What did Theophile Gautier, Alexandre Dumas and Victor Hugo all have in common?
As any avid historian would be quick to point out, these noted figures of the 19th Century Romantic-movement were all incredibly important names in the world of literature.
What such an individual might not be able to tell you so readily is the fact that these remarkable minds (along with a whole host of other noted figures of the day) also shared a common herbal bond: Their shared love for exploring the properties of cannabis.
A Parisian club for ‘Hashish-Eaters’
Back in the 1840s, a number of like-minded authors, poets, artists and other figures of the Romantic-movement began to gather for a very specific purpose…
In the tireless pursuit of greater knowledge of the world around them, this Romantic ‘dream-team’ would soon enjoy regular chances to sample nature’s miracle herb: Cannabis, on a frequent basis, thanks to the efforts of flatmates Charles Baudelaire and Theophile Gautier, who decided to set up an association dedicated to this pastime: the ‘Club des Hashischins’ – (a club for ‘hashish eaters’) was born.
What happened at the club?
Great minds were drawn from far and wide to gather for monthly séances at the Hotel Lauzun, where the club held its meetings.
Once present, all those in attendance would ritualistically prepare a concoction consisting of hashish, butter, fruit extracts and various spices, which they would then mix with strong thick coffee and consume, before partaking in substantial banquets as the herb’s effects took hold.
The great benefit of having a hashish club consisting of literary heavyweights meant that plenty of written records ended up seeing the light of day, which gives us a window into the goings on at these historic meetings.
Who were the club’s members?
Theophile Gautier
This much-respected figure of the Romantic Movement was a prominent figure in the literary world, who penned ground-breaking poetry, plays, novels and short stories.
On cannabis: “No longer could I feel my body; the bonds between mind and matter were slender”… “It is thus, I would imagine, that spirits, from the aromatic world to which we journey after death, must act.”
Dr. Jacques-Joseph Moreau
As a prominent psychiatrist of his day, Moreau had encountered cannabis in his many travels throughout the Orient – and upon his return to Europe, he sought to continue his studies into this remarkable herb.
Moreau would go down in history as the first well-known physician to produce in-depth studies on the myriad effects of cannabis, including detailed observations of his peers whilst they were partaking in the herb.
Victor Hugo
From ‘Les Miserables’ to ‘The Hunchback of Notre-Dame’, Victor Hugo was a much-respected author and poet, who was so well-loved in his native France that he was granted the posthumous honour of a Pantheon memorial.
Not much is explicitly documented about Hugo’s hash-club exploits, but the very fact that he is recorded as a member is fascinating: The next time you read from the pages of his remarkable works, take a moment to reflect upon the fact that the author might very well have sought herbal inspiration at some point.
Charles Baudelaire
One of the most important members of this group of Romantic super-heroes, Baudelaire defined an era with his innovative, poetic approach to challenging topics like the nature of consciousness, inequality in society, shifting theories on spirituality and the fleeting nature of life in the grand scheme of things.
Such a thinker would be naturally drawn to write about his experiences and observations on marijuana, among other substances: In fact, whilst he was known to be a bit of a critic when it came to hashish, the substance nonetheless served as an inspiring component which allowed him to create one of his greatest works: ‘Les Paradis Artificiels’ (‘Artificial Paradises’), as his observations of his peers’ experiences found its way into vivid descriptions of numerous mind-altering substances.
Alexandre Dumas
As one of the group’s most enthusiastic members, this legendary author, famous for penning classics like ‘The Count of Monte Cristo’, ‘The Three Musketeers’ and ‘Twenty Years After’, was known to love indulging in a spot of hashish down at the club.
Dumas included numerous references to cannabis in his works, including this excerpt, from ‘The Count of Monte Cristo’.
“When you return to this mundane sphere from your visionary world, you would seem to leave a Neapolitan spring for a Lapland winter – to quit paradise for earth – heaven for hell! Taste the hashish, guest of mine – taste the hashish!”
