In French folklore, there is a story called "Bluebeard", the protagonist of the story is a heinous demon, but in reality this demon protagonist is actually a French marshal who once defended his country. So who is this marshal, and why has he become a demon in the hearts of the French people?
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The story of "Bluebeard" was created by the French poet Charles Perot based on a french folklore that was included in the first edition of Grimm's Fairy Tales, but was later deleted. The real name of the protagonist of the story is unknown, but he is named "Bluebeard" because of his blue beard.
The story goes like this:
Bluebeard was a wealthy aristocrat who had taken several wives, but curiously, all of them had mysteriously disappeared. This made the people around him very afraid, and they no longer dared to marry their daughter to him as a wife. Bluebeard courted two sisters in a family, and both girls were so frightened that they refused to agree to his marriage proposal. Eventually, at Bluebeard's behest, the family's youngest daughter is persuaded to follow him to the castle to a ball, after which she marries Bluebeard.
Shortly after the marriage, Bluebeard, who had something to do with his need to go out, gave his new wife the keys to all the rooms in the castle and told her that she could visit any room at will, except for the smallest room under the castle. The girl swore she would obey his demands, and Bluebeard left satisfied. But after Bluebeard left, intense curiosity drove her to go to that room to find out. Her visiting sister also advised her not to do so, but ultimately failed to stop her.
Bluebeard gave the key to his wife
After opening the door, the girl was shocked by the picture in front of her, the room hanging from the blue-bearded former wives, and the ground was bleeding profusely. Surprised, she accidentally dropped the key to the ground, and the key was stained with blood. She tried everything she could to wash the stains off the key, and fearing that the matter would be revealed, she began to discuss the escape with her sister, but Bluebeard rushed back early. Bluebeard saw the blood on the key, and naturally understood that his newlywed wife already knew his secret, so he wanted to kill people.
The girl begged her husband to give her some time to pray her deathbed, and Bluebeard granted his wife's last wish, so the sisters locked themselves in a tower and prayed. Just as Bluebeard waited impatiently to break through the door, their brother arrived in time to kill Bluebeard. Bluebeard had no other relatives, and all his possessions were inherited by the girl. She divided part of her possessions among her family, and then found a kind gentleman herself to spend her life happily.
The young wife pleaded with Bluebeard
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="12" >2, Marshal of France</h1>
Many people believe that the prototype of Bluebeard is the 14th-15th century French marshal Gil de Ray. He was a knight and lord of brittany, Anjou and Poitou, and was the leader of the French army. Marshal Gill's greatest achievement was in defending France side by side with Joan of Arc against Britain and its ally Burgundy in the Hundred Years' War between England and France.
Marshal Gil de Ray
In 1425, Gill was introduced to charles VII's court in Saumur, where he learned court etiquette. At the Battle of Lourdes Castle, he captured The British Captain Blackburn. From 1427 to 1435, Gil served as commander of the army of the French kings and was known for his bravery during the Hundred Years' War. In 1429, he fought alongside Joan of Arc against England and its Burgundian allies. When the British siege of Orléans was lifted, Marshal Gill and Joan of Arc were present. On 17 July of that year, Gill was one of the four chosen Lords, who brought the Holy Pot from the Abbey of Saint-Rémy to Notre-Dame de Reims, crowning Charles VII king of France. On the same day, he was officially appointed Marshal of France. Marshal Gill was given the right to add a royal symbol to his own coat of arms, the lily, in which he referred to his noble contribution to the royal family, the dangers he had faced, and many other brave feats.
King Charles VII
Judging from the various manifestations of the war, Marshal Gill has shown the cruel nature of what came later. Marshal Gill often executed all the captured British troops, even the pro-British French, who showed no mercy, and if any pro-British faction became his prisoner, he would execute him for treason. Although his behavior was cruel, under the circumstances at the time, the French royal family considered his behavior to be "just", and there was nothing wrong with it.
There have always been many rumours about the relationship between Marshal Gill and Joan of Arc, and from the perspective of reality, there is at least a deep friendship between the two of them. In 1430, Joan of Arc was captured in battle with the English, and King Charles VII and other nobles were unable to redeem her, and Joan of Arc was eventually burned at the stake in 1431. During Joan of Arc's captivity, Marshal Gill tried to lead an army to save Joan of Arc, but eventually gave up due to various difficulties. After Joan of Arc's death, Marshal Gill's military campaigns also decreased significantly, and he eventually ended his military career around 1435.
Statue of Joan of Arc
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="20" > third, child killer demon</h1>
However, such a French hero who performed well during the Hundred Years' War eventually degenerated into a demon in the hearts of the French.
After ending his military career, Jill inherited the vast territory left by his ancestors and indulged in pleasure all day long. But something strange happened in his territory: hundreds of children were missing. The parents of the missing children believed that the disappearance of the children was inseparable from Marshal Gill, so they complained to Gill in court. Under pressure from these parents, the court issued an arrest warrant to Gill, and when a group of people stormed into the castle, they saw blood and the corpses of children who had been reduced to white bones.
Reach out to the clutches of children
It turned out that Marshal Gil was influenced by a monk from Italy and gradually became addicted to alchemy and witchcraft. Jill heard that the devil liked the blood of children the most, so he took the children in the field and offered them to the devil as sacrifices. In court, Marshal Gil confessed his crimes, saying that he had tricked the children into assaulting them, then hanging them, and finally ripping the children's bodies. Many were shocked by this cruel crime, and eventually Marshal Gill was sentenced to death.
"Child Killer Demon" Jill
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="26" > Wen Shijun said</h1>
Some say that Marshal Gill's downfall was closely linked to Joan of Arc's death, and Marshal Gil fell in love with Joan of Arc, but the virgin was eventually burned at the stake, which caused Marshal Gil's faith to collapse, and eventually he gave up on himself and even began to doubt God Himself. Whether this claim is true or not, the former French hero eventually fell into a murderous demon that did not blink, which made people sigh. Sometimes, heroes and demons can be just a thought away.
< h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="28" > references</h1>
Wang Yifeng: The Hundred Years' War between Britain and France: 1415-1453, Jilin Literature and History Publishing House, 2019.
Charles Auman, A History of the Hundred Years' War: 1327-1485, translated by Wang Jinrui, Chinese Publishing House, 2020.
(Haoran Wenshi · Friends of ABC)
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