The Three Musketeers

[Zonie]

As usual, I'm showing my ignorance, and I'll admit up front I haven't seen a newly released movie for a few years, but, now that we have people on site with a true intrest in such things I will ask: Why were the Three Musketeers called the Three Musketeers?
At least in all of the movies I have seen about them I have never seen one of them even touch a gun of any kind. In fact, I don't recall ever seeing a gun of any kind in their movies. They never wear the clothes I would associate with a real musketeer. All they seem to do is party, fight with swords, ride horses etc.
It's almost like they should have been called "The Three Swordsmen" but perhaps that name was taken when the book was written.
Other equally descriptive titles could have been:
The Three Lancers!
The Three Bowman!
The Three Stablemen?

Any comments to enlighten this old brain?

 

[Teleoceras]

Zonie:

You can thank Alexandre Dumas for that mess up! :curse:

From what I read, real musketeers did use firearms. Sword fights make it look more romantic than someone firing a Matchlock from a distance.

His stories were meant to be romantic tales after all.

 

[SquirrelsaurusR]

This is a really strange coincidence. I was thinking about posting the exact same question this morning, but I got busy with other stuff and didn't do it.

As for an alternate name, how about "The Three Pre-Flint Guys"? ::

 

[musketman]

I always thought the three musketeers was a candy bar... :haha: :winking:

Go figure...

 

[2172]

Since D'Artagnon joined 'em in the beginning of the book, they should have been called the "Four..." anyhow...it really confused me as a 12 year old wading through that book. That was before I understood that the explanation for these aberrations was "oh, they're French" ...
And, the original "Three Musketeer" candybar was about the best ever...3 separate bars in one wrapping, each with a different flavored nuggat filling....the only thing better was the "Skye Bar" which had 5 different filling compartments....Hank

 

[Stumpkiller]

They were French after all. Their Muskets would have been abandoned at the first sign of trouble and that's why they spent the remainder of the book fighting Cardinal Richelieu (another Frenchman, and an unarmed one at that. More on him - he was a real person - at: http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/13047a.htm But it's dry stuff with no redeeming muzzeloading info at all).

 

Stumpkiller:
Yeeech! That was dry stuff.
Hey I remember the Sky Bar! Darned good too. Haven't seen one in years, wonder if they still makes 'em?

 

Zonie:
Ya ain't ignert neither. We all larned sumin' fer tha first time once!
Big diff twixt bein' ignert an' jest not knowin'.
Liberals, now them's ignert!
Opps. Off topic.
I always wondered why they didn't call 'em the 4 Musketeers too.
I'll bet it was a real chore shootin' a matchlock offn' a horse.
( Yeh, I know. How'd tha matchlock get on tha horse in tha first place?) :bull:

 

[maxxpyro]

Most of "The Three Musketeers" takes place in a city during times of peace.The muskets,unless you were on guard duty,were not carried around.When war does take place they issue them out and march to war.

 

[SquirrelsaurusR]

btt

 

[flaming canvas]

At least in all of the movies I have seen about them I have never seen one of them even touch a gun of any kind. In fact, I don't recall ever seeing a gun of any kind in their movies. They never wear the clothes I would associate with a real musketeer. All they seem to do is party, fight with swords, ride horses etc.

Any comments to enlighten this old brain?

The second movie with Michael York, Rex Reed and all the rest does show some firearms at a seige. I think this one may be titled "The Four Musketeers." D'Artagnan finally counts, I huess. They show some matchlocks and a wheel lock pistol that has to be wound up being used. Then they totally messed up later and showed a woman (Faye Dunaway?) with a caplock muff pistol. :nono: :nono: :nono:
Since Richelieu died in 1642, they are off by about 200 years on that one.

 

[Gary]

They were French after all. Their Muskets would have been abandoned at the first sign of trouble and that's why they spent the remainder of the book fighting Cardinal Richelieu

:crackup:

Dumas probably didn't have the internet or a technical advisor to help him correct the mistakes in his book. Besides, consulting as a means of providing income was not a viable at that time.

 

I don't know what version I saw, but I think it was with Gene Kelly, and at the end scene, you could see a company of "Musketeers" riding out to face the English, riding on horses with their matchlock guns shouldered (on a hoss, for sure! - Nothing better than Hollyweird!).

May be it was "Cyrano DeBergerac" instead of the 3 Tenors, emm Horsketeers, Muskets...

Just don't know, and it will NOT leave me sleepless tonight.

 

[IronMan]

The latest version Does have the Musketeers useing both Matchlocks and Wheelocks.
IronMan