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Cyrano de Bergerac

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Savinien de Cyrano de Bergerac was a versatile French writer and soldier.

Cyrano de Bergerac (statue)
Cyrano de Bergerac (statue)

He was a novelist, a playwright, and an epistolarian, which means he wrote many letters. He was also a famous duelist who fought with swords. Today, he is most famous as the inspiration for Edmond Rostand's 1897 drama, *Cyrano de Bergerac*. While Rostand's play includes parts of his real life, it also uses many invented myths. Since the 1970s, there has been a major resurgence in studying his life. Researchers have published many new biographies, essays, and academic theses about him.

Cyrano was a pioneer of early modern science fiction. He wrote two major novels about space travel. The first was *L'Autre Monde: ou les États et Empires de la Lune*, published in 1657. The second was *Les États et Empires du Soleil*, published in 1662. In these stories, he imagined traveling to other worlds. He was the first writer to describe space flight using a vessel with attached rockets. He also introduced an extraterrestrial race known as Moon-Men. These creatures had four legs and used special tools, like talking earrings, to educate children.

His writing style combined science with romance. This unique mixture influenced many famous authors who came later. For example, Jonathan Swift and Edgar Allan Poe were inspired by his work. The writer Voltaire was also probably influenced by him. Other great French writers used his ideas too. Pierre Corneille borrowed from his work, as did Molière. Molière was even accused of directly plagiarizing Cyrano's comedy, *Le Pédant joué*. Molière reportedly defended himself by saying he was just taking back his own property.

Cyrano's life was filled with many different roles and experiences. He was born in 1619 to Abel de Cyrano and Espérance Bellanger. He studied in Paris at the college de Dormans-Beauvais. There, he was a student of Jean Grangier. At age nineteen, he became an officer in a corps of the guards. He fought in the Franco-Spanish War, which lasted from 1635 to 1659. During the Siege of Arras in 1640, he fought alongside the famous character d'Artagnan. During this siege, Cyrano suffered a neck wound from a Spanish sword.

His personal life was often intense and full of conflict. He had a very bitter rivalry with the writer Charles Coypeau d'Assoucy. They were once lovers, but they became enemies around 1653. This rivalry led to a series of satirical texts. Cyrano wrote *Contre Soucidas* to attack his enemy. D'Assoucy fought back with a text about a battle with a monkey. Some biographers, like Ishbel Addyman, offer different views on his origins. She suggests he may have been a descendant of a Sardinian fishmonger rather than a Gascon aristocrat.

There are many theories regarding the end of his life. Some stories suggest he was injured by a falling wooden beam in 1654. However, researcher Madeleine Alcover found a text about an attack on a carriage. This suggests his injuries might have come from a different event. Cyrano died on July 28, 1655, at the age of 36. He died at the house of his cousin in Sannois. Some evidence suggests his death resulted from a botched assassination attempt. His enemies may have even helped orchestrate his confinement in a private asylum.

Cyrano's legacy continues to appear in modern culture.

Benoît-Constant Coquelin dressed as Cyrano de Bergerac
Benoît-Constant Coquelin dressed as Cyrano de Bergerac

His life has been adapted into many films and musicals. There is even a musical romantic drama titled *Cyrano* adapted by Erica Schmidt. In literature, authors like Robert A. Heinlein have used his character in their stories. Even the stars hold a memory of him, as there is an asteroid named 3582 Cyrano. His life remains a fascinating blend of real history and legendary myth.

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