Tales from the Gibbet

'The Bals des Victimes, or victims' balls, were soirees that were said to have been put on by dancing societies after the 'Reign of Terror' during the French Revolution, a period marked by intense violence and mass executions of those considered to be enemies of the Revolution. Following the death of Maximilien Robespierre, one of the architects of The Terror, 'Les Bals des Victimes' emerged as a trend in youth whose relatives had been sent to the guillotine. Twisted by their experience, they established aristocratic, decadent balls open to themselves alone. These soirees were outlandish events in which the participants wore lavish and 'à la mode' finery as an act of mockery and defiance to the dominant regime. The costumes of those who attended these balls incorporated crepe armbands signifying mourning. Women dressed 'à la toilette du condamne', usually signified by a red ribbon tied around their necks at the point of a guillotine blade's impact and hair cut, or worn, high up off the neck.