Valentine Dencausse

Who was Valentine Dencausse?

Valentine Dencausse was probably the most famous chiromancer in Paris during the first half of the 20th century, under the name of "Madame Fraya". She would use a person's hand and handwriting to predict his/her future, but she admitted to not following the principles of traditional chiromancy, and just making use of her instinctual knowledge. Her clients included important French artists and politicians of the time, such as the Princess of Saxe-Meninge, to whom she reportedly predicted World War I and the defeat of Germany in it. She was subsequently called into the French Ministry of War, where she assured the government that the marching German troops would not reach Paris. The abilities displayed by Valentine Dencausse were studied by prominent scientists such as Alfred Binet, Eugene Osty, and Albert von Schrenck-Notzing.