posted
I am trying to come up with a chess set where the white side is the most wonderful champions of justice and good in history, and the black side an infamous group of historical ne'er do wells who have a)been in the thick of events and B) performed atrocities
So far for the evil side, I have come up with this group
King - Hitler Stalin may have killed more people, but Hitler passes him easily in infamy, at least in this part of the world
Bishop - Rasputin I just want to see his wild beard on a chessboard, and of course the fact that he, as a madman, infiltrated and basically ran Russia for years helps.
Knight - Klansman Cavalry Think "Birth of a Nation"
Rook - Impaled Transylvanian A trademark of Vlad the Impaler, who once impaled an entire village of HIS OWN PEOPLE just to frighten away attackers who were approaching. It worked, incidentally.
Pawns - infantry from the various conquering armies in history. This would include all of the axis powers, and then some crusaders, romans, Assyrians, etc.
My dilemma is, I can not think of a historical woman who would be simultaneously be infamous enough to be recognized, and inarguably evil enough to place next to these others. I need Hatrack's help! Who should my Queen be?
Posts: 894 | Registered: Apr 2000
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I thought about Marie Antoinette, but as my father put it, she isn't as much evil as ignorant, stupid, and powerful. I really want someone who is actively evil, and not passively, i.e. the woman who bought thousands upon thousands of pairs of shoes while her people starved to death. I just don't think I could put Marie Antoinette next to Hitler.
Posts: 894 | Registered: Apr 2000
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That website didn't really help me much, since it's mostly obscure people who set the women's rights movement back a decade, not killed people or manipulated others into destroying nations. BTW, I must confess my ignorance as to Borgia. Elizabeth, who was she?
Other possible candidates: Madame Mao (Jiang-Qing)
I guess that's all I've got. I sure wish Madame DeFarge was a real woman!
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Cleopatra...easily recognized, bone-chillingly evil and manipulative. Equal to Rasputin, if not more.
Posts: 515 | Registered: Mar 2004
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I think Helen of Troy and Cleopatra could be entered into the list. Both were the catalyst for much death and destruction mainly in pursuit of their own pleasure or power.
Whistler's mother has caused a lot of pain in art appreciation classes. And it'd look cool to have this woman in a rocking chair as part of your chess set.
Posts: 22497 | Registered: Sep 2000
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Withdrawn. The Blood Countess was pretty bad, I suppose, but a bit obscure. Susan Atkins is evil enough, and has at least some infamy, but she also didn't really have any power. She didn't orchestrate any event larger than her own little "Family." So I'm still not there.
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I guess the big problem is that throughout history women tend to use more "behind the scenes" measures to get their way. They are less likely to come out into the open and commit atrocities. But they can do some pretty haneous (sp?) things in their own right.
Posts: 7050 | Registered: Feb 2004
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They denounce Cosmo, but the graphic ad next to it depicts a tall girl named "sindy" who can't possibly have more than a 6-inch waist. Hilarious.
Lucretia is the illegitimate child of the "Borgia Pope" famous for incest, murder, and corruption. The Prince was written about her family, IIRC.
Posts: 1839 | Registered: May 1999
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What about Bloody Mary? Queen Mary I, that is. Over 300 people were burned at the stake because they weren't Catholic just because she said so. Granted, this isn't as impressive (I use the term very loosely) as Hitler or Stalin, but I think she fits nicely.
Posts: 3852 | Registered: Feb 2002
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I wanna say the woman (Delilah) who cut off Sampsons hair in the bible. But not sure if you can count her as evil or silly. Or if she's too obscure
Posts: 944 | Registered: Jun 2001
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What a pity real people have to be used - Milady from The Three Muskateers would be a good one . . .
Okay - straight from Uppity Women of Medieval Times,by Vivki Leon - the following:
Wu Zhau (grade A concubine, 7th c. China, also gifted with assassination skills) who went from entry-level mistress to Empress through judicious murders and, well - you get the picture
Olga ( 10th c. Russian dame with a penchant for vengeance): live burials, boiling water baths and then your traditional sword and sleges . . . with the revenge of her husband's death accomplished, she then promptly introduced Greek Orthodox Christianity.
Schwarze Hofmannin (15th c. social reformer, credited with saying what fun it wold be to slash the clothes off of over-dressed high society women, visualizing them as a flock of plucked geese)
And so you know why the dominant figure in chess sets has been a Queen, it is in honor of Catherine Sforza (early 16th c. Italian lady)in honor of her martial exploits, many of which ocurred on horseback leading battles even while pregnant. At one time she is reported to have said that the captors of her children could keep them - she could always make more.
There's lots more! Check out the book!
Posts: 5609 | Registered: Jan 2003
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I don't know her name, and I don't know if she's too obscure, but there was a really evil woman in vietname who liked to torture captured GIs by cutting off their privates, thier eyelids, etc..
Posts: 16551 | Registered: Feb 2003
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quote: Bishop - Rasputin I just want to see his wild beard on a chessboard, and of course the fact that he, as a madman, infiltrated and basically ran Russia for years helps.
Doesn't this add an extra dimension to the game? You have to kill the Bishop several times in order to get him off the board. And worse still! There are two of him!
Posts: 8473 | Registered: Apr 2003
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Actually, it'd be invincible until you dunk it in water. So the chessboard will have to have a few squares filled with water to work.
Posts: 332 | Registered: Apr 2003
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Because black is always evil. BrrrrrrbrbrbrbrDDDDUhhhhhhhhhh! One reason I like the Earth Sea Tilogy is because all the main characters are black. Go Ged go!
Posts: 1034 | Registered: Mar 2004
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I've always liked the idea of the white being the chaotic, the evil. (read L.E. Moddesitt's "Magic of Recluce")
Posts: 2102 | Registered: Dec 2000
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