1 00:00:00,240 --> 00:00:04,600 Speaker 1: Welcome to Noble Blood, a production of iHeartRadio and Grim 2 00:00:04,600 --> 00:00:10,119 Speaker 1: and Mild from Aaron Mankey listener discretion advised, Hey, this 3 00:00:10,280 --> 00:00:14,200 Speaker 1: is Danish Wortz. Just one quick announcement before we actually 4 00:00:14,200 --> 00:00:17,520 Speaker 1: get into today's episode. I am so excited, but this 5 00:00:17,600 --> 00:00:21,280 Speaker 1: summer in July, I am helping to lead a pilgrimage 6 00:00:21,480 --> 00:00:24,320 Speaker 1: to the south of France to talk about Julia Child 7 00:00:24,400 --> 00:00:27,920 Speaker 1: with an amazing program called common Ground. You might know 8 00:00:28,000 --> 00:00:31,479 Speaker 1: this is the one, two three. This would be the fourth, 9 00:00:32,000 --> 00:00:35,160 Speaker 1: oh my gosh, the fourth pilgrimage I've done with this program. 10 00:00:35,560 --> 00:00:38,480 Speaker 1: I do them because I love them. They're absolutely incredible. 11 00:00:38,680 --> 00:00:40,520 Speaker 1: For the better part of a week, you get together 12 00:00:40,600 --> 00:00:43,960 Speaker 1: with an amazing group of people, go on long walks, 13 00:00:44,080 --> 00:00:48,600 Speaker 1: talk about literature and history, write and just sort of 14 00:00:48,640 --> 00:00:50,640 Speaker 1: get in touch with yourself in a way that you 15 00:00:51,000 --> 00:00:53,680 Speaker 1: really don't in normal life. I think there are still 16 00:00:53,840 --> 00:00:56,840 Speaker 1: some spots left. You should absolutely look it up. The 17 00:00:57,080 --> 00:01:00,760 Speaker 1: program is Common Ground. We'll be talking about Jewel Child 18 00:01:00,920 --> 00:01:04,319 Speaker 1: in Provence, reading some of her letters, reading some short 19 00:01:04,360 --> 00:01:07,479 Speaker 1: stories that relate to themes of community and pleasure, and 20 00:01:07,520 --> 00:01:10,759 Speaker 1: food and again just eating delicious food, going on long 21 00:01:10,760 --> 00:01:13,240 Speaker 1: walks in the South of France. It's sort of my 22 00:01:13,400 --> 00:01:16,640 Speaker 1: dream trip. And what really makes these trips amazing is 23 00:01:16,680 --> 00:01:18,520 Speaker 1: the people who come on them. So if you're a 24 00:01:18,520 --> 00:01:21,320 Speaker 1: listener of this podcast, I imagine that you're, you know, 25 00:01:21,600 --> 00:01:23,960 Speaker 1: my type of person, and I would love to have 26 00:01:24,040 --> 00:01:27,000 Speaker 1: you there. So just wanted to throw that out before 27 00:01:27,040 --> 00:01:36,240 Speaker 1: the episode. Now let's get into it. Sirano de Bergerac's 28 00:01:36,400 --> 00:01:41,880 Speaker 1: friend was terrified. The friend had offended account and now 29 00:01:42,080 --> 00:01:46,280 Speaker 1: word was one hundred men were waiting to ambush him 30 00:01:46,400 --> 00:01:50,640 Speaker 1: on the count's orders. He and sirrah No walked through 31 00:01:50,760 --> 00:01:55,760 Speaker 1: the darkened streets of seventeenth century Paris towards their likely doom, 32 00:01:56,400 --> 00:02:02,320 Speaker 1: and Sirho said something astonishing quote, I will save your 33 00:02:02,360 --> 00:02:06,760 Speaker 1: life on one condition. You must wait behind me, do 34 00:02:06,880 --> 00:02:13,080 Speaker 1: not attempt to interfere. The friend was incredulous. The rumors 35 00:02:13,120 --> 00:02:17,919 Speaker 1: were one hundred men were going to attack him. Surely Sirraho, 36 00:02:18,160 --> 00:02:21,960 Speaker 1: a man renowned for his wit, had to be joking. 37 00:02:22,720 --> 00:02:27,600 Speaker 1: The few other friends accompanying them that night were incredulous too. 38 00:02:27,800 --> 00:02:30,240 Speaker 1: It was a small group of men waiting by the 39 00:02:30,320 --> 00:02:34,680 Speaker 1: sin supporters of Sirino. Although they were by no means 40 00:02:34,720 --> 00:02:39,320 Speaker 1: eager to join such an unfair fight, they were stunned 41 00:02:39,400 --> 00:02:43,959 Speaker 1: that Sirno apparently did not want any help at all. 42 00:02:44,800 --> 00:02:47,040 Speaker 1: There was also a bitter rival. 43 00:02:46,760 --> 00:02:50,080 Speaker 2: In the group who had come just to gloat over 44 00:02:50,200 --> 00:02:54,840 Speaker 2: Sierno's inevitable demise. Even he was gobsmacked by the devisive 45 00:02:55,000 --> 00:03:00,320 Speaker 2: musketeer's brash spirit, especially once the small group neared the 46 00:03:00,440 --> 00:03:05,079 Speaker 2: Portinous legate and saw the huge crowd of hired ruffians 47 00:03:05,280 --> 00:03:11,240 Speaker 2: lurking there with knives, clubs, and swords. But when Sirno 48 00:03:11,440 --> 00:03:15,560 Speaker 2: was questioned by his companions, he just thumbed his famed 49 00:03:15,680 --> 00:03:20,040 Speaker 2: nose stand back. I wished to fight them alone. Then 50 00:03:20,080 --> 00:03:23,040 Speaker 2: he drew his rape here and walked toward the mob. 51 00:03:23,720 --> 00:03:28,840 Speaker 2: Seeing the lone figure approach, the thugs laughed and jeered. 52 00:03:29,480 --> 00:03:34,280 Speaker 2: Was this guy drunk, stupid, or downright suicidal? As it 53 00:03:34,320 --> 00:03:38,960 Speaker 2: turned out, none of the above. Well, maybe he was 54 00:03:39,040 --> 00:03:43,080 Speaker 2: a bit drunk. Sirno and his buddies had spent most 55 00:03:43,160 --> 00:03:47,080 Speaker 2: of the afternoon at a tavern, But he wasn't kidding, 56 00:03:47,480 --> 00:03:51,520 Speaker 2: he wasn't delirious, and he didn't have a death wish. 57 00:03:51,840 --> 00:03:56,680 Speaker 2: Sirno strode on unhurried. When the first hoodlum came at 58 00:03:56,760 --> 00:04:00,920 Speaker 2: him with his massive sword. Syrno deftly fliced his neck, 59 00:04:01,280 --> 00:04:05,880 Speaker 2: felling him in one blow. Every other wholigan sprung into action, 60 00:04:06,360 --> 00:04:10,120 Speaker 2: but Sirno maneuvered so his assailant could only attack one 61 00:04:10,200 --> 00:04:14,839 Speaker 2: at a time. Then, with incredible skill, he dispatched them 62 00:04:15,000 --> 00:04:19,480 Speaker 2: one after another until two were dead, seven were wounded, 63 00:04:19,800 --> 00:04:23,760 Speaker 2: and the rest had fled. When Sirno's friend came to 64 00:04:23,880 --> 00:04:25,680 Speaker 2: check on him and ask if he should put the 65 00:04:25,720 --> 00:04:30,400 Speaker 2: wounded out of their misery, Sierraho replied, no, leave them, 66 00:04:31,080 --> 00:04:36,599 Speaker 2: they will tell the story. Or actually, maybe it was 67 00:04:36,720 --> 00:04:40,800 Speaker 2: eight men wounded instead of seven, and maybe Sireno's final 68 00:04:40,839 --> 00:04:44,720 Speaker 2: line was really back to the tavern, or even that 69 00:04:44,800 --> 00:04:49,359 Speaker 2: will teach people to mess with poets. In reality, most 70 00:04:49,360 --> 00:04:53,960 Speaker 2: accounts of that famous fight are fictitious or highly exaggerated, 71 00:04:54,520 --> 00:04:59,479 Speaker 2: as are many other tales about the larger than life character, 72 00:05:00,120 --> 00:05:04,080 Speaker 2: including one of the most famous plays of the nineteenth century. 73 00:05:04,680 --> 00:05:07,880 Speaker 2: But at the core of everything, there really was a 74 00:05:08,120 --> 00:05:12,520 Speaker 2: real French swordsman named Sereno de Bergerac, who was quite 75 00:05:12,680 --> 00:05:17,880 Speaker 2: the swashbuckling soldier poet, and in many cases the truth 76 00:05:17,920 --> 00:05:22,279 Speaker 2: about him is even more beguiling than the fiction. I'm 77 00:05:22,360 --> 00:05:30,360 Speaker 2: Danish schwartz and this is noble blood. To get a 78 00:05:30,400 --> 00:05:34,320 Speaker 2: sense of the man behind such a legendary character, we 79 00:05:34,440 --> 00:05:39,560 Speaker 2: have to unravel multiple myths, many of which Serho actually 80 00:05:39,600 --> 00:05:45,160 Speaker 2: started and or embellished himself. Our first legend to unpack 81 00:05:45,480 --> 00:05:49,560 Speaker 2: is the name. Our famous Frenchman was born in sixteen 82 00:05:49,880 --> 00:05:54,400 Speaker 2: nineteen with the full name Sevignyon de Sereno de Bergerac. 83 00:05:55,160 --> 00:05:58,719 Speaker 2: In keeping with family tradition, he would have been commonly 84 00:05:58,800 --> 00:06:03,000 Speaker 2: known as seven yen d Sereno. However, seemingly, at some 85 00:06:03,120 --> 00:06:07,080 Speaker 2: point in his adolescence he chose to start going by 86 00:06:07,200 --> 00:06:11,279 Speaker 2: Sereno de Bergerac. This shift caused a fair amount of 87 00:06:11,320 --> 00:06:15,359 Speaker 2: confusion in his time, as well as for some later 88 00:06:15,640 --> 00:06:22,760 Speaker 2: biographers and writers. The shortening was purportedly very intentional. Unlike 89 00:06:22,839 --> 00:06:27,640 Speaker 2: his father able to Seraino, ending on de Bergerac made 90 00:06:27,800 --> 00:06:31,720 Speaker 2: Sereno sound more high born. It made it seem as 91 00:06:31,800 --> 00:06:36,360 Speaker 2: if Serno was a noble from Bergerac, an idyllic town 92 00:06:36,640 --> 00:06:41,520 Speaker 2: in a wine growing region of southwest France. But according 93 00:06:41,640 --> 00:06:46,279 Speaker 2: to modern historians, sierrah No did not actually come from 94 00:06:46,360 --> 00:06:51,880 Speaker 2: an aristocratic lineage, nor was he due to inherit sizable lands. 95 00:06:52,480 --> 00:06:57,360 Speaker 2: Sereno's grandfather, a fishmonger son himself, had worked hard to 96 00:06:57,480 --> 00:07:01,120 Speaker 2: nab an administrative role in the world royal French court, 97 00:07:01,680 --> 00:07:06,720 Speaker 2: and was given a relatively modest estate near Bergerac. This 98 00:07:07,000 --> 00:07:12,320 Speaker 2: certainly lifted his family from more humble, seafood scented origins, 99 00:07:12,880 --> 00:07:17,240 Speaker 2: but it didn't naturally place them among the powerful nobility. 100 00:07:18,440 --> 00:07:23,440 Speaker 2: But clearly Sierno had aspirations of fully joining the fancy 101 00:07:23,480 --> 00:07:29,080 Speaker 2: patrician ranks. According to one seventeenth century writer, there were 102 00:07:29,200 --> 00:07:33,080 Speaker 2: five basic paths to becoming a noble at that time. 103 00:07:33,800 --> 00:07:37,680 Speaker 2: Most required direct access to a prince or to King 104 00:07:37,760 --> 00:07:41,000 Speaker 2: Louis the thirteenth, and the procurement of some kind of 105 00:07:41,080 --> 00:07:46,720 Speaker 2: royal favor. However, one path was simpler, a quote career 106 00:07:46,920 --> 00:07:52,360 Speaker 2: of arms. After finishing college in Paris, Sierno leaned into 107 00:07:52,440 --> 00:07:57,400 Speaker 2: his shortened name and bold new identity and got accepted 108 00:07:57,480 --> 00:08:03,080 Speaker 2: into a company of mostly high class gascon musketeers who 109 00:08:03,200 --> 00:08:07,000 Speaker 2: assumed he was a similar gascon or someone from the 110 00:08:07,120 --> 00:08:11,360 Speaker 2: gascony province of France. Sure, being a member of this 111 00:08:11,720 --> 00:08:16,560 Speaker 2: king's guard brought inherent danger, but as we'll soon get to, 112 00:08:16,880 --> 00:08:20,680 Speaker 2: that was actually a big draw for Sera. Now, our 113 00:08:20,800 --> 00:08:25,280 Speaker 2: second prominent piece of lore, to pardon me sniff out, 114 00:08:25,520 --> 00:08:30,440 Speaker 2: is the nose. Serra No having a monstrously large snout 115 00:08:31,000 --> 00:08:35,600 Speaker 2: is probably the most remembered detail about him. In Edmund 116 00:08:35,720 --> 00:08:40,400 Speaker 2: Rostin's famous play Sereno de Bergerac, which debuted in eighteen 117 00:08:40,520 --> 00:08:46,720 Speaker 2: ninety seven, Serrao's ludicrously large nose was an overwhelming source 118 00:08:46,800 --> 00:08:50,240 Speaker 2: of self doubt. He was convinced that it made him 119 00:08:50,440 --> 00:08:54,600 Speaker 2: so ugly that no woman would love him. Here, the 120 00:08:54,679 --> 00:08:59,280 Speaker 2: playwright was not an utter Pinocchio. He did not wholly 121 00:08:59,559 --> 00:09:05,080 Speaker 2: fabrice kate the notable olfactory feature, although he did greatly 122 00:09:05,160 --> 00:09:10,880 Speaker 2: exaggerate its proportions. Apparently in reality, Sierraho reportedly did have 123 00:09:11,000 --> 00:09:16,320 Speaker 2: a distinct nose of above average size, but there is 124 00:09:16,440 --> 00:09:21,040 Speaker 2: a whiff of doubt about his level of sensitivity about it. 125 00:09:21,720 --> 00:09:25,520 Speaker 2: Some historians claim Serho's nose was indeed a source of 126 00:09:25,600 --> 00:09:31,800 Speaker 2: shame and likely contributed to his confrontational nature. It's easy 127 00:09:31,840 --> 00:09:35,920 Speaker 2: to see why when both friends and foes often made 128 00:09:36,120 --> 00:09:40,559 Speaker 2: hyperbolic jokes about it, such as one of his contemporaries 129 00:09:40,880 --> 00:09:45,840 Speaker 2: jests that Sierraho's nos quote forms in the middle a 130 00:09:45,920 --> 00:09:49,240 Speaker 2: mountain which looks as if it ought to be after 131 00:09:49,280 --> 00:09:53,400 Speaker 2: the Himalayas the highest mountain in the world, not the 132 00:09:53,400 --> 00:09:58,360 Speaker 2: best jab creatively, but still probably had to sting. But 133 00:09:58,480 --> 00:10:02,320 Speaker 2: other writers actually assert that Syno was quite proud of 134 00:10:02,360 --> 00:10:07,280 Speaker 2: his preeminent snout. A portrait engraved roughly a year before 135 00:10:07,320 --> 00:10:11,679 Speaker 2: his death shows a nose that was substantial but not staggering. 136 00:10:12,200 --> 00:10:16,559 Speaker 2: It also depicts Serrano in a three quarter profile, an 137 00:10:16,600 --> 00:10:19,880 Speaker 2: odd angle for him to have chosen for his picture. 138 00:10:20,240 --> 00:10:23,480 Speaker 2: If he was that self conscious about his nose to 139 00:10:23,760 --> 00:10:27,679 Speaker 2: examine the whole matter nose to tail, it's conceivable that 140 00:10:27,920 --> 00:10:32,240 Speaker 2: multiple accounts on the matter were true. Sirrono quite possibly 141 00:10:32,600 --> 00:10:36,880 Speaker 2: was touchy about his appearance early in his life, especially 142 00:10:36,920 --> 00:10:40,800 Speaker 2: as an insecure teenager and young adult, but perhaps he 143 00:10:40,880 --> 00:10:44,560 Speaker 2: came around to accept his unique face and even drew 144 00:10:44,679 --> 00:10:49,600 Speaker 2: some of his signature panache from it. A third key 145 00:10:49,720 --> 00:10:53,560 Speaker 2: part of Sirino's fabled persona was that he was an 146 00:10:53,640 --> 00:10:59,160 Speaker 2: epic no it all in countless dramatized versions of Sereno's 147 00:10:59,200 --> 00:11:04,360 Speaker 2: life held a witty, sharp tongued wordsmith, and this mostly 148 00:11:04,480 --> 00:11:08,280 Speaker 2: does seem to align with historical descriptions of the real 149 00:11:08,400 --> 00:11:13,600 Speaker 2: life Sirrano. As a young cadet, he frequented wine shops, 150 00:11:13,640 --> 00:11:17,199 Speaker 2: where he fell in with a crowd of creative, ambitious 151 00:11:17,240 --> 00:11:24,200 Speaker 2: freethinkers who called themselves libertines. Inspired by these intellectuals, sirra 152 00:11:24,280 --> 00:11:29,520 Speaker 2: No delved into poetry and philosophy. He rebelled against the government, 153 00:11:29,720 --> 00:11:33,800 Speaker 2: societal norms, and against his favorite target of all, the 154 00:11:33,880 --> 00:11:39,320 Speaker 2: Catholic Church. He wrote ample satires about priests and cardinals, 155 00:11:39,600 --> 00:11:44,000 Speaker 2: while also getting into numerous spicy feuds with other artists. 156 00:11:44,800 --> 00:11:49,240 Speaker 2: Sirno always backed up his words with action, though, which 157 00:11:49,240 --> 00:11:53,840 Speaker 2: brings us to our final legendary element to unpack his 158 00:11:53,960 --> 00:11:59,960 Speaker 2: reputation as an unbeatable swordsman, and on this point, basically 159 00:12:00,280 --> 00:12:06,280 Speaker 2: every biography, tale, and dramatic narrative agrees. Sierra No reputedly 160 00:12:06,440 --> 00:12:10,720 Speaker 2: fought in many duels, so many that, in addition to 161 00:12:10,960 --> 00:12:15,760 Speaker 2: broadly describing him as a poet, philosopher, and playwright, most 162 00:12:15,800 --> 00:12:19,640 Speaker 2: works written about him cite duellist as one of his 163 00:12:19,760 --> 00:12:25,040 Speaker 2: main vocations. Interestingly, while sierrah No certainly rubbed some people 164 00:12:25,120 --> 00:12:29,920 Speaker 2: the wrong way, he apparently rarely fought on his own behalf. 165 00:12:30,559 --> 00:12:34,640 Speaker 2: Most often, he was recruited as backup by others who 166 00:12:34,720 --> 00:12:39,199 Speaker 2: wanted the ultimate ringer for their clashes. In a letter, 167 00:12:39,280 --> 00:12:42,160 Speaker 2: he even joked about how in demand he was with 168 00:12:42,360 --> 00:12:45,920 Speaker 2: duels quote, it would be false to say that I 169 00:12:46,000 --> 00:12:49,800 Speaker 2: am the first among men, For in the last month, 170 00:12:49,880 --> 00:12:54,000 Speaker 2: I swear I have been second to everybody, a pun 171 00:12:54,160 --> 00:12:57,320 Speaker 2: on the fact that being second in a duel means 172 00:12:57,520 --> 00:13:02,360 Speaker 2: you're the main dualist's backup. All in all, this fighting 173 00:13:02,440 --> 00:13:06,520 Speaker 2: spirit may have been his calling card, but it also 174 00:13:06,760 --> 00:13:12,600 Speaker 2: would possibly lead to his downfall. The question of what 175 00:13:13,080 --> 00:13:18,440 Speaker 2: drove Serano to fight with verbal barbs and actual swords 176 00:13:18,480 --> 00:13:23,679 Speaker 2: provides invaluable insight into who he truly was and eventually 177 00:13:23,720 --> 00:13:27,160 Speaker 2: what would become of him, and there are several interesting 178 00:13:27,360 --> 00:13:32,119 Speaker 2: theories on the matter of his core motivation. One potential 179 00:13:32,240 --> 00:13:36,480 Speaker 2: driving force was again a yearning to be a member 180 00:13:36,520 --> 00:13:41,239 Speaker 2: of the nobility, as evidenced by a year's long conflict 181 00:13:41,280 --> 00:13:46,120 Speaker 2: with his father over his chosen name and persona. Sireno's 182 00:13:46,120 --> 00:13:50,800 Speaker 2: commitment to his lifestyle may have underlined a desperate need 183 00:13:50,920 --> 00:13:55,839 Speaker 2: to attain wealth and power atop the social hierarchy, and 184 00:13:56,040 --> 00:14:01,360 Speaker 2: for the noble young Parisian musketeers of Sierrano's air, gallivanting 185 00:14:01,400 --> 00:14:06,319 Speaker 2: around and challenging people to duels was supposedly a key 186 00:14:06,440 --> 00:14:11,680 Speaker 2: part of a noble's daily routine. That said, the duels 187 00:14:11,800 --> 00:14:18,280 Speaker 2: weren't just preening and posturing, people frequently died in them. Furthermore, 188 00:14:18,480 --> 00:14:23,000 Speaker 2: royal edicts had outlawed duels in the city and promised 189 00:14:23,040 --> 00:14:27,360 Speaker 2: harsh punishments for those caught in the act, including banishment 190 00:14:27,880 --> 00:14:32,560 Speaker 2: or execution if the duellists didn't first die in the duel, 191 00:14:32,680 --> 00:14:36,600 Speaker 2: that is. And yet, if certain estimates are to be believed, 192 00:14:36,960 --> 00:14:42,520 Speaker 2: Sirno participated in hundreds of duels, which does not seem 193 00:14:42,560 --> 00:14:45,960 Speaker 2: to fully fit with a simple goal of just ascending 194 00:14:45,960 --> 00:14:50,120 Speaker 2: to the aristocracy. In other words, even as an elite 195 00:14:50,280 --> 00:14:54,840 Speaker 2: sword fighter, Sirho presumably still could have gotten invited to 196 00:14:54,960 --> 00:14:59,480 Speaker 2: plenty of swanky parties without filling his calendar quite so 197 00:14:59,680 --> 00:15:06,280 Speaker 2: full of very risky fights to the death. Various writers 198 00:15:06,360 --> 00:15:08,240 Speaker 2: have offered another motivation. 199 00:15:09,240 --> 00:15:09,520 Speaker 1: Love. 200 00:15:10,360 --> 00:15:14,640 Speaker 2: Were sirrah NOO's battles of wit and swords a way 201 00:15:14,680 --> 00:15:19,880 Speaker 2: to showcase his dashing bravery, a sort of dramatic peacocking. 202 00:15:20,680 --> 00:15:26,040 Speaker 2: In Rostan's famous play, sirrah No's deep yet tragic love 203 00:15:26,240 --> 00:15:32,000 Speaker 2: for his cousin Roxane informs his entire emotional arc. And 204 00:15:32,080 --> 00:15:35,560 Speaker 2: to be clear, his arc with Roxanne isn't tragic because 205 00:15:35,600 --> 00:15:39,080 Speaker 2: their cousins and unable to pursue romance that was not 206 00:15:39,400 --> 00:15:42,760 Speaker 2: uncommon back then, although the Church did attempt to limit 207 00:15:42,920 --> 00:15:47,800 Speaker 2: marriage between closely related people. As you may recall, his 208 00:15:48,200 --> 00:15:53,240 Speaker 2: nose is actually the tragically steep obstacle impeding a mutual 209 00:15:53,280 --> 00:15:58,080 Speaker 2: attraction with Roxanne, and so, according to that version of 210 00:15:58,160 --> 00:16:02,360 Speaker 2: the story, doubting his chances with his beloved Siera no 211 00:16:02,600 --> 00:16:07,840 Speaker 2: famously helps a tongue tied but handsome fellow soldier wu 212 00:16:08,080 --> 00:16:14,920 Speaker 2: Roxanne instead. Overall, Rostan's play was actually thoroughly researched and 213 00:16:15,120 --> 00:16:20,680 Speaker 2: contains many accurate details, but the romance was a creative invention. 214 00:16:21,560 --> 00:16:25,240 Speaker 2: Sereno did have a female cousin who may have been 215 00:16:25,280 --> 00:16:28,840 Speaker 2: an inspiration for Roxanne, but there seems to be no 216 00:16:29,000 --> 00:16:33,520 Speaker 2: evidence that he loved her. In general, historians and writers 217 00:16:33,560 --> 00:16:39,360 Speaker 2: of different eras have disagreed on Siereno's romantic inclinations. Some 218 00:16:39,680 --> 00:16:43,680 Speaker 2: have claimed he wasn't all that interested in pursuing fulfilling 219 00:16:43,760 --> 00:16:48,600 Speaker 2: relationships with women. Others have asserted more outright that he 220 00:16:48,720 --> 00:16:54,000 Speaker 2: was a homosexual. That latter theory provides probable context for 221 00:16:54,240 --> 00:17:00,880 Speaker 2: Sierrano's tumultuous relationship with an older writer and musician, Charles 222 00:17:01,040 --> 00:17:06,360 Speaker 2: Desusi According to some scholars, De Susi had a sinister 223 00:17:06,520 --> 00:17:12,000 Speaker 2: reputation for using his social standing to seduce and manipulate 224 00:17:12,280 --> 00:17:17,160 Speaker 2: younger male artists. This could have been the case with Sirno, 225 00:17:17,800 --> 00:17:23,320 Speaker 2: although the full story was probably even more complicated. Judging 226 00:17:23,440 --> 00:17:29,440 Speaker 2: by certain letters, documents, and biographical texts, Sirno had an 227 00:17:29,560 --> 00:17:34,760 Speaker 2: intimate relationship with Dasusi through most of his twenties, but 228 00:17:35,000 --> 00:17:40,280 Speaker 2: their bond then turned extremely bitter and escalated into a 229 00:17:40,400 --> 00:17:46,840 Speaker 2: vicious rivalry involving death threats and both men circulating derisive 230 00:17:46,920 --> 00:17:52,000 Speaker 2: open letters. All this to say, Sierno's love life was 231 00:17:52,359 --> 00:17:55,840 Speaker 2: likely fraught and may have fueled some of his more 232 00:17:55,960 --> 00:18:01,520 Speaker 2: spiteful written work, but seemingly love was not the catalyst 233 00:18:01,680 --> 00:18:06,720 Speaker 2: in many of his most memorable exploits. Perhaps, as some 234 00:18:07,040 --> 00:18:12,440 Speaker 2: modern historians claim, a more all encompassing motivation for Sierno 235 00:18:13,040 --> 00:18:18,120 Speaker 2: was a sweeping desire to be revered and remembered. That 236 00:18:18,200 --> 00:18:22,879 Speaker 2: would definitely help explain his obsession with duels and the 237 00:18:23,080 --> 00:18:27,760 Speaker 2: hyping up of his sword fighting triumphs. Case in point, 238 00:18:28,160 --> 00:18:31,360 Speaker 2: that famed fight at the Poor Denesle on the Seen 239 00:18:31,640 --> 00:18:35,359 Speaker 2: that we mentioned in the introduction of this episode. The 240 00:18:35,400 --> 00:18:39,840 Speaker 2: brawl did reportedly happen. It might not have been one 241 00:18:39,960 --> 00:18:44,840 Speaker 2: hundred men versus one, as various rumors and brags insisted, 242 00:18:45,400 --> 00:18:49,520 Speaker 2: but it still showcased Sierrano's courage and knack for staging 243 00:18:50,240 --> 00:18:56,720 Speaker 2: his impressive victory despite being significantly outnumbered, as well as 244 00:18:56,720 --> 00:19:00,320 Speaker 2: his selectivity in choosing which witnesses to bring a long 245 00:19:00,880 --> 00:19:06,520 Speaker 2: created ideal conditions for the legend to spread, and of course, 246 00:19:06,720 --> 00:19:09,879 Speaker 2: his role as the loyal protector of a friend in 247 00:19:09,960 --> 00:19:15,920 Speaker 2: need made Sereno quite the inspiring hero. Accordingly, as one 248 00:19:16,160 --> 00:19:20,639 Speaker 2: prominent biographer of Sereno de Bergerac put it, this episode 249 00:19:20,840 --> 00:19:26,280 Speaker 2: was a prime example of his quote temptation of heroism. 250 00:19:27,200 --> 00:19:32,720 Speaker 2: Serano's longing for glory went far beyond fighting, though in fact, 251 00:19:32,840 --> 00:19:37,719 Speaker 2: a major shift in Sierno's life seemingly occurred when, to 252 00:19:37,720 --> 00:19:40,480 Speaker 2: put it bluntly, he tried to put his ass kicking 253 00:19:40,680 --> 00:19:45,879 Speaker 2: days behind him. He fully leaned into his literary endeavors, 254 00:19:46,320 --> 00:19:49,480 Speaker 2: assuming the written word would be an even better path 255 00:19:49,560 --> 00:19:56,760 Speaker 2: to lasting respect and artistic immortality. Unfortunately, like his romantic 256 00:19:56,920 --> 00:20:01,800 Speaker 2: arc in fictionalized versions of his life, Sierno's writing career 257 00:20:02,040 --> 00:20:07,680 Speaker 2: followed a tragic trajectory. His eloquent letters and plays were 258 00:20:07,800 --> 00:20:11,840 Speaker 2: enjoyed by some, but he struggled to find a larger 259 00:20:12,000 --> 00:20:16,119 Speaker 2: audience to support himself along the way. As a writer, 260 00:20:16,640 --> 00:20:21,200 Speaker 2: he worked for a wealthy patron, dedicating poems and other 261 00:20:21,280 --> 00:20:27,040 Speaker 2: works to him, but Sereno would become creatively frustrated. As 262 00:20:27,160 --> 00:20:32,840 Speaker 2: an escapist outlet, he began working on an expansive satirical 263 00:20:33,119 --> 00:20:38,400 Speaker 2: novel titled The Other World Comical History of the States 264 00:20:38,440 --> 00:20:43,040 Speaker 2: and Empires of the Moon. Sirano spent years on his 265 00:20:43,160 --> 00:20:47,280 Speaker 2: magnum opus, but unfortunately he did not live to see 266 00:20:47,320 --> 00:20:52,439 Speaker 2: it published. In sixteen fifty four, the daring duellist turned 267 00:20:52,600 --> 00:20:59,240 Speaker 2: novelist met an uncharacteristically mundane bit of fortune. While Sereno 268 00:20:59,440 --> 00:21:02,960 Speaker 2: was entering the house of his wealthy patron, a worker 269 00:21:03,160 --> 00:21:07,399 Speaker 2: apparently dropped a block of wood on his head, or 270 00:21:07,440 --> 00:21:11,640 Speaker 2: at least that's what happened according to Rusten's play. Other 271 00:21:11,800 --> 00:21:16,400 Speaker 2: counts paint a similar picture, often hinting that the supposed 272 00:21:16,520 --> 00:21:21,480 Speaker 2: accident was in fact a premeditated act of revenge for 273 00:21:21,600 --> 00:21:27,040 Speaker 2: Sierno's past duels or feuds. Analysis by a few historians 274 00:21:27,119 --> 00:21:31,160 Speaker 2: even point to Serno possibly having been injured in an 275 00:21:31,240 --> 00:21:35,440 Speaker 2: attack on his patron's carriage, which could have either been 276 00:21:35,520 --> 00:21:40,879 Speaker 2: an unrelated crime or again an act of vindictive foul play. 277 00:21:41,960 --> 00:21:45,760 Speaker 2: Whatever the case, Sereno convalesced for over a year in 278 00:21:45,800 --> 00:21:50,360 Speaker 2: his cousin's home, then died in sixteen fifty five at 279 00:21:50,359 --> 00:21:54,480 Speaker 2: the age of thirty six. However, as we know, that 280 00:21:54,800 --> 00:21:59,480 Speaker 2: was far from the end of his story. It's hard 281 00:21:59,480 --> 00:22:05,119 Speaker 2: to think of many historical figures whose romanticized legacies more 282 00:22:05,200 --> 00:22:09,800 Speaker 2: greatly eclipsed their actual lives, to the point that many 283 00:22:09,920 --> 00:22:13,800 Speaker 2: are genuinely surprised to learn that a real Sierraeno de 284 00:22:13,800 --> 00:22:18,639 Speaker 2: Bergerac actually existed. Ralston's play was largely to thank for 285 00:22:18,680 --> 00:22:24,160 Speaker 2: that the theater production featured highly celebrated French actors when 286 00:22:24,200 --> 00:22:28,040 Speaker 2: it premiered in Paris in eighteen ninety seven and became 287 00:22:28,160 --> 00:22:34,600 Speaker 2: an instant, roaring success. Critics praised its delightfully rhyming verses, 288 00:22:35,040 --> 00:22:39,320 Speaker 2: and the French public reportedly fell for the compelling romantic story, 289 00:22:39,720 --> 00:22:43,520 Speaker 2: while taking national pride in the way the play showcased 290 00:22:43,600 --> 00:22:50,160 Speaker 2: the country's iconic musketeer era. The original cast members performed 291 00:22:50,280 --> 00:22:56,800 Speaker 2: the noseworthy noteworthy play hundreds of times in Paris, then 292 00:22:57,080 --> 00:23:01,080 Speaker 2: various iterations of the show toured throughout Europe, up North Africa, 293 00:23:01,160 --> 00:23:05,399 Speaker 2: the Middle East, and North America. The drama was initially 294 00:23:05,440 --> 00:23:10,359 Speaker 2: performed in French, but was soon translated into many other languages. 295 00:23:11,040 --> 00:23:17,040 Speaker 2: Acclaimed stagings graced Broadway as well as numerous renowned theaters 296 00:23:17,040 --> 00:23:21,480 Speaker 2: and festivals across the world, and the play eventually inspired 297 00:23:21,600 --> 00:23:27,240 Speaker 2: musical and cinematic adaptations, novels, operas, radio plays, and TV 298 00:23:27,359 --> 00:23:33,600 Speaker 2: episodes of varying genres. In pop culture, Sierraho's name started 299 00:23:33,800 --> 00:23:39,520 Speaker 2: intrinsically conjuring up images of absurdly large noses, and then 300 00:23:39,640 --> 00:23:44,679 Speaker 2: became shorthand for a scenario in which one person helps 301 00:23:44,840 --> 00:23:50,040 Speaker 2: ghostwrite another's love interest. There's irony to be found in 302 00:23:50,080 --> 00:23:53,919 Speaker 2: the fact that some of the least accurate parts of 303 00:23:54,000 --> 00:23:59,160 Speaker 2: Sierrano's story became the most widely repeated. On the other hand, 304 00:23:59,240 --> 00:24:02,520 Speaker 2: this isn't that so prizing, because ay, that's the way 305 00:24:02,680 --> 00:24:06,520 Speaker 2: history so often goes. And b we must again remember 306 00:24:06,560 --> 00:24:09,720 Speaker 2: that the seeds of so many of those myths were 307 00:24:09,760 --> 00:24:15,360 Speaker 2: planted by Sireno himself. Sereno modified his name and constantly 308 00:24:15,400 --> 00:24:18,959 Speaker 2: tried to beef up his own reputation. He helped his 309 00:24:19,080 --> 00:24:23,880 Speaker 2: wealthy patron compose eloquent letters to presumably pass off as 310 00:24:23,960 --> 00:24:28,600 Speaker 2: his own, and he wrote innumerable witty zingers about others, 311 00:24:29,160 --> 00:24:33,520 Speaker 2: some even pointing out their big noses. For example, as 312 00:24:33,560 --> 00:24:37,680 Speaker 2: a teenager, Siereno wrote a comedic play that was a 313 00:24:37,840 --> 00:24:42,080 Speaker 2: thinly veiled rebuke against a hated professor at his college. 314 00:24:43,080 --> 00:24:47,480 Speaker 2: In that play, a character describes the professor's appearance using 315 00:24:47,600 --> 00:24:52,879 Speaker 2: many creative insults, including the crack that quote his nose 316 00:24:53,040 --> 00:24:56,240 Speaker 2: arrives everywhere a quarter of an hour before its master, 317 00:24:57,359 --> 00:25:02,200 Speaker 2: in something of a cruel twist. These insults then served 318 00:25:02,240 --> 00:25:06,840 Speaker 2: as inspiration for the playwright Rosstand, who had the theatrical 319 00:25:06,960 --> 00:25:11,720 Speaker 2: version of Sierrano rattle off a run of similar snooty 320 00:25:11,920 --> 00:25:17,000 Speaker 2: diggs about himself in his play. So while the playwright 321 00:25:17,160 --> 00:25:22,800 Speaker 2: Rostand deserves accolades for popularizing the legend of Serrano, Sereno 322 00:25:23,000 --> 00:25:28,399 Speaker 2: deserves plenty of credit for mythologizing himself as well. Given 323 00:25:28,600 --> 00:25:33,280 Speaker 2: the real life Sereno's skill at crafting legends, it would 324 00:25:33,480 --> 00:25:37,480 Speaker 2: seem a distinct tragedy if the works he was most 325 00:25:37,560 --> 00:25:43,080 Speaker 2: proud of never saw the light of day. Thankfully, that 326 00:25:43,119 --> 00:25:47,240 Speaker 2: wouldn't be the case. After Sirho died, his friend and 327 00:25:47,560 --> 00:25:52,360 Speaker 2: later biographer henri Le Brett published The Other World, comical 328 00:25:52,520 --> 00:25:55,439 Speaker 2: History of the States and Empires of the Moon and 329 00:25:55,680 --> 00:26:00,119 Speaker 2: its sequel, The States and Empires of the Sun. From 330 00:26:00,200 --> 00:26:04,760 Speaker 2: a literary perspective, the novels are fascinating and have been 331 00:26:04,960 --> 00:26:09,719 Speaker 2: lauded by many for their imaginative storytelling, as well as 332 00:26:09,800 --> 00:26:13,919 Speaker 2: their importance to the science fiction genre. In fact, lines 333 00:26:13,960 --> 00:26:17,119 Speaker 2: of influence can be drawn from Sirno's works of fiction 334 00:26:17,560 --> 00:26:21,879 Speaker 2: to that of heavyweights like Jonathan Swift, Voltaire HDL's, and 335 00:26:22,119 --> 00:26:28,960 Speaker 2: Jules vern. Sirno's novels predicted several futuristic technologies, including a 336 00:26:29,040 --> 00:26:32,840 Speaker 2: type of audiobook, and he was arguably the first writer 337 00:26:33,040 --> 00:26:38,320 Speaker 2: to clearly describe rocket power based space travel. The book's 338 00:26:38,600 --> 00:26:43,720 Speaker 2: sci fi concepts are undoubtedly intriguing, but so are their 339 00:26:43,720 --> 00:26:50,600 Speaker 2: philosophical and personal themes. As many historians advise, caution should 340 00:26:50,640 --> 00:26:54,359 Speaker 2: be used when linking artists work to their personal lives. 341 00:26:54,800 --> 00:26:58,160 Speaker 2: But that said, it's pretty difficult in this case since 342 00:26:58,320 --> 00:27:02,720 Speaker 2: so many components are forgive me so on the nose. 343 00:27:03,359 --> 00:27:08,800 Speaker 2: The protagonist of these novels is named Sirrho and spoiler alert. 344 00:27:09,240 --> 00:27:12,560 Speaker 2: After finally making it to the Moon, he finds an 345 00:27:12,680 --> 00:27:18,119 Speaker 2: alien civilization whose interests come off as eerily similar to 346 00:27:18,280 --> 00:27:23,320 Speaker 2: Sierrano de Bergerac's own. The moon Men have specific naming conventions, 347 00:27:23,720 --> 00:27:30,600 Speaker 2: atheist philosophies, and they cherish and honor big noses. Given 348 00:27:30,800 --> 00:27:36,520 Speaker 2: the real Sirrho's audacious personality, it's also tempting to imagine 349 00:27:36,560 --> 00:27:40,200 Speaker 2: whether he would have looked down his proud nose at 350 00:27:40,240 --> 00:27:43,720 Speaker 2: all of the even wilder portrayals of him to come. 351 00:27:44,600 --> 00:27:51,600 Speaker 2: Those depictions obviously accentuated unflattering characteristics, but if his primary 352 00:27:51,640 --> 00:27:56,240 Speaker 2: motive throughout his life was indeed to be remembered, then 353 00:27:56,520 --> 00:28:03,040 Speaker 2: mission accomplished right. Syrno's own correspondence suggests that he cared 354 00:28:03,200 --> 00:28:07,320 Speaker 2: little about being a divisive figure as long as people 355 00:28:07,440 --> 00:28:11,520 Speaker 2: were talking about him. In one letter, he basically summed 356 00:28:11,560 --> 00:28:15,080 Speaker 2: this up, stating, in truth, it is a very great 357 00:28:15,200 --> 00:28:19,199 Speaker 2: consolation to me to be hated because I am loved 358 00:28:19,680 --> 00:28:25,200 Speaker 2: to find enemies everywhere, because I have friends everywhere. All 359 00:28:25,240 --> 00:28:28,960 Speaker 2: in all, sierrah No quite possibly would have felt grateful 360 00:28:29,080 --> 00:28:33,120 Speaker 2: for Rostand and other writers who immortalized him as they did, 361 00:28:33,840 --> 00:28:37,440 Speaker 2: although knowing sierrah No, he still probably would have found 362 00:28:37,480 --> 00:28:50,040 Speaker 2: reasons to challenge them to duels. That's the swashbuckling story 363 00:28:50,080 --> 00:28:53,520 Speaker 2: of the real Serano de Bergerac, but stick around after 364 00:28:53,600 --> 00:28:58,160 Speaker 2: a brief sponsor break to hear another surprising French connection 365 00:28:58,720 --> 00:29:10,040 Speaker 2: to several more fabled Musketeers. Another factor in the massive 366 00:29:10,080 --> 00:29:14,360 Speaker 2: success of Rostand's play Serena de Bergrek was the lasting 367 00:29:14,520 --> 00:29:19,240 Speaker 2: popularity of the eighteen forty four novel by Alexander Duma 368 00:29:19,360 --> 00:29:24,000 Speaker 2: and his collaborator, The Three Musketeers. Not only did that 369 00:29:24,160 --> 00:29:28,560 Speaker 2: story promote ample nostalgia for a period of bold adventuring 370 00:29:28,600 --> 00:29:33,000 Speaker 2: in French history, it also provided a blueprint for crafting 371 00:29:33,080 --> 00:29:38,600 Speaker 2: a compelling piece of fiction based on historical figures. Because 372 00:29:38,800 --> 00:29:42,640 Speaker 2: similar to how the fictional character of Serena was modeled 373 00:29:42,680 --> 00:29:46,320 Speaker 2: on a real guy, so too were the lead characters 374 00:29:46,360 --> 00:29:51,280 Speaker 2: from The Three Musketeers. And fascinatingly, there is evidence to 375 00:29:51,360 --> 00:29:56,880 Speaker 2: suggest that Sirho very likely knew the real Count d'artagnian, 376 00:29:57,320 --> 00:30:01,360 Speaker 2: the inspiration for the novel's protagonist, as well as the 377 00:30:01,520 --> 00:30:06,600 Speaker 2: renowned trio of Athos, Porthos and Aramus. In fact, Sirano 378 00:30:06,800 --> 00:30:11,800 Speaker 2: reportedly fought alongside d'Artagnan in a siege in sixteen forty, 379 00:30:12,240 --> 00:30:16,200 Speaker 2: and by sixteen forty one was almost assuredly in the 380 00:30:16,240 --> 00:30:22,520 Speaker 2: same Gaskin Regiment as the Three Musketeers. Now there's a crossover, 381 00:30:22,720 --> 00:30:35,240 Speaker 2: I would love to see. Noble Blood is a production 382 00:30:35,440 --> 00:30:39,880 Speaker 2: of iHeartRadio and Grim and Mild from Aaron Manke. Noble 383 00:30:39,880 --> 00:30:43,880 Speaker 2: Blood is hosted by me Dana Schwartz, with additional writing 384 00:30:43,920 --> 00:30:48,480 Speaker 2: and research by Hannah Johnston, Hannaswick, Courtney Sender, Amy Hit 385 00:30:48,640 --> 00:30:52,600 Speaker 2: and Julia Milani. The show is edited and produced by 386 00:30:52,720 --> 00:30:58,959 Speaker 2: Jesse Funk, with supervising producerrima Ill Kali and executive producers 387 00:30:59,040 --> 00:31:02,560 Speaker 2: Aaron Mankey, t, Trevor Young, and Matt Frederick. For more 388 00:31:02,640 --> 00:31:08,120 Speaker 2: podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or 389 00:31:08,200 --> 00:31:10,080 Speaker 2: wherever you listen to your favorite shows.