[Sca-cooks] Flaming Nobles was Re: Flaming Subtleties

[Martin G. Diehl]

Daniel Phelps wrote:
> 
> Was written:
> 
> > Since people are lighting and heating their homes with 
> > open flame, I'm not sure that they would worry TOO much 
> > about a flaming dish.  Also, I have learned the hard 
> > way that a single spark often is not enough to burn 
> > charcloth (especially made for burning), so I expect 
> > it would take a bit of doing to set your average table 
> > setting/tabe cloth on fire.
> 
> I've not been following this thread but has anyone 
> mentioned that famous incident in the French court 
> where in three, or was it four, high ranking nobles 
> were "accidentially" burned to death when their 
> "wildmen of the woods" costumes caught fire?
> 
> Daniel

Greetings to Daniel, 

Your message removes all doubt and disbelief as to the 
truth that, "Great minds think alike." 

Had you not replied, I would have mentioned the same 
incident.  

Amateur thespians + amateur costumes + real flame 
= recipe for a real disaster 

[ob food comment <g>]

Your use of the phrase, "wildmen of the woods" made it 
easy to find this account, 

	A masquerade ball (or masque) is an event which 
	the participants attend in costume, usually 
	including a mask. 

	King Charles VI of France and five of his courtiers 
	were dressed as woodwoses and chained together for 
	a mascarade at the tragic Bal des Sauvages at the 
	Queen Mother's Paris hotel, January 28, 1393. 

	In the midst of the festivities, a stray spark 
	from a torch set their hairy costumes ablaze, 
	burning several courtiers alive; the king's own 
	life was saved through quick action by his aunt, 
	the duchesse de Berry, who smothered the flames 
	in her cloak.  

Quoted from "Encyclopedia: Woodwose"; 
http://www.nationmaster.com/encyclopedia/Woodwose

Following some of the hyperlinks, I also read, 

	Charles VI the Well-Beloved, later known as the Mad 
	(French: Charles VI le Bien Aimé, later known as le 
	Fol) (December 3, 1368 - October 21, 1422) was a 
	King of France (1380 - 1422)

	Charles VI was known both as Charles the Mad and 
	as Charles the Well Beloved, since, beginning in 
	his mid twenties, he experienced bouts of psychosis. 
	These fits of madness would occur periodically for 
	the rest of his life.  Doctors today believe, based 
	on his ups and downs, that he may in fact have 
	suffered from bipolar disorder.

	Charles VI's reign was marked by the continuing 
	war with the English (the Hundred Years' War), 
	culminating in 1415 when the French army was 
	defeated at the Battle of Agincourt. In 1420, 
	Charles signed the Treaty of Troyes which 
	recognized Henry V of England as his successor 
	and meant his own son could not succeed him (see 
	English Kings of France). Many citizens, including 
	Joan of Arc, believed that the king only agreed to 
	such disastrous and unprecedented terms, under the 
	mental stress of his illness and that as a result 
	France could not be held to them.

Quoted from, "Encyclopedia: Charles VI of France", 
http://www.nationmaster.com/encyclopedia/Charles-VI-of-France 

Thanks for the hint.  

Vincenzo

-- 
Martin G. Diehl 

So much wisdom and knowledge -- so little time and bandwidth. 

"Thou plenty hast, yet me dost scant"
--John Dowland (1562-1626); "The First Booke of Songs"; 1597. 

Reality: That which remains after you stop thinking about it. 
--inspired by P. K. Dick

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