Edward Mordrake: Real or Fake?

The tale of Edward Mordrake is one of the most disturbing and fascinating legends in medical history. According to the story, Mordrake was a 19th-century English nobleman born with a second face on the back of his head — a face that could allegedly whisper, laugh, and cry on its own. But after more than a century of retelling, what does the evidence actually show? Is the story of Edward Mordrake real or fake?

The Legend of Edward Mordrake

The story, as commonly told, goes like this: Edward Mordrake was born into English nobility, heir to a peerage. He was said to be remarkably handsome, talented, and intelligent — a gifted musician and scholar. However, he suffered from a terrible condition: a second face on the back of his head.

According to the legend, this parasitic face could not eat or speak aloud, but it could laugh and cry. Mordrake reportedly claimed that the face would whisper "things only heard in hell" to him at night, keeping him awake with its incessant evil murmuring.

The story claims that Mordrake begged doctors to remove the "demon face," but no surgeon would attempt the operation. Eventually, driven mad by his condition, Mordrake allegedly took his own life at age 23, leaving a note requesting that the "demon face" be destroyed before his burial "lest it continues its dreadful whisperings in my grave."

Tracing the Original Source

The earliest known published reference to Edward Mordrake appears in an 1895 article in the Boston Post newspaper. The article was later reprinted in the 1896 book "Anomalies and Curiosities of Medicine" by George M. Gould and Walter L. Pyle.

However, critical examination of this source reveals significant problems:

• The Boston Post article was published in a section known for sensationalized and fictional stories
• The article cited a fictional source: "lay ye laye of ye two-headed man" from the "Royal Scientific Society"
• No birth records, death certificates, or contemporary accounts of Edward Mordrake have ever been found
• No English peerage matches the name "Mordrake" during the alleged time period
• The "Royal Scientific Society" reference doesn't correspond to any known institution

Could It Be Medically Possible?

While the specific Mordrake story appears fictional, the general concept of a parasitic twin face is not entirely outside the realm of medical possibility. There are real conditions that might explain such legends:

Craniopagus Parasiticus

This is an extremely rare condition where a parasitic twin head is attached to the head of a developed twin. Only about ten cases have been documented in medical literature. However, in these real cases:

• The parasitic head does not have independent consciousness or emotions
• It cannot laugh, cry, or whisper independently
• It is essentially a mass of tissue that may include some facial features
• It does not communicate or express malevolent intentions

Diprosopus (Craniofacial Duplication)

This condition involves the duplication of facial features on a single head. While extremely rare, documented cases show duplicated features (eyes, noses, mouths) but never an independently functioning or conscious second face.

The Key Medical Impossibility

The story's claim that the second face could independently laugh, cry, and whisper "things only heard in hell" is medically impossible. A parasitic twin structure lacks the neural development, consciousness, and cognitive function necessary for independent emotional expression or speech. This detail firmly places the Mordrake story in the realm of fiction.

Why the Legend Persists

Despite being almost certainly fictional, the Edward Mordrake story has endured for over 125 years. Several factors explain its longevity:

• Gothic horror appeal: The story perfectly fits the 19th-century genre of gothic horror literature
• Medical curiosity: People are naturally fascinated by rare medical conditions
• The Gould and Pyle book: By including the story in what appeared to be a legitimate medical reference work, the authors lent it an air of credibility
• Pop culture: The story has been featured in American Horror Story (Season 4), numerous books, and countless internet articles, each retelling adding to its perceived legitimacy
• Emotional resonance: The tale touches on universal fears of being trapped, of inner demons made manifest, and of suffering that no one can relieve

Similar Medical Myths and Hoaxes

The Mordrake story is part of a broader tradition of sensationalized medical myths from the 19th century, including:

• The Two-Headed Boy of Bengal: Unlike Mordrake, this was a real case of craniopagus parasiticus documented in 1783
• Pasqual Pinon: A Mexican sideshow performer in the early 1900s who appeared to have two heads — the second was actually a large cyst topped with a wax face
• Chang and Eng Bunker: Real conjoined twins whose fame spawned many fictional imitations and exaggerated stories

The Investigation Summary

Claim	Evidence	Verdict
Edward Mordrake existed	No birth/death records, no peerage records	Unverified
He had a second face	Medically possible but no documentation	Unverified
The face could whisper and cry	Medically impossible	False
He committed suicide at 23	No death records found	Unverified
The source is a medical text	Source traced to fictional newspaper article	False

Our Verdict

The story of Edward Mordrake is almost certainly fake. It originates from a sensationalized 1895 newspaper article with fictional citations. No independent evidence — birth records, death certificates, medical documents, peerage records, or contemporary accounts — has ever been found to corroborate any part of the story.

While conditions like craniopagus parasiticus are real, the specific supernatural details of the Mordrake legend (a whispering, emotionally expressive second face) are medically impossible. The story is best understood as a piece of creative Victorian-era horror fiction that was mistakenly treated as medical fact. Like Mel's Hole, it shows how compelling storytelling can create enduring myths that people believe for decades. For more fact-checking, see if Father Christmas is real or fake.