The Diabolical Things That Gilles De Rais Did To Women Inside His Castle

In the tumultuous era of 15th century France, when the medieval epoch was fraught with battles and religious fervor, a sinister figure loomed in the shadows of his gothic castle - Gilles de Rais. The infamous comrade-in-arms of the celebrated Joan of Arc during the Hundred Years War, Gilles de Rais held a dark and horrifying secret behind the fortified walls of his castle.

Decorated as a military hero, and possessing wealth and noble stature, de Rais outwardly embodied the perfect chivalric knight. Yet, as the night fell, his castle turned into a horrific chamber for the torture and demise of countless young men. But what led this highly esteemed individual to perform such heinous acts?

How did de Rais, a Marshal of France and lord of many lands, manage to commit these atrocities without drawing the attention of his contemporaries for so long? Could the confines of his fortress tell the tales of horror that they were forced to witness?

According to Friedrich Nietzsche's chilling remark, "Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster." Delve with us into the grisly history of Gilles de Rais, as we unravel the dark deeds committed in the shadowy corners of his castle, and attempt to comprehend how a knight turned into one of history's most horrific monsters. Welcome to the diary of Julius Caesar.

Noble Beginnings. The Early Years of Gilles de Rais.

Gilles de Rais was born in 1405 to a family with rich ancestral ties, firmly ensconced within the nobility of France. His birthplace was the castle at Champtocé-sur-Loire, a fortress nestled in the heart of the French countryside, resonating with the vibrant echoes of medieval grandeur. Gilles was born to Guy II de Montmorency-Laval and Marie de Craon, both of whom hailed from illustrious lineages. Unfortunately, the untimely demise of his parents, when Gilles was just eleven, saw him and his younger brother, René, become orphans, set adrift in a world fraught with complexities.

The brothers were taken under the protective wing of their grandfather, Jean de Craon, a man known as much for his cunning machinations as for his noble heritage. An influential figure in the annals of French history, Jean recognized the immense potential in the Montmorency-Laval inheritance, and skillfully arranged for Gilles and his brother to marry affluent heiresses to secure their wealth. Gilles was wedded to Catherine de Thouars, a young woman of significant noble descent, ensuring that he, at the tender age of sixteen, became one of the wealthiest individuals in France.

However, such sudden affluence did not detract from Gilles' lofty ambitions. He sought to elevate his stature even more, viewing his wealth not as a gift of fate, but as a stepping stone to attain greater prominence. His military aspirations were driven by the dream of a glorified France, free from the terrors of the Hundred Years' War, a turbulent period that raged on during his formative years.

During this time, he was known to exhibit a remarkable affinity for martial prowess and intellectual acuity, which when combined with his noble bearing and charismatic leadership, garnered him the adoration and respect of his peers and superiors alike. In his early adulthood, he demonstrated his courage and tactical brilliance during the Siege of Orléans in 1429, fighting alongside the legendary Joan of Arc, a bond that would leave an indelible mark on his life.

00:00 A Brief History
1:24 The Early Years of Gilles de Rais
4:54 The War Torn Tapestry of a French Knight
7:54 Gilles de Rais and Joan of Arc
10:53 The Private Sphere of Gilles de Rais
13:35 Feasts, Follies, and Financial Ruin
16:06 Gilles de Rais and the Mysterious World of the Occult
18:59 The Dark Hours of Gilles de Rais
22:12 The Unraveling of Gilles de Rais
25:03 Gilles de Rais and the Echoes of His Downfall
27:51 Unraveling the Enigma of Gilles de Rais
30:57 The Shifting Perception of French Nobility in the Shadow of Gilles de Rais
34:10 Gilles de Rais’ Unsettling Resonance through Centuries
37:16 A Psychological Venture into the Mind of Gilles de Rais

[friendlybaby]

You should replace "women' with "young men" in your title. It makes no sense

[johnfurey]

I thoroughly enjoy most of your content...however, in this video i seemed to learn everything about Gilles De Ray, yet not one diabolical thing, not one egregious action. Not one brutal exploit... nary a monstrous deed was mentioned. How low did Giles go in his haunting chambers with his warped desires? You built up his horrible deeds and didn't mention even one??Also, the title says "women", but in your video its boys?? Otherwise, GREAT CHANNEL

[HippieInHeart]

Interesting video, but I still don't know the diabolical things he did to women inside his castle. There is only accusations that he did unnamed horrible things to young men, and at one point in your video you even state that those accusations, along with his own confession, are of questionable origin. Then, after you yourself identified most of the accusations as most likely baseless and untrue, you continue to portray them as if they were fact. If this had been a school assignment, I'd unfortunately have to give you 0 points for completely missing the topic.

[MoonChild-ygnw]

Am I the only one that after watching all this still haven't gotten a clue... about what he actually did 👀😊🤔

[lauramason]

The title of this video is about the horrible things he did to women yet I’ve only heard about horrible things he did young man. I have an imagination but you would never really explain what these acts consisted of and how much suffering he caused. I’m also not really clear on why he was executed. I think there are a lot of descriptions here but I would appreciate it more concise communication. Thank you and it’s great video and I am subscribed.

[davidmcdonald]

I think the story of Countess Elizabeth Bathory would be a more accurate subject matter for: "Crimes committed against woman within the Castle..."

[fabricdragon]

1. misleading title. 2. boys- he was accused of murdering boys, not women. 3. its pretty obvious he was railroaded for being one of Joan Of Arc's supporters...

[antoniofarinaccio]

You are using works of art that are irrelevant to the subject matter. Totally out of context and out of place or time.

[julierobinson]

So, his lavender marriage - and daughter - protected him from a charge of homosexuality, which would have been a capital crime, but they managed to get him on probably trumped up charges of black magic and peasant torture and murder? Which conveniently blackened his name to prevent this former hero becoming a martyr...

[shock_n_Aweful]

24:45 thank you from shielding us from statue boobs, I might have been scarred for life.

[brianmoses]

Did no-one notice that the castle at the start of the video was Conwy in north Wales?

[macapovilla]

I appreciate the research and overall composition of the video, but way too many repeats of the same info with slightly different word / sentence structures. Example is his relationship with Joan of Arc repeated at the start, said again differently and a bit more info, then all again later when she led the charge and talk of her visions. I understand how this happens, and I have done the same myself, but good editing would have identified the issues and made for a shorter and cleaner presentation. Wishing you well on your next endeavour. Rgds

[fsc.creative]

Why hasn't the title of this video been changed yet?
Also, I'm not looking for graphic material or description, but just saying "egregious, monstrous, diabolical" over and over again doesn't really give me an idea of what he actually did.

[MadamHoneyB]

I usually put this stuff on to sleep but I found this particular video pretty interesting.

[GS-xtfu]

Sometimes in those days…rumors were spread by rivals to get you taken out. Your admission could be due to torture. Quite normal. He may have done nothing.

[deejaysyn]

yeah i think you need to research more on this. a lot has been called into question.

[crazypj]

I had forgotten how little is actually ever explained with just a few phrases constantly repeated.
Not really worth the time it takes to listen to so I only seem to manage first 15-20 minutes, after than nothing new occurs .

[willhewankher]

This was a huge buzzkill & letdown. Underwhelming AF! You never actually mentioned what things Gilles did. 42 minutes of summarizing what you just said. What did he actually do?!

[knoxvillehermitfreemoviesm]

he keeps refereeing to the victims as 'young men" - they were children!!

[simbatable]

What is up with the blurring of ancient paintings and tapestries?