Lucius of Clausa, the Cambion (1694-1698)

Lucius of Clausa, is believed by many to be the best documented case of a cambion (a child born of the union between a human mother and a succubus/incubus) in early modern history.

Magdelan was a young nun, residing in the highly cloistered Saben Abbey in Northern Italy. In January, 1694, Magdelan sought counsel for a reoccurring nightmare. She gave the Abbey's Prioress a detailed account of her lurid dreams in which she said she was visited each night by an androgynous creature, who's “breath is of cedar smoke and eyes burn a pale green.“ She then went on to describe the visitor's cold hands and intimate touch in vivid detail. This information was recorded by the Prioress and remains the first known in depth account of an incubus encounter.

Initially, the Prioress took the matter quite seriously, and had Magdelan sleep under her watchful eye. Under this observation, Magdelan slept fitfully, and each morning, reported the visitor had returned. Because the Prioress saw no evidence of a visitor, holy or unholy, she concluded the visitor was the stuff of nightmares, and urged Magdelan to engage in deep meditation and prayer. This finished the matter until Magdelan appeared before her again, visibly pregnant.

Lucius of Clausa was born 7 months after the nightmares began. Despite this short term, he was of average weight and size. This, however, was where the typical nature of the child ended. Strangely, breath did not enter or escape his body, he had no detectible heart beat, and he did not sleep. Magdelan and her strange child were moved to an isolated section of the abbey, in a locked area of three rooms. There, she no longer had contact with anyone other than the Prioress.

When Lucius was old enough to walk, he began to wander his mother's rooms at night. Gradually, he began to broaden his wanderings, appearing in places beyond his locked doors. When the Prioress awoke one night to see Lucius licking the wick of the kerosene lamp beside her bed, she summoned the Bishop for guidance. Within days the decision was made by the Benedictine Order to end the life of both mother and child.

It was recorded that Magdelan died quickly. The child, however, was far more resilient. He was poisoned 4 times with increasing amounts of hemlock, all to no avail. The fifth attempt involved enough poison to kill several men. Once dead, the child's body deteriorated with unusual rapidity. It is said that his flesh gave way to bones within a week. The Bishop had his bones scattered around the area, as the Order feared that if buried whole, Lucius may restore his human form and walk again. These bones were collected as macabre keepsakes by orphan children who kept them for his protection.