Seers and fortune tellers: Contacting the supernatural

An article published in the paper of the Belgian fairground union reported that in 1908 no fewer than 25 somnambules or 'sleepwalkers' — a common synonym at the time for fortune tellers and clairvoyants — were active at the Antwerp fair. Competition among these occult performers was fierce, especially at large urban fairs in cities like Ghent, Antwerp, and Bruges. To stand out amongst the many other fairground performers, fortune tellers had to find creative ways to distinguish themselves. They faced the dual challenge of promoting their talents and legitimizing their practices in an environment marked by both skepticism and fascination.

One recurring act on Flemish fairgrounds was the Dutch father-daughter duo Professor Mullens and his daughter. Hendricus Phillipus Mullens and his daughter Johanna Hendrika Mullens performed together in their so-called Royal Theatre and embraced a decidedly occult branding in their advertising. Their flyers sought to capture the public's attention with bold headlines proclaiming Spiritism and Somnambulism: terms carefully chosen to tap into the widespread interest in all things spiritual and supernatural.

Between 1850 and 1910, spiritism — or spiritualism — developed into a full-blown craze across Europe and the United States. This occult belief system held that human souls live on after death as spirits, and that certain gifted individuals — mediums — could communicate with them. Enthusiastic followers established dedicated associations throughout the Western world, including in Belgium and the Netherlands. They organized experiments with mediums and hosted séances in countless parlours, where family members hoped to receive messages from departed loved ones.

Closely linked to spiritism was somnambulism, though it had its roots in magnetism — an alternative occult healing practice dating back to the eighteenth century. Magnetism and somnambulism are often seen as precursors to spiritism. Magnetiseurs would induce a trance-like sleep state in somnambules — individuals thought to be especially sensitive to hypnosis. In this altered state, they were believed to possess clairvoyant abilities, such as predicting the future or diagnosing illness. The blend of medical promise and supernatural allure made somnambulism a popular attraction at fairs, in theatres, and during private performances for the upper middle classes.

Although Johanna Mullens did not summon spirits like a traditional medium, instead focusing on standard fortune telling, she nonetheless managed to cultivate an aura of mystery. In their advertising, the Mullens family cleverly tapped into the era's widespread fascination with occult movements. Their flyers even explicitly stated that their act had 'not the slightest connection' with 'horoscopes, planets, fortune telling, or anything of that sort', a disclaimer that paradoxically bolstered their credibility. Around the turn of the century, occult beliefs such as spiritism and somnambulism were being taken seriously in intellectual circles as potential forms of supernatural contact, whereas astrology and fortune telling were increasingly dismissed as outdated amusements best left to the fairground.

To further enhance their reputation, Professor Mullens and Johanna claimed royal endorsement. Their promotional material proudly stated that the somnambule had performed for both the Dutch and Belgian royal families; and that she possessed a treasured keepsake: an album of autographs from various monarchs, available for visitors to admire. By holding fast to their occult-tinged image, the Mullens family managed to maintain a steady presence at both large and small fairs across Belgium and the Netherlands. After the death of Professor Mullens in 1898, Johanna continued her career alongside her husband, who stepped into the role of 'Professor' under the name Salvator.

Madame Mercédes was another savvy self-promoter, though she took a different path. Her flyers featured keywords like 'Hypnotism' and 'Phrenology' — popular pseudoscientific concepts of the time. Hypnosis was perceived as both a medical technique and a captivating spectacle, while phrenology claimed that the shape of a person's skull could reveal insights into their character. By framing her act in these terms, Mercédes boldly leaned into the language of science.

She presented herself as a 'certified somnambule' and claimed membership in various 'learned societies'. Her practice, which promised to uncover the past, present, and 'dark future', was positioned in line with the work of Jean-Martin Charcot, the renowned French physician who gave public lectures on hysteria and hypnosis at the Salpêtrière hospital in Paris.

With her 'entirely scientific system', Mercédes tapped into the growing public fascination with science in popular entertainment. This was a period marked by rapid progress and innovation, in which scientific discoveries and experiments were beginning to captivate mass audiences. Local fairs became vibrant venues where people encountered scientific knowledge in thrilling and accessible ways through demonstrations and stage shows.

Mercédes's bold claims catered to the curiosity of a public eager to explore the unknown. Her actual performances likely resembled those of the Mullens family, just wrapped in a different, more scientific guise. Very little is known about Mercédes's personal life. When fairground performers used only stage names in their advertising and left no other traces, it becomes almost impossible to uncover their true identities.

Blanche Mercier, better known by her stage name Blanche de Paunac, performed alongside her husband Professor Malvano (Jean Laffargue) as part of the famed Théâtre Opitz. Unlike most fortune tellers, Blanche was not a solo act. Though she featured prominently on the show's posters, she was part of a full evening programme that showcased technological and scientific innovations: X-ray demonstrations, telegraphy, and, as a grand finale, a screening with the cinematograph.

Opitz's show cultivated a sense of wonder by highlighting invisible forces: rays that revealed skeletons, messages sent through the air, and the marvel of moving images. Within this framework, Blanche's supernatural abilities seemed entirely at home. She styled herself as a 'voyante', and her act leaned more toward mentalism than traditional fortune telling. In the context of the innovative Théâtre Opitz, her performance likely carried fewer of the suspicions typically associated with figures like Johanna or Mercédes.

Blanche even caught the attention of the local spiritist movement, despite never using the term spiritism on her promotional flyers — a notable contrast with the other performers. The spiritist circle of Liège, a group devoted to séances and communication with the beyond, wrote enthusiastically about her performances at the city's October fair in their journal. These accounts provide a more detailed glimpse into Blanche's act than her own publicity materials.

A typical performance involved Blanche being blindfolded by Malvano before sitting with her back to the audience. She would then describe objects held by audience members, accurately name individuals, and recount the locations and activities of distant friends and relatives, all to the amazement and delight of the crowd. Still blindfolded, she would then move through the audience, responding to mental commands issued by Malvano or members of the crowd. Her act centred on thought transmission, with newspapers marvelling at the speed and precision of her responses. The Belgian press, both spiritist and mainstream, was effusive in its praise of her seemingly supernatural abilities.

In the nineteenth century, fortune tellers were far more than women delivering vague predictions in shadowy tents. They were entrepreneurs navigating the competitive world of the fairground and the social stigma surrounding their craft. Each forged a distinct path into the entertainment culture of nineteenth-century Belgium: Johanna embraced mystery, Mercédes evoked science, and Blanche fused mysticism with technology.

Though fortune tellers are now a rare sight at the fairground, their legacy lives on in modern entertainment. From television shows about psychic powers to tarot apps on smartphones, the desire for glimpses into the future and contact with the supernatural persist. The fortune teller may have traded her crystal ball for a screen, but the enchantment and the yearning for answers to life's great questions remain as powerful as ever.