[egarvue]

True story. Gilles de Rais was the "Marquis de Sade", from whence we get our modern word "sadism", for sexual cruelty. This guy did deserve all the torture the Inqusition could muster - too bad they gave him the easy out.

[Spyder]

Gilles de Rais was the "Marquis de Sade"

Check again - the sources I find separate them by several centuries. I did find a few comments that de Rais was also known as "Bluebeard."

[Spyder]

But then again, they were both French (grin).

[onedoug]

Uh-oh. Gilles de Rais bump.

[genefromjersey]

I believe Gille de Rais was Bluebeard.

The Marquis de Sade was something of a pain, but I don't think he had descended into kiddy murder yet.

The old Pied Piper doesn't sound like the sort of chap you'd want living next door to the grammar school - whoever he was !

Another " sweet thing" was a Hungarian, named Elizabeth, who was Countess of Bathory. Some helpful beauty advisor - sort of an early version of the Avon Lady - told her bathing in the blood of virgin girls would keep her forever young - especially if she seduced them first. Unlike her spiritual descendent - the former Attorney General - she didn't get voted out of her unique "office" : the powers that be held a " bonfire of the vanities ", with her as the centerpiece.