The Cloven Viscount

During a war in Bohemia (modern-day Czech Republic), Viscount Medardo of Terralba and his squire Kurt ride toward the Christian camps across corpse-ridden battlegrounds. They witness a landscape littered with the dead, where storks scavenge human flesh—a practice, Kurt explains, that resulted from plague and famine. The pair arrives at the Imperial camp, observing courtesans’ pavilions and soldiers salvaging gunpowder.

At camp, Medardo meets the Emperor, who promotes the Viscount to lieutenant despite his lack of experience. That night, Medardo contemplates the coming battle and the sensation of feeling whole.

The following morning, the Christian army attacks the Turks. Medardo’s inexperience becomes evident as his horse is disemboweled in the first charge and Kurt suffers a wound. Left without a mount or guide, Medardo recklessly charges toward enemy artillery on foot. He leaps directly before a cannon as it fires, taking the full blast to his chest.

After the battle, field doctors collect Medardo’s remains and discover his unusual condition—his left side is missing and presumed obliterated, but his right half is surprisingly intact. Through surgical intervention, the doctors save the remaining half of the Viscount, creating a literal half-man who survives his catastrophic injury.