This day in history: History's first mass murderer and the original Bluebeard (and Dracula), Gilles de Rais was arrested on this day in 1440. On the verge of financial ruin, de Rais was said to have begun dabbling in alchemy to restore his lost wealth. A priest told him that he could not master alchemy without the assistance of the Devil. And to gain the Devil's attention, he would need to commit terrible deeds. This he did by torturing, raping and murdering hundreds of children.
See also The Trial and Death of Gilles de Rais by Margaret Alice Murray 1921
"Like Joan of Arc, Gilles de Rais was tried and executed as a witch; and in the same way, much that is mysterious in this trial can also be explained by the Dianic Cult."
The Dark Story of Gilles de Rais by Lewis Spence 1917
"Of the dark and terrible legends to which Brittany has given birth, one of the most gloomy and romantic is the story of Gilles de Retz, alchemist, magician, and arch-criminal. But the story is not altogether legendary, although it has undoubtedly been added to from the great stores of tradition. Gilles is none other than the Bluebeard of the nursery tale, for he appears to have actually worn a beard bluish-black in hue, and it is probable that his personality became mingled with that of the hero of the old Oriental story."
Origin of the Bluebeard Legend By John Timbs 1869
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