| “ | The box. You opened it, we came. It is a means to summon us. | ” |
—Pinhead in Hellraiser | ||
A Lament Configuration puzzle box.
The Lament Configuration, or LeMarchand Configuration, is one of the most notorious puzzle boxes in the world.
It possesses the power to open the gates of Hell and unleash the Cenobites to claim the flesh of the unlucky victim who opens the box. It is one of many artifacts that can open the gate. Other puzzles are, for example, the Tunnel of Love puzzle and The Heart of Damnation. The Lament Configuration was built by a French toymaker, Philip LeMarchand. According to Pyramid Gallery, Philip LeMarchand had built more than 270 boxes.
History[]
| “ | ...so eager to play - so reluctant to admit it... | ” |
— Pinhead, High Priest of Hell, Order of the Gash | ||
There are two different stories about the creation of the box. The first story is the original and is mentioned in Clive Barker's The Hellbound Heart. The complete story is revealed in Epic Comic series. It stated that Philip LeMarchand was a cruel and morbid man as well as being a mass murderer who made boxes with human fat and bones with the help of an unknown Cenobite called Baron. This version also fits the story that LeMarchand has built more than 270 boxes. The existence of those boxes has been proven in Hellbound: Hellraiser II and Hellraiser: Hellworld.
The second version tells a story of a more innocent LeMarchand; a young man ordered by Duc de L'Isle to build a puzzle box at any cost. He garroted a woman and used the box as a medium to let his black magic resurrect the demon Angelique. LeMarchand was warned that his bloodline would be cursed because of his creation.
Use[]
"It is not hands that call us...it is desire."
- Pinhead, Hellbound: Hellraiser II
By solving the puzzle, the victim summons a gash of Cenobites (mostly Pinhead's Gash). They will see if the victim is worthy to become a Cenobite. If he or she is worthy, they will be sent to hell and given to the Engineer. If not worthy, they will be trapped in Hell for eternity or simply vanished. There are a few ways to escape this fate:
- Make a bargain with the Cenobite.
- Resolve the Lament Configuration.
- Form the Leviathan-shape (Diamond form) with Lament Configuration.
- Commit suicide before they can take you to hell.
- If blood is spilled on the spot or an object associated with your abduction, it is possible for you to reconstitute yourself in the real world, as seen in Hellraiser and Hellbound.
Appearance[]
Hellraiser
Hellbound: Hellraiser II
Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth
Hellraiser IV: Bloodline
Hellraiser: Inferno
Hellraiser VI: Hellseeker
Hellraiser: Deader
- Hellraiser: Hellworld
- Hellraiser: Revelations
- Hellraiser: Judgement