 |
|
Deaths: 12 + Attempts:
1 +
1) Jeannot Roussin / 9 / 1432 / ?
2) Alexandre Chastelier / 8 / 1432 / ?
3) ? Jeudon / 12 / 1432 / ?
4) ? Hedelin / ? / 1433 / ?
5) ? Serving / 9 / June 16,1438 / ?
6) Jean Degrepie / 12 / June 24,1438 / ?
7) Jean Hubert / 14 / June 26,1438 / ?
8) ? Fougere / 12 / August ?,1438 / ?
9) ? Loessard / 10 / September ?,1438 / ?
10) Jean Bernard / 12 / September ?,1438 / ?
11) Perrot Dagaye / 10 / October ?,1438 / ?
12) ? Pavot / 9 / 1439 / ?
MOTIVES
A) suffered from extreme bouts of sado-maschism mixed with severe narcissium
B) morbid desires brought on by P.T.S.S.(post-traumatic-stress-syndrome)
C) suffered from the illusion that demons existed,thus killing children as sacrifices in order to gain wealth
from the demons to sustain his land from the Duke of Brittany
QUOTES
(Rias' last words before being executed)
" You who are present--you,above all,whose children I have slain--I am your brother
in Christ.By Our Lord's Passion,I implore you,pray for me.Forgive me with all your hearts the evil I have done you,as you
yourselves hope for God's mercy and pardon. "
(Rias explaining his motive for the murders)
" It came to me from myself--no doubt at the instigation of the devil;but still these
acts of cruelty afforded me incomparabale delight.The desire to commit these atrocities came upon me eight years ago.I left
court to go to Chantonce,that I might claim the property of my grandfather,deceased.In the library of the castle I found a
Latin book--Suetoniue,I believe--full of accounts of the cruelties of the Roman Emperors.I read the charming history of Tiberius,Carcalla,and
other Caesars,and the pleasure they took in watching the agonies of tortured children.Thereupon I resolved to imitate and
surpass these same Caesars,and that very night I began to do so. "
(a letter Rias wrote to his cousin,whom was a Duke,before his death sentence)
" Monsieur My Cousin And Honoured Sire,
It is quite true that I am perhaps the most detestable of all sinners,having sinned horribly again and
again,yet have I never failed in my religious duties.I have heard many masses,vespers,have fasted in Lent and on vigils,have
confessed my sins,deploring them heartily,and have recieved the blood of our Lord at least once in the year.Since I have been
languishing in prison,awaiting your honoured justice,I have been overwhelmed with incomparable repentance for my crimes,which
I am ready to acknowledge and to expiate as is suitable.Wherefore I supplicate you,M. my cousin,to give me license to retire
into a monastery,and there to lead a good exemplary life.I care not into what monastery I am sent,but I intend that all my
goods,should be distributed among the poor,who are the members of Jesus Christ on earth...awaiting your glorious clemency,on
which I rely,I pray God our Lord to protect you and your kingdom.
He who addresses you is in all earthly humility,
Fraiar Gilles
Carmelite in intention "
BOOKS & FILMS
The Book Of Were-Wolves by Sabine Baring-Gould (1865)
Gilles de Rais:Marechal de France-Dit Barbe Bleue by Abbe Eugene Bossart (1866)
Bluebeard-A Contribution To History And Folk Lore,Being The History Of Gilles de Rais Of Brittany,France,Who
Was Executed At Nantes In 1440 A.D.,And Who Was The Original Bluebeard In The Tales Of Mother Goose by Thomas Wilson (1899)
La Psychose de Gilles de Rais by G.Bernelle (1910)
Gilles de Rais:The Original Bluebeard by A.L.Vincent & Clare Binns (1926)[updated in 2004]
The Black Baron:The Strange Life Of Gilles de Rais by Tennille Dix (1930)
The Saint And The Devil:Joan Of Arc And Gilles de Rais-A Biographical Study In Good And Evil by Frances
Winwar (1948)
The Soul Of Marshal Gilles de Rais:With Some Account Of His Life And Times,His Abominable Crimes,And His
Expiation by Dominic Bevan Wyndham Lewis (1951)
Gilles de Rais by Blaise Cendrars (1959) [a play]
The Trial Of Gilles de Rais by Georges Bataille(1965)[translated into french in 1985,updated in 1991]
Gilles de Rais by Michel Bataille (1966)
The Real Bluebeard:The Life Of Gilles de Rais by Jean Benedetti (1971)
Occult Digest Vol.2 # 3-Collector's Edition "First Distribution Anywhere Of Gilles de Rais" (1972)
Gilles de Rays:Une Grande Figure Deibolique by Roland Villeneuve (1973)
Gilles de Rais:L'infame by Roger Planchon (1975)
The Dark Pageant:A Novel About Gilles de Rais by Edward Lucie-Smith (1977)
Bluebeard:The Life And Crimes Of Gilles de Rais by Leonard Wolf (1980)
Gilles de Rais Et Le Declin Du Moyen Age by Michael Herubel (1982)
Gilles de Rais:De Moordenaar En De Mythe by D.A.Berents (1982)
Laughter For The Devil:The Trials Of Gilles de Rais,Companion-In-Arms Of Joan Of Arc by Reginald Hyatte
(1984)
The World's Most Evil Men by Neil Blandford & Bruce Jones (1985)
The Black Magic Murders (1988)
The Life And Death Of My Lord Gilles de Rais by Robert Nye (1990)
The Forbidden Lecture:Gilles de Rais by Aleister Crowley (1990)
Barbablu:Gilles de Rais E II Tramonto Del Medioevo by Ernesto Ferrero (1998)
A Circle Of Arcs by Kate Saundby (2000) [fiction]
Studies In French Civilization #29-The Legend Of Gilles de Rais In The Writings Of Huysmans,Bataille,Plancon,And
Tournier (2003)
Dark Star:The Satanic Rites Of Gilles de Rais by Georges Bataille (2005)
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 |
|
Full Name: Gilles de Rais
Alias(s): Bluebeard
Birthdate/Birthplace: 1404 (Machecoul,France)
Died:October 26,1440-death sentence carried out by hanging
Spotlighted : March 2006
Capture:
On May 15,1440-Rais had no money,he lost his home to an arch enemy(the Duke of Brittany),and so in a last
attempt,Rais and his co-conspiritors broke into the St.Etienne de Mermora church during High Mass,and kidnapped a priest(Jean
le Ferron);this priest,Rais knew,was the brother of the treasurer serving under the Duke of Brittany.Rais held the priest
hostage,and demanded that the Duke of Brittany relinquish his hold over Rais' property in return for the priest.The Duke of
Brittany formed an alliance with the Bishop of Nantes and the Chancellor of Brittany(Jean de Malestroit-who had reported to
seeing Rais disposing of children's bodies beforehand).Malstroit and the Bishop of Nantes started to gather information about
Rais' murders,and on July 29,1440-they went public with what Malestroit had seen and told several commoners who lived
under the ruling of Rais.Rais learned soonafter that nearly everyone knew of the murders he had commited,so he and a friend(Roger
de Briqueville)took money that they had stashed away,and fled,leaving the priest behind.Less than a month later,the Constable
of France found Rias;the Constable and troops held Rais and Briqueville inside a castle in Machecoul for a month,until
the Constable finally recieved permission to arrest Rais on August 24,1440.
Aftershock:
Rais and Briqueville were brought back to Nantes where Rais was charged with 34 counts of murder,sodomy,heresy,violating
the immunity of the church,kidnapping and robbing on September 13,1440.Rias hadn't confessed to any of the charges-all stemmed
from interviews held with parents & relatives of missing children,and co-conspiritors of Rais'.Rais refused to confess,so
on October 21,1440-he was tortured in various ways;on that same day,he confessed to all counts.Rais was sentenced to death
on October 23,1440,but he was also excommunicated from the church.Rais pleaded not for his life,but that he was extremely
remorseful and that should allow him to be let back into the church.On October 26,1440-he was reinstated with church,but also
executed the same day by way of gallows in Nantes at the meadow of Biesse.Rais' body was placed inside Our Lady of Carmel
Catholic church in Nantes,but during the French Revolution,the church was destroyed as were his remains.Till this day,scholars
debate that Rais was tortured into confessing and did not commit any of the murders,since during the 1400s,everything was
based on politics and the Duke of Brittany wanted Rais' land.
|
|
|
 |
|
 |
|
|
|
|
