Talk:Man in the Iron Mask

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article is within the scope of WikiProject Biography. For more information, visit the project page.
Biography Portal
Start This article has been rated as Start-Class on the project's quality scale. [FAQ]
France Portal
Man in the Iron Mask is within the scope of WikiProject France, an attempt to build a comprehensive and detailed guide to France on Wikipedia. If you would like to participate, please join the project and help with our open tasks.
??? This article has not yet received a rating on the quality scale. Please rate the article and then leave a short summary here to explain the ratings and/or to identify the strengths and weaknesses.

Contents

[edit] Vivien de Bulonde

According to the French Wikipédia article, the identification with Vivien de Bulonde is just one hypothesis among others and lacks consistency in several respects. (I know nothing about the matter and have no opinion one way or the other. But perhaps the view that is upheld here should be sourced.) - Mu 21:18, 9 November 2005 (UTC)

The page has since been changed but Mu was correct to query the previous entry. There is compelling evidence (see revised version) that the theory that Bulonde was the Man in the Iron Mask is based on an entirely false premise and that he was alive, and free, at a time that makes it impossible for him to be the Mask.

  • You also wiped out the former article structure with your "additions" so I have reverted it. Edit the article instead of demolishing it.- Skysmith 19:48, 6 December 2005 (UTC)

[edit] Prince in Prison

The theme of a prince in prison goes back to Siddartha Gautama, Barlaam and Josaphath and Don Carlos, perhaps we should have an article about it.

[edit] Sources?

What are the sources for this article? - Kevingarcia 03:08, 29 March 2006 (UTC)


Vernon White 13:31, 11 May 2006 (UTC)

  • Marius Topin's views on the identity of the Man in the Iron Mask were published in France in 1870 and translated in to English and published by Henry Vizetelly. Historical studies by Topin, published between 1863 and 1881 are listed in the catalogue of the [Bibliotheque Nationale] (Paris).

[edit] Vandalism

IP address 199.224.119.180 had did some minor vandalism to this article. I don't know where/how to report, but if anybody cares to, go ahead. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 24.14.205.2 (talk) 01:04, 12 December 2006 (UTC).

[edit] The identity of the Man in the Iron Mask

This is definitely an interesting item of history because of what is implied by the elaborate precautions. The prisoner must have been someone easily recognizable by a large number of people for the mask to be necessary at all. A valet, or even the envoy of a foreign power, would be known by so few people, especially in pre-photographic days, that the odds of his ever being recognized would be close to nothing -- and that recognition itself would be meaningless. The sight of someone's valet being hustled along by gendarmes from one prison to another would not cause major political repercussions.

On the other hand, whoever the prisoner was, he would have to be someone whose life Louis XIV valued, since if he was dangerous enough to Louis' interests to merit such enormous precautions, then his quiet liquidation would be the safest bet. Ruthless, yes, but few rulers have ever been squeamish about such matters. A nobody who knew too much would have been buried in the fortress ditch before nightfall.

This suggests to my mind at least that he was either a very close relative of the King's, whose claim would be superior to Louis' own (Louis' older brother) or who would make Louis' claim to the throne suspect (Louis' father). This is, of course, assuming that the precautions were ordered by Louis. The theory that the prison governor created this charade to make himself seem more important seems very plausible, as well, and is probably more likely. Monomakh 04:51, 11 February 2007 (UTC) Monomakh

[edit] Cited and uncited.

There are too many "some say..." stories without any specifics for who said them, or if there is any attribution, it's unclear where this can be verified. I hope this spurs some research on obtaining citations and not some deletionist to remove the ones I have labeled {{fact}}. patsw 15:37, 24 March 2007 (UTC)

[edit] rm Wiki-nonsense, but it had a point

  • This entry, one of an unprecedented 52, has won the September 2005 West Dakota Prize, awarded for successfully employing the expression "legend states" in a complete sentence.

I have modified the offending sentence to one with a coherent meaning. patsw 15:49, 24 March 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Chateau d'If?

This article says that the prisoner was held at the Chateau d'If, but the article on the Chateau d'If says he wasn't. Someone is mistaken - anyone know who it is? --Andersonblog (talk) 03:47, 18 December 2007 (UTC)

[edit] What about the Iron Mask?

So what is the history of how the detail of the iron mask came to associated with this personage? This article is heavily revisionist, that the reader has no clue about the version it is revising. I don't believe that this fault is intentional -- nor is it unique to this article; there are many articles on Wikipedia that are as heavily revisionist as this one is. -- llywrch (talk) 07:04, 20 January 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Velvet and iron

One source I read pointed out the difference between a mask of velvet - keeping the person unknown - and a mask of iron - a prison within a prison.

How practical would it be in medical terms, to be wearing an iron (or metal) mask for extended periods of time?

People might be recognised beyond their immediate circle - see the story about Louis XVI's capture at Varennes.

Jackiespeel (talk) 18:21, 20 March 2008 (UTC)

[edit] A cell with multiple doors

Does the author mean that the entrance to the cell had multiple doors or that the cell had more than one door in different places? For the life of me, I don't see how its having doors in different places would make it harder for people to listen in. Could someone please explain what the author meant by this?

Utipossidetis (talk) 23:17, 31 March 2008 (UTC)