Why the French king Charles VI believed that it was made of glass, and not only he

The French king Charles VI was the most senior person who believed that it was made of glass. Moreover, in Europe between the 15th and 17th centuries there was a whole generation of “glass people”.

The French king, who ruled from 1380 to 1422, quite seriously believed that it was glass. He at all costs needed to protect his fragile body. First of all, special, “reinforced” clothes were created for him. He was horrified by the possible touches of the courtiers. Fearing the death penalty, they were forbidden to approach the king. Even before all these changes, the existence of the monarch was marked by madness. In 1392, falling into a fury of anger, he killed four associates. Memories of this event did not let him go.

The tragedies took place one after another. The following year, a celebration was held in the palace. Karl and five of his friends dressed in the clothes of wild people, consisting of flying tatters, and began to dance. During the action, one of them got a spark. A fire broke out, which claimed the lives of all participants except the king himself.

This performance went down in history as the "Flame Ball", or Bal des Ardents. The terrible incident so affected the psyche that Karl suffered from uncontrolled outbursts of rage and anger until the end of his life. Confidence that it was glass was only one of many oddities.

"The Ball of Flames"

Interestingly, the king was not alone in his delusion. Many Europeans really considered themselves "glass" at that time. There were many legends and stories about those with glass eyes, hands, or hearts. We can find confirmation of this in numerous medical treatises.

One gentleman was convinced that he had glass buttocks and, if he sits down, they will break. He was also afraid of glaziers. The man believed that as soon as he appears on the street, they will see what beautiful glass it is made of, and insert it into the window frame.

Another crank went to the island of Murano in Italy. This place was famous for its beautiful glass. He had an idea to rush into the furnace and turn into a beautiful vessel. Among them were scientists. One such claimed that one must walk extremely carefully on the surface of the world, in no case to jump or stomp, because it can break, and under it will be a ball of snakes. He tried not to leave the bed unnecessarily, so as not to inadvertently destroy the world.

Coronation of Charles VI

Such people could not fail to attract the attention of specialists. And from different areas, not only medical. For a long time, scientists could not understand what this all relates to, whether it is a disease of the soul or a disease of the body.

The seventeenth century entered the history of culture as a century of still lifes in which each object was symbolic and presented in such a way as to reflect the fragility and fleetingness of reality. In these images, glass, like the hourglass, as well as fading flowers, were a sign of the transience and ease of life on earth. The destroyed vessel in Christian symbolism meant the limited capabilities of the human body and its fragility. Perhaps the idea of oneself as a structure made of fragile glass was a reaction to such ideas about life, with which one could easily part.

Doctors at the bedside of patient Charles VI

But the glass had another role - a mystical one. The manufacture of glass objects was the prerogative of the alchemists. The secret of how to transform sand and dust into a crystal crystal was subject to them. Alchemists believed that glass could detect poisons. They believed that as soon as the potion hit its surface, it would crack. The human body is like a glass goblet. This is a vessel that breaks when filled with poison.

Perhaps such ideas about the world influenced the fact that the "glass people" represented themselves as transfigured and passed through a cleansing flame. Most likely, King Charles VI really considered himself to have passed the test of fire at a "wild" ball.