Noble Blood – "The Real Cyrano" (January 27, 2026)

Host: Dana Schwartz
Podcast: Noble Blood (iHeartPodcasts and Grim & Mild)

Overview

This episode of Noble Blood explores the true story behind Cyrano de Bergerac, the legendary French soldier, poet, and duelist whose life inspired one of the most famous romantic plays in history. Dana Schwartz delves into the myths and realities surrounding Cyrano’s life, examining how much of his celebrated legend was self-made, what elements were invented by later storytellers, and why the real man might have been even more fascinating than the fictionalized version.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Introduction: The Legendary Duel (04:17 – 08:24)

• Dana Schwartz begins with a dramatic retelling of Cyrano defending his friend from a rumored ambush by 100 hired men.
• The story, filled with swashbuckling valor and wit, is immediately questioned for its historical accuracy:
  • “In reality, most accounts of that famous fight are fictitious or highly exaggerated, as are many other tales about the larger than life character...” (08:05)

Quote:
"No, leave them, they will tell the story."
— Cyrano, legendary response after the fight (07:44)

2. Myth-busting Cyrano: Identity, Appearance, and Legend (08:25 – 14:33)

The Name:

• Born Savignon de Cyrano de Bergerac in 1619.
• Changed his name for perceived nobility; the addition of "de Bergerac" made him sound more aristocratic.
• Family origins were more humble—his grandfather was a fishmonger’s son turned modest court official.

The Nose:

• Immortalized as having an enormous, comic nose by Edmond Rostand’s 1897 play.
• Reality: Cyrano’s nose was prominent, but not grotesque. Historians debate whether he was ashamed or secretly proud.
  • “A portrait engraved roughly a year before his death shows a nose that was substantial but not staggering.” (13:05)
  • Contemporary comment: "Cyrano's nose forms in the middle a mountain which looks as if it ought to be after the Himalayas, the highest mountain in the world." (12:34)

The Wit:

• Known as a sharp-tongued, libertine intellectual, skeptic of the Catholic church.
• Dana notes Cyrano’s feuds with other artists and penchant for satire.

The Swordsman:

• Famed as an unbeatable duelist, rarely fought for himself—mostly served as a "ringer" in others' fights.
  • “It would be false to say that I am the first among men, for in the last month I swear I have been second to everybody.” —Cyrano, on dueling (14:13)

3. Cyrano’s Motivations: Nobility, Love, and the Allure of Glory (14:34 – 23:10)

• Desire to climb the social ladder may have partly driven his dueling and name change.
• Dueling was outlawed and dangerous: a path to banishment, execution, or a noble’s social acceptance.
• The famous unrequited love story for Roxanne is fiction from Rostand’s play; no evidence he loved his real cousin.
• Debates about Cyrano’s sexuality and his complex relationship with Charles de Suci, which turned into a bitter rivalry.
• Suggestion that glory, not romance or status, was his truest motivation.

Quote:
“... a more all-encompassing motivation for Cyrano was a sweeping desire to be revered and remembered.” (22:57)

The Port de Nesle Episode:

• Real event inspired the heroic tale at the episode’s opening.
• Dana asserts Cyrano staged his exploits to maximize witnesses—and thus his legend.

4. The Tragic Artist: Writing, Frustration, and Untimely Death (23:10 – 27:52)

• After trying to leave dueling behind, Cyrano pursued a literary career, writing poetry, letters, and a satirical novel.
• Supported by a wealthy patron but never achieved mass success.
• Worked for years on The Other Comical History of the States and Empires of the Moon but died before publication.

Death:

• Not as melodramatic as legend: allegedly struck by falling wood, possibly a murder or revenge attack instead.
• Died at 36 after over a year of decline.

5. Legacy and Pop Culture: Fact vs. Fiction (27:53 – 32:29)

• Rostand’s play—debuting in 1897—catapulted Cyrano’s legend worldwide.
• French pride and nostalgia fueled the play's success; it inspired endless adaptations and became symbolic.
• Many widely believed “facts” about Cyrano originated as his own self-mythologizing or Rostand’s dramatization.

Quote:
“...there's irony to be found in the fact that some of the least accurate parts of Cyrano's story became the most widely repeated.” (29:36)

• Cyrano himself was adept at writing insults (often about noses!) and amplifying his reputation.

Literary Impact:

• Posthumous publication of his science fiction works influenced Voltaire, Jonathan Swift, H.G. Wells, and Jules Verne.
• Predicted modern concepts: audiobooks, rocket-powered space travel.
• His protagonist is named Cyrano; the moon-dwellers even honor large noses.

6. Final Reflections: Why We Remember Cyrano (32:30 – 33:31)

• Dana suggests Cyrano might have relished his divisive, legendary persona:

  “In truth, it is a very great consolation to me to be hated because I am loved, to find enemies everywhere because I have friends everywhere.” — Cyrano (31:13)

• If immortality was his aim, he succeeded.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On legend-building:
  “As we know, that was far from the end of his story. It’s hard to think of many historical figures whose romanticized legacies more greatly eclipsed their actual lives...” (27:54)

• On self-mythology:
  "So while the playwright Rostand deserves accolades for popularizing the legend of Cyrano, Cyrano deserves plenty of credit for mythologizing himself as well." (30:55)

• On literary foresight:
  “He was arguably the first writer to clearly describe rocket power based space travel...” (30:28)

• On legacy:
  “...if his primary motive throughout his life was indeed to be remembered, then mission accomplished, right?” (31:06)

Supplemental Nugget: The Musketeer Connection (33:32 – 34:16)

• Dana shares an epilogue about Cyrano’s connection to the real d’Artagnan and musketeers (from The Three Musketeers):
  • Cyrano and d’Artagnan likely fought together in the same regiments.
  • “Now there’s a crossover I would love to see.” (34:11)

Timestamps for Major Segments

• The Duel Introduction: 04:17 – 08:24
• Myth-Busting Cyrano: 08:25 – 14:33
• Motivations & Duels: 14:34 – 23:10
• Literary Life & Death: 23:10 – 27:52
• Legacy in Pop Culture: 27:53 – 32:29
• Final Reflections: 32:30 – 33:31
• Musketeer Connection: 33:32 – 34:16

Summary

In "The Real Cyrano," Dana Schwartz skillfully separates fact from fiction, showing Cyrano de Bergerac as both the architect of his own legend and a more complicated, relatable historical figure than the lovesick, big-nosed hero of stage fame. Audiences learn that Cyrano’s thirst for glory and immortality shaped both his real life and the myths he left behind—a legacy as enduring as the poetry or panache that bear his name.