How the Cossacks ... Helped the Musketeers

Recap

A Dutch prince has fallen in love with an overseas princess (probably Turkish) and the Queen of France sends the Musketeers to find his beloved. The evil Cardinal wants to foil this mission in order to marry the Prince to his niece. Due to his interference, the Musketeers end up in Ukraine on their way home. The Cossacks decide to help the Musketeers and take them past the Cardinal's ship on the Seagull (the name of their ship).

They have to hide in the reeds (tall grass), which the cardinal then sets on fire. He thinks the Cossacks and Musketeers are dead, but they sneak onto his ship and kidnap the cardinal. Then his servants offer a large sum of money in exchange for the cardinal. The Cossacks, though, only want a basket of food and champagne.

The Cardinal, on his ship again, orders to catch up with the Cossacks and musketeers. During the escape, the Cossacks and Musketeers are swallowed by a whale. But the Cossacks light their pipes and the whale spits them out in Antarctica , where the Cossack Seagull freezes in the ice. Later, the current carries it to warmer latitudes and the Cossacks continue their journey to Holland.

The Seagull reaches what turns out to be a volcano. Then Oko comes up with the idea of ​​using Tur's harem pants to turn the boat into a hot air balloon. The Cossacks and musketeers fly it to Holland. They give the prince a gift from his beloved - tulips. Then Gray quickly returns to the princess and brings her to the prince. The Cossacks then plant tulips in their homeland.

discussion

How much did you enjoy this one?

This is the first one that had a narrator (at the beginning and at the end). Did this help to make sense of the story?

Which scenes stand out as being the funniest / most memorable?

How much do you know about the Musketeers?

Why are they always depicted with swords instead of .... muskets?

Who are the Musketeers?

The Musketeers are famous soldiers from France who became well known through both real history and literature. In real life, the Musketeers of the Guard were an elite military unit created in the early seventeenth century. They served the French king, first under King Louis XIII and later under King Louis XIV. Although they were called “Musketeers” because they originally carried muskets, they were also skilled swordsmen. Their bravery, loyalty, and stylish uniforms made them one of the most admired military groups in Europe.

The Musketeers became world famous thanks to the French writer Alexandre Dumas. In 1844, he published The Three Musketeers, a historical adventure novel inspired by real people and events. The story follows a young man named d’Artagnan, who dreams of joining the King’s Musketeers. He becomes friends with three experienced Musketeers: Athos, Porthos, and Aramis. Together they fight enemies, solve mysteries, and protect the honour of France. Their famous motto, “All for one, and one for all,” has become a symbol of friendship, teamwork, and loyalty.

Although Dumas based his characters on historical figures, he changed many facts to create an exciting story. His novels mix real history with fiction, making it difficult to separate truth from imagination. However, this combination is one reason why the books remain popular today.

Since the nineteenth century, the Musketeers have appeared in many films, television series, cartoons, comic books, and video games. Every generation has created its own version of the story. Sometimes the adventures are serious and historical, while at other times they are humorous or even fantastical.

Discussion

Have you seen any movies or read any books about the Musketeers?

In general, do you like it when a particular story is retold / recreated / reinterpreted?

How much do you know about Alexandre Dumas?

Can you think of any other iconic elite groups of soldiers? (either real or fictional)

"All for one, and one for all" is an extremely popular saying in English. Do you have a similar expression in your country?

What do you see in the two images?

What is being implied here?

As you may know, there is a conspiracy theory stating that Alexandre Dumas and Aleksandr Pushkin are one and the same.

What evidence might be given for such a claim?

Pushkin never really died in 1837. The duel was staged, and Tsar Nicholas I secretly arranged for him to disappear to France.

Pushkin desperately wanted to travel abroad, but was forbidden to leave Russia. Becoming "Alexandre Dumas" gave him the freedom he had always wanted.

Dumas only became internationally famous after Pushkin's "death." Pushkin simply continued writing under a new identity.

Both men had African ancestry, curly dark hair, light eyes, and similar facial features—too many similarities to be accidental.

Samples of their handwriting look remarkably alike.

Both were passionate, impulsive, womanizers, gamblers, and constantly in debt.

Both admired Napoleon, loved history, wrote in multiple genres, and mixed historical fact with fiction, indicating the same literary mind.

Pushkin was fluent in French from childhood, so writing elegant French novels would not have been difficult.

Dumas became unusually interested in Russian literature, translating Pushkin's works and later travelling through Russia—as if he were returning to his homeland.

The hero of The Count of Monte Cristo is Edmond Dantès. Conspiracy theorists claim this name deliberately echoes Georges d'Anthès, the man who supposedly killed Pushkin. Since Dantès fakes his identity and returns under another name, they argue the novel is Pushkin's coded autobiography.

Pushkin repeatedly wrote about duels, false identities, disguises, and people living under assumed names, foreshadowing his own escape.

Discussion

How convinced are you by the evidence?

Which piece of evidence did you find the most interesting?

Is it inappropriate to describe these great men as "passionate, impulsive womanizers, gamblers and constantly in debt"?

Do you remember what kind of flower the prince received at the end?

What's the significance here?

why tulips?

At first glance, the tulips in How the Cossacks … Helped the Musketeers seem to be nothing more than a beautiful gift. However, they have an important historical meaning and connect the cartoon to the real history of the Netherlands.

Although tulips are now closely associated with the Netherlands, they did not originate there. Wild tulips first grew in Central Asia and were cultivated in the Ottoman Empire, especially in modern-day Turkey. During the sixteenth century, tulip bulbs were brought to Western Europe by diplomats and merchants. The flowers quickly became popular because of their bright colours and unusual shapes.

By the early seventeenth century, tulips had become a symbol of wealth and prestige in the Dutch Republic. Some rare varieties developed unusual patterns and colours because of a plant virus, making them especially desirable. Wealthy merchants, nobles, and collectors competed to own these rare bulbs. Soon, people began buying and selling tulip bulbs not because they wanted to grow flowers, but because they expected the prices to continue rising. Contracts for bulbs that had not even been dug out of the ground were bought and sold many times. During the winter of 1636–1637, prices reached extraordinary levels. A single rare bulb could cost as much as a large house or several years' wages for a skilled worker.

This period became known as Tulip Mania. Today, it is often described as one of the world's first recorded speculative bubbles. A speculative bubble happens when people pay increasingly high prices for something simply because they believe they will be able to sell it later for even more money. Eventually, confidence disappeared, buyers stopped purchasing bulbs, and prices collapsed. Many traders lost large sums of money. Although modern historians debate how widespread the economic damage really was, Tulip Mania remains a famous example of the dangers of speculation.

When the Cossacks and the Musketeers finally present the tulips to the Dutch prince, the gift has several meanings. It celebrates the successful completion of their mission, symbolises friendship between different countries, and reflects the historical connection between the Netherlands and tulips.

Discussion

This is a pretty cool detail in the cartoon, no? 😊

Tulip Mania is considered by many to be one of the first speculative bubbles. What are some other ones?

In many cultures, flowers represent certain ideas. What do different flowers in your country represent?

Reference

Red rose – love, romance, and passion.

White rose – purity, innocence, and remembrance.

Lily – purity, hope, and new life.

Tulip – love, prosperity, and the Netherlands.

Sunflower – happiness, loyalty, hope, and Ukraine.

Lotus – purity, wisdom, and spiritual enlightenment (Buddhism and Hinduism).

Cherry blossom (sakura) – beauty, new beginnings, and the shortness of life (Japan).

Chrysanthemum – long life and happiness in Japan; mourning and funerals in many European countries.

Poppy – remembrance of soldiers who died in war.

Lavender – peace, calmness, and healing.

Daffodil – spring, hope, and new beginnings.

Violet – modesty and faithfulness.

Carnation – love, admiration, and gratitude.

Orchid – beauty, elegance, and luxury.

Olive branch – peace and reconciliation.

Silent films

The Three Musketeers (1903, France)

The Three Musketeers (1916, USA)

The Three Musketeers (1921, USA) – starring Douglas Fairbanks

Classic films (1930s–1960s)

The Three Musketeers (1935, USA)

The Three Musketeers (1948, USA) – starring Gene Kelly

The Three Musketeers (1961, France/Italy)

The Four Musketeers (1963, France)

Richard Lester films

The Three Musketeers (1973)

The Four Musketeers (1974)

The Return of the Musketeers (1989)

Animated versions

Dogtanian and the Three Muskehounds (1981–1982, TV series)

The Three Musketeers (1987, animated film)

Anime Sanjūshi (The Three Musketeers) (1987–1989, Japanese TV series)

lbert the Fifth Musketeer (1993–1994, animated TV series)

Mickey, Donald, Goofy: The Three Musketeers (2004, Disney animated film)

Barbie and the Three Musketeers (2009)

Live-action films (1990s–present)

The Three Musketeers (1993, Disney) – starring Charlie Sheen, Kiefer Sutherland, Chris O'Donnell, Oliver Platt, Tim Curry

The Musketeer (2001)

The Three Musketeers (2011) – starring Logan Lerman, Milla Jovovich, Orlando Bloom, Christoph Waltz

The Three Musketeers: D'Artagnan (2023, France)

The Three Musketeers: Milady (2023, France)

Television series

The Three Musketeers (1954–1955, UK)

The Three Musketeers (1969, BBC)

The Three Musketeers (1971, BBC)

The Three Musketeers (2014–2016, BBC) – starring Luke Pasqualino, Tom Burke, Santiago Cabrera, Howard Charles

The Musketeers of the King (various European TV adaptations)

Spin-offs and inspired works

The Man in the Iron Mask (1939)

The Man in the Iron Mask (1977)

The Man in the Iron Mask (1998) – starring Leonardo DiCaprio

The Return of d'Artagnan (1994, TV series)

Young Blades (2005, TV series)