Although you are unlikely to hear him referenced today, in the late 19th century it was still common to read about the sensational story of Gilles de Rais. Nefarious characters like Vlad the Impaler have been immortalized in literature and film with characters such as Dracula. While de Rais inspired his own folklore character by the name of Bluebeard, his story has been placed on the back shelf of history. This is most likely due to the fact that his story involves the mistreatment of children, and there is no way to romanticize the horrors he imparted on his victims.
A 19th Century Artists Impression of Baron de Rais
Gille de Rais was born in 1405 in the Anjou region of France, and as a member of the House of Montmorency-Laval he enjoyed a privileged aristocratic life. He would go on to reach the rank of Marshall of France while serving in the French army during the Hundred Years War, and even fought alongside Joan of Arc. It was following his retirement from military life at the age of 30 that de Rais began to pursue more personal interests.
One of his first noted acts of eccentricity during this period was to compose and fund a theatrical production entitled Le Mistre du Siege d’Orleans that featured over 600 actors. De Rais was forced to sell off personal property and possessions to fund the production, and in the end it nearly caused him to go bankrupt.
While many of his family members and friends attempted to intervene due to concerns about his frivolous spending, concerns also soon grew about Baron de Rais “darker” habits. It would come to light that de Rais had been seeking out individuals who claimed to be proficient in alchemy and summoning demons. By 1440 terrible rumors were beginning to circulate throughout the region that Marshall de Rais was guilty of the most heinous of crimes. It was noted that de Rais travelled with up to two hundred men-at-arms in addition to a robust entourage of pages, esquires, and singers. These men-at-arms were employed in large part to protect de Rais from peasants who had started to follow and curse the man they suspected of causing their children to vanish.
In 1440 the privileged position of de Rais could no longer fortify him from the terror that he was suspected of instigating. It was written that up to 700 children, from babies up to 20 years of age had gone missing in the preceding years. John V., Duke of Brittany would eventually hear the pleas of the people, and authorize de Rais and his accomplice’s to be arrested.
During the trial de Rais was threatened with the rack, and rather than face torture quickly confessed to a litany of crimes. Witnesses were staggered as he straightforwardly described cutting the throats, bashing the skulls, and mangling the bodies of local children. When asked if the devil had possessed him he stated that the crimes were of his own designs, and that he found a great delight in these unspeakable atrocities. According to de Rais eight years prior he had read a Latin book entitled Suetonius that gave an account of the cruelties of such Romans Emperors as Tiberius and Caracalla. It was in their description of the joys of witnessing the agony of tortured children that de Rais found his motivation.
De Rais was quickly found guilty of the crimes for which he had been accused, and was sentenced to death. Between eleven and twelve oclock on the morning following the close of the trial the 35 year old de Rais was taken to a local field where he and two of his accomplices were hanged and burned. Surprisingly de Rais’ noble birth was still affording him certain privileges, and his body was cut down before the flames had consumed it (his accomplices bodies were burned to dust).
Although the exact number of his victims is unknown it is generally thought that de Rais was responsible for a minimum of 150 children’s premature deaths. The amount of agony and suffering he produced is hard to comprehend. It is also difficult to know how we should treat monsters such as this today. As centuries pass it is easy to see the atrocities of the Roman Emperors, Vlad the Impaler, and Baron de Rais as almost not of our world. The unimaginable suffering they caused is slowly lost to history, and diminished in the folklore that we now view with nostalgic curiosity. But the question still remains; is it better to allow the memories of these monsters to be lost to history, or should we remember them so that their evil deeds tarnish their names forever?