Coat-of-arms of
Gilles de Rais
(Principal
information : seal before 1429, armorial Berry Herald, armorial
Le Blancq)
In
September 1429, the King gives to Gilles de Rais an orle
Azure semy fleurs-de-lis Or.
Note: the overall
of ruby brocket is a personal interpretation of the Web page
author/artist.
Tiffauges's castle
(Vendée)
photo © J.-C.
Colrat
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Gilles de Laval,
Baron of Rais.
Full name
: Gilles de Laval dit de RAIS.
Nickname
:
"Blue Beard"
Birth
:
October 1404 in Champtocé's
Castle.
Death
:
October 27, 1440, in
Nantes (buried in N.D. des Carmes' church).
Titles of nobility
:
Baron of Rais (Pays de Retz,
Loire-Atlantique), Lord of Pouzauges (Vendée), Tiffauges (Vendée),
Machecoul (Loire-Atlantique), Pornic (Loire-Atlantique), Bourgneuf (Bourgneuf-en-Retz,
Loire-Atlantique),
Champtocé (Champtocé-sur-Loire,
Maine-et-Loire), Confolens (Charente) and many other places
Official and
military functions
:
marshal of France (July 1429).
Father
:
Guy II de Laval-Blaison († 1415),
Lord of Rais.
Mother
:
Marie de Craon († 1415 ?).
Paternal grandfathers
:
Guy I de Laval called Brimor († 1383)
and
Jeanne de Montmorency Lady of Blaison.
Maternal
grandfathers
:
Jean de Craon, Lord of La Suze († 1432),
and Béatrix de
Rochefort († 1421).
Wife
:
Catherine de Thouars (daughter
of Miles de Thouars, Lord of Pouzauges).
Descendants
:
Marie de Rais († 1457), married
1° Prigent de Coëtivy, 2°
André de Laval.
Shield-of-arms
: Or a cross Sable.
crest
: a Swan's head Argent, a pair of wings Argent) is an ambiguous
symbol: the swan is the mercury's alchemists symbol, metal which
seems materia prima or philosopher's stone. Sometimes in the
Middle Ages, the swan is called hypocritical animal because
its flesh is dark under white feathers! Rais wore also a
small dragon on a crescent.
Presence at the side of Joan of
Arc in :
Blois, Orléans, Jargeau,
Meung-sur-Loire, Beaugency, Patay, Reims, Paris.
Comments
: Gilles de Rais, Lord of Pouzauges, Tiffauges,
Machecoul, Pornic, Bourgneuf, Champtocé, Confolens,
etc., is a very great feudal Lord of the French Realm.
He accompanied Joan of Arc from Blois to Paris.
He was promoted marshal of France in July 1429.
He devoted to the alchemy and to the worse activities.
Arrested on September 14, 1440, he was condemned and put to
death in Nantes on October 27, 1440, for crimes of perfidy,
murders, witchcraft, denial of the Faith and
sodomy.
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