It is the year 1432 in France. A 12-year-old boy, who remains anonymous to this day, is hung by the neck on a metal a hook in the castle of a recognizable stranger. His innocent body shakes as he looks to pull himself upwards while gasping for some air. He gags continuously and chokes on his blood, which now accumulates below his feet. Approaching him is a proud man of great elegance and beauty. He has bob-like hair and a short trimmed bear and mustache (Wolf). Surrounding the man is a group of tight knit men what seem to be the man’s accomplices that have led the boy there (Wolf). The man then undresses hesitantly below and openly shows his erectile state. He grabs the boy and rapes him aggressively throbbing back and forth (Wolf). When he is done being pleasured he brings down the child and consoles him from what has happened. Near death the man once again rapes him and later kills him (Wolf).
The following account is only the first of many hundreds that are about to be committed under one man. His name, which had been held in the hearts of the French people for years, would now become the incarnation of all that is evil and impure in this world. After eight years of torture, sodomy, and killing, Gilles de Rais would finally stand to confess countless murders, his motives, and acts through how they took place. His actions, however, would be the result of several influences that shaped his life. These influences focus on his childhood upbringing, involvement with warfare, homosexuality, and French society. All help justify de Rais’ murders and his sadistic nature of a serial killer.
There can be many excuses one uses to justify a single murder. Some may blame self-defense, an act of vengeance, or even an accident. A serial k...
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...he dozens and the rate of disappearances of children was not something made up. Gilles was most likely involved in most of those crimes although some may have been exaggerated. Today, Gilles is considered a legendary, infamous figure whose life is considered to be the inspiration of the story of Bluebeard (Wolf).
Works Cited
[1] Gribben, Mark. "GILLES DE RAIS — Castle of Horrors — Crime Library on TruTV.com." TruTV.com: Not Reality. Actuality. Web. 03 Apr. 2011. .
[2] Tian, Stan. "The Emotional Effects of War on Soldiers." Health Guidance - Free Health Articles. Web. 03 Apr. 2011. .
[3] Wolf, Leonard. Bluebeard, the Life and Crimes of Gilles De Rais. New York, NY: C.N. Potter, 1980. Print.
This is when the belief that one killer could be responsible for the deaths of eight different people, that they know of, all across France. The Magistrate who jurisdiction over the Laurent Case, Alphonse Benoist of Lyon, noticed similarities as well and using the resources of a reporter was able to gain a common element in many of...
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Maupassant, Guy De. “An Adventure in Paris”. The Norton Anthology of Short Fiction. Cassill, RV. New York: Norton & Company, Inc. 2000. 511-516 Print.
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