Introduction The current work started from an interest close to stubbornness, of better understanding the work and thoughts of the successors of Kardec. After some searches, unsuccessful, in the books by Gabriel Delanne published in Portuguese (also kept on sale because of a dedication, also close to stubbornness, of FEB), we conclude that, unfortunately, they don’t have a preface nor an introduction a la “The  New  Revelation”  by  Arthur Conan

Doyle and benefit the reader, who more than just read, he wishes to know better who wrote and the context where the book was inserted. This sort of presentation is, in our humble opinion, primordial to the classic works of Spiritism.

After searching in Spiritist and non-Spiritist libraries, in stores specialized in used books, we found in the great library of FEB, located at Passos avenue, the book by Regnault and Bodier, which was the cornerstone for this work. The man who attended us, maybe worried about the sales, commented with his demanding customer who wanted a book in a better condition: “This book is almost out of print ...” We are not able to appreciate whether its information is accurate, since it was a second issue, printed, according to the dates, in less than two years, but maybe it comes to show the role performed by Gabriel Delanne in the spreading of most lecturers nowadays.  

Knowing the work and struggle of the early workers, urgent necessity of the Spiritist who preach in Brazil, is a matter of identity, so important these days. With this intent we bring the current work, we may lack in depth, mainly if compared to Regnault and Bodier, our main source, but we want to arouse the curiosity, looking to spreading the word.  

Parents and childhood

Many of biographies we have read show, hardly ever, names and professions of the parents of the person in question, revealing some importance that the family might have had for him, and then, never to mentioned again. As for Gabriel Delanne, this procedure would be unforgivable, since his parents were paramount in his personal and Spiritist story.

Alexandre Delanne, Gabriel’s father, was a business representative who owned a store of hygiene articles in France. His interest for Spiritism was awakened in one of his trips to Caen at “Cafe de Grand Balcon”, when he heard a conversation between two men and mocked the one who took Spiritist position. This one, instead of getting mad, gave him an overall explanation of Kardec’s work and recommended the books published by the Compiler. Intrigued, Delanne, father, commented the happening with his wife, Marie Alexandrine Didelot, who told him to read the books. In a little while he had already read “The Spirits’ Book” and “The Mediums’ Book”, he also set an appointment with Mr. Allan Kardec, and Mrs. Delanne psychographed her first message, in the Compiler’s group, where we could read three words: “Believe, Pray and Wait”.  

A group was established at Delanne’s, who ran it earnestly, and never accepted any sort of donation, despite being poor. Many were the phenomena and meetings that took place among the inhabitants of the two plans. An episode who Delanne, father, brought up, later on, was the communication of Cardinal Lambrusquini, obtained through Mrs. Potet, written in Piedmontese, unknown to the members of the group and recognized by two visitors. On the following day, Mrs. Delanne would serve as an instrument between the visitors and his acquaintance. The cardinal answered the questions that were mentally asked, registered in a piece of paper, so that they could keep track of the communications.  

In this environment lived François-Marie Gabriel Delanne (1857-1926) his childhood and adolescence. He lived close to diverse mediumistic faculties from his own mother and the mediums who attended his house. A sign of his connection to Spiritism since early was an episode in which he replaced his father in the meeting, aged eight, explaining what was necessary to the people who took part of it. (WANTUIL, 1980. p. 315.)  

The bond between him and his family was intense. He later dedicated his “L’Évolution Animique” to his aunt Annette Delanne, “to thank her tenderness throughout my childhood”. His relation with Allan Kardec was also meaningful. Wantuil (1980, p. 316) says that Kardec treated him as he were his grandson. Gabriel Delanne dedicated the book “The Spiritist Phenomenon” with the following: “To the immortal soul of my dear master Allan Kardec I dedicate this book, work of one of his most obscure, but sincere admirers.”  

Delanne didn’t get married and, even away, always kept in touch with his family. In 1905, he adopted the girl Suzanne Rabotin, seven-month old, who kept his company till his death.  

Professional history

Delanne started his studies at Cluny College, moving on to Gray College, being accepted, in 1876, at Central School of Arts and Manufactures, which he left one year later. Regnault says that his dropping out of studies was due to Gabriel’s financial condition. He was accepted, as an engineer, at Company of Compressed Air and Electricity Popp, where he worked until 1892. Because of this job some authors referred to Gabriel Delanne as an engineer. Later on, Delanne worked, for some years, as a business representative, until 1896. After this date he dedicated entirely to Spiritism. Delanne had health problems that worsened as time went by. In childhood, he was blind of an eye due to an abscess. In the 90’s, his ataxia could be seen when he walked, and because of that, in 1906, he started walking with two crutches. 

Public Man of the Spiritist Movement

During the celebrations – in 1880 – of Kardec’s disincarnating, Delanne made a speech at his tomb, at Père Lachaise, where he exposed, among other ideas, the opinion that Allan Kardec didn’t bring in any cult, he adopted the Christian morals and there were many things yet to be studied, like the relation between the Spiritual world and ours.  

Two years later, would be created, with his participation, the French Spiritist Union. In a curious episode, Delanne receives from Mrs. Elisabeth D’Esperance, medium which faculties made her known until today, around 5,000 francs to publish a Spiritist journal. Like this started “Le Spiritisme”, in which Delanne takes the role of general manager. The first issue was published in March. Lantier says that Delanne was a careful writer and rejected articles from friends who didn’t live up to the rigours of science. Regnault cited an excerpt of a speech that expressed the basis in which Delanne took to his practice: demonstrate that Spiritism is compatible with Science and spread it widely, so that it would not be reduced to elite of scientists and scholars.  

Even the scathing Dumas (1890) recognizes his efforts to show the scientific bases of Spiritism. In 1883, Delanne gets involved in a public debate with Guerin, where the topic is the incarnation of Jesus Christ. Delanne’s position is that Jesus didn’t possess any special nature, although he had extreme intelligence and evolution. Two years later, he published the first of many books we will comment later. In 1885, he was elected vice-president of the French Spiritist Union and, the five following years, he spoke in several conferences. The decade of 90 had the return of many of his relatives to the spiritual world. In 92, his brother Ernesto passed away; two years later, his mother and, in 1901, Alexandre Delanne, his father and companion of activities in the Spiritist movement.  

A new magazine was founded with the financial backing of Jean Meyer: the Scientific and Moral Magazine of Spiritism (1896). In 1898 took place the celebrations for the 50th anniversary of Spiritism, in which had its beginning considered since the phenomena from Hydesville, with two public conferences: Léon Denis and Gabriel Delanne. On the following year, we have the creation of another Spiritist organ in France: the French Society of Psychic Phenomena. We highlight the absence of the word Spiritist in the name of this society. Despite this, Regnault and Bodier say that the work, in this society, was widely influenced by Kardec and many others became Spiritist. Delanne took the role of vice-president.  

He started making public conferences on Tuesday evenings, at the Society, about the phenomena of Spiritism. At this time, he accepted invitations to lecture in Paris and all over France. Gabriel Delanne’s participation in international congresses was active. He took part of the organizational committee of the Spiritist Congress of 1900, where he started the event. In 1905, he attended the Congress of Liège, where made a conference about the externalized thought. 

Delanne went to Alger assist prof. Richet (Nobel Prize of Medicine) in his research with the medium Marthe Béraud, at General Noël’s house. The episode was named “The Ghost of Bien Boa”. In it, Richet witnessed phenomena of materialization of Spirits with whole bodies, after preparing the environment0 with the care that Metapsychics suggested, avoiding frauds. The event is portrayed in a book by Lantier (1971).  

Delanne took part of researches with the medium Miller, unmasked by Denis, in the year of 1906. The publication of the Scientific Magazine of Moral and Spiritism stopped in 1914, because of the war, and came back to print in 1917. In 1919, with the participation of Jean Meyer, was established the National Federation of Spiritist in France, which incorporated the Society. Delanne was the president. Meyer also established, the same year, the International Metapsychic Institution, and the president was Gustave Geley, appointed by Delanne.  

Delanne died in 1926, one year later than his cousin who assisted him because of his condition which impeded him to walk. Bodier and Regnault talk about the episode that happened on the day of his death: Delanne welcomed an anarchist who discussed Spiritism during two hours and a half, leaving clearly upset with Delanne’s arguments, around 18h00. Close to 20h00, Delanne had a stroke and told those who were there he would disincarnate. Andre Bourgeois helped and told him he would get better, and he replied: “- Yes, on the Other side”. At 7h00 a.m. of the following day, Delanne passed away.  

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>  (To be continued.)