Who was the man in the iron mask?

[Nemesis Legion]

Who was the Man in the Iron Mask and well we ever figure this mystery out? Some say it was the Louis XIV twin or an illegitimate son of his, others say it was a dangerous revolutionary or someone key to the downfall of the kingdom. If this prisoner was so dangerous or his identify such a state secret how come he was not just secretly killed, why go through all the fuss of keeping him alive and keeping his identify such a secret?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Man_in_the_iron_mask

http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/2047/who-was-the-man-in-the-iron-mask

[j.r-ahde]

Hello Nemesis!

Some have thought, that he was the real father of Louis the XIVth...

(And that he didn't want to kill his father...)

All the best
Jukka

[Nemesis Legion]

Makes sense, but if that was so then why wouldn't the king set up his father in a house in the country under a type of house arrest sort of like what happened to Mary Queen of Scots (wouldn't that draw a smaller Mystery)?

This Man in the iron mask lived for years in a pension, who ever he was must have been important (and possibly protected somehow) but unloved to say the least?

[Mayerling]

There is a good book on the subject I've read THE MAN BEHIND THE IRON MASK by John Noone (New York: St. Martins Press, 1988) that goes through all the different theories, their pros and cons, and comes up with a cute solution that suggests a budding genius of publicity in the age of the Sun King.

Best wishes,

Jeff

[belinda]

The only book I could find in English put the theory that the prisoner was a nobody but the gaoler kept him masked to boost his own importance and spread stories that it was somebody of great importance

[j.r-ahde]

Hello Nemesis!

Makes sense, but if that was so then why wouldn't the king set up his father in a house in the country under a type of house arrest sort of like what happened to Mary Queen of Scots (wouldn't that draw a smaller Mystery)?

This Man in the iron mask lived for years in a pension, who ever he was must have been important (and possibly protected somehow) but unloved to say the least?

Well, the story goes, that Louis didn't want his dad's face to be recognised...

And, in fact, the mask was made of silk in real life. The iron-mask was used in a story of Alexandre Dumas!

All the best
Jukka

[Nemesis Legion]

Hello Nemesis!




Well, the story goes, that Louis didn't want his dad's face to be recognised...

And, in fact, the mask was made of silk in real life. The iron-mask was used in a story of Alexandre Dumas!

All the best
Jukka

That makes little sense to me.

If the Man in the Iron Mask (or Silk Mask in this case) was Louis XIV’s father (who in this case was not Louis XIII but another man) and only the King and the prisoner knew this truth, then why hide his face since no one would recognized him as Louis XIV’s real father?

I am not trying to be a jerk here, I am just going throught all the possibilities

[Nemesis Legion]

The only book I could find in English put the theory that the prisoner was a nobody but the gaoler kept him masked to boost his own importance and spread stories that it was somebody of great importance

Crazy enough to work, much lulz. He must of had a great PR guy

[Mayerling]

The only book I could find in English put the theory that the prisoner was a nobody but the gaoler kept him masked to boost his own importance and spread stories that it was somebody of great importance

Hi Belinda,

The book you found in English is the one I mentioned by John Noone.

Jeff

[belinda]

That's probably it.I read it quite a while ago.I was surprised at the time that so few books were available about it.
I wonder who "Eustache Dauger" really was.Whatever can he have done to be kept prisoner so long.
As a side note Mata Hari was held at the same prison, Saint Lazare,up to her execution

[Marko]

I've got photos of Ile Sainte-Marguerite where the cell is situated. I visited it in 2003. They wouldn't allow photos to be taken inside the cell though. They actually used the island in the 1970's version of the film with Richard Chamberlain. Some sources claim that the mask wasn't made out of iron but leather - others say cloth.

[belinda]

Has anybody read this book

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Man-Iron-Mask-Roger-MacDonald/dp/1845293002/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1220489382&sr=1-1

It seems to be the most recent

[CraigInTwinCities]

I think I know who the Man In the Silk (Iron) Mask was...

...he's that guy who never ages, on LOST!

That, or The Master, stuck in a time loophole torment by The Doctor.

[j.r-ahde]

Hello you all!

Especially you British;

I wonder, if Sapphire and Steel were involved in this case...

All right, seriously; I don't think there will ever be answers to the following questions; 1. Who?, 2. Why?

All the best
Jukka

[Nemesis Legion]

Hello you all!

I don't think there will ever be answers to the following questions; 1. Who?, 2. Why?

All the best
Jukka

That's why its a Mystery ::X-Files theme music starts to play in the backround::