Man in the Iron Mask one ever saw his face because it was hidden by a mask of black velvet cloth, the true identity of the prisoner remains a mystery; it has been extensively debated by historians, and various theories have been expounded in numerous books and films. Among the leading theories are those proposed by writer and philosopher Voltaire: he claimed in the second edition of his "Questions sur l'Encyclopédie" (1771) that the prisoner wore a mask made of iron rather than of cloth, and that he was the older, illegitimate brother of Louis XIV. What little is known about the historical Man in
Louis XIV of France hand, petitions addressed either directly to Louis or to his ministers exploited the traditional imagery and language of monarchy. These varying interpretations of Louis abounded in self-contradictions that reflected the people's amalgamation of their everyday experiences with the idea of monarchy. Alexandre Dumas portrayed Louis in his two sequels to "The Three Musketeers": first as a child in "Twenty Years After", then as a young man in "The Vicomte de Bragelonne", in which he is a central character. The final part of the latter novel recounts the legend that a mysterious prisoner in an iron mask was actually Louis' twin