You might recognize the name Gilles de Rais as the real-life inspiration for the story of the killer Bluebeard. The real Gilles de Rais was a war hero who fought alongside Joan of Arc, but later was brought to trial for sodomy and child murder, with up to 150 victims.
He confessed to the crimes (before his scheduled torture) and was executed in 1440. Rais’ reputation grew, but the story was told differently in France and England. In England, he became known as a legendary serial killer and the inspiration for the fairy tale Bluebeard by Charles Perrault. In France, some biographers determined he was the victim of a politically-motivated witch hunt, on par with the persecution…The post The Modern Movement to Exonerate a Notorious Medieval Serial Killer appeared first on FeedBox.