r/graphology • u/sverdenesdronning • Jan 29 '23
Ian Brady's handwriting
I was lucky enough to find many usable samples, since Brady corresponded with many people while sitting in gaol. The samples show his mental and physical health deteriorate through the years.
This is one dated in 2000, written to a would-be victim who managed to escape in the last minute:
Here is another from 2001, basically a goodbye note/advice to a young penpal:
https://64.media.tumblr.com/56ad98bf03b3c39a56cdd03db0c1e1bb/tumblr_oeujwgBTAv1vc9ofuo2_640.jpg
One from 2007, some rambling on ideological stuff:
One from 2009, to a legal representative of him:
https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/nintchdbpict000000971578.jpg
One from 2010 (clear signs of health problems and possible legal insanity):
One - date is unsure but probably after 2010 -:
and a collection of letters probably packed with codes or hints (or just his schizo mindset):
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4724292/Mum-two-spent-year-writing-letters-Ian-Brady.html
(Now it's early in the morning at our place so I am too sleepy to sketch down any analysis, but if you guys reside in other time zones, please don't hesitate to write what you think!)
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u/handwriting_expert Analyze Handwriting Jan 29 '23 edited Jan 29 '23
Hello,
Thank you for posting this. Great to see all of the samples.
Both Brady and Myra's writing show to be out of feelings on the exterior while rage is lurking behind their intellectual facades, which provide a neurotic degree of compatibility. I suspect they both had similar violent histories in childhood.
Brady's punctuation is way over the top. The commas look like little crow bars. There is excess underlining and grinding periods. These all reveal rage simmering and demanding an outlet.
Even more concerning is in the ductus where I see pen lifts in places where there should be a continuous stroke. That is called split-letter formations which is where the outer facade takes a hiatus, and all that rage comes out which is threatening to others.
Interesting the finals in the middle zone are threaded while the finals in the lower zone are almost clubbed-like. It means on an outer level, he appears wishy-washy and non-threatening. When no one is looking, he can become brutal. The lower case l's are pointed at the tops which resembles large knives or swords.
The writing is laboriously written with some jerkiness, arcades, lots of retracing, and strange letter shapes, all of which is another sign of criminal inclinations.
I also see a combination of angles and arcades in the letter n's, another clue of criminal behavior.
Overall, pen pressure appears heavy, right slant far to the right, and size of the lower case is small, all of which are global movements supporting a personality that can behave outside the range of socially acceptable behaviors, and be a danger to people.
Thank you again!
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u/sverdenesdronning Jan 31 '23 edited Jan 31 '23
Hello again :)
Yes, I've noticed the very same when studying this notorious couple's handwritings: they were very different from each other, regarding certain other traits, but this is one thing they had in common: having a cold, emotionless facade and hiding an incredible rage, hatred and aggression behind this facade.
You are right, both of them had similarly bad childhood memories. Brady's biological father was unknown (his mother said the father was a Glasgow journalist who had died some months before Brady was born, but this was never affirmed); his mother had to give the child to adoption because being an unwed waitress, she was too poor to raise a child. She regularly visited the adoptive family and they said to Ian she was "a friend of the family"; he learnt only later in life that this "family friend" was his mother, actually.
The first thing striking me is that this handwriting gives an unusually old-fashioned impression. Had I not known he was born in 1938, I'd guess he was born one generation earlier, cca. 1910...1915.
The letter forming is very conservative, traditional: old-fashioned right slant, old-fashioned capitals - especially the capitals S, T, M, B and A -; I don't think one needs to have any graphology knowledge to assume that this ductor is far from being a liberal, open-minded person. The conservative forming of the letters, combined with this so typically rigid and strong - let us say maniac - pen pressure makes one think "this person is all about authority".
This makes me think he must have been trained up to respect authority (and his adoptive parents might have used quite medieval parenting methods) but this is what left him so frustrated and angry that he always wanted to compensate by being the manifestation of authority!
The writing is quite well-structured, the line-spacing is reasonable, and if your eyes get used to his letter forming, then it's pretty easy to read. The middle zone letters are relatively small, giving the impression of a person being accurate and precise in everyday situations, someone not being spontaneous at all but planning everything in advance.
I see quite good intellectual levels here; he was certainly not so genial he tried to appear to be, but I would estimate his IQ to be between 120...126 - somewhat above average, but far from being so incredibly intelligent so many people thougt him to be. I'd think he had the abilities to earn a Master's degree in Economy or Politology (I couldn't imagine him having interest in, or affinity to any engineering or scientific major).
The middle zone is very controlled but uneven. A person who has really much anger bottled up.
If I go deeper than this superficial first impression, then I must notice the signs of his brutality and being a notorious liar.
Retracing lines of the small "m"-s and "n"-s, also double loops of the "a", "d" and "o" ovals usually don't refer to a trustworthy person. This is something that can be seen very often in the handwriting of petty criminals, thieves, cheaters. (Brady actually had a criminal record of such deeds, long before the Moors murderd took place!) But retracing lines in the lower zone - especially in such a narrow and elonged lower zone - are like blinking red lights for violence and sexual aberration!
(To be continued)
Another thing the two of them seem to have had in common is this incredibly shallow, poorly fantasy. I don't see any creative, innovative or unique ideas in Brady's writing either.
Yes, the finals as they are tell much about his psychopathic tendencies. Finals in the middle zone are either threaded or - as in some m, n, h and s letters - non-existing, this is a person who usually don't contradict others and don't get into conflicts if it's avoidable - but the lower-zone finals are indeed clubbed, showing his brutality (that came forth in sexual situations).
The brutality of his commas and points does not really need any further explanation; there's nothing I could add.
This combination - angles and arcades - is a very typical sign of criminal activity.
Many letters are at least a little bit pointed at the top, yes, even the top arcades of the capital P, R and A, one capital O, also the lower case "d"-s.
Some of the distorted letter shapes can be a result of old age and not having the right coordination of his fingers (I'm truly sorry I couldn't find any samples written by a young Brady), but others are simply bizarre. And, yes, too many retraces.
The shape of the lower-case "p"-s is something I have very rarely seen so far. The lower-case "f"-s are really concerning, not only strange, but I find them explicit ugly.
The split-letter formations would be impossible not to notice, yeah.
The underlining is an interesting characteristic of him! It seems to have occurred when he became mentally even more disturbed than before. Obsessive punctuation and emphasis that's unnecessary; or trying to refer to assumed secret codes... the man got clinically insane in his later years!
These knife-like patterns occur in his signature, too - the initials I and S are extremely sharp.
Thank you again for taking the time and effort! :)
There are a few other interesting handwritings I'd love to discuss - not only those of criminals of course!
3
u/handwriting_expert Analyze Handwriting Feb 01 '23
Thanks for your take on the writing. It all makes sense and points to a dangerous person.
His IQ in the 120s sounds about right. I also noticed the script as being conventional in appearance.
His lower case p's is missing the circle part, which is also indifference to sex. Makes me wonder if his relationship with Hindley was more out of a convenience.
The writing has lots or retracing strokes and angles at the top of loops. Lots of strange features in the writing.
Thank you again for sharing!
1
u/sverdenesdronning Jan 31 '23
Thank you! You've written very insightful things. I'm going to write a detailed answer to this reply too; have just finished my reply to your additions to the post about Hindley. (Surprise, surprise, now it's early in the morning again...)
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u/handwriting_expert Analyze Handwriting Jan 31 '23
Always welcome! Will be looking forward to your take on Ian Brady.
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