Gilles de Rais

Artist's interpretation of de Rais, c.1835

Gilles de Rais (c. 1405 ?–26 October 1440) was a Marshal of France, Joan of Arc's comrade in arms, and a murderer. He was the son of Guy de Laval/Rais and Marie de Craon. He became rich when a relative died. He was made a Marshal of France in 1429. He spent much of his money putting on a play that he wrote. He dabbled in alchemy. His criminal career began in 1434. In 1440, he was arrested, tried, and hanged. De Rais may have killed 140 people. Most of his victims were young boys. He may have been the inspiration for the 1697 fairy tale "Bluebeard" by Charles Perrault.

Gilles De Rais Media

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  Arms of Jean III de Bretagne

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  Arms of the Kingdom of France (Moderne)

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  Champtocé castle tower ruins in Maine-et-Loire

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  Related to the 4th degree, Gilles de Rais and his wife Catherine de Thouars are maternally and paternally descended from Amaury III de Craon.

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  Map of the traditional regions of Brittany. In the south, the Pays de Retz was then bordered by an area of marchlands

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  Wax seal reproducing Gilles de Rais’s jurisdictional seal relating to contracts for the Tiffauges estate, which he held from his wife Catherine de Thouars

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  Siege of Champtoceaux, the final phase of the 1420 Breton civil war (15th-century miniature, BnF)

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  Arthur de Richemont, Constable of France

Bibliography

• Benedetti, Jean. 1971. Gilles de Rais. Stein and Day. ISBN 978-0-8128-1450-7.
• Opie, Iona and Peter. 1974. The Classic Fairy Tales. Oxford UP. ISBN 0-19-211559-6.