 Allan Kardec
ALLAN KARDEC, whose real name was HIPPOLYTE LÉON DENIZARD RIVAIL,
was born in Lyon, France on 3rd October, 1804 into a family who for many
generations had been either lawyers or magistrates. He was an
intelligent child and was taught high principles of honour and moral by
his parents. At an early age he showed strong inclinations towards the
sciences and philosophy. When he was ten years of age he was sent to the
Institute of Pestalozzi at Yverdun in Switzerland, where he soon
acquired the habit of investigation and learnt the art of freethinking.
At the age of fourteen he began to give free lessons to schoolmates who
were less advanced. On occasion Rivail was asked by Pestalozzi to teach
officially in his absence, due to his natural ability in this field. He
became a fervent disciple of Pestalozzi and was much loved by the great
man.
In 1822 at the age of eighteen, Hippolyte returned to France. A year
later he took up residence in Paris and in 1824 published his first book
entitled: 'A Theoretical & Practical Arithmetic Course'. This was so
successful that it continued to be reprinted till as late as 1876. He
had an instinct for methodology and this was only the beginning, for he
was to publish many other books on varying subjects including 'A
Classical Grammar of the French Language' (1829). The French University
adopted some of these books and their sale rendered him a sufficient
income to live on, while he continued to give free lessons to
schoolchildren. He taught Chemistry, Mathematics, Astronomy, Physics,
Rhetoric, Comparative Anatomy and Physiology. He spoke fluent Italian
and Spanish, had a profound knowledge of German, English and Dutch, with
some knowledge of Latin, Greek and Gaelic. He also translated a number
of books, choosing those that he liked best. These included several by Fénelon, which he translated into German.
 Amélie Gabrielle Boudet
He married Amélie Gabrielle Boudet on 6th February 1832. She was nine
years his senior, a writer, teacher of fine arts, poetess and artist.
She was a perfect companion and helper, being dedicated and
uncomplaining. She played an important part in all her husband's
activities and sustained him through many financial difficulties
encountered during his life, and greatly assisted him in his teaching.
This extraordinary man could have become renowned and wealthy through
his various talents, but this was not to be. He was a man with a
mission! Between 1848 and 1850 an explosion of spirit phenomena occurred
in America and even more strongly in Europe. In the last book of the
codification 'Posthumous Works' published by Amélie, Kardec had written:
"It was in 1854 that I heard about 'Table-turning' for the first time".
His friend Mr Fortier brought him the initial news of these
extraordinary happenings: "The tables also talk!" Kardec's reply to this
was: "I will only believe when I see it and when it can be proved to me
that a table has a brain which can think, nerves to feel with and can
also become somnambulic. Until then, allow me to see nothing more than
fantasy in these stories!" He had always been a disbeliever of such
things as ghosts.
After various encounters with Mr Forties, in 1855 he was finally
persuaded to attend a seance and his curiosity was aroused. He then
became a frequent visitor at the seances held in the house of a certain
Mr Bauhin. It was in fact here that he began his studies and research.
He was never to become a medium, but become quite intuitive. On 30th
April 1856 a medium in his group received the first indications of his
mission from Spirit. His wife always accompanied him to all the meetings
and eventually became his secretary, upholding him in every aspect of
his work. He adopted the 'nom de plume' of Allan Kardec at the
suggestion of Spirit, so that the works of the codification should not
be confused with his own works. The first book of the codification (The
Spirits' Book) was published in 1857. That same year he also began
meetings in his own home. A year later he founded 'The Parisian Society
for Spiritist Studies'.
 Kardec's tomb (dolman) in Paris
The few remaining years of his life were dedicated to his work, the
completion of the Codification, and to lecturing on Spiritism and its
philosophy. He also made exhaustive journeys in order to take the word
to as many places as possible, all of which he completed at his own
expense. In 1867 he met Léon Denis, who became his disciple, and later
published a series of classic works on Spiritism.
On March 31st, 1869, having just finished drawing up the constitution
and rules of a new society that he planned to form, while seated in his
usual chair at his study-table in the Rue Sainte Anne, in the act of
tying up a bundle of papers, his busy life was suddenly brought to an
end. The passing from Earth into the Spiritual World was instantaneous,
a peaceful falling asleep - a fitting end to a life well lived. But
although the physical man is no longer with us he lives on in Spirit,
continuing his work by inspiring, stimulating and encouraging us to
continue our search for knowledge. |
ALLAN KARDEC STUDY GROUP-UK
