5 Facts You Don't Know about Ivan the Terrible

Ivan became the emperor of Russia when he was 3 . He would go on to pass some reforms limiting corruption despite having an overall bad reputation in his reign as ruler. All of the bad thoughts about him are warranted, he was insane.


Here are five facts about Ivan 'the Terrible' you probably didn't know:

Ivan displaying his signature
beard-he wouldn't be caught dead without it.

1. He was considered insane.

After the death of his first wife, he smashed his skull against the floor and threw his furniture; he had a complete nervous breakdown. He displayed sadist qualities, impaling his wife's lover outside her window.  He was constantly moody and his friends just couldn't keep themselves alive when Ivan disliked them.

2. His mother and wife were both poisoned.

His Mother.
Reminds me of Norman Bates except
their completely different.

It's long be suspected that they both were and so their bodies were tested for mercury. It has been confirmed.  Who would want to kill them? 

3. Ivan's uncle was sent to prison by Ivan's mother. 

His uncles had threatened Ivan's throne. So like any good evil Russian mother, she shoved into prison and left them to rot.




4. He killed his son and heir.

So sad, such a good heir.

Ivan beat his son's wife who had immodest. He had gotten rid of the last of his son's previous wives because of their sterility, his son saw how horrible his father was acting.  He rushed in exclaiming to his father "You put my first wife for no reason in a prison of a monastery, then you did the same with my second wife and now you have beaten the third to destroy the son in her womb!"  They fought some more and Ivan hit his son in the head with a iron staff. His son was loosened into unconsciousness and died a few days later.

his first wife

5. He went through 8 wives. 

His first wife, Anastasia died naturally.
His second Maria, died naturally, too
His third, Martha died two weeks after they married.
His fourth Anna, was sent to a convent.
His fifth another Anna, was replaced by the next wife.
His sixth committed adultery and was sent to a convent.
His seventh, he had drowned.
His eighth, survived him






Sources:
Ivan the Terrible: http://www.methacton.org/cms/lib/PA01000176/Centricity/Domain/121/ivan_the_terrible_
reading_and_questions.pdf
Tsaritsas' Hair Solves The Mystery Of Their Death: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/fr/724240/posts
Historical Essay about Russia by Antonino Possevino: http://www.krotov.info/acts/16/possevino/041.html