After Dark: Myths, Misdeeds & the Paranormal

"Who Was the Man In The Iron Mask?"

Hosts: Anthony Delaney and Matty Pelling
Date: February 23, 2026

Episode Overview

In this episode, Anthony and Matty dig into one of Europe's most persistent historical mysteries: the identity and story of the "Man in the Iron Mask," an anonymous prisoner confined in France under the reign of Louis XIV. Blending historical evidence, myth, and cultural afterlives, the hosts unpick what is known, what has been imagined, and why this enigmatic figure continues to fascinate, centuries after his death.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Setting the Stage: The Legend of the Masked Prisoner

• Dramatic Introduction: Matty opens with a vivid retelling of the prisoner's first night at Exil Fortress in 1687, emphasizing secrecy, silence, and the aura of fear that signaled this was no ordinary inmate.

  • “From this moment on, his life will be measured in silence. No visitors, no explanation, no mercy. Even his jailer is warned: this prisoner is unlike any other." (01:21, Matty)

• Historical Timeline:

  • Arrested in 1669, held for 34 years across various French fortresses (notably the Bastille), and died in 1703.
  • Key detail: His true name and the crime that led to his imprisonment are still uncertain, further fueling the mystery.
  • The earliest documented name: "Eustache Dauger" (with many French pronunciation apologies from Matty).

The Mask: Iron or Velvet?

• Contemporary Evidence:

  • Contrary to popular myth, the mask was likely not iron.
  • The only contemporary account describes a mask of black velvet, which Matty characterizes as “so much chic and a little bit sexy and more dramatic than an iron mask.” (10:51, Matty)

• Myth Formation:

  • The association with an iron mask is traced to the philosopher Voltaire in the mid-18th century, who embellished the tale in his writings, influencing generations to come.

Louis XIV and the World of Absolutism

• Exploration of King Louis XIV’s environment and autocratic rule:
  • Known as the “Sun King,” Louis embodied absolute monarchy, with power to jail anyone at a whim—no trial required.
  • His famous motto: “L'État, c’est moi” (“I am the state”), described as “rather more camp if you do a direct translation, because it goes ‘the state, it’s me,’ which is ... so much camper." (15:08, Anthony)
  • Tony and Matty agree: Life at the glittering Versailles court came with constant peril—anyone (no matter how close to the King) could be subjected to the darkness of royal paranoia.

The French Prison System and Political Imprisonment

• Prison System as a Tool of Power:

  • French prisons were less about justice, more about control. Political prisoners, especially those perceived as threats or involved in state secrets, were often jailed indefinitely in fortified castles.
  • The process could be entirely arbitrary: “He just writes a royal order and is like ‘Anthony Delaney is going straight to jail. Do not pass go. Do not collect £200. Off you trot.’” (19:09, Matty)

• Oddity of the Man in the Iron Mask:

  • While being disappeared by the state wasn’t uncommon, the length and total secrecy around this case was unprecedented.
  • The hosts stress: In most cases, execution would have sufficed, so why keep this prisoner alive and invisible?

The Jailer: Bénigne Dauvergne de Saint-Mars

• Insight into Saint-Mars’ Relationship with the Prisoner:

  • Saint-Mars, the governor, was constantly transferred between prisons—and the masked man always came with him.

  • Their bond, sometimes joked about as a "love story" for its intimacy and secrecy (“Has anyone questioned whether Saint-Mars and the man in the iron mask are lovers? … Fifty shades of Saint-Mars.” 25:11, Anthony & Matty)

  • Saint-Mars’ correspondence forms the main source of historical data, emphasizing the strict isolation imposed:

    • "He is always alone and I have instructions that no one may speak to him, nor he to anyone." (26:01, Saint-Mars, cited by Matty)

  • On the move, the prisoner would wear a black velvet mask, and had a guard with orders to kill him if he removed it. (28:31, Matty referencing Saint-Mars’ instructions)

Theories and Contenders: Who Was He?

• Bachelors for the Mask: The Theories

  • Louis XIV's Twin Brother ("giving soap opera"):

    • Popularized by Voltaire and Dumas, and the basis for the famous DiCaprio film.
    • Hosts debunk: No evidence of a twin in official royal records; royal births were meticulously witnessed.
    • "Poor royal women who had to give birth, you know, with their feet in the air, and 20 courtiers looking up the fannies. That's a thing." (32:16, Matty)

  • Louis de Bourbon, the Comte de Vermandois:

    • Alleged illegitimate royal punished for striking the Dauphin.
    • Historical records show he died of illness in 1683, not in prison.
    • Visual propaganda from the era frames the masked man as an elite but comfortable prisoner—perhaps to criticize monarchy during the Revolution.

  • Disgraced Political Elites:

    • Theories include a disgraced marshal, a wronged noble, failed financiers.
    • Saint-Mars possibly promoted these rumors to boost his own notoriety.
    • Matty: “He is stepping into the limelight and trying to, you know, keep… engagement with this mystery, to keep people guessing.” (37:35)

  • Link to the Affair of the Poisons (1670s Paris scandal involving poisoners and fortune-tellers):

    • Hosts consider and largely dismiss this for chronology reasons.

The Power and Appeal of the Story

• The story persists largely because so little is definitively known, allowing each generation to project its own anxieties and fantasies.

  • “Because we can fill in the blanks ourselves.” (43:12, Anthony)
  • Voltaire and especially Alexandre Dumas (Three Musketeers) are responsible for turning the story into a swashbuckling cultural legend.

• The lack of material evidence:

  • “We don’t have access to a concrete record that’s going to give us the answers, I’m afraid. But that is, of course, why the mystery still appeals to people. It is endlessly fascinating.” (48:08, Matty)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Louis XIV and absolute monarchy:
  “There is no idea of absolutism … [without] Louis XIV. The state: it’s me.” (15:08, Anthony)

• Carnival of Tangents:
  Continued amusing references to "too much soup," lunch slumps, and deliveries, contributing warmth and personal chemistry throughout the episode.

• Debunking the Myths:
  “There's no record of Louis having a twin. No, it's extremely unlikely. But this, again, is something that Voltaire popularized in the 18th century. Voltaire has a lot to answer for.” (32:19, Matty)

• The Mask's Evolution:
  "The only contemporary account describes him as wearing a black velvet mask, which I think is so much chic and a little bit sexy and more dramatic than an iron mask." (10:51, Matty)

• Summing up the Appeal:
  “It’s, you know, kind of steeped in this environment of the prison itself, in this idea of him being transferred at night, all this secrecy. You can hear the chains clinking. … But it’s all cinematic, it’s all mythological. … That is, of course, why the mystery still appeals to people. It is endlessly fascinating.” (48:08, Matty)

Important Timestamps

• 01:21 — Atmospheric reading of the prisoner’s arrival and the seeds of legend.
• 10:51 — The reality of the mask: black velvet, not iron.
• 14:46–17:36 — Introduction to Louis XIV: absolutism, propaganda, danger at court.
• 19:09 — The arbitrary power of the king over life, liberty, and imprisonment.
• 26:01 — The jailer’s letter: strict secrecy, solitary confinement.
• 28:31 — Details of prisoner transfers and mask protocol.
• 31:03–32:50 — Debunking the “twin brother” theory: royal birth records, propaganda role.
• 35:25–37:34 — Revolutionary propaganda and the symbolism of the masked man.
• 43:12 — The myth’s allure: why mystery keeps the story alive.
• 48:08 — Reflection on why the lack of evidence only enhances the appeal.

Final Thoughts & Closing

• The man in the iron mask remains an enigma precisely because of the paucity of facts and the abundance of myth.
• The key facts: Arrested 1669, died 1703, spent decades in isolated, strictly monitored imprisonment, probably under the name “Eustache Dauger.” Only known through jailer Saint-Mars’ letters—mask likely velvet, not iron.
• As Matty notes: “I’m holding out for someone one day finding something in an archive that blows this wide open.” (48:08)

For further listener suggestions or questions:
Contact the show at afterdark@historyhit.com