Yes...

Posted by Goodsport from adsl-216-102-199-185.dsl.snfc21.pacbell.net on August 14, 1999 at 20:02:42:

In Reply to: Does anyone know anything about the Mata Hari? posted by Brett (Yasim) Lambert on August 14, 1999 at 19:11:05:

: I took out the Young Indy Chronicles soundtrack and on the cover of Volume One there was a sexy girl on the cover. I asked who that was, and he said the Mata Hari, some sort of German spy (she looked like she was from a James Bond movie, not Young Indy!). Does anyone have anymore info on her? Just curious.

Here's her biography, according to the "GURPS Who's Who 1" compendium (page 117):

In 1905, a sensation swept Paris. Mata Hari ("Eye of the Dawn" in Malay), the daughter of a Brahmin and initiate into the rituals of Kandaswami dance, had taken to the stage. Paris loved her. She was invited everywhere, and men fought to pay her way. She packed halls from America to Russia, telling her tales and performing ritual dances.

Or so it was said. Actually, "Mata Hari" was born Margaretha Geertruida Zelle in Leewarden, Holland on Aygust 7, 1876. She knew virtually nothing about ritual dance, but she was clever, strikingly attractive, and very willing to prance on stage in next to nothing. As a teenager, Margaretha answered an advertisement to join a colonial officer in the Dutch East Indies. She ended up marrying Captain Rudolph Macleod and settled in East Java. They had two children, but after one was poisoned, the couple returned tp Holland, fearing for the safety of their remaining child. Macleod soon turned to alcoholism and flagrant womanizing; Margaretha was granted a divorce and set off for Paris.

With no money and no real skills, she had a hard time at first, and tried several ither jobs, including artists' model. Being unsuccessful in her earlier endeavors, she made use of what she could recall of native dancers in Java, adding her momento collection of bangles and bracelets to create her mythical oriental priestess.

She was always taken with men in uniform, and she danced her way into the hearts (and wallets) of many soldiers and statesmen during her tours. Somewhere in this time period, she began to spy for Germany, passinf "pillow talk" along to her controllers. As World War I dawned, she was placed under surveillence. No hard evidence of spying was ever found, but she was exiled to Holland in 1916. There, a trap was set, as the French offered to have her carry information for them as well. In 1917, when she seemed to refer to herself as agent H-21 in a message to a German courier in a code the French knew, she was arrested, tried, and executed for espionage. Since the Germans already knew that code was compromised, it is highly likely they sold her out after discovering her double-agent status.

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Hope that helps! :)

-G

Follow Ups:

Thanks guys, I've learned quite a bit about her! (nm) Brett (Yasim) Lambert 20:33:45 8/14/99 (0)

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: : I took out the Young Indy Chronicles soundtrack and on the cover of Volume One there was a sexy girl on the cover.  I asked who that was, and he said the Mata Hari, some sort of German spy (she looked like she was from a James Bond movie, not Young Indy!).  Does anyone have anymore info on her?  Just curious.

: 
: Here's her biography, according to the "GURPS Who's Who 1" compendium (page 117):

: 
: In 1905, a sensation swept Paris.  Mata Hari ("Eye of the Dawn" in Malay), the daughter of a Brahmin and initiate  into the rituals of Kandaswami dance, had taken to the stage.  Paris loved her.  She was invited everywhere, and men fought to pay her way.  She packed halls from America to Russia, telling her tales and performing ritual dances.

: Or so it was said.  Actually, "Mata Hari" was born Margaretha Geertruida Zelle in Leewarden, Holland on Aygust 7, 1876.  She knew virtually nothing about ritual dance, but she was clever, strikingly attractive, and very willing to prance on stage in next to nothing.  As a teenager, Margaretha answered an advertisement to join a colonial officer in the Dutch East Indies.  She ended up marrying Captain Rudolph Macleod and settled in East Java.  They had two children, but after one was poisoned, the couple returned tp Holland, fearing for the safety of their remaining child.  Macleod soon turned to alcoholism and flagrant womanizing; Margaretha was granted a divorce and set off for Paris.

: With no money and no real skills, she had a hard time at first, and tried several ither jobs, including artists' model.  Being unsuccessful in her earlier endeavors, she made use of what she could recall of native dancers in Java, adding her momento collection of bangles and bracelets to create her mythical oriental priestess.

: She was always taken with men in uniform, and she danced her way into the hearts (and wallets) of many soldiers and statesmen during her tours.  Somewhere in this time period, she began to spy for Germany, passinf "pillow talk" along to her controllers.  As World War I dawned, she was placed under surveillence.  No <i>hard</i> evidence of spying was ever found, but she was exiled to Holland in 1916.  There, a trap was set, as the French offered to have her carry information for them as well.  In 1917, when she seemed to refer to herself as agent H-21 in a message to a German courier in a code the French knew, she was arrested, tried, and executed for espionage.  Since the Germans already knew that code was compromised, it is highly likely they sold her out after discovering her double-agent status.

: -----

: Hope that helps!   :)

: 
: -G

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