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A listener note, this episode contains adult content and is not suitable for everyone.

Please be advised. In George DeMarier's 1894 novel Trilby, the title character became completely under the influence of a musician named

Spangali who was able to hypnotize her and transformed the once tone-death woman into a singing sensation.

Although Trilby's music career thrived,

her health began to deteriorate.

When she was not under hypnosis, Trilby did not recall anything about her singing career.

Sven Golly had essentially placed the young woman under his

spell and was able to control everything about her. When Spengali died,

Trilby was lost.

She was found weeks later dead and staring at a picture of her former,

for lack of a better word, master.

The book became a phenomenon,

and soon the name Svengali was being used

as a descriptor for people who appear

to wield power over others, so much so that the person being

manipulated is only serving the so-called Svengale's Needs.

I thought about this word a lot

...