Ep. 13 - Gilles de Rais: Innocent or First Serial Killer in the World? | Historical True Crime Stories

𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐖𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠: This episode includes themes involving death, tragedy, violence, and supernatural or potentially disturbing historical events.

In the damp, gray autumn of 1440, a high-stakes reckoning was unfolding inside the fortress walls of Nantes, France. A man of immense wealth, a decorated lord, and the former brother-in-arms to Joan of Arc was brought before a combined ecclesiastical and secular tribunal. To the horrified crowd gathered outside, he was a literal monster, a aristocratic predator who had spent a decade turning his private chambers into a slaughterhouse, sacrificing hundreds of innocent youth in desperate, blood-soaked rituals to summon a demon named Barron.

He would go down in history as the blueprint for Bluebeard.

But when you brush aside centuries of sensationalized folklore and examine the cold, ink-stained reality of the 15th-century judicial paper trail, a terrifying second possibility emerges. The man standing on trial wasn’t just a broke, desperate aristocrat experimenting with forbidden alchemy, he was a massive financial threat to the state. He had systematically mortgaged his sprawling lands and castles to the very people now sitting on his judging panel: the Duke of Brittany and the Bishop of Nantes.

In this episode of the Cursed Voices podcast, we dissect the chilling trial of Gilles de Rais. We balance the stomach-churning eyewitness testimonies against the underlying administrative paperwork to ask the ultimate dark history question: Were the authorities punishing Europe’s most prolific medieval serial killer, or were they executing a highly orchestrated, multi-layered political purge to legally seize an empire of land?

In this episode, we break down:

The Military Hero’s Downfall: How France’s wealthiest commander transitioned from standing beside Joan of Arc at the coronation of King Charles VII to wasting his immense inheritance on rogue theater troupes and occultists.
The Alchemical Paper Trail: The meticulous court registries detailing his descent into the dark arts, including his expensive, desperate contracts with the rogue Italian cleric Francesco Prelati to summon entities using blood sacrifices.
The Mechanics of a Confession: A close forensic look at the 1440 Nantes trial logs, exploring how the threat of brutal physical torture and the weapon of immediate excommunication forced a proud medieval lord to drop to his knees and confess to unimaginable crimes.
The Asset Forfeiture Conspiracy: Uncovering the raw financial documents that show exactly how his judges—including Bishop Jean de Malestroit, immediately carved up and absorbed the massive Rais estates before his ashes were even cold.

𝐕𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐋𝐞𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐝
To get the ‘full’ experience, check out the Château de Tiffauges’ Bluebeard night festivals in July and August! They lean pretty heavily into the folklore, but it was Gilles de Rais’ primary residence!
Check it out HERE. (They handle these bookings directly, but we’d love to hear how you like it!)

𝐈𝐦𝐚𝐠𝐞 & 𝐌𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐚 𝐍𝐨𝐭𝐞
Some images and historical documents used in this video are public domain, Creative Commons licensed, or included under fair use for commentary, research, and educational analysis.

𝐈𝐦𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐀𝐭𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐛𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬:
• Pied Piper (Historic Fairy Tale Postcard) – CC BY 2.0. From the Jack Zipes Historic Fairy Tale Postcard Collection. Photo courtesy of MCAD Library (2023).
• Gilles de Retz (historical mixed-media figure) – CC BY-SA 3.0. Sculpture by George S. Stuart (2007).

Full image URLs and attribution links: https://cursedvoices.com/gilles-de-rais-first-serial-killer

Public Domain Note:
A full list of public domain images used in this episode is included at the above link for clarity and completeness.

𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐫
This episode is presented for educational and historical storytelling purposes. While extensively researched, some interpretations reflect legend or evolving narratives.

𝐂𝐫𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐬
Research, writing, and production by Jessica M. Lathrop, M.A. & Larry C. Lathrop, M.S.
— All content created by real people – not AI —

𝐎𝐮𝐫 𝐒𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐢𝐨 𝐆𝐞𝐚𝐫
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Episode Chapters:

00:00- Intro: Noble Lineage & Nepo Baby: Gilles de Rais and Joan of Arc History
03:15- The Timeline of Triggers: From War Hero to Dark History
06:30- The Parental Lock: Extravagance & The King’s Decree
09:45- Turn To The Medieval Occult: Alchemy & Demon Summoning
13:00- Crossing The Final Line: The Castle Siege & Kidnapping
16:15- Inquisitio Infamiae: Historical True Crime Stories & The Investigation
19:30- Two Possible Truths: Medieval Serial Killers or Political Plot?
22:45- Power & Money: The Duke of Brittany’s Land Grab
26:00- Ulterior Motives Or Justice? Hidden History of the Trial
29:15- The Potential Crime Window: Examining the Timeline Flaws
32:30- Three Sets of Confessions: Servants vs. Clergy
35:45- Speed-Run Inquisition: Heresy Trial Irregularities
39:00- High Stakes, High Pressure: The Threat of Torture
42:15- Confession or Coercion? The Detailed Admission
45:30- Sentencing & Execution: The End of Gilles de Retz
48:45- Was He A Monster -or- A Victim? Unsolved Mysteries Conclusion

𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐖𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐔𝐬:

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