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The Black Baron: The Strange Life of Gilles De Rais

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This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the original. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions that are true to the original work.

360 pages, Paperback

First published October 15, 2000

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Tennille Dix

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Profile Image for Carly.
200 reviews49 followers
August 19, 2023
"𝐁𝐥𝐮𝐞𝐛𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐝"
My review for this book is for the hardback book that was published/printed in (𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟎) it has Gilles De Rais on the cover of the book, the back cover the back of the book cover has a basic blurb about who Gilles De Rais was.
This version of the book is not listed on Goodreads for some unknown reason.
The version of the book I own has (𝟑𝟒𝟎) pages. It has some illustrations in the book as well.

For anyone that doesn't know Gilles De Rais was a Medieval French knight, the Marshall of France he obtained from inheritance when his father died, but he squandered his wealth frivolously & he fought alongside 𝐉𝐨𝐚𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐀𝐫𝐜 (𝐌𝐚𝐢𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐎𝐫𝐥é𝐚𝐧𝐬) who he admired and may have been in love with possibly.
He is well-known for being a cruel, sadistic, sexual sadist, a rapist, torturer of children who he sacrificed them as part of black magick rituals to demons, he practiced black magick, Satanic alchemy and was a devil-worshipper.
There is some evidence that might prove that he may be innocent, a lot of skulls of male children were found inside of a wall or tower in one of the buildings owned by Gilles De Rais.

He was attempting to regain his squandered wealth by practicing Satanic Alchemy, he does this throughout his lifetime by attempting to find the "𝐏𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐨𝐩𝐡𝐞𝐫'𝐬 𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐧𝐞" so he could transmute base metals into gold.
He was alive throughout (𝐦𝐢𝐝-𝟏𝟓𝐭𝐡 𝐂𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐲) France and met & fought alongside 𝐉𝐨𝐚𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐀𝐫𝐜
(𝐌𝐚𝐢𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐎𝐫𝐥é𝐚𝐧𝐬)
He regularly hires Necromancers, Alchemists to summon, invoke the devil or demons to ask for their assistance but at the same time to avoid any unwanted, evil consequences he donates money to the church to please them so they won't judge/shame him for his behaviour, blasphemy and disrespect of Christianity/of the church as well.
There is another book about Gilles De Rais called Satanic Alchemy it makes a lot of sense why it has that title in particular.
Gilles De Rais was a prolific predatory rapist of male and female children, he was a sexual sadist, a serial killer, he could be described as a Satanist or Occultist due to Necromancers summoning the devil or demons and evil spirits that he sacrificed the children to.
He was a ego-driven, narcissistic, power-hungry evil person, all he cared about was his perverse, primal, immoral sexual appetite, gaining or creating more wealth that he could further squander.
It makes a lot of sense that Gilles de Rais is delighted to read about Pagan emperor's but specifically 𝐂𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐮𝐥𝐚 or the emperor 𝐍𝐞𝐫𝐨 since both were sadistic, sexual sadists and cruel Roman Emperor's.
Giles de Rais, is already paying attention and really likes the praise and attention from the peasantry he is still young and impressionable, the praise, attention, recognition, admiration for his accomplishments which is boosting and feeding his ego.
He seems bored and frustrated by how he was being raised, he escaped from his tutors to explore, unknown and the most decrepit parts of the Chateau where he found the human remains buried in the soil.
He yearns for his own freedom and independence to live his life on his own terms, without the guardianship of his grandfather.
He is already exhibiting a obsession with sexual sadism, sadistic cruelty from a young age which is not uncommon for nobility, royalty, a lot of people that were nobles or royal had perverse sexual appetites which is disturbing.
They were known for their sexual sadism, cruelty, perverse sexual appetites, which to them at the time, the era they were alive as perfectly fine, they didn't see anything wrong with their behaviour, they thought it was normal.
The author mentions a lot of people of nobility, a lot of Kings, Queens, Rulers of France, Noblemen/Noblewomen that I don't know a lot about them.
There is a lot of irrelevant information and the author often goes off on a tangent in detail about specific people or their luxurious, lavish, opulent Chateau, how rich, arrogant, entitled people were at the time in France, which can be boring, a bit tedious to read about.
I just want to read about French History that is specifically related to Gilles de Rais, this book is very longwinded to explain French History in the Medieval era, and any information about Gilles de Rais seems to be not very frequent in a book about Gilles de Rais.
It's interesting that the French people thought that the British at the time were witches and consorting with Satan, or demons, when we would have burnt Jeanne at the stake, because the British would have thought a "𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟-𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐝 𝐒𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐭" was/is a witch.
Another thing that is annoying about this book is how small the text is to read.
I appreciate the illustrations that are used in the book though
I'm surprised that Gilles de Rais meeting & fighting alongside 𝐉𝐨𝐚𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐀𝐫𝐜 isn't mentioned in the book at all, for some reason, but 𝐉𝐨𝐚𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐀𝐫𝐜 was alive around the same time Gilles de Ras was alive.
She was one of the most pious, devoutly religious, warrior woman that existed in France, she talked to angels, to God directly, but the French people thought she as wicked, evil so they burnt her at the stake because they thought that she was a witch.
Being pious, devoutly religious, or a virgin means absolutely nothing, if you are accused of consorting with Satan & demons and burnt at the stake because people have accused you of sorcery & they think you are a evil witch.
It makes sense that Gilles de Rais was originally, a devout, pious person that believed in God, but due to what happened to Jeanne the "𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟-𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐝 𝐬𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐭" it wasn't justified or necessary at all.
I can understand why Gilles de Rais over time would naturally develop a justified hatred, distain for Christianity, the Church and any monks within his court that were a part of his advisory team.
He eventually turns his back on God, Christianity and pursues his darkest, macabre, disturbing desires, sexual appetite without anyone in his life trying to control him, dictate what he should do or to hold him back, there was no one to judge or shame him for his attitude, behaviour except his cousin 𝐆𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐝𝐞 𝐒𝐢𝐥𝐥é.
I don't understand the point of Gilles de Rais being married to Catherine, who he had a Dauphin with, a daughter, but her never spent time with either of them, he totally rejected and discarded them and wanted nothing to do with them at all.
Why did he remain married to Catherine when he obviously didn't want her or his daughter.
In my opinion Gilles de Rais seemed like he was in love with Jeanne the "𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟-𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐝 𝐬𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐭" or 𝐉𝐨𝐚𝐧 𝐨𝐫 𝐀𝐫𝐜 two women that he admired for their bravery, courage.
He seemed like he was in love with either women, this is evident after Jeanne was falsely and inaccurately, incorrectly & cruelly accused of sorcery, heresy, idolatry, and accused of being a witch that consorted with Satan & demons and burnt at the stake.
It broke his heart in my opinion, he no longer felt hope, joy, fulfilment, happiness, or had something to believe in, his life was dull in her absence, due to how the Church condemned a innocent woman to her death.
Not even the spoils of war were enough to give him joy, happiness, to feel victorious, and give him the respect & recognition he craved due to being shunned by 𝐆𝐞𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐬 𝐝𝐞 𝐥𝐚 𝐓𝐫é𝐦𝐨𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐞, so he was furious, he felt like a pawn, that was used & discarded.
For a man that was originally a devout, pious Christian, Gilles de Rais hide his insatiable lust, sexual sadism, cruelty well, until it became all he could think about, become obsessed with.
It gave his life meaning, fulfilment in his opinion, perception, otherwise his life was dull, his military achievements weren't acknowledged, recognized, respected or admired, by people that Gilles de Rais looked up to.
He felt a tremendous rage, insatiable lust but at the same time had a fear of committing sin.
His cousin Gilles de Sillé was influential to Gilles de Rais, his was less concerned about committing sin, even though he was a priest and danced with witches or Satanists while they performed a ritual.
Gilles de Rais never felt any remorse, or regret for what he did, he was delighted by sexual sadism, cruelty, as much pain & suffering inflicted upon his victims as possible which were male children, that were his choir-boys.
In my opinion I think Gilles de Rais did feel some shame in a spiritual or religious context, about what he did, but overtime this diminished and he became a lot more like his cousin Gilles de Sillé.
After torturing, raping, sacrificing/murdering male children, Gilles de Rais always seems repentant, and prayed a lot to show his devotion, loyalty, piety to God.
His servants were somewhat aware of what was happening in the tower involving the choir-boys and his cousin Gilles de Sillé, some of them fled in terror, but no one yet knows the full extent of what Gilles de Rais did or what he was truly capable of.
The fact that Giles de Rais is bored of his life, restless, frustrated and doesn't feel fulfilled is understandable but nothing justifies what he did for his own sick, sadistic, cruel amusement, enjoyment and sexual gratification.
He is complacent with what he is doing in secret, living a double life, on the surface a devoutly religious, pious Christian, but otherwise at night a devilish fiend, that preys on innocent, male children and indulges in every perverse, sick fantasy he has and wants to enact in real life.
The intense dream or nightmare he had about Blackburn a man he killed, which then morphed in a horrific vision of the torture, murder of children that delighted, excited and enticed he so much that he couldn't stop thinking about it says a lot about Gilles de Rais.
It is macabre, sick and perverse in various ways, but normal behaviour for a lot of nobility & royalty in the Medieval & Dark Ages era in France.
Overtime Giles de Rais is being influenced by his cousin Gilles de Sillé due to his participation with Satanists and the "𝐎𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐅𝐚𝐢𝐭𝐡" the belief & worship of Satan and his legion of demons.
He fears Hell, but also still engages in Satanic, ritualistic murder, by sacrificing innocent children to Satan.
He is complacent, in constant need of stimulation, something to occupy his time and his mind, due to becoming bored and losing interest in any aspect of their life which lead to his eventual downfall.
Gilles de Rais & Gilles de Sillé are equally sadistic, cruel, morally corrupt and evil, they were both unrepentant, didn't feel any remorse or regret for their blasphemous, evil Satanic, ritualistic, murders of children.
Gilles de Rais inflated ego, his narcissistic perception of his self importance or due to being nobility he believed he would get away with his horrific, disturbing, sadist crimes & no or would notice the disappearance of any of the innocent children that he murdered, but the peasantry, & the common folk that were his servants were aware of what he was doing in his murder tower.
I don't understand how the peasantry, didn't notice, possibly didn't care or didn't report the suspicious disappearances of their child, or multiple children that were employed by Gilles de Rais.
They mysteriously disappeared, they were never seen alive again, after being employed by Gilles de Rais, he was torturing, raping, murdering/sacrificing innocent children to demons in Satanic rituals.
Human sacrifice, a blood sacrifice as a offering to Satan & his legion of demons, to earn their favour, by proving his allegiance to the Dark Lord & the "𝐎𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐅𝐚𝐢𝐭𝐡"
Why wouldn't the poor commoners report to a authority figure, such as a priest that their children have mysteriously disappeared in unknown circumstances and their whereabouts are unknown?
The last time they were seen alive was when Gilles de Rais employed them in his Chateau, why wouldn't the parents become suspicious overtime about their children's safety and wellbeing?
Why would the tonsfolk pray fo the soul of the murderer of their children and why was he absolved of hs sins?
Why should he be allowed entry into heaven after what he did?
Was Gilles de Rais a evil, sadistic, Occultist, Satanist that practiced Satanic Alchemy, that preyed on innocent babies and young male children or was he framed because he was a Baron, Nobility, the Marshall of France and he wasn't liked by everyone because he was a smug, entitled, sadistic, narcissist and thought he was better than everyone else, especially the peasantry?
Read the book and form your own opinion.
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