Project Gutenberg 2019-07-21 Public domain in the USA. 377 Wilson, Thomas 1832 1902 00000083 Blue-beard: A Contribution to History and Folk-lore Being the history of Gilles de Retz of Brittany, France, who was executed at Nantes in 1440 A.D., and who was the original of Blue-beard in the tales of Mother Goose Produced by Chris Curnow, Charlie Howard, and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive) "Blue-beard: A Contribution to History and Folk-lore" by Thomas Wilson is a historical account written in the late 19th century. The book delves into the chilling life of Gilles de Retz, a 15th-century nobleman and one of the most notorious figures in French history, often cited as the inspiration for the legendary character Bluebeard from folkloric tales. The narrative explores his early life, military career, decadence, and ultimately, his heinous crimes, asserting a deeper connection to the longstanding mythos surrounding him. The opening of the text introduces Gilles de Retz as a significant historical figure, detailing his noble lineage, wealth, and military achievements, including his association with Joan of Arc. It paints a vivid picture of his early life, education, and eventual rise to prominence as a Marshal of France, showcasing his initial valor in battle and lavish lifestyle. However, it heralds the transformation of his character as he becomes entangled in darker pursuits, leading to his infamous reputation for abducting and murdering children, which sets the stage for the unfolding tragedy of his life. The meticulous detailing of Gilles's circumstances foreshadows the monstrous revelations that follow, merging history with the eerie folklore of Bluebeard. (This is an automatically generated summary.) Reading ease score: 56.5 (10th to 12th grade). Somewhat difficult to read. en Marshals -- France -- Biography Rais, Gilles de, 1404-1440 Criminals -- France -- Biography France -- History -- Charles VII, 1422-1461 -- Biography Bluebeard (Legendary character) DC Text Category: Biographies Category: Mythology, Legends & Folklore Category: French Literature Category: History - European Category: History - Medieval/Middle Ages 379429 2025-09-24T04:11:49.086752 text/html 366201 2019-07-21T11:52:30 text/html 1247457 2025-09-24T04:11:56.267776 application/epub+zip 1246914 2025-09-24T04:11:50.806759 application/epub+zip 208209 2025-09-24T04:11:49.953737 application/epub+zip 1346603 2025-09-24T04:12:00.306196 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 1311611 2025-09-24T04:11:55.394722 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 276921 2022-09-27T04:58:50.682959 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 314943 2025-09-24T04:11:48.328770 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 315071 2019-07-21T11:52:28 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 20292 2025-09-24T04:12:00.458215 application/rdf+xml 12735 2025-09-24T04:11:50.063758 image/jpeg 2432 2025-09-24T04:11:50.006744 image/jpeg 115670 2019-07-21T11:52:30 application/octet-stream application/zip 2399189 2019-07-21T11:52:30 application/octet-stream application/zip 3118705 2025-09-24T04:11:49.195826 application/octet-stream application/zip Archives containing the RDF files for *all* our books can be downloaded at https://book.klll.cc/wiki/Gutenberg:Feeds#The_Complete_Project_Gutenberg_Catalog