On April 11, the reference news network reported that the Economic News Network of Buenos Aires, Argentina, published an article entitled "Written on the Occasion of the Centenary of the Birth of "Zorro": The Deeds of "Zorro" in Reality" on April 7, and the excerpts of the article are as follows:
One day 100 years ago, American journalist Johnston McCully submitted his work "The Curse of Capistrano" to the editorial board of a popular magazine, and the representative character of the novel, "Zorro", was born.
The story takes place in California, during Spanish rule, and the hero of the story is named Diego De La Vega. Dressed in black, wearing a wide-brimmed hat and mask, he rode a black horse that obeyed the command of his whistle. He is an invincible swordsman. To frighten the bad guys, he often used the tip of his sword to draw a "Z" on the chest of a defeated enemy.
However, the true story of "Zorro" is beyond McCully's imagination.
Stills from Alain Deron in the 1975 film Zorro (file image)
The real-life "Zorro" was named William Lampord, who was born in 1615 in Wexford, a port in southern Ireland.
It is rumored that Lampert spoke 14 languages by the age of 21. It is difficult to tell whether this legend is true or not, but it has been confirmed that in 1627 he was imprisoned in London for rebellion, and when he was arrested, he was distributing Catholic pamphlets in the Protestant church. Despite the heavily guarded British prisons and the brutality of the guards, Lamper managed to escape.
He boarded a ship bound for Ireland, and on the way he met a pirate sailor whose adventures fascinated Lampert. For the next two years, Lamper, a swordsmanship student, became a pirate. Subsequently, Lampot gave up his pirate career in A Coruña, Spain, but immediately embarked on another adventure: he joined the French Catholic army and participated in its battle against the Protestant Huguenots.
Stills from the 1981 cartoon Zorro (file image)
In Spain, Lampot used other names: Guillem Lombardo and Guzman. News about him also began to circulate. In 1630, he became what people called a "man of great culture and quality", and these rumors reached the Duke of Olivarez, Spain, who brought Lampot into the court of Philip IV of Spain.
Like many Irishmen, Lampot joined the Spanish Phalanx Regiment, was appointed captain, and fought in several battles.
Subsequently, he returned to the court. Count-Duke of Olivarez gave him the dual status of diplomat and spy.
But Lampert's affair hurt him. He sparked a romance with a female noblewoman, who became pregnant before marriage and gave birth to a daughter. This became a well-known scandal that led to his exile to the New Spanish Viceroyalty of Mexico.
However, the Count of Olivarez, the Duke, gave him another espionage mission.
Stills from 1998's "Zorro's Mask" (file image)
Lampot soon fell into a terrible trap. The Inquisition in Mexico City accused him of befriending and conspiring with local indigenous peoples and Black African slaves.
Lampot decided to impersonate Philip III's illegitimate son, claiming the right to rule the Viceroyalty and forming an army of native natives, black slaves, and native whites.
However, his plan defendant was sent to the Inquisition. In 1642, he was sentenced to long prison terms on charges of "witchcraft and conspiracy".
In 1659, The Duke, Earl of Olivarez, the protector of Lampot, was exiled.
That same year, the Inquisition sentenced Lampot at the stake in the Faith Trial, which was executed in Mexico City on November 19 of that year.
On the day of the execution, before the executioner could light the firewood, Lampot hanged himself to death with his chains.
Stills from 2005 'The Legend of Zorro' (file image)
Myths were born. The "Irish fox" ("Zorro" means "fox" in Spanish) earned an eternal title: the first martyr of Mexico to be liberated from Spanish rule. He appeared a century and a half before Miguel Hidalgo, the father of Mexican independence.
In 1872, the Mexican writer Vicente wrote a novel based on the life and deeds of "Zorro". McCully gave Zorro a new identity in his work, Diego De la Vega.
Shortly after the publication of The Curse of Capistrano, actor Douglas Fairbanks performed the first generation of "Zorro" on the screen. To this day, many stars are still repeating this character.