7. The Roots of the Bluebeard Legend
The legend of Bluebeard, about a serial wife killer, can be traced back to Gilles de Rais (1404 – 1440). A nobleman from Brittany, he was born into the House of Montmorency, one of France’s oldest and most distinguished aristocratic families. From an early age, Rais lived up to the high expectations of a scion of such an illustrious clan. By the time he was fifteen, he had distinguished himself militarily in a series of wars that wracked the Duchy of Brittany. Rais won even more accolades in Anjou, where he fought for its duchess against the English in 1427. He eventually became a national hero, as Joan of Arc’s chief lieutenant and right hand man. Then Rais’ true nature emerged, and his celebrated career was cut short, along with his head, when it was discovered that, away from the limelight, he was a monster.
By the time Joan of Arc rose to prominence in 1429 to challenge the English, who had been rampaging throughout France for decades, Gilles de Rais had already cemented his reputation as an accomplished military man. He was assigned to Joan as one of her guards, and fought in several battles at her side. Rais particularly distinguished himself in her greatest victory, when the French under Joan’s inspired leadership lifted the English siege of Orleans. He then accompanied her to Reims for the coronation of King Charles VII, who made Gilles de Rais Marshall of France – a distinction awarded to generals for exceptional achievements.
