Mata Hari

Margaretha Geertruida MacLeod (née Zelle; 7 August 1876 – 15 October 1917), better known by the stage name Mata Hari; Indonesian for 'sun', lit. 'eye of the day'), was a Dutch exotic dancer and courtesan who was convicted of being a spy for Germany during World War I. She was executed by firing squad in France. The idea of a beautiful exotic dancer using her powers of seduction as a spy made her name synonymous with the femme fatale. Her story has inspired books, films, and other works.

Quotes

• Harlot, yes! But traitoress, never!
  • At her trial. Quoted in Bill Hoffmann, "Mata Hari Heads Off", the New York Post (14 July 2000)

• Quelle étrange coutume des Français que d'exécuter les gens à l'aube!
  • What a strange custom of the French to execute people at dawn!
  • Before her execution. Quoted in Michel Klen, Femmes de guerre: une histoire millénaire (Paris: Ellipses, 2010), p. 266

External links

• Encyclopedic article on Mata Hari on Wikipedia