The Man in the Iron Mask

 

"The Man in the Iron Mask" by Christine Graves via NightCafe Studio

Sometime around 1850, author Alexandre Dumas published a book called The Man in the Iron Mask. According to the story, King Louis XIV of France had a twin brother whom he had imprisoned so he wouldn't have to share the throne. Beautiful work of fiction, right? Well, not exactly. 

I love history documentaries, so I put one on for background noise. I didn't think much about it until I heard the host saying something about the "real" man in the iron mask. Not a total shock to me, as I've heard about this gentleman before. But this time, it sent me down a rabbit hole.

Apparently, there was a prisoner who was never seen by anyone except his jailer, without his mask. But that's where things get...hazy. Nobody knows who that prisoner truly was. And the theory that it was the king's twin isn't exactly a long shot. There were several people who absolutely believed he was the king's brother. He was treated lavishly, ate good food, drank expensive wine, and was called "My Lord" by his jailers. Not something the average prisoner would ever receive.

Another theory is that the prisoner was a former musketeer. The king's father, Louis XIII, was said to be impotent and couldn't produce an heir. The infamous Cardinal Richelieu set up a rendezvous between the musketeer and the queen for her to conceive a child. However, after a few years, the musketeer became greedy and threatened to tell all. It got him put in prison...or so the theory goes.

The man in the iron mask was said to be named "Eustache Dauger". He was imprisoned by the king from 1669 until his death in 1703. Throughout his incarceration, his jailer was a gentleman called Benigne d'Auvergne de Saint-Mars. The masked man was originally placed in a prison called "Pignerol" near the Italian border. Saint-Mars was told to house the prisoner in a place where he couldn't be heard by anyone else if he spoke, and if he did speak, Saint-Mars was to kill him immediately.

The masked prisoner was moved from Pignerol to the Exilles, with Saint-Mars being appointed head jailer. 

Then, in 1687, Saint-Mars was promoted to a prison on the island of Sainte-Marguerite. When he moved to the new prison, he took his infamous prison with him. It was about this time that the locals began to notice the masked prisoner; however, it was said he was the man in the Black Velvet mask. 

Saint-Mars ran Sainte-Marguerite until 1698, when he took over as chief jailer at the Bastille in Paris. Once again, he took his infamous prisoner with him. Eustache Dauger, aka the man in the iron mask, lived out the rest of his life confined to the Bastille, as it was said he died in 1703.

As I watched this show, a strange theory started to form in my own head. What if the prisoner wasn't the king's twin or his biological father, but someone completely different? The king had a lot of enemies throughout the whole of Europe. So, I went Google Diving. 

Turns out, several individuals had upset the Sun King and were subsequently locked up. One of these was an Italian nobleman known as Count Ercole Antonio Mattioli. Count Mattioli was said to have double-crossed the French king. Apparently, the count had promised to sell an Italian fortress to the king for a very large sum of money. However, the count pocketed the money and informed the Spanish and Austrians that the king was trying to edge them out by setting up shop in Italy. 

The king had Count Mattioli hunted down, essentially kidnapped the man, and threw him into a French prison in 1679. Pignerol prison. The same prison as the man in the iron mask. It's not known if the two men ever met, but it's highly unlikely.

Mattioli ended up imprisoned at Sainte-Marguerite around the same time as the man in the iron mask. According to records, he died there in 1694. But what if he didn't?

In 1698, Saint-Mars became governor of the Bastille, a position he held until his death in 1708. It was recorded that the man in the iron mask died at the Bastille in 1703, but here's the strange part. When he died, he was buried under the name "Marchioly". I instantly thought that sounded a lot like Mattioli, and apparently, I'm not alone. 

Scholars have long believed that the closeness in names was enough to prove that the man in the iron mask WAS Mattioli. Unfortunately, there are a lot of discrepancies. 

#1--The man in the iron mask was first documented at Pignerol in 1669. Mattioli wasn't apprehended until 1679.

#2--Mattioli was said to be a madman and died at Sainte-Marguerite in 1694. The man in the iron mask died in Paris in 1703. 

#3--The man in the iron mask was taken to Sainte-Marguerite in 1681, while Mattioli didn't arrive until March of 1694, dying only a month later. 

HOWEVER

What if it was all part of a plan?

Saint-Mars was paid a lot of money to take care of the king's prized prisoner. It's thought his estate was estimated to be around two million livres, which is between $30 and $60 million dollars in today's market. He was rock-star rich. 

My theory is this:

What if the man in the iron mask was actually the one who died on Sainte-Marguerite, and Saint-Mars had to come up with a way to make him "not dead"? Enter, Count Mattioli. It would be the perfect scheme. 

By 1694, the masked man had been in prison for 25 years. Anyone who had known him beforehand probably wouldn't recognize him even if they could have. If the prisoner had died, Saint-Mars could have had Mattioli brought in to take over the masked man's place.

The question is, what would keep Mattioli from shooting his mouth off? (He was exactly trustworthy). How bout the lavish lifestyle of the masked prisoner? He'd be well-fed, drink the best wines from fancy goblets, and even have a personal valet. Go from being just another prisoner on an island fortress, or become an unknown prisoner who was treated like a prince? 

Then there's that other stipulation put on Saint-Mars by the king. If the prisoner talks, kill him immediately. If Mattioli told anyone who he really was, it would be his last confession. Basically, here's the deal. Live like a king but never leave prison, or tell someone what's really going on and die in minutes. Kind of a no-brainer.

So, who died at the Bastille in 1703? The twin brother of King Louis XIV? The musketeer who fathered the heir to the throne? Or an Italian count who double-crossed the king and landed in the middle of one of the greatest mysteries of all time? 

Who do you think it was?

Until next time,
Mom Graves!!!

Father's Day, First Day of Spring, and the Season of Cancer All In One

 

"Father's Day, Summer, and the Stars" by Christine Graves via NightCafe Studio

Happy Father's Day, First Day of Summer, and Season of Cancer. I think it's kind of cool that all three of these events are happening on the same day. 

First of all, Happy Father's Day to all the dads, stepdads, granddads, moms who had to play dads, uncles, and brothers who stepped up and did all the "dad" things. I miss my daddy every day. He was a huge force in my life and allowed me to be the person I wanted to be. He wasn't afraid to show some tough love, but he was never afraid to show us girls (there were three of us) just how much he loved us.

The man I referred to as my daddy wasn't even biologically mine. He was my stepdad, but he never treated me like a stepkid. I was his daughter, plain and simple. If I screwed up, he'd chew my ass and dish out the punishment. But for the most part, he was my biggest fan. He would boast about my accomplishments, taught me how to fish, and always supported my creative endeavors. He was my hero and I'll always miss him.

Today, we also usher in the season of Cancer, the crab. (June 21-July 22). Those born under the sign of Cancer are thought to be highly protective and fiercely loyal to those they love. They are the ones who hold families together and work to keep the peace. However, Cancers tend to get their feelings hurt rather quickly and will "hide inside their shell" and withdraw from the rest of the world. 

Cancer is a water sign and ruled by the Moon. In Greek mythology, the zodiac of Cancer came about because the 12 Labors of Heracles. It is said that while Heracles was fighting the Hydra, the goddess Hera sent a crab to attack the hero. Instead, Heracles stepped on the crab, killing it instantly. However, Hera took the crab and set him the night sky as the constellation Cancer.

Though we usually think of Cancer as a crab, it can also be depicted as a lobster. The ancient Egyptians believed the constellation was a scarab beetle, while the Mesopotamians believed it to be a turtle. 

Famous Cancers include:

Sylvester Stallone (July 6)
Pamela Anderson (July 1)

Meryl Streep (June22)
Princess Diana (July 1)

And finally, happy first day of summer. I don't know what that means where you're from, but in my neck of the woods, that means it's gonna be bloody-well hot for the next few months. When I say hot, I'm mean anywhere from 85* to 110*F. Every single day. And, unfortunately, we're in the middle of a nasty drought, so it will feel even hotter. 

I have to admit, I like summer way more than I like winter. I'd rather be overly hot than cold. I hate the cold. I'm old and the cold hurts all the way to my bones. Don't get me wrong, I'm going to complain no matter what the weather is, but I prefer summer. 

I love that all three of these events land on the same day. A day to honor the father figures in our lives, a day to rejoice in the changing of the seasons, and a day to celebrate those born under the sign of Cancer. What better way to spend the day than to go fishing, enjoy time with loved ones, and throw an epic celebration. Sounds like a party to  me. 

Until next time,
Mom Graves!!!