The hundred years war forever marked the history of France and England. A conflict in which the names of its protagonists resonate with force. Like Eduardo “the black prince”, or Carlos VII, the winner of the contest. Undoubtedly, the best known name is that of Joan of Arc. Sheto maiden of Orleans, he led the French to victory. But only one man went from being a hero to a monster out of Hell. of companion of the saint john, a brutal serial killer. his name was Gilles de Rais and inspired the tale of Barbazulfor his crimes more than for having the blue beard of the story…
The beginnings of Gilles de Rais: raised by a monster
Gilles de Rais was born at the beginning of the 15th century, in western France (1). Coming from a noble family (2), his destiny was to be educated as a future lord and knight. But, due to the whims of his life, he was orphaned at the age of eleven. For this reason, he passed into the guardianship of his maternal grandfather (3).
Grandpa was an unscrupulous man who only looked out for his own benefit. A) Yes, he neglected his grandson’s education, to whom he let him do everything he wanted (4). Gilles de Rais stood out for his aptitude for combat. He was strong, fearless and relentless. Together with his grandfather, and at only 16 years old, he planned and executed the abduction of one of her cousins. Her objective was to extort her under the threat of throwing her into the Loire River in a sack, so that she would drown like a cat (5). Three men tried to rescue her, but they were locked in the dungeons of the tower of the Château de Champtocé; one of them even died during captivity. It is not surprising that, over time, Gilles’ crimes increased.
A brutal and ruthless warrior
His grandfather wanted him to reach the pinnacle of French power. For this he placed him under the wing of a great lord (6), as trusted adviser on military and economic affairs. Later, during the War of the Breton Succession (7), Gilles had his baptism by fire. He not only stood out as strategist if not, in addition, it became a deadly warrior. On top of that, he was endowed with a size above the average for the time… Thus, he traveled the battlefields distributing swords with such force and speed that he is described as:
“A warrior fury that pushes men to the front line of combat” (8).
Undoubtedly, the experiences of the war did not help to temper Gilles’ character. any of the horrible crimes committed by the victorsare described as follows (9):
“The soldiers seized men, women and children, without difference of age or sex; they forced women and girls; they took women of nursing age and the children died without food, they took pregnant women and locked them up; and between the chains they carried their fruit, which they let die without baptism and then they threw these into the river” (10).
The devil and the saint
The war against england went on and Gilles de Rais was a rising star. The right hand of the French king (11) saw in him an opportunity to improve his position, thanks to his military successes. A) Yes, the paths of Gilles de Rais and Joan of Arc crossed (12).
Juana was a celebrity in France. The story of the girl who had been sent by God to destroy the English drew men to the battlefield for such a high cause. Thus, and against all odds, a French army commanded by our strange couple liberated Orleans in eight days, from a siege that had already lasted for months. The victories were happening (13) and Gilles de Rais was happy serving as an escort for the saint, who fascinated him. At the age of 25, Gilles de Rais was named Marshal of France The youngest in history. His fortune was immense and he was happy fighting for Joan of Arc.
But everything changed with the capture of Joan by the English and their execution at the stake (14). In addition, his protector, the right hand of the French king, fell out of favor due to political games by the French Court. Gilles de Rais lost his marshal’s degree (15) and withdrew to a castle in his possession, to heal his sorrows. This turned into his falling to a abyss of death and depravity.
Theater, murders, necrophilia and witchcraft: leisure according to Gilles de Rais
Gilles felt passion for the arts; so, retired from the war, he dedicated himself body and soul to its enjoyment. His spending knew no limits. For example, sponsored a play about the battle of Orleans, with more than 150 actors. Admission was free and the attendees were fed… It cost him 80,000 crowns at the time, a real fortune.
With such a pace of life, money was disappearing, so he had to look for different ways to pay for your whims. He sold land, castles and titles, but it wasn’t enough… That’s how things turned out. surrounded by alchemists, who promised him the philosopher’s stone. The most terrible of all was a Florentine (16), who promised him riches through demonic pacts.
From now on, Gilles de Rais’s home became a nightmare scene and he a monster. The children around his castle began to disappear… Gilles and his Court dedicated themselves to using them as offerings in rituals to summon demons. Eyes, hearts and organs, they were offered to a demon named Barrón. And not only that, he also raped children either while they were alive or once they were dead. He decorated his rooms with pike heads and limbs, hugged the corpses and wept with regret for what he had done. He took the decapitated heads and kissed the lips of those he considered the most beautiful. nightmare and reality they had melted away at their leisure…
Gilles de Rais inspirational horror tale bluebeard
the horror tale of Perrault, bluebeard, and its descriptions of the rooms full of corpses, is based on the crimes of Gilles de Rais, a tale surpassed again by reality. The base was oral traditions from Brittany, seasoned with the crimes of Gilles de Rais and his physical description. The characteristic blue beard of the protagonist of the story may be inspired by Gilles de Rais’s own blue beard. In the physical descriptions of the knight, a bushy black beard that, at times, resembled a blue beard stands out. And it is that, sometimes, reality and story overlap, in this case in the horror of Barbazul.
The death of the knight with the blue beard
For eight years, Gilles de Rais committed his crimes, until, before the investigations into the disappearances, Gilles attacked a priest and was captured (17). His possessions were searched, where the macabre remains of his work appeared, and they proceeded to interrogate him. The account of his crimes shocked those present. All the humiliation that he practiced on children between the ages of 7 and 20 came to light… Also the pedophilic rapes, the torture, the corpses hanging from the ceiling by hooks, the beheadings… The crucifix in the room was covered by so much evil! She came to say this chilling phrase:
«I am one of those people for whom everything related to death and suffering has a sweet and mysterious attraction, a terrible force that pushes down. I did what other men dream. I am your nightmare” (18).
Finally a broken Gilles, tearful and repentant, was found guilty and sentenced to die by hanging. Followed by a retinue, who asked for the forgiveness of the former marshal’s sins, Gilles was hanged (19). Because of his repentance, they let his remains rest in the Carmelite church of Nantes.
However, to this day, there are many investigations and indications that his fall from grace was orchestrated by the French nobility and his obscene crimes, an invention (twenty). Something like the plot of the Templars. Because, as always, the important thing about a story is who tells it.
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