What is the connection between Hannibal Lecter and Lithuania?

If you are a fan of the thriller novels and movies featuring Hannibal Lecter, the notorious serial killer and cannibal, you might be curious about his origins and background. In this blog post, we will explore the connection between Hannibal Lecter and Lithuania, the small Baltic country where he was born and spent his early childhood.

Hannibal Lecter’s Lithuanian roots were revealed by Thomas Harris, the author of the novels that introduced Lecter to the world, in his 2006 prequel Hannibal Rising. In this book, Harris traces Lecter’s life from his birth in 1933 to his escape to France in 1949. According to Harris, Lecter was born into a wealthy and noble family that owned a castle in the Lithuanian countryside. His father, Count Lecter, was a descendant of Hannibal the Grim, a legendary Lithuanian warlord who fought against the Teutonic Knights in the 15th century. His mother, Simonetta Sforza-Lecter, was an Italian aristocrat whose ancestors ruled Milan for over two centuries.

Lecter’s idyllic childhood was shattered by the outbreak of World War II, which brought devastation and violence to Lithuania. In 1941, when Lecter was eight years old, his family fled their castle to hide in a hunting lodge in the forest, hoping to avoid the Nazi invasion. However, they were caught in the crossfire of a Soviet-Nazi skirmish, which killed Lecter’s parents and left him and his younger sister Mischa alone and vulnerable. Soon after, they were captured by a group of former Nazi collaborators who were scavenging for food and valuables. The group, led by a man named Grutas, decided to cannibalize Mischa and force Lecter to watch. This traumatic event marked Lecter’s psyche and triggered his later obsession with cannibalism.

Lecter managed to survive and escape from his captors, but he was left alone and traumatized in the war-torn country. He was eventually found by a Soviet orphanage, where he suffered more abuse and violence. He learned to speak Russian and became adept at hiding his emotions and intelligence. He also developed a keen interest in medicine and anatomy, which he used to exact revenge on one of his tormentors at the orphanage.

In 1949, Lecter’s uncle Robert, who had been living in France, came to Lithuania to claim his nephew after learning of his existence. Robert was also a descendant of Hannibal the Grim and the last surviving member of the Lecter family. He took Lecter to his home in Paris, where he introduced him to his wife Murasaki, a Japanese lady who taught Lecter about art and culture. Lecter also enrolled in medical school, where he excelled in his studies and became a brilliant young doctor.

However, Lecter’s past haunted him and drove him to seek vengeance against Grutas and his gang, who had escaped justice and were living under false identities in various European countries. Lecter tracked them down one by one and killed them in gruesome ways, often consuming parts of their bodies. He also developed a taste for human flesh and became fascinated by the psychology of serial killers. He eventually attracted the attention of Inspector Popil, a French detective who was investigating the murders of Grutas’ gang. Popil suspected Lecter’s involvement but lacked sufficient evidence to arrest him.

Lecter’s killing spree ended when he confronted Grutas for the last time at his castle in Lithuania. There, he learned that Grutas had kept Mischa’s remains as a trophy and that he had also eaten part of her. Lecter killed Grutas in a brutal fight and burned down the castle with Mischa’s remains inside. He then returned to France with Murasaki, who had helped him find Grutas but was horrified by his actions. Murasaki rejected Lecter’s love and urged him to turn himself in to Popil. However, Lecter refused and fled to Canada, where he assumed a new identity as Dr. Fell.

From there, Lecter’s story continued in Harris’ other novels: Red Dragon (1981), The Silence of the Lambs (1988), and Hannibal (1999), which chronicle his encounters with FBI agents Will Graham and Clarice Starling, who seek his help to catch other serial killers while trying to apprehend him as well. In these novels, Lecter is portrayed as a refined and cultured man who enjoys fine art, music, literature, and cuisine. He is also a master manipulator who plays mind games with his pursuers and victims. He is often referred to as Hannibal the Cannibal or The Chesapeake Ripper by the media.

Hannibal Lecter is one of the most iconic and influential villains in modern fiction. He has been portrayed by several actors in various adaptations of Harris’ novels, most notably by Anthony Hopkins, who won an Oscar for his performance in The Silence of the Lambs (1991). He was also played by Brian Cox in Manhunter (1986), Gaspard Ulliel in Hannibal Rising (2007), and Mads Mikkelsen in the TV series Hannibal (2013-2015). Lecter has been ranked as one of the greatest villains in American cinema by the American Film Institute and one of the greatest characters of the last 20 years by Entertainment Weekly.

Hannibal Lecter’s connection to Lithuania is an interesting and surprising aspect of his character. It adds depth and complexity to his backstory and motivations, as well as a historical and cultural dimension to his personality. It also shows how a small and seemingly insignificant country can produce a larger-than-life figure who captivates the imagination of millions of readers and viewers around the world.

Sources:

[1] Harris, T. (2006). Hannibal Rising. New York: Delacorte Press.

[2] American Film Institute. (2003). AFI’s 100 Years…100 Heroes & Villains. Retrieved from https://www.afi.com/afis-100-years-100-heroes-villains/

[3] Entertainment Weekly. (2010). The 100 Greatest Characters of the Last 20 Years: Here’s our full list!. Retrieved from https://ew.com/gallery/100-greatest-characters-last-20-years-full-list/

[4] Rolling Stone. (2019). The 50 Best TV Villains of All Time. Retrieved from https://www.rollingstone.com/tv/tv-lists/best-tv-villains-of-all-time-867892/

[5] Local Life. (2017). Silence of the Lithuanian Lambs. Retrieved from https://www.local-life.com/vilnius/articles/count-hannibal-lecter

[6] Wikipedia. (2021). Hannibal Lecter. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hannibal_Lecter

[7] Culture Trip. (2018). 12 Famous People You Had No Idea Were Lithuanian. Retrieved from https://theculturetrip.com/europe/lithuania/articles/12-famous-people-you-had-no-idea-were-lithuanian

[8] CharacTour. (n.d.). Hannibal Lecter from The Silence of the Lambs. Retrieved from https://www.charactour.com/hub/characters/view/Hannibal-Lecter.The-Silence-of-the-Lambs

[9] Looper. (2020). Hannibal Lecter’s Backstory Explained. Retrieved from https://www.looper.com/166914/hannibal-lecters-backstory-explained/