The Real Man Behind the Iron Mask

Around the time of King Louis XIV’s reign in France in the 17th century, there is a story of a mysterious man who had spent many years trapped behind the walls of several French prisons, including the Bastille as well as the Fortress of Pignerol. No one knew who he was or why he was put in jail. Over the centuries that passed, some even argued that no one had even seen his face as this enigmatic prisoner had never spent a day of his life in prison without donning a black velvet mask that hid his true identity. 

This unidentified inmate of several French prisons has been the subject of a variety of tales and legends, particularly in the written works of the likes of Alexandre Dumas and Voltaire, who actually popularized the idea that the prisoner’s mask was crafted from iron. And while the story of an imprisoned man wearing an iron mask seems one of fiction than fact, many historians are in agreement that such a man did exist in France several hundred years ago. 

If this masked prisoner was indeed real, who was he and why did he have to wear a black mask? Over the years, dozens of potential personalities have been presented as the real man behind the iron mask, but experts have had a hard time universally agreeing on a single individual that could be his actual hidden identity. 

And so for this video, we will explore some of these suggested personalities, speculated or real, and assess the likelihood of each one as the potential true identity of the legendary “Man in the Iron Mask.” 

The Story of the Man Behind the Iron Mask

“L’Homme au Masque de Fer,” which in English translates to “The Man in the Iron Mask,” is arguably the most famous prisoner in French history. The earliest known record of this unidentified prisoner dates all the way back to July 1669.  In a letter from the Marquis de Louvois to Bénigne Dauvergne de Saint-Mars, the governor of the prison of Pignerol at the time, the minister mentioned that a prisoner named “Eustache Dauger” was going to be arriving the following month or so. The prison’s governor was told to make the necessary preparations for the prisoner’s arrival, and that Saint-Mars will be the one to oversee the immediate needs of the inmate by visiting only once a day. It was also mentioned in the letter that if the man said anything else apart from his daily needs, he would be executed. Louvois also noted that Dauger did not require a lot of attending to as he was “only a valet.”

While the name of the mysterious inmate was revealed in the letter as Eustache Dauger, no one knew for certain if this was his real name or was just a made-up name to ensure that his true identity stays never gets revealed. Much of the fascination over this individual largely stems from the rumor that his face had to be covered with a black velvet or an iron mask at all times while he was in jail, which naturally sparked the public’s interest and consequently gave rise to many theories and stories about who Dauger was.  It was also a wonder to many people how grave his crimes must have been that he was placed in a prison meant for those deemed to be an embarrassment to the state and why his jailers took extensive precautions to keep him imprisoned for more than three decades of his life in almost complete isolation.   

The interesting tale of the man who was forced to wear an iron mask at all times led to various speculations, which were explored in works authored by the likes of Voltaire in “Le siècle de Louis XIV” and Alexandre Dumas in “The Vicomte de Bragelonne.” For example, some believed that the masked prisoner was nothing more than just a lowly servant who probably saw something he should not have seen, or whose physical appearance displeased the king. There were those, however, who believed that there was so much more to the identity of this prisoner, going so far as to claim that he was someone of royal blood whose face had to remain unseen as he bore a strong resemblance to another individual already in power at the time. 

Illegitimate Half-Brother or Twin Brother of King Louis XIV

One of the popular theories about the lineage of the masked prisoner was initially suggested by Voltaire, who claimed that “The Man in the Iron Mask” was the older, illegitimate half-brother of King Louis XIV, and was the son of Anne of Austria and Cardinal Mazarin. Dumas worked on a similar theory in his book but with one substantial change: the prisoner was not just the half-brother of King Louis XIV but was his older identical twin, making him the legitimate king of France. As the story goes, the king’s brother had to be kept hidden as his existence would raise a serious and chaotic issue about succession. But since a prince with royal blood is not allowed to be killed, he had to spend the rest of his days in prison while wearing a mask the entire time to hide his striking resemblance with the reigning king.  

Real Father of King Louis XIV

There was also a suggestion that the imprisoned man in the iron mask was actually the biological father of King Louis XIV. According to this particular theory, Louis XIV’s miraculous birth came at a time when Louis XIII was already very old, sickly and possibly impotent, which implies that he may not have been capable of fathering a child at the time that Louis XIV’s was conceived. 

Before the birth of Louis XIV, the heir presumptive to the throne of France was Gaston d’Orléans, the brother of King Louis XIII. Neither the king nor the queen was fond of Gaston. The queen, in particular, did not see it as in her best interests to allow Gaston’s ambition to ascend as the next king as she knew he would surely suppress her influence and power. And so, through the machinations of Cardinal Richelieu, the king’s minister and an enemy of Gaston d’Orléans, a substitute was selected to impregnate the queen and father an heir to the throne in the king’s stead. 

After escaping to the Americas, this substitute supposedly returned to France in the 1660s and tried to extort money in exchange for keeping the secret that he was King Louis XIV’s real father. To protect the legitimacy of Louis XIV’s claim to the throne, the man was immediately arrested. However, out of respect for his biological father, the king allegedly could not bring himself to order the man’s execution and have chosen comfortable imprisonment as a more suitable punishment instead. 

General Vivien de Bulonde

Another theory about the true identity of “The Man in the Iron Mask” came from the Great Cipher of Louis XIV, which was decrypted by Etienne Bazeries of the French Army’s cryptographic department around the 1890s. One of the decoded messages mentioned of a prisoner named General Vivien de Bulonde, who supposedly angered the king for his cowardice during the siege of Cuneo back in 1691. Out of fear of the approaching troops from Austria, de Bulonde ordered the hasty withdrawal of the army, leaving behind supplies and injured soldiers in the process. This enraged the king, who ordered the general’s arrest and imprisonment at the fortress of Pignerol.

It is difficult to determine whether Bulonde really was the iron-masked inmate especially since Bulonde’s arrest was not a secret and was actually reported in the newspaper around that time. Moreover, his death has been recorded to have taken place in 1709, which is six years later than the reported death of the masked prisoner in 1703. 

Count Ercole Antonio Mattioli

Another famous candidate believed to be “The Man in the Iron Mask” was Count Ercole Antonio Mattioli, an Italian diplomat, and minister of Ferdinand Charles, the Duke of Mantua. Mattioli was entrusted in securing the sale of the fortified town of Casale in 1678. However, after he secured his earnings from the agreement, Mattioli betrayed France by leaking the details of the treaty to the country’s Spanish enemies, which thwarted France’s plans to successfully occupy the town. Infuriated over Mattioli’s treachery, the king ordered for Mattioli’s abduction and was subsequently imprisoned in Pignerol in April 1679. 

Because the masked man is known to have been buried under the name “Marchioly,” this led many to believe that Mattioli and “The Man in the Iron Mask” are the same. However, it is generally agreed on by many experts that Mattioli passed away in Îles Sainte-Marguerite back in April 1694, several years before the death of Eustache Dauger. 

Eustache Dauger de Cavoye

One of the more compelling theories about the identity of “The Man in the Iron Mask” is that Eustache Dauger is actually Eustache Dauger de Cavoye, the son of a captain who served as one of Cardinal Richelieu’s guards. Born in 1637, Eustache joined the royal army but was forced to resign his commission in disgrace after he ended up killing a young page boy during a drunken brawl. During his incarceration, Eustache supposedly complained of how he was treated in prison in 1678, and the king subsequently issued an edict that he was no longer permitted to speak to anybody unless in the presence of a priest.

While Eustache Dauger De Cavoye seemed like the most likely candidate to be “The Man in the Iron Mask,” evidence has emerged that Dauger De Cavoye met his demise in the Prison Saint-Lazare in the 1680s, several years before the death of the famous Eustache Dauger in Îles Sainte-Marguerite in 1703.

Perhaps the most recent theory about the identity of the masked prisoner in 17th-century France is presented by Paul Sonnino, a history professor at UC Santa Barbara, in his 2016 book, “The Search for the Man in the Iron Mask: A Historical Detective Story.” According to Sonnino’s book, Dauger was, in fact, the valet of the treasurer of Cardinal Mazarin, a principal minister in France during the early life of Louis XIV.  Mazarin amassed a huge fortune during his lifetime, which led the valet to believe that some of the minister’s money may have been stolen from the previous king and queen of England. When he was arrested, he was warned not to reveal his real identity to anyone unless he wanted to be executed immediately. 

When “The Man in the Iron Mask” passed away on November 19, 1703, at the Îles Sainte-Marguerite and was buried the following day with the name “Marchioly,” all his possessions in his cell, including his furniture and clothing, were all burned. Everything he owned that were made of metal was melted down. And the walls of his cell were scraped clean, leaving no trace of the inmate that once spent many years of his life in confinement and isolation.

With so many theories on who he really was and speculations on whether or not he was actually guilty of a crime worthy of lifetime incarceration, we may never really know the reason why this famous prisoner had to wear an iron mask while in almost complete isolation in prison. For all we know, Eustache Dauger was just an ordinary citizen who slighted the king and had the unusual punishment of having to wear a mask while living the remainder of his life inside a cell. It probably never even crossed his mind that his life of incarceration would be a subject of intrigue and mystery that managed to capture the interest of countless people even until today.
 

SOURCES:
http://www.history.com/news/ask-history/who-was-the-man-in-the-iron-mask
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Man_in_the_Iron_Mask
http://www.news.ucsb.edu/2016/016743/mystery-unmasked
https://www.livescience.com/54669-man-in-the-iron-mask-identified.html
http://www.ancient-origins.net/unexplained-phenomena/story-man-iron-mask-002419?nopaging=1
http://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2014/10/real-man-iron-mask/
http://io9.gizmodo.com/how-a-cryptoanalyst-discovered-the-identity-of-the-man-1581576707
http://www.historychannel.com.au/this-day-in-history/the-real-man-in-the-iron-mask-dies-in-prison/
http://mysteriousuniverse.org/2016/05/the-mysterious-man-in-the-iron-mask-is-finally-unmasked/

The Most Deadly Cursed Diamond In The World

Diamonds are precious gemstones which, from ancient to modern times, have typically been used for adornment because of its gemological and shining characteristic of dispersing white light and bursting it into different spectral and sparkling colors. It cannot be denied that people are primarily fascinated by these precious stones for their crystalline beauty and elegance as well as the widespread knowledge that they could last “forever.” But, of course, not all diamonds and other gemstones are famous simply for their physical attributes, but for the notorious reputation, they gained over several generations for purportedly being cursed. 
 
Many of the oldest gemstones that survive today bring with them tales of mystery, intrigue as well as a series of misfortunes that have been passed down from one owner to the next. With so many people going to great lengths to possess them, and with so many deaths believed to have been caused by these precious diamonds, a lot of individuals today are left wondering if the pricelessness of these gemstones is worth the curse that comes with owning one.
 
One of the most famously known diamonds believed to possess a deadly curse is the Koh-i-Noor.

The Koh-i-Noor, which is Persian for “Mountain of Light,” is currently ranked as the 90th largest diamond in the world, and is arguably the most infamous one. It is a large, dazzling, oval-cut and colorless diamond, which currently weighs at 105.6 karats or 21.12 grams. Its earliest officially recorded weight was 186 karats or 77.2 grams, though it is believed by some to have weighed as much as 793 karats before its first cutting. 
 
As for when it was first found and where it originally came from, no one knows for certain. But what is common knowledge is the fact that it is an unspeaking witness to centuries of violent and bloody wars and conquests, having been passed on from one ruler or conqueror to another, sometimes by inheritance but mostly by force. The story and lives of those who once held ownership of this gemstone went down in history as rulers whose legacies were plagued with ill fortune, and whose kingdoms and empires eventually met their downfall. 
 
Even now, ownership of this precious diamond is still being fought about by various nations, which is probably why some people have thought of the Koh-i-Noor as the deadliest cursed diamond on the planet. 

Source: bbc

Mysterious Origins

There are conflicting views regarding the possible origins of the Koh-i-Noor. Some say that the legendary diamond’s existence dates back to more than 5,000 years ago, and was found in the river bed of the Lower Godavari River, which is part of the second longest river in India. Others say that the legendary diamond came from Surya, the sun god, and was given to the world as a unique gift. There also those who claim that the diamond was originally the property of the Hindu god Krishna, while others believe that the Koh-i-Noor is the prized jewel called Shyamantaka mentioned in the written texts of Indian mythology. Another story suggests that the diamond was worn by Raja Karna as a talisman when he fought in the Mahabharata war. 

 

The Journey of the Koh-i-Noor From India to England

While it may be impossible now to find out where exactly the Koh-i-Noor was found, it is widely believed that the prized gemstone came from the Kollur Mines in the Guntur District, which was located in what is known today as the southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. 
 
They say that the diamond was the eye of the Devi, or the goddess, in a Hindu temple during the reign of the Kakatiya dynasty sometime in the 13th century. However, during the early 14th century, the Turkic Khilji dynasty of the Delhi Sultanate marched to southern India. The army of Alauddin Khalji – the dynasty’s second ruler – raided the kingdoms of the area for their wealth, and it is believed that among the riches and prized possessions taken by the Khilji’s army is the Koh-i-Noor diamond. 
 
The stone supposedly remained in the custody of the Khilji dynasty for several years until it was later passed on to subsequent dynasties of the Delhi Sultanate. However, most historians agree that the first reliable recording of the Koh-i-Noor was in the Baburnama or the Memoirs of Babur, an autobiographical work written by the founder of the Mughal Empire, Babur. The jewel was obtained by the conqueror and at the time, he referred to it as the “Diamond of Babur.” He also mentioned in his memoirs that it had belonged to an unnamed Raja of Malwa in India. It has also been said that the emperor treasured the diamond so much that he compared its worth to “the value of one day’s food for all the people in the world” who lived at the time. 
 
The Mughal Empire ruled over most of the Indian subcontinent for around two centuries, and it is believed that the Koh-i-Noor was passed from one emperor of the Mughal Empire to the next until the fifth Mughal emperor, Shah Jahan, had the jewel placed onto his ornamental Peacock Throne. Unfortunately, Jahan’s sons got caught up in a power struggle that led to his imprisonment, and the ailing emperor eventually passed away in captivity. When his son Aurangzeb came into power, ownership of the Peacock Throne and the diamond passed onto him before it eventually came into the possession of Aurangzeb’s grandson, Sultan Mahamad. 

 In 1739, Delhi was invaded by the ruling Shah of Persia, Nader Shah, who went down in history as the “scourge” of the Ottoman Empire. With the invasion of Nader Shah’s army came the exhaustive looting and acquisition of the riches and valuable possessions of the Mughal nobility. Along with other jewels and treasures, the Peacock Throne which contained the diamond was transported to Persia. As the story goes, when the Shah finally got his hands on the famous stone, he allegedly exclaimed “Koh-i-Noor!” which is how the jewel got its name. 
 
The Koh-i-Noor did not last for very long in Nader Shah’s possession as he was assassinated in 1747. With the fall of his empire, the diamond fell into the hands of his general, Ahmad Shah Abdali, who eventually rose to power as the Emir of Afghanistan. When he and his son died during their respective reigns, Ahmad Shah Abdali’s descendants were caught in a civil war. Amid the chaos, Shah Shuja Durrani, a descendant of Ahmad Shah who briefly assumed power as king, escaped from the wrath of his feuding brothers and brought the Koh-i-Noor with him in India. 

Shah Shuja Durrani sought asylum in Lahore, which was granted by Maharaja Ranjit Singh, the ruler and founder of the Sikh Empire. However, his safety came at a very high price, as the Sikh emperor required that the Koh-i-Noor be given to him in exchange for his hospitality. And so, Shah Shuja Durrani surrendered ownership of the diamond, and the Sikh emperor took possession of the stone in 1813. 
 
The new owner of the Koh-i-Noor purportedly loved the diamond so much that he wore it on all kinds of public occasions. Perhaps to make sure that the jewel will be taken care of by capable hands, the Sikh emperor willed that the Koh-i-Noor be given to a Hindu temple. However, when he died and after the assassinations of the next Maharajas, his youngest son, Duleep Singh, ascended the throne at the tender age of five in 1843. And when the British Empire won the Second Anglo-Sikh War in April 1849, the ten-year-old Duleep was made to sign the Last Treaty of Lahore. Having done so, he resigned his claim to the sovereignty of Punjab and officially ceded ownership of the Koh-i-Noor to Queen Victoria along with his other assets to the East India Company.
 

When the Koh-i-Noor came into the possession of the British royal family, Queen Victoria’s husband, Prince Albert, commissioned the re-cutting of the diamond to its current size and appearance, and it was worn by the queen as a personal brooch. After Queen Victoria’s death, it became a part of the crown jewels of the British royal family. It was mounted onto the crown of Queen Consort Alexandra before it was transferred to Queen Consort Mary’s crown in 1911, and was finally placed on the crown of The Queen Mother Elizabeth in 1937.
 
Today, the crown is publicly displayed along with other Crown Jewels of the royal family at the Tower of London.

The Curse of the Koh-i-Noor

Considering that the ownership of the Koh-i-Noor transferred from one person to another for so many times to the point that it became difficult to pinpoint who had it when we can’t help but ask: Is the curse of the Koh-i-Noor real?
 
There’s an old saying about the Koh-i-Noor, and it states: “He who owns this diamond will own the world, but will also know all its misfortunes. Only God, or woman, can wear it with impunity.”
 
If we take a look at the events that transpired around the time the Koh-i-Noor was in possession of an emperor or a ruler, it will not be difficult to see the pattern of violence, gore, and tragedies that are very apparent in the diamond’s history. The stories of the people who gained ownership of the jewel and their descendants who ended up inheriting the stone usually ended in torture, murder, mutilation, treachery and the collapse of their dynasties. 

While the British royal family may never admit that they believe in the curse of the Koh-i-Noor, its history cannot be dismissed so easily, and it seems the threat of receiving the curse is frightening enough for the long-reigning monarch to handle it with caution. After the reign of Queen Victoria, the use of the Koh-i-Noor diamond has so far only been granted to the wives of the male heirs to the British throne. Even Queen Elizabeth II has steered clear of wearing the diamond with a crown or as an accessory, even though the Koh-i-Noor’s curse supposedly only applied to male rulers.

Of course, this does not confirm that the diamond is cursed and deadly, but it does leave us wondering if the jewel is indeed the source of the problem of its owners, or its role in the violent history of many fallen empires is not any more special than any other spoil of war. Did the owners of the Koh-i-Noor and the empires and kingdoms they ruled experienced horrible misfortunes and terrible fates because the diamond in their possession was cursed? Or, did people come to believe that the Koh-i-Noor was cursed simply because its previous owners incidentally experienced misfortunes along with the collapse of their empires?
 
We may never know for sure if the Koh-i-Noor is indeed cursed, or its supposed menacing power to destroy the lives of its owners and their descendants is nothing more than a long-standing myth. And perhaps answering this mystery should be the least of our concern at the moment as there are more pressing issues about this diamond that remains unresolved today, particularly the disputes over its ownership. 
 
Although under the possession of the British royal family, other countries such as India, Pakistan, Iran, and Afghanistan have called for the United Kingdom’s relinquishment of the diamond’s ownership and the return of the Koh-i-Noor to the care of their respective nations. And although the jewel’s presence in London is largely contested, it looks like the British royal family will not be ceding possession of this diamond anytime soon. 

---

Sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koh-i-Noor
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/books/article-4608828/The-world-s-deadliest-diamond.html
http://www.thefridaytimes.com/tft/deadly-diamond/
http://www.speakingtree.in/allslides/kohinoor-diamond-stolen-and-cursed/172354
http://www.hindustantimes.com/india/the-kohinoor-following-the-bloodiest-diamond-across-history/story-KwrpNJ70xTqlkjGQ2b1LOK.html
http://www.academia.edu/6804928/The_Lust_and_Curse_of_the_Koh-i-Noor_Diamond_of_India
https://www.worthy.com/famous-diamonds/the-koh-i-noor-diamond
http://www.ancient-origins.net/artifacts-other-artifacts/mountain-light-history-and-lore-koh-i-noor-diamond-005172?nopaging=1

Top 7 Real Mermaid Sightings From Around The World

When we think of mermaids, we typically picture a beautiful girl with a seashell bikini top. But yeah, that's what we want them to look like. In actuality, IF mermaids do indeed exist, wouldn’t it make sense that they looked more like fish with nasty scales, slimy and slippery, hair all messed up from soaking in sea water since they were born, skin all wrinkly, gills on their neck, etc?

Of course, mankind has been fascinated with mermaids for centuries. Cultures from all over the world all seem to have mermaids in their folklore, oftentimes with very similar descriptions. But, do they really exist? So for those of you who really need Ariel to exist, here are 7 sightings of mermaids from around the world.

7. Christopher Columbus saw them

On 9 January 1493, Christopher Columbus observed mermaids on the coasts of Africa. He described his experience in his journal, in which he described the encounter with three mermaids that "were not as beautiful as they are painted...although to some extent they have a human appearance in the face….”

But, of course, skeptics think that he was actually looking at a few chubby manatees. 

6. Henry Hudson saw them too!

 Henry Hudson, explorer and discoverer of the Hudson River, recorded seeing a real mermaid near Russia. He wrote in his log: “Two crew members—Thomas Hilles and Robert Rayner—sighted a mermaid at 75° 7′ N, and shouted at the rest of the crew to come and look.” Hudson further recorded it as having a “tail of a porpoise and speckled like a mackerel.”

5.  1943 – Kei Islands, Indonesia

In 1943, at the time of World War II, several mermaids were spotted by Japanese soldiers on the shores of the Kei Islands in Indonesia. They reported seeing them swimming in the water and resting on the beach. A description of the one on the beach is as follows: "roughly 4-foot 9-inches (150 cm) tall, pinkish skin, human looking face and limbs, spikes along its head, and a mouth like a carp."

When Sgt. Taro Horiba heard news of a dead mermaid that was washed up on the shore, he went to examine it. After seeing it with his own eyes he was convinced. After his return to Japan, he urged scientists to go and study such mermaids, however his claims were turned down because no one believed him. As a result, no investigation was undertaken.

Locals refer to mermaids as Orang Ikan, or “fish people” in Malay. There have been several such sightings in the area, and apparently mermaids have reportedly been caught in fishing nets on odd occasions.

4. 1967 – British Columbia, Canada

This sighting occurred when tourists who were on a ferry saw a woman with the tail of a dolphin. She was described as having beautiful blonde hair and was seen eating salmon. The sighting was reported in the Times-Colonist newspaper and drew a lot of attention, but no one has spotted it since.

3. August 1991 – South Africa

About 30 percent of the remains of an unknown, human-like creature was found in the belly of a dead great white shark in Southern Africa. The body was then examined and determined to have hands and a humanoid skull. A barb was left jammed in the shark’s jaws, which was later claimed to be a mermaid’s weapon

2. 2012 – Zimbabwe, Africa

Mermaids have been sighted on a number of occasions in Zimbabwe. It’s claimed that efforts to complete the building of dams were delayed by mermaids. Apparently, mermaids had harassed the workers when they were installing water pumps. Minister Nkomo said to Zimbabwe’s state-approved Herald newspaper that.

“All the officers I have sent have vowed not to go back there,” “We even hired whites thinking that our boys did not want to work but they also returned saying they would not return to work there again,” Nkomo added.

1. May 2013 – Kiryat Yam, Israel

Kiryat Yam is the only place in the world where a $1 million reward is up for grabs for the first person who can provide conclusive footage capturing a real mermaid. The local government has offered this reward in response to the numerous mermaid sightings there.

One of the first people to see a mermaid there was Shlomo Cohen. He said:

 “I was with friends when suddenly we saw a woman laying on the sand in a weird way. At first I thought she was just another sunbather, but when we approached she jumped into the water and disappeared. We were all in shock because we saw she had a tail..."

So here's the deal, do I believe in mermaids? I think I do because to me there are so many unknowns in the world and every legend and myth has elements of truth to them - especially ones that are shared across cultures since ancient times, for example, the great flood. And keep this in mind, over 95 percent of the oceans on earth are unexplored... 95%! So who knows what may or may not exist there. Like I said before, I DO believe that mermaids exist, except they're most likely much more horrifying than the mermaids portrayed in movies and stories. 

5 Christian Relics That Supposedly Have Supernatural Powers

Miracles were once frequent phenomena that confirmed the validity of Christian teachings. According to the Christian faith, God’s purpose in performing miracles was to convince disbelievers of the divine appointment of the perpetrators of these miracles, and thereby proving the reliability of their claims and teachings. In fact, for Christian authorities, a miracle was not really considered a miracle unless it helped prove the truth of the Christian religion.

Thus, it is not surprising that the history of Christianity overflows with claims of miraculous events, and some of them are not just performed by Jesus and the saints, but also by several holy items. Many of these relics are believed to have been preserved since biblical times in hidden places, only to be miraculously discovered later on by devout Christians.   

 Setting aside the prevailing doubt surrounding such holy items, here are five Christian relics that supposedly have miraculous as well as supernatural powers.

1. The Miraculous Medal of the Our Lady of Graces

source: legion of mary

The first relic on this list is the Miraculous Medal. Also known as the Medal of the Our Lady of Graces, the Miraculous Medal was created in response to a supposed request from the Blessed Virgin Mary herself. The design was originated by Saint Catherine Labouré after her apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Rue du Bac, Paris, France. Mary told her that those who wear the medal would receive great graces, especially if they wear it around the neck.

After two years of investigation and observation of Saint Catherine, the request to design the Miraculous Medal was approved and was produced through the goldsmith Adrien Vachette.

The first medals were made in 1832 and were distributed in Paris. As the story goes, the blessing that Mary had promised began to shower down almost immediately on those who wore the medal, and soon, the people of France clamored to have what they called the “Miraculous Medal.” Since then, the use of the medal has spread in different parts of the world, and until now, there are devout Christians who continue to wear the Miraculous Medal around their neck and claim to receive the special graces from God for the body and the soul.

2. The Miraculous Image of Our Lady of Guadalupe

Source: crossroads initiative

The Miraculous Image of Our Lady of Guadalupe. The image of Our Lady of Guadalupe had been the subject of many technical studies since 1751 and extensive scientific evaluations in recent years. However, up to this very day, this relic has continued to baffle science, human reasoning and even some skeptics.

The Catholic Church celebrates the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, which marks the day when the Blessed Mother appeared to a 57-year-old peasant named Juan Diego in Mexico back in 1531. According to the earliest reliable account of the story, the Virgin Mary appeared several times before Juan Diego. The surface of his “tilma” – a burlap-type cloak – which bore the image of the Blessed Mother, served as proof of what he had seen. This image on his “tilma” came to be known as “Our Lady of Guadalupe.”

The image of Our Lady of Guadalupe, until now, continues to be a relic of awe and mystery. According to some experts, this relic possesses qualities that are humanly impossible to replicate. Many duplicates of the image were made to verify the validity of this supposedly miraculous relic, and while the duplicates have deteriorated over a short period of time, the original image has endured until now and remained in a state of perfect condition.

 The “tilma” featuring the image of the Virgin Mary is also believed to be virtually indestructible, having survived two instances that should have completely destroyed the image. For example, in 1921, an anti-clerical activist hid a bomb inside the Basilica at Guadalupe. When the bomb exploded, almost everything was broken except the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe. The only damage that occurred in close proximity to the “tilma” was a brass crucifix that got twisted and bent back by the blast.

3. The Blood of Saint Januarius

source:  Aleteia

The third relic on this list is the Blood of Saint Januarius. In the very early fourth century, Saint Januarius was a bishop of Beneventum in Italy who died a martyr during the bloody persecution of Emperor Diocletian.

A relic of his dried blood has been preserved to this day and is kept in the cathedral of Naples, where he is the patron saint. In what appears to be a miracle, the blood liquefies on its own on three separate occasions each year, and thousands of people assemble to witness this miracle in Naples Cathedral three times a year.

On rare occasions that the blood of Saint Januarius fails to liquefy, it has historically been attached to an impending calamity. The last time the miracle of blood liquefication failed to occur was in 1980, and the people of Naples associated it with the earthquake of Irpinia during which 2,900 people died in what is considered to be the worst natural disaster in Italian post-war history. In 1973, the blood also failed to liquefy, and believers connected it with a cholera epidemic that visited Naples that year.

 Scarily enough, for the first time in 36 years, the blood of Saint Januarius did not liquefy in the city’s cathedral last year in December. To many people of Naples, the blood remaining solid is considered a premonition of evil.

4. The Holy Lance/The Spear of Destiny

source: vienna muses

The Holy Lance. In Christian tradition, the Holy Lance, also known as the Spear of Destiny, is the spear believed to be the one the Roman soldier Longinus used to pierce the side of Jesus as he hung on the cross.

Christian knights discovered the Holy Lance at Antioch during the First Crusade in 1098. As the story goes, the sight of the sacred relic in the Church of St. Peter inspired the beleaguered Christian soldiers and they successfully routed the Saracens from the city. According to legend, whoever claims the spear and uncovers the secrets it holds will possess supernatural powers that will enable him to conquer the world.

There are currently several relics in various European churches that claim to be the genuine Holy Lance. However, the spear that is on display in the Hapsburg Treasure House Museum in Vienna has been considered the most authentic one.

This particular relic was also known as Constantine’s Lance, and it was used as a symbol of the imperial power of Holy Roman emperors during their coronation. The lance is also believed by some to have been possessed by a series of successful military leaders, including Theodosius, Charles Martel, Charlemagne and Frederick Barbarossa. There is also a theory claiming that Hitler took possession of the Spear of Destiny at some point during his most successful military campaigns.

5. The Holy Grail

source: typewoon.wikia.com

Last but certainly not the least: at number 5, the Holy Grail. Most people identify a single chalice as the only Holy Grail. However, there are those who have pointed out that European legends about this special cup during the 12th to 15th centuries enumerated more than ten different Holy Grails.

In the Christian faith, the Holy Grail is identified as a serving dish or a chalice that was used by Jesus during the Last Supper. This chalice is also considered as the vessel that Joseph of Arimathea used to catch the blood and sweat of the Messiah in after he was taken down from the Cross.

As the story goes, Joseph of Arimathea was imprisoned for several years for expressing his faith in Jesus as the Messiah and the son of God. After he was released, he traveled to Britain and took the grail with him, and when he died, the grail was passed on to his descendants. According to legend, the Holy Grail provided magical qualities to the righteous if they drink or eat from it, or even by just touching it. Its miraculous powers are believed to be capable of healing and enlightening people, and possibly even making them immortal.  

The legend of the Holy Grail has been perpetuated through literature since the 12th century, specifically in tales which involve the knights of Camelot who served the legendary King Arthur of Britain. In modern times, this special chalice has been the subject of blockbuster films like “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade,” thrusting the legend of the magical cup back to people’s consciousness.

There are many relics associated with Jesus and the Christian faith which have been claimed and displayed throughout the history of Christianity. The authenticity of many of these relics as well as their supposed miraculous and supernatural powers are still heavily disputed until now. However, the firmness in the faith and belief of those who are devoted to these relics and the miracles they are thought capable of performing should not be so easily taken for granted by science or by skeptics.

Nevertheless, it is important to remember that in the Christian faith, homage or respect is not really paid to inanimate objects like relics, but to the holy person they’re connected with. And the veneration of that holy person is itself an honor paid to God. As such, the miracles and cures attributed to these relics are not because of their own power but because of the holiness of the person they represent.

---

Sources:

https://cammonline.org/the-story-of-the-miraculous-medal/
http://catholicism.org/miraculous-medal.html
http://www.marian.org/news/The-Meaning-of-the-Miraculous-Medal-2942
http://infallible-catholic.blogspot.com/2012/04/miraculous-image-of-our-lady-of.html
http://mtncatholic.com/2014/12/11/4-literally-awesome-facts-about-our-lady-of-guadalupe/
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/r-andrew-chesnut/the-virgin-of-guadalupe-t_b_8752084.html
http://www.catholicherald.co.uk/news/2016/12/19/bloody-of-st-januarius-fails-to-liquefy/
http://novusordowatch.org/2016/12/not-this-time-saint-januarius-blood-fails-to-liquefy/
http://www.unmuseum.org/spear.htm
http://www.unexplainedstuff.com/Objects-of-Mystery-and-Power/Things-of-Sacred-Power-The-spear-of-destiny.html
http://www.unexplainedstuff.com/Objects-of-Mystery-and-Power/Things-of-Sacred-Power-The-holy-grail.html
http://www.ancient-origins.net/opinion-guest-authors/truth-about-holy-grail-magical-chalices-around-world-005124

The Legendary Sword in the Stone of Galgano

The story of King Arthur and the Sword in the Stone is one of the most famous British legends. For centuries, this Arthurian story has been passed down from one generation to another through various literary works of authors and poets.

The Sword in the Stone - which some believe to be the same as the world-famous Excalibur - essentially tells the tale of an embedded sword that could only be pulled out from the stone by the one true king of England. The retrieval of the sword was deemed unlikely to be accomplished by any other man until the future King Arthur managed to do the impossible, proving his divine appointment as king and true heir of Uther Pendragon.

However, the story of a mystical sword stuck in a stone is not entirely unique to the well-known Arthurian legend. In fact, a similar yet lesser known story can be found in the Italian region of Tuscany, which some experts have suggested to be the real inspiration behind the British legend. This is the Sword in the Stone of Saint Galgano. And unlike King Arthur’s Excalibur, an actual 12th-century sword believed to be the very same sword that Saint Galgano thrust into the bedrock still exists today.

The Life of Saint Galgano Guidotti

Saint Galgano is considered to be the first saint whose canonization was conducted to a formal process by the Roman Church. Much of his life is known through the documents from the processing of his canonization in 1185, which is just a few years after his demise. There are also a number of written works by later authors that covered the saint’s life.

Galgano Guidotti was born in 1148 in Chiusdino, in the modern province of Siena, Italy. Being the son of a minor noble, he had spent his youth as a wealthy knight, solely concerned with the worldly pleasures that life had to offer. Trained in the art of war, Galgano was both arrogant and violent. However, all of that changed and he later renounced the ideologies of warfare and subsequently chose the path of a hermit.

The Story Behind Galgano’s Legendary Sword in the Stone

source: holiday in tuscany

Saint Galgano’s path to holiness began with a vision of the Archangel Michael - who, incidentally, is often depicted as a warrior saint. According to one version of the legend, the Archangel Michael appeared before Saint Galgano and showed him the path to salvation, with the angel providing him directions to the place where he should go to achieve this.

On the following day, Saint Galgano declared his intention of becoming a hermit and took up residence in a nearby cave, which was met with ridicule from his family and his friends. Dionisia, Galgano’s mother, managed to convince her son to a pay a visit to his fiancee one last time before he completely renounces all worldly pleasures. And so, wearing his expensive nobleman’s clothing, he rode a horse and set out to visit his fiancee. However, on his way there, his horse suddenly reared, throwing him off its back.

Suddenly, Galgano felt an invisible force lift him to his feet, and an irresistible seraphic voice led him to Montesiepi, a hill nearby his home town of Chiusdino. When he reached the foot of the hill, the voice bade Galgano to be still and to look at the top of Montesiepi. There, he saw a vision of a round temple, with the Twelve Apostles surrounding Jesus and Mary. The voice instructed him to climb the hill, and while he was doing so, the vision he saw faded.

Once he reached the top of the hill, he heard the voice speak again, and this time, it commanded him to renounce all of his worldly desires. Saint Galgano, however, objected since the task was easier said than done. He went on to say that to accomplish such a feat was as easy as splitting a rock with a sword - it simply cannot be done.

In order to prove his point, Saint Galgano drew his sword and attempted to thrust it into the rocky ground. To his surprise and amazement, his blade went through the stone with as much ease as a hot knife slicing through butter. Having understood the divine message loud and clear, Galgano permanently resided on Montesiepi as a humble hermit, leading a life in poverty.

While he led a simple and humble life far different from the extravagant lifestyle he once had as a nobleman, Saint Galgano was visited occasionally by peasants, looking for his blessing. He also made friends with the wild animals he lived with.

According to one legend, the Devil once sent an assassin in the guise of a monk to kill Galgano. However, the saint managed to survive the ordeal because the wild wolves he was living with attacked the killer and “gnawed on his bones.”

At the age of 33, Galgano Guidotti met his demise in 1181, and was canonized four years later. His funeral was considered a major event at the time, and was attended by bishops as well as three Cistercian abbots, including one who had lost his way while headed for Rome.

The following year, the Bishop of Volterra placed Montesiepi under the care of Cistercian monks, knowing that they would erect a shrine in Galgano’s memory. They began the construction of a round chapel in 1185, and this became known as the Cappella di Montesiepi. The chapel is located just above the main abbey and houses the legendary sword of Saint Galgano up to this day.

Authenticity of the Sword in the Cappella di Montesiepi

source: delightfully italy

For centuries, the sword in the stone in Montesiepi was widely believed to be a fake except by the most devout. However, research in the 21st century revealed that based on the composition of its metal as well as its style, the sword is indeed from the 12th century.

The sword has a basic design - its pommel is flat and slightly egg-shaped with a truncated form, while its guard is a straight bar of steel - and its style is typically associated to the known weapons of the 12th century.

In 2001, a metal analysis conducted by Luigi Garlaschelli of the University of Pavia revealed that the sword is indeed very old, with no clear proof to support the claims that the sword is a recent fake.

Ground-penetrating radar analysis also revealed a two-meter by 1-meter cavity beneath the sword believed to be a burial recess, which possibly contains Saint Galgano’s body. Meanwhile, carbon-dating confirmed that the two mummified arms housed in the same chapel at Montesiepi were also indeed from the 12th century. This incidentally supports that legend that anyone who attempted to remove the sword from the stone had their arms ripped out from their bodies.

The recent scientific research and evidence proving that the sword as well as the mummified arms in Cappella di Montesiepi have existed around the 12th century may not be full-proof evidence that the sword in the stone is indeed Saint Galgano’s blade, but it does paint a shade of truth to the story.

Saint Galgano’s Sword vs. King Arthur’s Excalibur

source: wikia

There are those who argue that the “Sword in the Stone” legend of King Arthur did not originate from the Celtic fringes of Britain or France but in Italy. The story of Saint Galgano and the sword embedded in a rock in Tuscany bears similar details to the Arthurian legend of Sir Percival, the finder of the Holy Grail.

It is also interesting to note that the the first story mentioning King Arthur pulling a sword from an anvil on top of a stone appeared in one of the poems written by 13th century French poet Robert de Boron, and that these poems were written several decades after Galgano’s canonization by the Roman Church. By that time, word of Saint Galgano’s life may have already travelled across Europe, with the legend of King Arthur and his sword likely to have been inspired by the story of the reformed Italian knight.

Though the two stories share very similar elements, each convey a different message and fulfills a different purpose. The Arthurian legend of the Sword and the Stone is a story that displays the might, glory and mythical qualities of King Arthur to do the impossible, demonstrated by the unlikely retrieval of a sword.  The story of Saint Galgano’s sword, on the other hand, speaks of faith, humility and the path to holiness by doing the opposite - which is thrusting a blade into a rock-solid ground.

Though Saint Galgano Guidotti’s story may just be a curious legend much like the story of King Arthur and the Excalibur, its legacy is far from forgotten. The round temple in Montesiepi is still standing, and is still safekeeping the sword believed to have belonged to Galgano as well as the mummified forearms that supposedly belonged to a man who dared to pull out that very same sword. The walls of the Abbey of San Galgano on Montesiepi are also still standing tall, and has since become a tourist spot for its haunting beauty, history and architecture.  

---

Sources:

http://www.ancient-origins.net/artifacts-other-artifacts/legendary-sword-stone-san-galgano-002968?nopaging=1
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2001/sep/16/rorycarroll.theobserver
http://www.atlasobscura.com/places/the-sword-in-the-stone-at-montesiepi-chapel
http://myarmoury.com/feature_stone.html
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/2999894.stm