Throwback Thursday: The Bloody Baron, Gilles de Rais Pt. 2

On July 29th, 1440, two and a half months after 36-year-old Gilles de Rais attacked the castle in Saint-Étienne, the Bishop of Nantes published a public report accusing Gilles of a shocking list of crimes.

They included heresy, sodomy, murder, and invoking demons.

Stunningly, when Gilles heard about the accusations, he was unfazed.

He reasoned that the bishop's report was based entirely on rumor.

None of the commoners questioned by the bishop's inquisition had any first-hand knowledge of his crimes.

No bodies or other evidence had been recovered.

And his alchemist, François Prilati, had promised Gilles via demon that there was nothing to worry about.

In short, it was Gilles' word against a handful of peasants.

He was confident that he would come out unscathed, just as he

had his entire life.

This highlights the systemic issues of classism in general.

By virtue of his nobility status, his wealth, he has been raised to believe that peasants are beneath him.

They are property.

He's been treating the children of the villages as property, taking them when he wants, doing to them what he wants.

And so of course he's hedging his bets that their inferiority will work in his favor when it comes to his crimes.

He will use his privilege to his advantage at whatever cost.

While

Gilles was confident that he could beat the charges against him, not all of his friends agreed.

Two of his cousins sensed that the group's days were numbered.

They fled his castle in Brittany and were never heard from again.

For the most part, though, Gilles' entourage stayed by his side.

They waited for two weeks, praying that nothing came of the bishop's report.

Then on September 15th, 1440, a company of soldiers loyal to the Duke of Brittany arrived outside the castle gates with orders to take the Baron and his friends into custody.

Gilles didn't resist the arrest.

This fact alone suggests that he didn't appreciate the gravity of the situation.