatale, A Biography of Mata Hari by Pat Shipman