Draft:Emil the Terrible

Emil the Terrible (Emil den Hemske) was a Swedish nobleman who lived somewhere between 1750 and 1875, though no birth or death certificates have ever been found. His influence stretches far beyond art and mythology, even if he might be fictional.

Birth and Early Life

Not much is known about his childhood, as the period when he is rumored to have lived spans so much history. However, a few facts are clear. He was born into the royal Stiernborg family; his father, Theodore Stiernborg, belonged to the more rural branch of the family, and his mother, Vivienne Stiernborg (née de la Montagne), came from the French side. Vivienne was forced to marry Theodore, her second cousin, due to her father’s drinking. The Stiernborgs held immense power over the Nordic countries, yet remained somewhat obscure throughout most of their history.

It is very probable that Emil was beaten as a child by his mother, who was resentful of her arranged marriage. He grew up in relative isolation, visited only by priests from both the Catholic Church and the Church of Sweden in an attempt to convert him. However, due to his mother’s iron grip on his life, he began practicing Catholicism after his tenth birthday. The presence of priests may have been one of the reasons he did not act upon the dark fantasies he described in his diary:

"Dinner was dull this eve. Everyone did act so proper, and Vivienne, mine mother, appeared most beautiful yet weary. I could not help but muse upon how delightful it would be to whisk her away into the dark woods beyond the manor. I envisioned peeling back the layers of her existence, yearning to tear out her very guts, to dance in the moonlight and burn her body..."

That entry was made sometime when he was fifteen. Around that time, he also began abusing alcohol, as his maternal grandfather had. When his father discovered this, he was outraged, being an avid teetotaler, and sent the young Emil to a monastery to instill morals. This, however, only led to the boy's mental decline, and he was subsequently sent to a sanatorium. When he returned, his mother had grown cold and would not look him in the eyes. The following is an entry made by him:

"As I stood over her, a strange calm washed over me. Vivienne, mine mother, lay still, her once-vibrant eyes dimming as life ebbed away. The warmth of her body faded, and I beheld disbelief flicker in her gaze. In that moment, exhilaration surged through me—pure power. I felt satisfaction as her breath grew shallow. Each gasp echoed in mine mind, a symphony of release. The struggle in her eyes turned to stillness, and I reveled in it. The world faded; it was just we, entwined in this dark dance. I had seized control in a way I never thought possible. Her life slipped away, taking with it the constraints of mine childhood—the expectations, the burdens. In her final moments, I felt liberated. As the last flicker of life left her gaze, I could but smile, knowing I had severed the ties that bound me to her, finally becoming mine own master."

As his diary entries were undated, it is impossible to establish a date of death for Vivienne. He soon also murdered his father, who had been away inspecting their other properties:

"I have done it; I am now in complete control... I am free. I will soon bury them, even if they do not deserve it..."

After the Murders After he had committed the murders of his parents, he buried their bodies and their legacy. The priests who once visited the manor monthly were banned from the property, and Emil began isolating himself from his servants, who still held immense loyalty to the Stiernborgs.

Korpdal

One event that has immortalized Emil Stiernborg in folklore was the string of murders in the neighboring town of Korpdal. The picturesque village had always been loyal to the Stiernborg family, often supplying them with food and drink to last the winter, sometimes at their own expense. Around four to six years after the murder of his parents, Emil became increasingly extroverted, almost relocating to the nearby town. However, this was all a ruse to get closer to the townspeople, learning their routines and daily schedules.

A few months later, town records reported that people began disappearing in large numbers, their bodies appearing days later floating in the creek running through the village. By the fifth day of these killings, a baby vanished, and suspicion quickly fell upon Stiernborg. A riot ensued, during which an eyewitness recalled, "The sky darkened, and I heard screams. I fell and was pulled to safety by a mother who thought I was her son. I saw her disappear..."

Death

As no death certificate has been found, there is only speculation about his death and when it might have occurred, though it is thought impossible for him to have lived beyond 1875.

In Popular Culture

Because of the massacre in Korpdal, Emil Stiernborg has been immortalized in popular culture, with characters such as Count Dracula and Nosferatu said to be inspired by him. Some reports even claim that modern-day murderers honor Stiernborg with sacrifices.