Gilles De Rais

(September 1405 - October 26, 1440)

Noble, French serial killer of the 15th century. He became a marshal after his participation in the War of 100 years and amassed a vast fortune. His fame in the French towns changed when his atrocities were discovered. He may have suffered from severe schizophrenia. The ruthless nature of his crimes seemed contrary to his exacerbated Christian faith. In 1422, Gilles kidnapped his mother-in-law and locked her, feeding her only on bread and water until she acceded to the punishments he required. The Dauphin Charles gave an army to Gilles and Joan of Arc to release the English siege of Orleans. Gilles went on to say that Joan was God and that if he should kill under her mandate, he would do it.

He became her bodyguard and protector, saving her on several occasions during the clamor of battle. He could not prevent Joan of Arc’s death at the stake, although he hired a small army of mercenaries. Gilles took refuge in the castle at Tiffauges and released his most perverse instincts. In order to fulfill his eagerness to obtain victims, their servants would look for children and teenagers, promising them they would make them Mr. de Rais’ pages. Between 1432 and 1440, there were over a thousand missing children, between eight and ten years, in Britain. Gilles and his henchmen tortured, harassed, humiliated and murdered previously abducted children. The Bishop of Nantes, Jean Malestroit investigated the disappearances and discovered the person responsible for the crimes. Gilles de Rais surrendered and was brought to trial. Initially, he pledged innocence, but during one of his personality crises, he ratified his murders. On October 26, 1440, Gilles de Rais, having rejected the royal pardon granted to him for being a peer of France, was hanged at Nantes.