Gilles de Rais stood on a platform outside Nantes on October 26, 1440, with a rope dangling above his head. The crowd packed into the field fell silent. This man had once been one of the wealthiest nobles in France. He owned dozens of castles. He fought alongside Joan of Arc and helped crown King Charles VII. Now he was about to hang for murdering at least 40 children.
The trial shocked medieval France. Witnesses described how Gilles and his accomplices abducted children with promises of work or money. Then they killed them inside the castle walls. Some bodies were burned. Others were hidden for years. Parents testified about children who walked into Gilles’s castles and never came out.
But here’s what makes this case even more disturbing. While Gilles was committing these murders, he was also funding a massive theatrical production celebrating Joan of Arc. He was hosting open houses where anyone could eat at his table. He was building an elaborate chapel called the Chapel of the Holy Innocents. The name would later take on a twisted meaning nobody expected.
So how did a war hero spiral into becoming medieval France’s most notorious killer? Let’s break down the shocking story of Baron Gilles de Rais.
Gilles de Rais’s Childhood: Born Wealthy, Orphaned Young
Gilles de Rais came into the world around 1404 or 1405. His parents were Guy de Laval and Marie de Craon. Both came from aristocratic families that controlled vast lands across northwest France. Especially in Brittany, Anjou, Maine, and Poitou.
The Deaths That Made Him an Heir
By 1415, both parents had died. Gilles was about 10 or 11 years old. His father, Guy, was gored by a wild boar during a hunt. Then he slowly died, likely from infection. Losing his father this way must have been traumatic. Some speculate this started him on the road to uncontrollable madness. Though Gilles himself later claimed he was always raised as a spoiled boy.
His mother, Marie, simply disappeared from records after 1414. Nobody really knows what happened to her. She just isn’t mentioned anymore. Either way, Gilles and his younger brother, Rene, became orphans. The boys were not close. In fact, they were rather adversarial. Years later, Rene would even begin legal proceedings to stop Gilles from selling off the family’s holdings.
Raised by a Ruthless Grandfather
After becoming orphans in 1415, both boys went to live with their maternal grandfather, Jean de Craon. This same year is famous in French history for the devastating defeat at the Battle of Agincourt. When Jean’s own son (Gilles’s uncle) died at Agincourt, he made his grandson Gilles his heir instead.
This made young Gilles heir to his father’s titles and estates. Plus those of his maternal grandfather. At around 11 years old, Gilles had become one of the wealthiest heirs in France. However, as a child, all this wealth remained in his grandfather’s control until Gilles came of age at 20.
Now Jean de Craon is generally seen as one of the villains in this story. One biographer called him “rapacious, avaricious, greedy, and unscrupulous.” The old lord was a thug who believed himself above the law. He used henchmen to bully and threaten rivals. He extracted wealth through intimidation. There are multiple accounts of him kidnapping other nobles and holding them captive to further his political aims.
Learning the Wrong Lessons
Jean de Craon was ruthless but cunning. He knew when to compromise and when to back down. This saved him repeatedly. But Gilles never learned to compromise. He only learned the kidnapping, the bullying, and the taking of what he wanted. Years later, this exact behavior would lead to his downfall.
Interestingly, when Gilles’s father was dying in 1415, he made arrangements for a different guardian. Guy did not want Jean de Craon controlling his children and their fortune. But it wasn’t long after his death before Jean took over anyway.
Like all noblemen of the era, Gilles was raised to be a knight and a lord. Tutors instructed him in reading and writing French and Latin. He needed to understand the law and administration of his lands. His religious education was vital. His first tutors were both priests, one with a degree in law.
But warfare and violence were a nobleman’s primary responsibilities. So he trained in horsemanship, the sword, and other weapons. Armored wrestling. The whole business of fighting.
France’s Civil War Creates Gilles’s Opportunity
France had been at war for a long time against the English. But now it was also at war with itself. The mad King Charles VI suffered from severe psychosis. The lack of leadership led to civil war amongst the French nobility.
Two Kings, One Throne
After the devastating 1415 Battle of Agincourt, Charles VI eventually made Henry V of England his successor in 1420. He gave his daughter in marriage to the victorious English king. This disinherited his 17-year-old son, the Dauphin Charles.
Complicating matters, both Henry V and Charles VI died in 1422. Henry V’s infant son became Henry VI of England. He was crowned King of France. Unsurprisingly, the former Dauphin Charles sought to gain the throne he believed was his. Soon, the kingdom was divided between lands controlled by the English and those loyal to Charles.
In 1422, Gilles was about 17 years old. Still under his grandfather’s control. They focused on using the instability to further their own political interests. Gilles was closely associated with the Duchy of Brittany because he inherited estates there. But he also had lands within the royal domain of France.
First Taste of Battle
In 1427, Gilles’s elderly grandfather, Jean de Craon, was appointed Lieutenant General of Anjou. The role entailed levying and leading troops in battle. But it was Gilles, aged about 22, who actually took command. He employed his great wealth to raise five companies of soldiers.
For the rest of the war, he was surrounded by a retinue of well-equipped, magnificently dressed men-at-arms. He kept them well supplied and well paid. This ensured their effectiveness in battle and their loyalty.
In his first campaign, he took three towns and two castles from the English and their allies. At the siege of Lude, after the cannon blasted the walls, the signal was given to attack. It was a well-defended place under Captain Blackburn. After charging across open ground and scaling the breach, Gilles de Rais was the first atop the wall.
There he fought Captain Blackburn in single combat while battle raged around them. Gilles cut down his enemy. English morale broke. It was a heroic victory won through remarkable personal bravery.
An Early Sign of Darkness
After this victory, Gilles ransomed the English prisoners. But to the disappointment of his men, he had all the French captives executed. Some biographers see this as an early sign of his secret bloodthirsty nature. More likely, though, this was a calculated political move. Intended to frighten potential future collaborators.
Flushed with victory, Gilles attempted to take the town of Leman from the English. But they were repulsed by the garrison led by John Talbot, one of the greatest soldiers of the age. Still, Gilles returned from his campaign in triumph. He had made a name for himself on the battlefield. He demonstrated he was willing to employ his vast wealth to support the Dauphin Charles.
Gilles cut a dashing figure at the relatively impoverished court. He was the only man amongst the courtiers rich enough to maintain a private army. One biographer says, “he was very popular at court. He was handsome, gay, and witty, and he dressed better than anyone else.”
However, we have no idea what he looked like. There are no known contemporary portraits or descriptions. Whatever he looked like, he was young and making a name as a soldier. But now a miracle was coming that would change everything.
Fighting Alongside Joan of Arc: From Hero to Marshal of France
The English controlled land north of the Loire. Charles’s supporters controlled the South. It was a strategic stalemate. But the English decided to win the war by taking the stronghold of Orleans. Then, pushing south beyond the Loire to drive Charles out.
The Siege of Orleans and a Peasant Girl
In late 1428, the English marched unopposed to Orleans and began their siege. In February 1429, French and Scottish forces tried to relieve the town. They fell upon an English supply column bringing ammunition and barrels of herring. Under attack, the English circled their wagons. Then they defeated the combined forces at what would be called the Battle of the Herrings.
The utter failure was a terrible blow to French morale. Most French commanders abandoned Orleans to its fate. Charles was with his court at Chinon, aware of the situation but doing nothing. France needed a miracle. And that’s exactly what it got.
The court heard word that a young woman was coming. A maiden inspired by God who declared she would raise the siege of Orleans and see the Dauphin crowned at Reims Cathedral. When Joan was first brought into court, Charles posed as one of his courtiers. Yet the maid somehow recognized him at once.
There’s a legend that during this dramatic scene, Gilles de Rais was the one seated on the throne, looking every bit the prince. While he was indeed at court, this part is likely a later invention. Still, Gilles was indeed in overall command of the army that accompanied Joan to Orleans.
Saving Joan’s Life Twice
A few days later, there was an impromptu attack on English defenses. Townsfolk had been driven into righteous fury by the maid’s presence. While she was taking a nap, they charged the English lines. Of course, they were slaughtered and pushed back by an English counter-attack.
When Joan woke and rode out, she led an attack on the English. Another English force was sent out, trapping Joan and her company between two prongs. She had ridden straight into danger with no thought of consequences. She was about to be killed or captured.
But Gilles de Rais, alerted to the sudden, bizarre skirmish, assembled his company and rode out to attack the English. Now it was the English forces caught between two prongs. They chose to retreat. In the disorder, they left one poorly defended siege fort. The French took it. A complete disaster had been averted by Gilles’s decisive actions.
The Military Incompetence They Overlooked
The captains recognized the maid’s effect on morale. But her military incompetence led them to exclude her from the Council of War held the next day. They decided they would not follow up on their small victory. They would also bar the gates so foolish townsfolk wouldn’t throw their lives away again.
Joan railed against them. The next day, she led a pitiful attack against a strong English fort beyond the walls. She stood in armor before the fort and planted her flag with a small band of inexperienced men. Destined to fail once more. But once more, it was Gilles de Rais who rode out in support.
After him, the French gradually grew in numbers and overwhelmed the English in the fort. After this victory, captains urged delay and consolidation. But Joan had found an ally in Gilles. She had no mind for politicking and strategy. All she understood was relentless attack and blind faith in victory. This attitude must have appealed to the reckless, bloodthirsty, narcissistic Gilles de Rais.
Joan Takes an Arrow, Gilles Saves Her Again
The next day, they attacked another fort together. With French forces trying to scale the walls, Joan was shot in the shoulder by a crossbow. Apparently, Gilles caught her, removed her to a safe distance, and helped remove her armor so the wound could be dressed.
It should have been a terrible injury. But Joan was convinced she could not die until her mission was completed. So she soon returned with Gilles to the fight. The masses of inspired Frenchmen overwhelmed the English fortress. They won a great victory. The English army packed up and abandoned the siege of Orleans.
Becoming Marshal of France
Gilles was among the leaders who accompanied Joan back to Dauphin Charles. She had delivered the victory she promised. Now she urged him to be crowned King at Reims. In the Loire campaign that followed, Gilles was present at the capture of Jargeau and at the great French victory at Patay.
When Charles went to be crowned at Reims, Gilles de Rais was one of the commanders of the vanguard. During the coronation, Gilles was given the great honor of bringing the holy ampulla with its sacred oil for the anointing of the King.
On the same day, Gilles de Rais was proclaimed a Marshal of France. In recognition of his support for the King. He was not the greatest of the military leaders. Nor the most experienced. But he was perhaps the wealthiest. And he was willing to spend his fortune to support Charles.
The title bestowed more honor than actual power. However, from 1429, records show Gilles sitting on the Royal Council now and then. One gets the sense his positions were largely honorary. He was never that close to the inner circle. Perhaps his character flaws were apparent. Or perhaps he preferred to spend his time indulging other pursuits.
Joan’s Capture and Execution
After the coronation, the royal army advanced on Paris. During a standoff with the Anglo-Burgundian army, Gilles was given command of a wing. But there was no battle. The enemy retreated. During the attack on the city, Joan asked Gilles to fight alongside her once again. And he did. But Joan was wounded. The attack was defeated.
The newly crowned King of France retreated from Paris and disbanded his army. He preferred to negotiate his way to a political solution. Joan’s fanaticism was no longer needed. It was an obstruction, even an embarrassment. The maid was not willing to support peace. She attacked the Burgundians with incompetent volunteers. She was captured.
Joan was moved from castle to castle. At one point, she leapt from a tower window and smacked into the dry moat below. Her captors found her injured and carried her back inside. Soon, they sold her to the English. She was tried by a French bishop in an ecclesiastical court.
While she was in prison in Rouen over the winter of 1430, Gilles was in a small town just a few miles away. He was there with a company of soldiers. It’s been suggested he was preparing a rescue attempt. If that’s true, for whatever reason, it was not carried out. Gilles went home.
On May 30, 1431, Joan was burned at the stake for being a lapsed heretic. The Maid of Orleans might have been the only female Gilles was ever really close to. How he felt about the death of his former comrade, we don’t know. But it’s from this time that Gilles starts to become more publicly unhinged.
The Kidnapped Bride and the Missing Children
Gilles’s grandfather, Jean de Crao,n had sought suitable marriages for his heir. One proposed union when Gilles was still a boy was to the niece of Jean V of Brittany. But it seems the girl died before it could take place.
Abducting His Own Wife
Eventually, Gilles married his fourth cousin, Catherine. The girl’s family opposed the union. It was also illegal without dispensation from the church due to their blood relationship. But in 1420, when Gilles was about 15 or 16, he rode to her castle with a party of men. Under orders from his grandfather. And kidnapped Catherine.
A week later, they were married in a remote chapel. As you might imagine, there was a strong objection from Catherine’s family and the church. The marriage was declared null and void. But after much politicking, the union was made official and legal two years later.
Through acts like these, Jean de Craon taught his protege that it was best to act first and negotiate later. Later in life, Gilles would certainly learn to abduct people for his own ends. But he was never inclined to negotiate.
A Marriage in Name Only
Gilles showed little interest in women throughout his life. He spent almost no time with Catherine. Their first and only child, Marie, was born nine years after their marriage in 1429. Catherine and Marie lived quite apart from Gilles for the rest of his life.
From the moment Gilles had control of his finances, he began spending wildly. Especially from 1427, he used his wealth to fund his military pursuits. Equipping soldiers, supplying them, and paying their salaries. He also funded spies to keep track of enemy movements. He paid or loaned money for ransoming allies.
The Grandfather’s Rage
Most of a great lord’s wealth was in the land. These provided annual incomes. So did taxes and fees imposed on merchants and trade crossing his lands. But there wasn’t enough cash coming in to pay his enormous expenses. To get the coin, he borrowed money. And to pay his debts in 1430, he sold one of his castles.
His grandfather was elderly by now. But he was driven into a rage. His life’s work had been adding ever more lands to the family’s holdings. Making them wealthier even than kings. And now his witless young heir was throwing it all away. Jean de Craon purchased the castle back.
But still, the old lord must have been doubting the wisdom of his choice of heir. Gilles had learned a lot from his grandfather. Now back in his homeland after the King’s truce and Joan’s execution, Gilles took up banditry.
The Beginning of the Murders
Legal documents describe how he would hold up merchants and travelers on roads through his lands. Stealing their belongings. Even the great Yolande of Aragon, mother-in-law of the King of France, was not safe. Gilles and his men attacked part of her escort. Stole their horses and some of her baggage.
In 1432, he went to war for the last time. Won a great victory by relieving the siege of Lagny. On his return to his castle at Champtocé, he found his grandfather dying. The old man pointedly left his sword and breastplate to the younger grandson, Rene. A public gesture of his displeasure with Gilles.
But with the old man’s death, there was no one to restrain Gilles de Rais. In his later confession, Gilles states that his assaults on children started at this time.
The Castle of Horrors: How Gilles Lured His Victims
The war was over for now. The King wanted nothing to do with him. In fact, due to Gilles’s close association with the heretical Joan of Arc, Charles would rather have nothing to do with him at all. But Gilles owned 24 estates. Of those, there were six castles that he preferred to live in.
Creating a World of Enablers
He was rich enough to indulge any whim. His wife did not influence him. His brother was little more than an annoyance, even a rival. The few cousins he called friends were part of his inner circle of depravity. Over the next few years, he had accomplices help him procure boys.
Two cousins, Gilles de Sille and Roger de Briqueville. Two servants, Poitou and Henriet. These men procured boys for him. He also abused boys who sang in his choir. He had two of these older boys help him procure more.
The Methods of Abduction
Accounts recorded in trial documents relate how this was done. For example, an apprentice boy might be asked to take a message to the castle. The boy would never return. Another account tells of a boy being offered a servant’s role in one of the castles. Never being seen again.
Sometimes, children begging at the castle gates would be taken. Some women servants helped. Roaming the countryside, procuring lone children by luring them away. One old woman in particular, named Perrine Martin, came to be known amongst local communities as “the terror.”
I’m not going to relate what happened to these children once abducted. But suffice it to say, they were ultimately murdered. The court transcripts can be found in George Bataille’s book “The Trial of Gilles de Rais” if you really must know the details. But I don’t recommend it.
The Lavish Spending That Masked the Darkness
It seems incredible that Gilles could convince so many accomplices to help in his terrible crimes. But the man was like a prince over the part of the world he ruled. And he created a world fit for a prince.
A Paradise Built on Evil
From the outside, the high walls of his castles were grim. But inside, they were filled with fine furniture. Paintings. Statues. Gold and silver ornaments. Books and precious manuscripts. One of his chapels was given a painted ceiling with stained glass windows of the highest quality. Other rooms were hung with magnificent cloth of gold.
Those who claim Gilles was framed point out that any other lord with such passion for interior decoration would be championed as a patron of the arts. It’s only thanks to our prejudice that we see anything sinister in such extravagance. Well, charity is a virtue. But his lavish spending was shocking to his contemporaries. It seems like a kind of mania.
The Open House Policy
He moved from castle to castle throughout each year. Kept an open house to anyone. Nobles and commoners, residents and visitors alike. The tables were always laid. Anyone could find food and drink there. Records show he sometimes gave away so much that there was nothing left for himself.
He might give away entire liveries consisting of a hundred separate garments to total strangers for no apparent reason. One of his famous expenditures was the foundation of a grand chapel called the Chapel of the Holy Innocents.
The Twisted Meaning of “Holy Innocents”
The name refers to the biblical story of Herod the Great ordering the execution of young boys. The event was commemorated annually in Christendom with the Feast of the Holy Innocents. The name takes on a twisted and sinister meaning considering the crimes of this chapel’s patron.
He poured an enormous amount of money into the building and its ornamentation. And to the administration of its services. He employed around 50 people. Including servants, a dean, choirboys, archdeacons, and a schoolmaster for the boys. All of them wore lavish outfits that Gilles designed himself.
It was as grand and expensive as a cathedral. But done without reference to church authorities. Gilles’s relatives, appalled at the expense and hubris, appealed to the Pope. The Pope refused to recognize the dean’s position. The baron ignored the Pope. The head of the chapel continued to use the title and style of a bishop.
The Mystery Play That Bankrupted a Baron
By 1434, he had used up so much cash that when the King called on him to raise an army, Gilles objected. He had no money to do so. To fulfill his obligations to the crown, he took a vast loan. Sent his brother, Rene, with the army while he went home to indulge in other interests.
The Festival That Shocked France
In 1435, he traveled in a great procession at enormous expense to Orleans. There, he would carry out one of the most extraordinary events of the age. He organized and funded a vast mystery play that would be performed repeatedly in town over the next few months.
It’s difficult to express the scale of this undertaking. Nobody had seen its like before. Nor were they again. Every year since Joan of Arc came, the people of Orleans had commemorated the lifting of the siege. But it was a small, quiet remembrance.
The play that Gilles put on was a reenactment of the relief of Orleans. A celebration of Joan of Arc. It had 20,000 lines of verse. Contained 140 speaking parts. Called for up to 500 extras. All these required costumes. Stages with scenery to be built. These people and the hordes of visitors needed lodgings. Enormous quantities of food and drink. All paid for by Gilles de Rais.
Costumes Slashed to Rags
It was a grand public performance. Free to anyone. More like a festival. Gilles spared no expense. Again, it was extravagant beyond belief. He insisted that the entire cast have brand new costumes for every single performance. To make costumes of rags, he even had expensive new cloth slashed to ribbons.
What’s perhaps most extraordinary? The baron was almost bankrupt already. The value of his land had made him perhaps the wealthiest man in Christendom. Yet his rampant spending knew no limits. As soon as his grandfather died, he began selling property. Often for well below its market value.
He sold to other lords. Even tradesmen and merchants. Some of these wealthy commoners were also providing him with loans. By this point, he had sold off all his estates in Poitou. In Maine. Had only two castles left in Anjou.
The Family’s Fury
His relatives were incensed. Tried to stop him by every legal means they had. But he was a law unto himself. Soon, he was reduced to selling and pawning his own magnificent personal possessions. Almost all the cash raised went to fund his chapel or the vast play at Orleans.
In fact, his agents were desperately selling and seeking loans throughout the duration of the festival. So that it could continue. When he left Orleans for home, massively more in debt, his behavior grew even more unhinged.
Turning to Alchemy and Demon Summoning
Faced with an ever-worsening financial crisis, the virtuous course of action would have been obvious. Address the problem by making savings and seeking more income. Gilles de Rais, however, was not a diligent man. As usual, he chose the sinful path.
The Grimoire That Changed Everything
In 1436 or so, he by chance met an imprisoned heretic. The man lent him a grimoire, a book of spells and incantations, and rituals. In the baron’s growing insanity and desperation, this sparked the mad hope that magic might answer his problems.
He first had a goldsmith brought to him. The man claimed some knowledge of alchemy. Gilles gave the man a silver coin. Told him to turn it into gold. The man swore he would. Locked himself away in a room. He proceeded to get drunk and fall asleep.
Despite this failure, the baron was determined to find someone who could help. Indeed, it became an obsession. He had one of his priests, Eustace Blanchet, track down a series of practitioners.
The Demon Named Baron
Some were experts in summoning spirits and demons. Upon their appearance, these entities would supposedly help Gilles. For example, by revealing the location of hidden treasures. Initiating him into magical arts. Procuring great honors. Permitting him to take and hold castles and cities.
Other men were alchemists who swore they could turn base metals into gold to pay their debts. Of course, all these charlatans were also fleecing him for as much as they could before they were turfed out for their failure to deliver.
There was one man, however, who was so cunning that he was never kicked out despite all his failures. This was a priest, really a clerk in minor orders, called François Prelati. Brought from Italy by Blanchet due to his expertise in these matters.
Prelati was given a special room in one of the castles to conduct his experiments. Together with the baron, he conducted dark ceremonies. Prelati had learned from his own master how to summon demons. Had previously made contact with a demon named Baron. This demon, they hoped, would do the lord’s bidding. Primarily by finding his wealth.
Theatrical Tricks and False Gold
The priest and his new master attempted to summon this demon through complex rituals. For days on end, they made a circle on the floor. Placed ritual objects within. Drew certain signs on the walls. On another occasion, the demon appeared to Prelati. Filled a closed room in the castle with gold. Gilles was allowed to see through a crack in the door. Although the lord was instructed that he could not touch it yet.
Gilles, however, burst into the room. Discovered that the gold was fake. He believed he had been tricked not by his dark priest, but by the demon. Prelati was a brilliant fraudster. A magician whose theatrical tricks absolutely enthralled Gilles de Rais. Only drove him deeper into madness.
The Investigation Begins: A Bishop Quietly Gathers Evidence
By 1439, the rumors of Gilles’s crimes had reached the ears of Duke John V of Brittany. Children had been vanishing from villages and towns associated with Gilles de Rais. Desperate parents had for years been inquiring at Gilles’s castles after their missing children. No doubt they spoke to their local priests. Anyone else they thought could help.
The Duke Takes Action
Finally, John V appointed the bishop of Nantes to begin a quiet investigation into the rumors. Gilles, increasingly deranged and desperate, no longer had a public life to speak of. Although still technically a Marshal of France and one of the King’s advisers, he was no longer invited to councils.
As the King grew into his power, he sought to bring order to the chaos. There were still brigands roaming the countryside. Plenty of regional lords acted like bandits themselves. Having grown used to decades of decentralized power. After establishing a royal army, the King had no more need for warlords like Gilles.
The Warning From the Dauphin
In 1439, Gilles received a visit from the young Dauphin Louis. Who would one day become King Louis XI. One of his nicknames would be “the universal spider” because he was always spinning webs of plots. He was effective at statecraft even as a teenager.
The Dauphin arrested one of Gilles’s captains. Had him thrown into a dungeon. This minor noble and his crimes of banditry were not important. This was a warning to Gilles de Rais. To stop his own raiding. And provided an example of the King’s power.
This rattled Gilles. He fled to his castles in Brittany.
The Priest Who Tried to Escape
It was around this time that Gilles’s priest, Blanchet, abandoned his master and ran away. He had procured alchemists for his lord. But he was disturbed by the conjurations. And the other rumors. Indeed, he heard from one of Gilles’s men that rumors were spreading. Their master was killing children and practicing magic. So Blanchet ran.
But the man knew too much. Gilles was no doubt afraid he would tell the authorities what had been going on. The baron sent his men to hunt down the fugitive priest. They captured him. Dragged him back.
No doubt feeling the forces being arrayed against him, Gilles was reaching a crisis point had been drinking heavily for years and falling regularly into bouts of depression, and had driven away all his allies. He was surrounded only by sycophants as evil as himself.
He spent his days dealing with money problems. Alchemical experiments. Desperate conjurations. His nights he spent in far darker crimes. If anything, the killings increased in frequency.
The Church Raid That Ended Everything
At Easter 1440, he attended a local church. Even made his confession to the priest. Whether he admitted the extent of his crimes, we don’t know. When it was time to receive the sacraments, the baron humbly waited his turn amongst the common folk.
A Last Glimpse of Virtue?
Whether this was a typically theatrical display of piety or if he was experiencing a burst of contrition is hard to say. He even at this time swore that he would go on pilgrimage to the Holy Land to cleanse his soul. But he never did.
At his trial, he would claim to have always been a good Christian. Perhaps as he grew increasingly desperate, he did consider the path of virtue. If so, it would not last. Just a few weeks later, at Whitsun, he would commit a public outrage that forced the authorities to act.
The Castle He Wanted Back
He decided to take back a castle he had sold to Geoffrey le Feron. Who happened to be the treasurer to Duke John V. The keys to the castle were held by Jean le Feron, Geoffrey’s brother. Who was also the priest at the village church. He was looking after the castle for his brother, whose work required him to be with the Duke.
Gilles took a company of 60 soldiers. Positioned them in the woods around the church. When the mass was over, and most of the congregation had left, Gilles marched into the church with a polearm. Shouting “You thieving scoundrel! You have beaten my men and extorted money from them! Come outside the church, or I’ll lay you out dead!”
Dragged From the Church
Jean le Feron either walked out or was dragged out. He was then forced to his knees. Given the choice to hand over his keys or lose his head. The priest did as he was ordered. He was soon thrown into a dungeon.
Gilles took possession of the castle. Presumably felt pleased with himself. But this time, he had gone too far. Geoffrey le Feron was not only the rightful legal owner of the castle. He was part of the Duke’s household. This was therefore an attack on the Duke himself.
On top of the rumors that were widely circulating, the Duke finally acted. Fined Gilles 50,000 crowns for his transgression. This was an impossibly large fine. To pay it, he would have to sell everything he had left. It was meant to destroy him.
At the same time, the Duke also instructed his chancellor, the bishop of Nantes, to begin an official inquiry into the murders.
The Trial That Shocked Medieval Europe
The bishop and his agents began interviewing and recording evidence from parents who had lost their children. Considering the details included on the indictment, it’s also likely he obtained unrecorded testimony from someone in the lord’s household. Probably Blanchet. Possibly one of the cousins or the choir boys. Or more than one person.
The Arrest
Gilles had nowhere left to turn. He gave up without a fight. His accomplices were arrested with him. The alchemist priest Prelati. The priest who had tried to escape, Blanchet. The servants Poitou and Henriet. Authorities took them all to Nantes.
Soon thereafter began the shocking trials of Gilles de Rais. There were two inquiries and two trials. One ecclesiastical and one secular. Both held on different floors of the castle. The bishop of Nantes was also chancellor to the Duke. So he was able to oversee both trials.
Between preliminary hearings and sentencing, the trials took about six weeks. At first, Gilles was cooperative. Recognizing the authority of the courts. Then he was held in custody for about three weeks while courts held evidence hearings. Took further witness statements.
The 49-Count Indictment
The next time they brought him to court to hear the full charges, he understood for the first time the weight of evidence gathered against him. He reacted explosively. Rejecting the charges as frivolous. Denying the accusations outright. He also refused four times to take an oath necessary for the trial proper to begin.
Two days later, they began the public trial anyway. Up until now, everything had occurred behind closed doors. But now most of the local nobility packed themselves into the hall. Keen to hear the horrific details.
First, the formal indictment of 49 paragraphs was read out. It’s a long list of events, heresies, and crimes. Sometimes inaccurate and contradictory, with confused chronology. The first part goes to great lengths to establish the legitimacy of the court. It’s right to prosecute the accused under the law.
The rest describes the acts of demon summoning, abductions, sodomy, and murders. And the covering up of these crimes through disposing of the bodies. Witnesses from Gilles’s household described in horrific detail how these things were done. How servants had been tasked to burn the bodies. Dispose of the ashes. They even described clearing piles of remains from castles that had been sold before new owners took possession.
Vanity and Arrogance
It must have taken a long time to read out the charge. When asked if he wished to respond, Gilles answered with vanity and arrogance. He would not. Then he asserted that his judges had no authority over him. That they were “thieving rogues who took bribes.” That he would rather be hanged than answer their questions. It was intolerable that he should be brought before them.
He continued to strongly object for the rest of the hearing. Authorities told him he was in contempt of court. Then they formally excommunicated him from the church. Immediately, he appealed. Was denied. Still, he would not cooperate. The authorities gave him two days to reconsider. Then adjourned.
The Sudden Change
Then something happened. We don’t know what it was or how it happened. But when he appeared back in court two days later, he was a changed man. He recognized the authority of the court. Admitted the charges in the indictment. Except those related to demon summoning. Even asked the judge’s pardon for his insults and hurtful words.
So why this change of heart? Did someone with great power get to him in private? Threaten him with something worse than death? Did a priest convince him to repent? Perhaps he had a realization alone in the dark of night. Saw that this was his last opportunity to choose virtue over sin.
However it happened, he gave in. The trial could proceed.
The Servants Testify
In public now, over the next few days, Gilles’s servants related how they had procured victims for their master. Cleaned up afterwards. All else they had witnessed over the years. When it finally came time for Gilles to comment on the evidence heard thus far, he refused. He had relapsed into surly obstruction.
It was then that the prosecutor suggested the accused should be put to the question. That is, he was to be tortured to elicit answers. Because the charges included heresy, the court had been assisted by the local representative of the Inquisition.
The next morning, they brought Gilles to the castle to be tortured. But on arrival, perhaps on seeing the implements, he asked if he might instead confess to his crimes. The authorities granted his request.
The Confession
That afternoon, officers of the court went to Gilles’s rooms in the tower where he was being held. Technically, this was an out-of-court confession. But it was recorded as he recounted his crimes.
The chief judge was confused about why he had committed the murders. All he could imagine was that they were related to demon summoning. That they were human sacrifices. “Who persuaded you and taught you how to commit these crimes?” he asked.
Gilles insisted he had done them according to his own imagination and ideas. Without anyone’s counsel. Following his own feelings. Solely for his own pleasure and carnal delight.
The judge simply had no concept of a serial killer. Insisted on having an explanation. Gilles replied, “Alas, sir, you torment yourself and me along with you. There was no other cause, no other end, nor intention, if not what I have told you.”
The judge said, “I don’t torment myself in the least, but I’m very surprised at what you’ve told me and simply cannot be satisfied with it. I desire and would like to know the absolute truth from you.”
Gilles said, “Truly, there was no other cause, no other end, nor intention. I’ve told you greater things than this and enough to kill ten thousand men.”
The Alchemist’s Turn
Still confused, the judges ordered the alchemist François Prelati to be brought to the room. When he arrived, they asked him to confirm whether the murders were offerings for the demons. Prelati admitted that on one occasion only, he was supplied with the hand, heart, and eyes of a child by Gilles. To offer them to the demon. But also that the demon never turned up.
As they led Prelati away again, Gilles cried out in tears. “Goodbye, François, my friend! Never again shall we see each other in this world! I pray that God gives you plenty of patience and understanding! And be sure, provided you have plenty of patience and trust in God, we will meet again in the great joy of paradise! Pray to God for me, and I will pray for you!”
Prelati made no response that was recorded. But we can imagine the cynical charlatan was not likewise moved to such self-pitying tears.
The Public Confession
The next day, Gilles made a full confession in front of the whole court. It was to be a final theatrical performance. Where he was playing the part of a contrite penitent man looking for salvation. Perhaps it was heartfelt. But I’m not inclined to give him the benefit of the doubt.
His long recounting of his crimes was infused with narcissism and self-pity. He laid the blame on his spoiled upbringing. He urged all those people present to be strict with their own children. To keep watch over them so they were not too finely dressed. To not allow them to live in idleness. Claiming that many evils arose from laziness and excesses at the table.
On the surface, he was astonishingly daring to give parenting advice. Ostensibly so that others would not turn out as he had. But his words conveyed his true feelings. Despite his supposed contrition and desire to die as a good Christian, he was still not accepting blame for his actions. He believed first his parents, then his grandfather, were ultimately at fault. For not being stricter with him as a child.
The Execution: October 26, 1440
His servants Poitou and Henriet also repeated in the secular court the confessions they had made at the ecclesiastical court. Then all three men were sentenced. To be hanged and burned.
The Final Concessions
Gilles had been excommunicated. But after cooperating with courts, he had been readmitted into the church. The day before executions, he was allowed to confess to a priest. He also requested that he be the first one of the three to die. His reason? So that he might set a good example. Seeing that it was he who had led them into the crimes. Also, so they could see he would not escape punishment.
In view of his supposed contrition and cooperative attitude, the court also granted that his body would not be burned to ashes. Instead, his body would only be briefly touched by the flames. Before being given a proper Christian burial in Nantes.
He also requested that the bishop and his clergy should walk in solemn procession to the place of execution. So that he and his servants might be kept in hope of salvation. Some biographers have wondered if all this cooperation was to enact this final concession. The only thing he had left was his immortal soul. The only thing that frightened him now was the devil coming to claim him from the flames.
The Final Performance
The procession from the castle to the place of execution began at nine o’clock in the morning. It was impressive and moving. With all the splendor of ritual and music that the church could offer. Right to the end, he maintained his performance as a pious, contrite Christian.
When they were standing on the platforms with the gibbets overhead and the kindling beneath, Gilles spoke loudly. At length. To his servants on the subject of the salvation of their souls. Urging them to be strong and virtuous in the face of diabolical temptations.
After praying loudly and at length on his knees, he was finally hoisted up by the neck. Hanged until he was dead. His body was lowered to the flames beneath for a short time. Before it was placed in a coffin and buried in a nearby church.
His servants were hanged. Their bodies burned to ashes. And scattered. Despite all the evil he had done, he had gotten off rather lightly. Still, at least he had been caught. Tried. And his evil was put once and for all to an end.
Was Gilles de Rais Innocent? The Conspiracy Theory
In 1992, an informal retrial of Gilles de Rais took place in the French Senate. A jury of politicians, historians, and former ministers acquitted the baron. After hearing arguments for his rehabilitation. This verdict carried no legal weight. But it has been influential.
So much so that many articles and documentaries about Gilles today conclude by saying he was, in fact, an innocent man. So why do they say this?
The Duke’s Motivation
After his death, legal squabbles over his estate continued for generations. Most of those who had been associated with him before his downfall wished to forget him entirely. Including the King. Charles VII owed his kingdom at least to some degree to Joan of Arc. It was an embarrassment that Joan was a convicted heretic. Her conviction cast a shadow over the crown.
A retrial was held in 1456, where Joan was found innocent. She was eventually made a saint in 1920. Gilles was likewise a supporter of the Dauphin’s cause. Although more easily ignored, his conviction reflected poorly on the King.
The argument for his innocence is put forward best in the book “The Martyrdom of Gilles de Rais” by Margot Kajubi. She also runs the website “Gilles de Rais Was Innocent.” The book strips away the centuries of myths by examining the sources with a critical eye.
The Innocence Arguments
Kajubi believes Gilles committed no murders. That there were no murders at all. She argues that confessions were all extracted under torture. With the details fed to them or falsely recorded. Arguments for this are based on discrepancies and contradictions in the confessions and trial records.
She also finds many of the specific claims preposterous. Especially the stories of Gilles keeping bodies for years in his busy castles. Without them being discovered or the smell detected. She points out that there was no forensic evidence presented at the trial. No hard evidence of any kind.
She suggests the parents of missing children who gave evidence could have been bribed. Or were they simply looking for someone to blame? The author believes there were fewer than 40 children listed as possible victims from all of Gilles’s lands over a decade. She says this was no higher a rate than normal for war-torn medieval France.
Why the Arguments Don’t Convince
It’s a very worthwhile study. I do not doubt that it served John V very well to destroy Gilles. And enrich his own vassals in the process. But I find none of the arguments about Gilles’s innocence convincing.
There is no evidence that torture was used on the servants. Contradictory witness statements are perfectly common in trials. As people misremember events from years before. In this case, the guilty servants and priests also tried to play down their own involvement. Leading to contradictions.
As for the lack of human remains? The witnesses claimed to have burned the bodies and disposed of the ashes. Today there would be detailed forensic investigations. But the judges here had no way to find trace evidence. They had no need to. There were multiple accounts from named witnesses. Who give specific details about their children being given over into the care of Gilles or his agents. And never being seen again.
The Pattern Is Clear
The hoarding of remains may seem baffling or even ludicrous. But we know of modern cases where this was done. In a suburban home rather than a castle. Ultimately, we have the confessions of Gilles and his servants. There is no evidence that they were obtained under torture. Other than personal incredulity that they were freely given.
The evidence was so overwhelming to the courts that they did not need to be any more meticulous than they were. To me, the patterns of behavior are clear. He was rash, impulsive, emotional, and narcissistic. Despite his education and martial ability, he does not seem to have been especially bright.
Certainly, he seems driven by self-destructive tendencies. That he occasionally struggled with but always gave way to. Like other serial killers, there were moments of relative peace. Punctuated by frenzies of killing that burned themselves out. There were moments when he was stricken with feelings of guilt and self-pity. But he thrust those aside and sought solace in his crimes.
The Legacy of France’s First Serial Killer
Gilles de Rais stands as one of history’s first documented serial killers. His case is unique because of his wealth, his military fame, and his connection to Joan of Arc. But the pattern is familiar. Childhood trauma. Lack of restraint. Escalating violence. A complete inability to feel empathy for his victims.
The Bluebeard Connection
At some point, the folk story about Bluebeard came to be associated with Gilles de Rais. You’ll often see it said that Gilles inspired the folk story. Even though he was the real Bluebeard. But Bluebeard is a story about a wealthy nobleman who kills one wife after another.
The most important features of this folk story are the castle, the evil owner who has to leave, the magic key that opens every door, and the evidence that can’t be wiped clean. Clearly, this was a separate story tradition that came to be associated with Gilles at a later date. Especially thanks to 19th-century authors.
Separating Myth From Reality
Most authors in the centuries after his death enjoyed playing up the horrors. In the process, they add their own dark twists to the mythology. These inventions came to be repeated by later writers. Often reported as facts today.
For example, there’s the myth that Gilles owned an illustrated copy of “The Twelve Caesars” by Suetonius. Was inspired by the brutal perversions of Caligula and Nero. The number of victims has also continuously been inflated. Where we see numbers like 600 and 800, these are completely made up.
From witness statements of parents of named missing children, the number seems to be around 40. The confessions also recount two events where between 36 and 46 bodies were removed from two different castles. To stop them from being discovered. If both those events happened, that would make for around 80 victims. The trial elsewhere claims there were 140.
A Warning From History
Some people have looked for answers as to why he committed these crimes. Pointing to the loss of his parents in childhood. The bad influence of his grandfather. But that kind of speculation seems fruitless. We can certainly appreciate the unique circumstances that allowed him to get away with his crimes for so long. Such as the decades of war that left his lands in disorder. The weak leaders who failed to stop him earlier.
But although it took too long, the authorities did use the law to bring him to justice. Put a stop to his evil. Of course, none of us need to be told not to commit the kind of crimes he was guilty of. But to me, Gilles de Rais stands as an example of a man who repeatedly chose sin instead of virtue. In every aspect of his life.
As he spiraled into self-destruction, he stands as a counterpoint. The dark shadow of virtuous knights who embodied the chivalric virtues. His story reminds us that wealth, fame, and power mean nothing without moral restraint. That evil can flourish anywhere if left unchecked.
Related Cases:
- Moses Sithole: South Africa’s ABC Killer
- Anatoly Onoprienko: The Terminator – Ukraine’s Deadliest Serial Killer
Sources: Trial transcripts from “The Trial of Gilles de Rais” by George Bataille, historical accounts from Jean Benedetti’s biography, medieval court records from the Diocese of Nantes. December 2025.
