Gilles de Rais

Presentation

Gilles of Montmorency-Laval, baron of Ray , count of Brienne, known as Gilles de Rais (or Gilles of Retz , or Gilles de Rays ), called Bore-Blue (born in September or October 1404 with the castle of Machecoul - deceased the October 26th 1440 with Nantes), Marshal of France, companion of Jeanne d' Arc.

Connected with the family of Laval and of Montmorency, it was carried out by hanging for murder and sorcellerie.
Lord of Ray, Ingrandes and the Champtocé-on-Loire, his immense incomes, his alliances with noble big families, his relationship with the royal family of France and the ducal dynasty of Brittany, did of him one of the lords more for his time.

Lord of Ray

In 1400, Jeanne Chub, lady of Ray, known as Jeanne Wise the (1331 - 1406), last heiress of the family of Ray, designated Guy of Laval-Blaison (sons of Guy of Laval says Brumor of Laval and grandson of Foulques of Laval), future father of Gilles de Rais, like only heir, in the single condition which it gave up for him and his descendants the name and the weapons of Laval, to take the weapons and the name of Ray. He inherits this fact of the seigniories of Machecoul, Saint-Etienne-of-Sea-Dead, Pornic, Prince, Vue, Bouin, which form the baronnie “Ray”, corresponding more or less to current the Pays of Retz ).

Guy of Laval-Blaison, after having granted in February 1404 the marriage with Marie, the girl of Jean de Craon, becomes baron de Rais, senior of the barons of Brittany, title which his/her Gilles oldest son will inherit.

After death of his/her mother in 1415 and of her father the same year (or at the beginning of the year 1416), Gilles and his Rene brother are raised by their maternal grandfather, Jean de Craon, with the sulfurous reputation, contrary to the wish formulated by their father who, in his will, had designated for tutor a certain cousin, Jean de Tournemine, lord of Hunaudaye.

After two engagement broken by the untimely death each time of promised in marriage, Gilles de Rais, respecting the marriage contract signed the November 30th 1420, ends up marrying the June 26th 1422. He marries in the Saint-Maurille church of the Chalonnes-on-Loire, Catherine de Thouars which he would have allegedly removed to this end, the April 24th 1420. His wife gave him a girl, Marie of Laval (1429 - 1457), which will marry the admiral Prigent de Coëtivy then the marshal André de Lohéac

A hero of the War One hundred Year old

Great nephew of the constable Bertrand Of Guesclin - the hero of the previous century in the first fights of this interminable war against the English - Gilles de Rais undertakes a military career, which was going to appear brilliant. He illustrates himself initially under the orders of Jean V of Brittany by taking an active share in the residual quarrels of the War of succession of Brittany between Montforts and Penthièvres (1420).

He then fights against the English starting from 1427 (until in 1431). Having passed with the service of the king de France Charles VII, it carried attack, in 1427, the castle of the Lude, of which it killed the commander. It still took again to the English the fortress of Rainefort (Rennefort) and the castle of the Malicorne-on-Sarthe, in the Comté of Maine.

At the time of the Guerre One hundred Year old, of which it will be one of the heroes, one finds it in particular at the sides of Jeanne d' Arc. In 1429, it was one of the principal captains who helped Jeanne d' Arc to insert of the vivres in Orleans, and it was distinguished with the catch from Jargeau on June 12th, 1429.

After the bright victory of Patay, Charles VII is crowned King de France with Rheims the July 17th 1429, and Gilles de Rais, elected “to go to quérir the Sainte Bulb” is named Marshal of France by this last as a reward for his valorous services. He was moreover advising and chamberlain of the king.

Its failure, with Jeanne d' Arc, at the time of the head office of Paris - owe with a treason of Trémoille which made fold up the French Army - involves its discredit near the Court and incites it to withdraw itself on its grounds and in particular in its Château of Tiffauges in the Vendée, place where the crimes would have proceeded of which it was marked.

It was announced, in 1430, with the catch of Melun, and the following year with the lifting of the seat of Lagny-sur-Marne by the English. In 1436, it ordered with the marshal Pierre de Rieux the avant-garde of the French Army, under the orders of the Connétable of Richemont. This army having arrived in front of Sillé-the-Guillaume in Maine in the presence of the English, the two parties separated without fighting.

A considerable inheritance

Heir at twenty years to a considerable inheritance, it was married in Catherine de Thouars who brought to him in dowry many grounds to Poitou. He became in 1432 one of the richest lords of the kingdom after the death of his maternal grandfather, Jean de Craon, lord of Suze, Champtocé, Ingrande, etc One evaluated his fortune with three hundred and thousand books of revenue, without counting the profits of his seigneuriaux rights, the emoluments of his loads and a furniture of one hundred thousand ecus gold. But it had soon dissipated of it the greatest part by its prodigalities, its ostentation and its vices.

It had initially a guard of 200 men with horse, spends that the largest princes could hardly support in this time, and it trailed moreover with its continuation more than fifty individuals, chaplains, children of chorus, musicians, pages, servants, etc, the majority agents or accessory to its libertinage, and all assembled and nourished with its costs. Its vault was papered of silk and gold cloth. The ornaments, the sacred vessels were of gold and enriched by precious stones. It had also an organ stop which it always made carry in front of him. Its chaplains, equipped with scarlet doubled of small squirrel fur and small gray, carried the titles of senior, cantor, archdeacon, even of bishop, and he moreover had appointed with the pope to obtain the permission to be made precede by a cross-bearer. He gave to high expenses representations of Mystères , the only spectacles known then. To devote itself to these profusions, it alienated part of its grounds with Jean de Malestroit, bishop of Nantes, in the chapters of the cathedral and the collegial one of this city.
But all that caused enormous expenses which obliged it in 1434, to sell with Jean V Wise the, duke of Brittany, the places of Mauléon, Saint-Etienne-of-Sea-Dead, Loroux-Bottereau, Pornic and Champtocé.
Six years day for day after the catch of Orleans of the May 8th 1429, Gilles de Rais offered to the town of Orleans a series of reconstitutions of the battle played by hundreds of actors nourished, placed and changed with each representation. It was at the time of this “ Mystère of the seat of Orleans ” from which the representations lasted one year, and of its enormous expenses, which the financial problems of the prince took a dramatic turn, without hope to cure it. Vis-a-vis that its family was incited to bring to him a lawsuit (which it gained) in order to prohibit whoever from buying grounds belonging to him. She obtained a stop of the Parlement of Paris which defended with the marshal to alienate his fields. The king not having wanted to approve the already made sales, the duke of Brittany opposed the publication of these defenses and refused to give the similar ones in his États.
Rene of Suze, brother of Gilles, and his/her cousins Andre de Lohéac and Guy XIV of Laval, irritated of this refusal, tried to preserve these places in their house and resisted to the duke; but this last took them again and took from his/her son-in-law Guy XIV of Laval the general lieutenancy of Brittany to entrust it to Gilles de Rais, with whom it consumed all his markets in 1437.

Alchemy and magic

Its resources sufficient step with Gilles de Rais, this last had for a long time sought other means to get some. Enough informed for its century, it had recourse to the Alchimie. Alleged followers taught him the secrecy to fix metals; but it missed the philosopher's stone . Disgusted Art of Hermes, it was thrown in the magic. An English, named lord Jean, and a priest Florentin, François Prelati, were successively his Masters and helped it in its conspiracies. It is said that he promised all with the devil, except his heart and his life. But while he lavished the incense with demon and that it made alms in its honor, it continued its pious exercises with its chaplains, thus combining an extreme superstition with the most impious practices and the depravity of the most criminal manners.

Indeed, it seems that it was at that time that he began immoler children, either to put more refinement in its abominable pleasures, or to employ their blood, their heart or some other parts of their bodies in its diabolic charms.

Parents, friends of Gilles de Rais like Princay, or Roger de Briqueville, or Gilles de Sillé, even seem to have been the accomplices of its horrible vices, either by getting victims to him, or while maltreating or by threatening the parents to choke their complaints.

A criminal supposed out of the commun run

As of Pentecost 1440, a larval conflict settles between Gilles de Rais and the Église, which it would have defied by taking again by the force one of his possessions (See external bonds). So Gilles de Rais falls under the jurisdiction from the Church, and allows this one to in parallel launch a procedure to inquire into the rumors which run in its opposition. The September 13rd 1440, Jean de Malestroit, the bishop of Nantes quotes Gilles de Rais to appear after having collected testimonys and rumors on the exactions of this one. It is shown to have Viol E, tortured and assassinated 140 children, in particular within the framework of satanic rites, during the eight previous years. The counts of indictment are most serious of the time: “Sodomy, Sorcery and Assassination”.

Gilles de Rais, obviously convinced that it is too powerful to fear anything, lets himself capture. Then open the instruction of the suit at law which will be the instrument of its fall. He is imprisoned in the castle of Nantes while the duke of Brittany charges his police chief, Jean de Toucherond, to begin an investigation. Two of people of Gilles de Rais are stopped, Henriet and Etienne Corillaut known as Pontou or Poitou .

The lawsuit which opens in Nantes the October 8th 1440 is very well prepared and follows a strategy Machiavélique aiming at disarming it. Gilles de Rais with the possibility of challenging the judges for partiality with the opening of the lawsuit, but the bill of indictment makes state then only one venial act, which relieves the defendant who recognizes the competence of the judges.

It is not that with the second audience, on October 13rd, 1440, that the complete bill of indictment is revealed, but it is then too late for the defendant to challenge the judges. Gilles de Rais realizes that it deals with very packed file of charge and which moreover, its imprisonment unties the languages. Testimonys with load start to flow. Its servants and its accomplices who would have assisted it in his crimes, also stopped and the indicator without resources, start to overpower it.

Gilles de Rais includes/understands whereas it was trapped and that it will not be able to resist a long time vis-a-vis these charges. He carries himself and revolts, which involves in reaction its Excommunication by the bishop who chairs the lawsuit. This excommunication frightens it and it is then solved to make consents in exchange of the lifting of this sanction, which is granted to him.

Its confession, marked in its prison then repeated with the audience of the October 22nd, horrifies the assistance so much the details at described cruelty exceed the understanding.

The marshal of Ray moreover had made himself guilty of the crime of félonie. Indeed, after having sold to its suzerain the place of Saint-Etienne-of-Sea-Dead, it had gone back from there in possession by threatening the governor to cut the throat of his brother if it did not deliver it to him.

The judgment is marked the October 25th by the court chaired by the prosecutor and Sénéchal of Brittany, Pierre of the Hospital: Gilles de Rais and his two servants are condemned to be hung then flarings. With its request, the court grants three favors to him: the day of the execution, the families of the victims will be able to organize a procession, it will be carried out before its accomplices and its body will not be entirely buried flaring then.

The next morning, the October 26th 1440 after a mass with the Saint-Pierre Cathedral of Nantes, the execution is accomplished in the meadows of the island of Biesse (today the island is attached to the left bank of the Loire, the gibet had been drawn up at the place of current Hôtel-Dieu). While its servants, Poitou and Henriet, are left on roughing-hew it, the body of Gilles de Rais is withdrawn from it, before being too much damaged by the flames. In accordance with the request which he had formulated and which one to him had granted before his execution, his body is buried in the church of the monastery of the Carmelite friars, with Nantes. This monastery and the monument dedicated to its memory was destroyed during the French revolution.

This lawsuit is one of the very first lawsuits of the barons of the kingdom, who until there were Masters in their baronnie, and did not raise of the justice of anybody.

In the undergrounds of the castle of the Suze-on-Sarthe (72), which belonged to him, would have been discovered later on some 49 human craniums. It is today difficult to come to a conclusion neither about reality nor the exact number of the victims. The charge reproached him 140 murders at the time. Gilles de Rais had his henchmen, who would have been sometimes former victims, and would have been used as pickups. They would initially have sought the children delivered to themselves, if not they would have engaged of the children to work with the castle (what was a privilege), then, if the parents asked for news, one would have often rétorqué to them that their child makes indignant had fled.

The doubt about the culpability of Gilles de Rais always reigned, so that in November 1992, a made up court former ministers, members of Parliament and experts met in the Sénat to devote itself to a revision of the lawsuit of Gilles de Rais, which revision with led to his payment. This judgment has only one indicative value, no jurisdiction made up not being qualified to revise a lawsuit of the 15th century.

In its book “ the lawsuit of Gilles de Rais ”, appeared in 1965, Georges Bataille sees as a Gilles de Rais one time the exemplary figure of the Féodalité where the stammering reason had not muzzled the antiquated festival of violence yet: “Its nobility has the direction of a violence not looking at anything and which must which it is nothing which does not yield”.

Speculations around Gilles and of Jeanne

The fact that a supposed criminal of this width côtoyé Jeanne d' Arc, made run much ink in the writers, who have phantasm around this “ demon beside an angel ”. The writings of the time only allow us in fact to make unverifiable speculations on the relational one of Gilles and Jeanne. It would seem nevertheless that Gilles de Rais began his fixed prices supposed only after the epopee of Jeanne. It is probable on the other hand that, faithful to his education and his practices, Gilles de Rais had a violent temperament at the time of the military campaigns. If Gilles de Rais regularly expressed during his life of the behaviors of anybody influenceable and believing, it was close to the party of Trémoille, which was not admiror of Jeanne d' Arc. It thus remains difficult to speculate in the relations between Gilles and Jeanne.

Posterity

The marshal of Ray left only one girl, Marie of Laval, married twice and died without children in 1458. His/her uncle Rene of Laval inherited the seigniory of Retz that his/her only daughter, Jeanne of Laval, bequeathed by will, in 1481, with François II, Duc of Brittany.

Anecdotes

Gilles de Rai appears in the series Jhen appeared at Casterman and written by Jacques Martin

Works related to Gilles de Rais

Gilles de Retz , first opera of Paul Ladmirault which he wrote whereas he was still high-school pupil, represented in 1893.

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