Cyrano de Bergerac and his voyages to the Moon, the Sun… and the brain

Abstract

In the 16th-17th century, many libertines hid their thoughts by obscuring their ideas and mixing old and new theories. Cyrano’s method may open a window to the methods of early modern thinkers’ ways to conceal heretic ideas. I analysed 16th and 17th century biology and modern-day understanding of the human mind to assess how Cyrano described the works of the brain, predominantly in his novels. His writings open a window into the early modern understanding of biology as well as to some new concepts of his, including probably the first investigation on twins resulting in a description of empathy as a motor function. An analysis of recent data about mental decline in the elderly in relation to his father’s words allows the consideration of their relationship. Le Combat de Cyrano de Bergerac avec le singe de Brioché, au bout du Pont-Neuf of d’Assoucy’s may give a peek into the young Cyrano’s dangerous tendencies and a portrayal of the famous battle at the Porte de Nesle.

Keywords

• Cyrano de Bergerac
• dissimulation
• brain
• gender
• senescence.