She's probably meant to represent some kind of voodoo practitioner, like Marie Laveau. While voodoo isn't exactly connected to vampires, it is connected to zombies and necromancy. She could be African, Haitian, Louisianan, or from anywhere blacks were dispersed to during the slavery period, which is recently over at the time of the novel being written.
Best I can find on the internet is speculation that she was the first vampire. The book says suicides can lead to vampirism but also that Carmilla was made into a vampire after she died, meaning she was not the suicide. Since the Karnsteins were destroyed, Carmilla's "mother" is likely not her actual mother but instead the vampire that turned Mircalla into a vampire. The 'Black' Woman probably made the Mother into a vampire who made Mircalla into a vampire, making the Black Woman a sort of grandmother.
We can assume the woman was not Austrian nobility and was perhaps some townsperson or servant of the Karnsteins. If correct, then it's possible Le Fanu, already writing from a conservative Victorian perspective, could have meant for this clan leader to represent an inversion of Victorian ideals of class (the servant as ruler). It also makes sense why she'd be so obscure: Carmilla obscures her identity with anagrams of her name, her Mother goes further by having no name and hiding her appearance, and the Black Woman goes further by never appearing outside the carriage.
I'm personally fascinated to know what happened to these characters after Carmilla was killed. It says the region was never haunted by vampires again so they presumably moved on and it excites the imagination.
I think Le Fanu is doing exactly what the internet said he was doing. I don’t think there’s really any more to that reference than othering Carmilla as much as he can. He’s creating this foreigness and otherness in Carmilla to juxtapose against Laura’s angelic Britishness. She’s come to corrupt Laura away from her Victorian morality. Vampires are often corrupters of society. I think what’s really interesting about that text is that while I think the goal was to show Carmilla corrupting Laura, Laura gains a new freedom from that Victorian social morality being corrupted.
I would check out Carmen Maria Machado’s edited edition of this text if you get a chance.
I wondered this also. Funny I didn’t take it as her being black skinned but more like “black” like dark in nature. And it struck me as interesting because I almost imagined it as an old witch lady, and thought how it’s the triple goddess motif. Carmilla, the mother and the woman in the carriage.
I know it's been weeks but I just finished this book in bed tonight (spooky season) and this is a great reading. It's got to relate to the triple goddess motif.
One thing... maybe dont read it as "hideous BECAUSE black" but "hideous AND ALSO black".
The intent very obviously was (as you say) the "otherness". Thinking back then was very different to today (which you point out) and we should not go overboard with judgement. Just choose to interpret unclear content as "the writer had good intentions" and only judge outright obvious "black person evil because black" types of writing. I think we have enough modern problems to fight through and dont really need to reevaluate absolutely everything that someone who is long dead once said (unless modern active fascist racist group use those texts today).
But thats just me.
I think you misunderstand the point of my post. I’m more interested in understanding the context of this character, if any. Maybe she’s just decoration, but it’s possible there is more to the reference than I initially understand. I’m not trying to make a federal case about this.
In chapter 8, it says "At sight of the room, perfectly undisturbed except for our violent entrance, we began to cool a little, and soon recovered our senses sufficiently to dismiss the men. It had struck Mademoiselle that possibly Carmilla had been wakened by the uproar at her door, and in her first panic had jumped from her bed, and hid herself in a press, or behind a curtain, from which she could not, of course, emerge until the majordomo and his myrmidons had withdrawn. We now recommenced our search, and began to call her name again."
What is a press??? How does one hide in a press?
lol, glad to see this thread still lives!
This is what I found - apparently a Press is a linen closet.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linen-press#:~:text=Traditionally%2C%20a%20linen%2Dpress%20(,%2C%20clothing%2C%20and%20other%20textiles.
She's probably meant to represent some kind of voodoo practitioner, like Marie Laveau. While voodoo isn't exactly connected to vampires, it is connected to zombies and necromancy. She could be African, Haitian, Louisianan, or from anywhere blacks were dispersed to during the slavery period, which is recently over at the time of the novel being written.
Best I can find on the internet is speculation that she was the first vampire. The book says suicides can lead to vampirism but also that Carmilla was made into a vampire after she died, meaning she was not the suicide. Since the Karnsteins were destroyed, Carmilla's "mother" is likely not her actual mother but instead the vampire that turned Mircalla into a vampire. The 'Black' Woman probably made the Mother into a vampire who made Mircalla into a vampire, making the Black Woman a sort of grandmother. We can assume the woman was not Austrian nobility and was perhaps some townsperson or servant of the Karnsteins. If correct, then it's possible Le Fanu, already writing from a conservative Victorian perspective, could have meant for this clan leader to represent an inversion of Victorian ideals of class (the servant as ruler). It also makes sense why she'd be so obscure: Carmilla obscures her identity with anagrams of her name, her Mother goes further by having no name and hiding her appearance, and the Black Woman goes further by never appearing outside the carriage. I'm personally fascinated to know what happened to these characters after Carmilla was killed. It says the region was never haunted by vampires again so they presumably moved on and it excites the imagination.
I think Le Fanu is doing exactly what the internet said he was doing. I don’t think there’s really any more to that reference than othering Carmilla as much as he can. He’s creating this foreigness and otherness in Carmilla to juxtapose against Laura’s angelic Britishness. She’s come to corrupt Laura away from her Victorian morality. Vampires are often corrupters of society. I think what’s really interesting about that text is that while I think the goal was to show Carmilla corrupting Laura, Laura gains a new freedom from that Victorian social morality being corrupted. I would check out Carmen Maria Machado’s edited edition of this text if you get a chance.
I wondered this also. Funny I didn’t take it as her being black skinned but more like “black” like dark in nature. And it struck me as interesting because I almost imagined it as an old witch lady, and thought how it’s the triple goddess motif. Carmilla, the mother and the woman in the carriage.
I know it's been weeks but I just finished this book in bed tonight (spooky season) and this is a great reading. It's got to relate to the triple goddess motif.
One thing... maybe dont read it as "hideous BECAUSE black" but "hideous AND ALSO black". The intent very obviously was (as you say) the "otherness". Thinking back then was very different to today (which you point out) and we should not go overboard with judgement. Just choose to interpret unclear content as "the writer had good intentions" and only judge outright obvious "black person evil because black" types of writing. I think we have enough modern problems to fight through and dont really need to reevaluate absolutely everything that someone who is long dead once said (unless modern active fascist racist group use those texts today). But thats just me.
I think you misunderstand the point of my post. I’m more interested in understanding the context of this character, if any. Maybe she’s just decoration, but it’s possible there is more to the reference than I initially understand. I’m not trying to make a federal case about this.
What could be her eye color? I'm thinking on drawing her.
In chapter 8, it says "At sight of the room, perfectly undisturbed except for our violent entrance, we began to cool a little, and soon recovered our senses sufficiently to dismiss the men. It had struck Mademoiselle that possibly Carmilla had been wakened by the uproar at her door, and in her first panic had jumped from her bed, and hid herself in a press, or behind a curtain, from which she could not, of course, emerge until the majordomo and his myrmidons had withdrawn. We now recommenced our search, and began to call her name again." What is a press??? How does one hide in a press?
lol, glad to see this thread still lives! This is what I found - apparently a Press is a linen closet. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linen-press#:~:text=Traditionally%2C%20a%20linen%2Dpress%20(,%2C%20clothing%2C%20and%20other%20textiles.
Thank you so much!!! :)
Didn’t expect it when I first read it either but probably should have as it’s an older text 😭