BLUE BEARD
BLUEBEARD (fr. La Barbe-Bleue) is the hero of the fairy tale “Bluebeard” by C. Perrault (1697). One of the most mysterious and sinister fairy tale characters. It is difficult to explain what prompted Perrault to make a maniacal killer the hero of a children's fairy tale. In addition, his image is given in a very general way, the motivation for his actions is practically absent, and as a result, the reader is presented with a kind of phantom, shrouded in mystery. Chevalier S.B. lives in a beautiful castle, receives guests, and has a reputation as a hospitable host. What is alarming is that he often gets married, and his wives strangely disappear, and no one really knows what happens to them. And now S.B., once again finding himself a bachelor, begins to look for a new wife. But the brides refuse him. In addition, the hero’s beard is actually blue, which not every girl might like. And yet there is one who is ready to challenge fate and take risks. At first everything goes well, but one day S.B. informs his wife that he must leave. He gives her the keys to all the rooms in the castle, warning her that she should not enter one room, which is in the basement, which arouses her curiosity. Having entered the forbidden room, the wife of S.B. discovers the corpses of his predecessors in pools of blood. Out of horror, she drops the key, and it turns out to be stained with blood. The stain cannot be erased, which is why S.B. concludes that the new wife also violated the ban. He intends to do the same with her as with other wives. But this time he fails to fulfill his intention. The young woman showed cunning and managed to call her brothers, who put an end to S.B.
The hero's story, which is so little like a fairy tale, does not explain who he is, this misogynistic maniac, and what is behind his crimes. Topic S.B. has appeared repeatedly in works of art and literature. M. Maeterlinck wrote the play “Ariana and Bluebeard, or the Useless Liberation” (1897), composer Balla Bartok wrote the opera “Duke Bluebeard’s Castle” (1918), and Ludwig Tieck wrote the cheerful comedy “Cavalier Bluebeard” (1797) etc. Each time, attempts were made to explain the strange behavior of the hero, sometimes quite serious, sometimes quite ironic, but invariably exciting the imagination.
O.G. Petrova
Literary heroes. - Academician. 2009 .
See what "BLUEBEARD" is in other dictionaries:
From the old French fairy tale “Raoul, Knight Bluebeard,” processed and published by the French writer and storyteller Charles Perrault in 1697. It talks about a knight who, in anger, killed his first wife, then five others whom he married... ... Dictionary of popular words and expressions
Blue Beard. Wed. The princess did not promise much interest for his sensitive, inquisitive woman, and the prince did not at all want to be Raoul Bluebeard... Leskov. Bypassed. 1, 2. Wed. He certainly wanted to dress up his jealous husband in the most buffoonish and... ... Michelson's Large Explanatory and Phraseological Dictionary (original spelling)
This term has other meanings, see Bluebeard (meanings). Illustration by Gustave Doré: Bluebeard, Wife and Key. Blue beard (French... Wikipedia
"Blue Beard"- BLUEBEARD, ballets based on the same theme. fairy tales by C. Perrault, 1) In 3 acts, 7 scenes with an apotheosis. Comp. P. P. Schenk, stage. L. A. Pashkova. 12/8/1896, Mariinsky Theater, St. Petersburg, ballet. M. I. Petipa, artist. P. B. Lambin, K. M. Ivanov, G. Levot and V. T.... ... Ballet. Encyclopedia
A monster from the fairy tale of the same name (Barbe Bleue) by C. Perrault, first published in his Histories and Tales of Bygone Times (1697). In France, the legend of Bluebeard is considered Breton and is traditionally associated with two medieval medieval... ... Collier's Encyclopedia
Raoul (chevalier Barbe Bleue) French hero. fairy tales, who killed six of his wives one after another because, contrary to his ban, they opened his secret office in his absence, which served as an arena for murders, and in horror they dropped the gold... ... encyclopedic Dictionary F. Brockhaus and I.A. Ephron
Wed. The princess did not promise much interest for his sensitive, inquisitive woman, and the prince did not at all want to be Raoul Bluebeard... Leskov. Bypassed. 1, 2. Wed. He certainly wanted to dress up his jealous husband in the most clownish and funny costume in... ... Michelson's Large Explanatory and Phraseological Dictionary
A legendary historical figure, Rum is credited with the murder of six of his seven wives. The most likely prototypes of SB. are considered the leader of the Britons in the 6th century. Comorr the Accursed and English. King Henry VIII (1491 1547). Sometimes (without any... ... Sexological encyclopedia
- ... Wikipedia
1. Book. Disapproved About a jealous husband who brutalizes his wife. /i> The expression arose on the basis of the fairy tale of the same name by C. Perrault. BMS 1998, 54. 2. Jarg. they say Joking. Alcoholic, drunkard. Ural 98… Big dictionary Russian sayings
Books
- Blue beard, Serova M.. Blue beard...
Who hasn't heard of the villain immortalized by Charles Perrault under the name Bluebeard? Since the story was published in 1697 in the collection “Tales of My Mother Goose...”, all the children of Europe have read it, but not every adult knows where it came from. It is believed that the prototype of Bluebeard was Gilles de Montmorency-Laval, Baron de Rais, Marshal of France, hero of the Hundred Years' War, contemporary and ally of the famous Joan of Arc. But did he get the laurels of a murderer and a sorcerer fairly?
On the morning of October 26, 1440, the square in front of Nantes Cathedral was filled with a huge crowd. Everyone wanted to see the execution of a noble lord accused of heinous crimes. In the cathedral, Marshal Gilles de Rais repented and asked for forgiveness. The church - for apostasy, heresy, blasphemy and witchcraft. From his lord, Duke Jean of Brittany, for numerous murders of young children. The ceremony was not long - already at ten o'clock a procession of carts set off from the square to the place of execution: on the first - the marshal himself, behind him - two of his closest servants-bodyguards and, according to their own testimony, assistants in wicked deeds - Henri Griard and Etienne Corillot . These two, humble people, half an hour later will be burned alive at the stake. The executioner will strangle their master with a garrote, “symbolically” set fire to the brushwood under the dead body, and immediately pull out the corpse, which will be handed over to the relatives. Those, however, will beware of burying the “monster” in the family crypt - he will find eternal rest under a nameless slab in a Carmelite monastery on the outskirts of Nantes...
Confidant of the Dauphin
“Once upon a time there was a man who had beautiful houses both in the city and in the countryside, dishes made of gold and silver, furniture covered in embroidery and carriages gilded from top to bottom. But, unfortunately, this man had blue Beard, and she made him so disgusting and so terrible that there was not a single woman or girl who would not run away when she saw him.” Already at the very beginning of the tale, it seems, the first slander is contained against the hero of our story, who, judging by the portraits, wore a neatly trimmed dark beard.
Gilles de Rais, born in 1404 in the castle of Machecoul on the border of Brittany and Anjou, is the scion of an old and noble family that gave France twelve marshals and six constables (the holder of this position combined the duties of commander-in-chief and minister of war).
Sources say nothing about his childhood, which is usual for that troubled era. Only the most known general information. In 1415, eleven-year-old Gilles and his younger brother Rene lost both parents: father Guy de Laval, Baron de Rais, died either in the war or in a duel, his mother died a little earlier, and the children were under the care of their grandfather Jean de Craon. He, apparently, made a lot of effort to instill in Gilles a love of reading and science - activities, in general, not very popular among the rather rude chivalry of those days. In any case, in mature age his pupil passionately collected antiquities and showed extreme inquisitiveness of mind. Having spent most of his life in the saddle and on the battlefield, he nevertheless managed to compile a rich library and never spared money to replenish it.
At a young age, this brilliant knight profitably (but, mind you, for the first and only time!) married the maiden Catherine, the granddaughter of the Viscount de Thouars, and received, in addition to his already considerable fortune, a dowry of two million livres and vast lands in Poitou (in including the castle of Tiffauges, which was destined to play a significant role in his future fate). He had little interest in his wife and paid almost no attention to her. Suffice it to say that they had only one daughter, Marie de Laval, born in 1429.
But Baron de Rais used his wealth, at least lovingly, carefully and diligently. In a short time, it helped win over the heir, Prince Charles of Valois, and get a place in his retinue. The young Dauphin, almost the same age as Gilles, unlike his new courtier, always lived on the edge of a financial abyss, due to which his chances of winning the French crown were approaching zero. And the crown was illusory: half of the country had long been firmly occupied by the British and their Burgundian allies, and many provinces were ruled by local feudal lords. Poor in all respects, the prince barely managed to hold only the cities in the Loire Valley, and at the same time he did not stick his nose out of his residence at the Chinon Castle.
The Hundred Years' War raging all around determined the career of our hero. He decided to bet on the Dauphin Charles; in those years, the correctness of this choice was not at all obvious. However, the baron did not betray him and did not miscalculate.
National hero
The blood of the famous constable Bertrand Duguesclin, the most famous of the country's commanders, who died in 1380, flowed in Gilles de Rais. Of course, the great-nephew of the “thunderstorms of the English” was haunted by the laurels of his famous ancestor. And he managed to achieve equally great fame. Overcoming the lethargy and apathy of his overlord and friend Charles, Baron de Rais spared no effort and resources. At his own expense, he formed large detachments and carried out - from 1422 to 1429 - very successful raids on lands occupied by the enemy, stormed several castles and, finally, covered himself with national glory, fighting hand in hand with Joan of Arc at Orleans and under Jargeau. For these exploits, Montmorency-Laval became marshal of France at the age of 25 - an unprecedented case! Evil tongues claimed that this happened due to the fact that Baron de Rais used his own money to support not only the army, but also Charles and his entire court, paying for all kinds of feasts, hunts and other amusements that the Dauphin adored so much. However, no one questioned the actual military exploits of the marshal.
After the memorable Orleans victory in May 1429, the war rolled towards a successful end for Charles. On July 17 of the same year, he was crowned in Reims, the place where traditional royal crownings have taken place since 498. French kings. The victory of Valois already raised so little doubt that Gilles de Rais considered it appropriate to carefully make it clear to the newly-made sovereign that now that everything was going well, it was time to start paying off the loans. And, as often happens in such cases, the marshal not only did not receive the money spent back, but in addition fell out of favor and was removed from the court. After all, it is well known: a small debt gives birth to a debtor, a large one - an enemy.
Gilles de Rais's mistake
Since 1433, our hero has been officially retired. He lives quietly in the castle of Tiffauges in remote Brittany and, out of boredom, reads books on alchemy. In the end, there was an urgent need for it - his financial affairs were still going badly, and the hope of correcting them by returning the royal debt had disappeared.
Apparently, in search of a way out of financial difficulties, Gilles de Rais makes the main strategic mistake in his life. In 1436, he warmly received the new Dauphin, Louis. Accepts him as the son of his old battle friend and king. The baron could not help but know that the Dauphin, the future king Louis XI, the most cunning of the monarchs of Europe, was already intriguing against his father and was, in fact, hiding from the royal wrath on the marshal’s estates. Knowing Charles well, how could he doubt that the shadow of the enmity between father and son would fall on him most directly (even if Louis’s visit was formally presented to him as an “inspector’s” check).
The punishment followed immediately. In order to get at least some cash, the marshal had to mortgage real estate - first one castle, then another... These operations were absolutely legal and profitable, but a decree came from the king: to limit Baron Gilles de Rais in commercial transactions with his possessions. For the disgraced marshal, this was a considerable blow - all the more diligently he began to look for a way to turn lead into gold. He ordered his alchemist Gilles de Cille to concentrate only on this task.
Almost the entire first floor of Tiffauges Castle was converted into an alchemical laboratory. The owner did not skimp on expenses. His agents bought on an industrial scale the components needed for experiments, some of which - for example, shark teeth, mercury and arsenic - were very expensive at that time.
But, as you might guess, this did not help - there was no way to get gold. In his hearts, the marshal said goodbye to the more or less sober-minded de Sille and in 1439 invited the chief alchemist Francesco Prelati to take his place, who, apparently, convinced the baron of his exclusivity. Perhaps he was attracted by the fact that the Italian directly stated that he was a sorcerer and kept a personal demon in his service, through which he communicated with the world of the dead (and this at a time when the baron’s previous “learned men” were mostly priests).
Unfortunately, very soon Francesco Prelati gained enormous power over his master, a man who was both erudite and unconventional in his thinking. The latter quality made him always want to communicate with extraordinary people, who clearly broke the boundaries of his contemporary ideas about science. However, this time our hero did not recognize the obvious charlatan.
Over time, all of Brittany heard about their witchcraft exercises and was horrified to such an extent that the Duke of Breton himself, whose vassal was Baron de Rais, had to intervene. Soon the Duke, at the head of two hundred armed soldiers, knocked on the gates of Tiffauges. The clouds over the marshal's head had thickened, but he himself did not yet know how menacing they were.
Another villain...
Most philologists are researchers fairy tales, as well as historians, agree that in the story of Bluebeard, the real plot with the execution of Gilles de Rais was superimposed in a bizarre way on the mythological, literary one, and not vice versa, as is usually the case. From the very early Middle Ages in Brittany (as well as in the Celtic regions of Great Britain - Cornwall and Wales) the story of Count Conomor, who married a certain Trefinia, later a saint, was popular. He asked the girl’s hand from her father, Count Geroch, but he refused “due to the extreme cruelty and barbarity with which he treated his other wives, whom, as soon as they became pregnant, he ordered to be killed in the most inhumane manner.” So, in any case, reports the “Biographies of the Saints of Brittany.” Then, through the mediation of one righteous abbot, the wedding - with Conomor's solemn vows to behave with dignity - nevertheless took place. But as soon as Trefinia became pregnant, the count - a pagan at heart - still killed her, apparently performing some kind of devilish ritual. Next, as the legend says, followed the resurrection of the saint and punishment of the murderer. Isn’t it true that the contours of the future “horror story” about Bluebeard are quite visible? Considering that in the 15th century, when Gilles de Rais lived, stories of this kind formed the bulk of local folklore, it is not surprising that the fate of the marshal was connected with them. And it is not surprising that the children “tortured” by Seigneur de Montmorency-Laval merged in popular memory with the wives from the legends of Conomor and, in this form, came to Charles Perrault. A common thing in the history of literature...
Test strike
At the end of August 1440 Monsignor Jean de Malestruet, Bishop of Nantes, chief adviser and " right hand" Duke of Brittany, performed in cathedral with a sensational sermon in front of a crowd of parishioners. His Eminence allegedly became aware of the heinous crimes of one of the most noble nobles of Brittany, Marshal Gilles de Rais, “against young children and adolescents of both sexes.” The bishop demanded that “people of every rank” who have at least some information about these “chilling acts” report them to him.
The bishop's speech, filled with significant omissions, gave the listeners the impression that the investigation had serious evidence. In fact, Malestruet was then aware of the only disappearance of a child that could somehow be connected with Gilles de Rais, and it happened a month before the fateful sermon. There was no talk of direct evidence - it is obvious that the ruling elite of the Duchy of Breton simply decided to use the opportunity to deal with the disgraced marshal.
Soon the bishop had a reason to inform the head of the Inquisition Tribunal of Brittany, Father Jean Blouin, about everything. In general, the investigation has since unfolded in all directions. Within a few days, an indictment appeared. He made a strong impression on his contemporaries. There was so much here: human sacrifices to a domestic demon, witchcraft “using special technical means,” and the murder of children with the dismemberment and burning of their bodies, and sexual perversions...
A 47-count indictment was sent to the Duke of Breton and the Inquisitor General of France, Guillaume Merici. The marshal was officially informed about them on September 13, 1440 and was invited to appear in the episcopal court for explanations.
Accusation of witchcraft
The tribunal meeting was scheduled for September 19, and Gilles de Rais probably understood that he had more than compelling reasons to avoid appearing. If he could still consider the accusations of missing children “not dangerous,” then the witchcraft manipulations described in detail in the indictment could cause big trouble. The Church persecuted them very fiercely. In addition, the Duke of Brittany also sanctioned a secular trial, and it also yielded some results...
In principle, the opportunity remained to flee to Paris and fall at the feet of Charles VII, but, apparently, there was very little hope for the help of an old friend, since the accused did not want to use this means. He remained in Tiffauges and announced that he would certainly appear in court. Here his position was further worsened by his own associates, whose nerves turned out to be not so strong. Gilles' friend Roger de Bricville and former trusted alchemist Gilles de Sille went on the run just in case. In response, the prosecutor of Brittany, Guillaume Chapeyon, announced a search for them, which gave him the legal opportunity to appear with the guards at the baron's castle and seize other suspects there: the Italian sorcerer and the baron's bodyguards - Griard and Corillo. All these people last years spent side by side with the owner and, of course, could tell a lot about his activities. Which, in fact, is what they did at the trial, which met in October 1440 at the city hall of Nantes. The authorities tried to make the trial as public as possible: it was announced in the squares of all the cities of Brittany, and everyone who could have at least some, true or imaginary, connection to the case was invited to it (at the same time, the accused’s request for a lawyer was rejected!) . Spectators were admitted freely, and the influx of them was so great that many had to hang around outside the doors. Insults were thrown at Gilles de Rais, women rushed at the guards in order to get closer and be able to spit in the “damned villain” in the face.
Well, as for the testimony... Suffice it to say that they met the expectations of the crowd.
Alchemist Francesco Prelati stated under oath that Baron de Rais composed and wrote in blood an agreement with the demon Barron, in which he undertook to make bloody sacrifices to the latter for three gifts: omniscience, wealth and power. The witness does not know whether the accused received these gifts, but he made sacrifices: at first he tried to pay off with chicken, but at Barron’s request he switched to children.
Gilles de Sille spoke in detail about the sexual behavior of his former patron - the monstrous abuse of minors of both sexes. In addition, he confirmed that the baron participated in alchemical experiments, realizing their sinfulness, and thus fell into heresy.
Their parents testified about the missing children. Some of them stated that last time I saw my children when I sent them to the domain of Baron de Rais to beg. Finally, Griard and Corillot gave the most terrible testimony that the marshal collected human heads, which were kept in a special dungeon of the castle, and also that, sensing the danger of arrest, the marshal personally ordered them to destroy these heads (testimony is especially important in view of the fact that Numerous searches in the marshal's possessions did not reveal anything suspicious).
Seal of Evil
How did the connection arise between the real-life Baron Gilles de Rais and the literary character Bluebeard? And why is the “beard” exactly “blue”? It is known that, while collecting Breton legends, Charles Perrault, in particular, wrote down the following: Count Odon de Treméac and his bride Blanche de Lerminier were driving past the castle of Gilles de Rais. The Baron invited them to dinner. But when the guests were about to leave, he ordered the count to be thrown into a stone bag, and the frightened Blanche offered to become his wife. She refused. Then he took her to church and began to ardently swear that if she agreed, “he would forever give her soul and body.” Blanche agreed - and at the same moment turned into the Devil of blue color. The devil laughed and said to the baron: “Now you are in my power.” He made a sign - and Gilles’s beard also turned blue. “Now you will not be Gilles de Laval,” Satan rumbled. “Your name will be Bluebeard!” Here is the combination of two storylines: in folklore, supposedly tortured children turned into wives, and “the seal evil spirits" became the color of the beard. Of course, the legend also acquired topographical features: literally all the destroyed castles near Nantes and in the Loire Valley by the time of Perrault were attributed to Gilles de Rais, and in Tiffauges, for a couple of coins, they showed the room where he slaughtered either small children or women.
Forced confession
No matter how strong the nerves of the experienced commander, he must have experienced a shock. All the more respect is evoked by the imperturbable calm with which he continued to insist on his innocence and demand a lawyer. Seeing that no one even thought of listening to him, he declared that he would rather go to the gallows than be present in court, where all the accusations were false and the judges were villains. This, in turn, could not be tolerated by the “villains”: the Bishop of Nantes immediately excommunicated the accused from the church, and on October 19 the court decided to torture him in order to “encourage him to stop his vile denial.”
Gilles de Montmorency-Laval, Baron de Rais, was stretched out on the so-called staircase. This method of torture, the most popular in France at that time, consisted of the victim being tied by the arms and legs and stretched on a horizontal grid, as if on a rack. Under torture, the courageous marshal quickly repented of his former stubbornness and promised to be more accommodating in the future. To begin with, he knelt before the bishop, humbly asked him to lift the excommunication, and later began to testify and little by little “confessed” to everything. For complete “capitulation” before the court, however, new torture was required on October 21, but after it Gilles de Rais publicly agreed that he “enjoyed vice” and described in detail his favorite methods of killing and his own feelings at the same time. The Baron himself named the number of children he tortured - 800 (thus, he had to kill one child a week for the last 15 years!). But the court wisely decided that 150 would be enough.
On October 25, the Bishop of Nantes again “expelled Gilles de Rais from the bosom of the Church of Christ” for “such grave sins against the dogmas of faith and human laws that it is impossible for a person to even imagine them.” On the same day, the “sinner”, naturally, was sentenced to the stake - along with his “garrulous” accomplices. As an act of special humanity (after all, we were talking about the Marshal of France), in the event of repentance and reconciliation with the church, Gilles de Rais was promised not to burn him alive, but to first strangle him.
The marshal chose to reconcile with the church on these relatively humane terms and was executed with his accomplices the next day. Among the friends and relatives of the executed marshal, there was not a single one who would risk defending his name and honor.
Several centuries passed before some historians began to point out various kinds of flaws and inconsistencies in the charges in the trial of the hero of the Hundred Years War. The very fact of committing the acts incriminated against him is doubtful. In any case, his slander by specially trained witnesses seems very likely, and confessions under torture are not worth much. In addition, the following fact raises suspicions: the most odious characters in the trial, like the sorcerer Francesco Prelati, were only subjected to imprisonment (from which, by the way, he quickly and easily escaped). Perhaps de Rais was slandered at the initiative of the king, who had a strong dislike for his former friend: he was sure that Gilles supported the disgraced Dauphin Louis, and most importantly, Charles really did not want to repay the marshal a huge debt.
Only in 1992 did French scientists achieve historical justice - they organized a new “posthumous trial” in the Senate of the French Republic. Having carefully studied documents from the archives of the Inquisition, a tribunal of several parliamentarians, politicians and expert historians completely acquitted the marshal.
Once upon a time there lived a man who had beautiful houses both in the city and in the countryside, gold and silver dishes, chairs decorated with embroidery, and gilded carriages. But, unfortunately, this man had a blue beard, and it gave him such an ugly and terrible appearance that there was not a woman or a girl who did not run away when she saw him.
One of his neighbors, a noble lady, had two daughters of wondrous beauty. He asked to marry one of them and allowed his mother to choose the one she would agree to give for him. Both did not want to marry him and abandoned him in favor of the other, unable to choose as a husband a man with a blue beard. They were also disgusted by the fact that this man had already been married several times, and no one knew what happened to his wives.
To establish a closer acquaintance, Bluebeard invited them, along with their mother and three or four best friends, and several young men who were their neighbors, to one of his country houses, where the guests stayed for a whole week. All the time was occupied with walks, hunting and fishing trips, dancing, feasts, breakfasts and dinners; no one thought of sleeping, and every night the guests indulged in all sorts of jokes - in a word, everything worked out so well that it began to seem to the youngest daughter that the owner of the house’s beard was no longer so blue and that he himself was a very decent person. As soon as we returned to the city, the wedding was decided.
A month later, Bluebeard told his wife that he needed to go to the village for at least six weeks for the sake of important business; he asked her to have fun during his absence; told her to call her girlfriends, so that if she wanted, she could take them out of town; so that everywhere she eats the most delicious things. “Here,” he said, “are the keys to both large storerooms; here are the keys to the gold and silver dishes, which are not served every day; here are the keys to the chests where my gold and silver are kept; here are the keys to the caskets where my precious stones lie; here is the key that unlocks all the rooms in my house. And this small key is the key to the room at the end of the lower large gallery. Open all the doors, go everywhere, but I forbid you to enter this small room, and I forbid you so strictly that if you happen to open the door there, you can expect everything from my anger.”
She promised to strictly observe everything that was ordered to her, and he hugged his wife, got into his carriage and left.
Neighbors and girlfriends did not wait for messengers to be sent for them, but they themselves hurried to the newlywed - they were so impatient to see all the riches of her house, and while her husband was there, they did not dare to visit her - because of his blue beard, which they were afraid. So they immediately began to examine the rooms, small rooms, dressing rooms, which surpassed each other in beauty and wealth. Then they went to the storerooms, where they could not stop admiring the beauty of countless carpets, beds, sofas, cabinets, tables and mirrors, in which they could see themselves from head to toe and the edges of which - some of glass, others of gilded silver - were more beautiful and more magnificent than anything they had ever seen. Without ceasing to envy, they all the time extolled the happiness of their friend, who, however, was not at all interested in the sight of all these riches, for she was impatient to go open the small room downstairs.
She was so overcome by curiosity that, not considering how impolite it was to leave her guests, she went down the secret staircase, and with such haste that two or three times, as it seemed to her, she almost broke her neck. She stood at the door to the small room for several minutes, remembering the ban that her husband had imposed, and reflecting that misfortune might befall her for this disobedience; but the temptation was so strong that she could not defeat it: she took the key and tremblingly opened the door.
At first she didn't see anything because the shutters were closed. After a few moments, she began to notice that the floor was covered in dried blood and that in this blood were reflected the bodies of several dead women hanging on the walls: all of these were the wives of Bluebeard, who married them and then killed them. She thought that she would die of fear, and dropped the key that she had taken out of the lock.
Having recovered a little, she picked up the key, locked the door and went up to her room to recover at least a little; but she didn’t succeed, she was so excited.
Noticing that the key to the small room was stained with blood, she wiped it two or three times, but the blood did not come off; No matter how much she washed it, no matter how much she rubbed it with sand and a sand stone, the blood still remained, because the key was magic, and there was no way to completely clean it off: when the blood was cleaned off on one side, it appeared on the other.
Bluebeard returned from his journey that same evening and said that he had received letters from the road informing him that the matter for which he was traveling had been resolved in his favor. His wife did everything possible - just to prove to him that she was delighted with his imminent return.
The next day he demanded the keys from her, and she gave them to him, but her hands were shaking so much that he easily guessed everything that had happened. “Why,” he asked her, “is the key to the small room missing along with the other keys?” “Probably,” she said, “I left it upstairs, on my table.” “Don’t forget,” said Bluebeard, “to give it to me as soon as possible.”
Finally, after various excuses, I had to bring the key. Bluebeard, looking at him, said to his wife: “Why is there blood on this key?” “I don’t know,” answered the unhappy wife, pale as death. "Do not know? - asked Bluebeard. - I know. You wanted to go into the small room. Well, madam, you will enter it and take your place there next to the ladies you saw there.”
She threw herself at her husband’s feet, crying, asking him for forgiveness and, by all indications, sincerely repenting of her disobedience. Beautiful and sad, she would have touched even a rock, but Bluebeard had a heart harsher than the rock. “You must die, madam,” he told her, “and immediately.” “If I have to die,” she answered, looking at him with eyes full of tears, “give me at least a few minutes to pray to God.” “I give you seven minutes,” answered Bluebeard, “but not a moment more.”
Left alone, she called her sister and said to her: “My sister Anna (for that was her sister’s name), I ask you, go up the tower and see if my brothers are coming: they promised to visit me today; and if you see them, give them a sign to hurry up.” Sister Anna climbed the tower, and the poor thing, in anguish, called out to her from time to time: “Anna, sister Anna, can’t you see anything?” And sister Anna answered her: “You can’t see anything, only the sun is scorching and the grass is shining in the sun.”
Meanwhile, Bluebeard was already holding a large knife in his hand and shouting at the top of his lungs: “Come here quickly, otherwise I’ll come to you myself.” “One more minute, please,” the wife answered and quietly called out to her sister: “Anna, sister Anna, can’t you see anything?” And sister Anna answered: “You can’t see anything, only the sun is scorching and the grass is glistening in the sun.”
“Go quickly,” shouted Bluebeard, “or I’ll get up myself.” “I’m coming,” answered the wife, and then called out to her sister: “Anna, sister Anna, can’t you see anything?” “I see,” answered the sister, “a large cloud of dust, it is rushing towards us...” “Are these my brothers?” - “Alas, no, sister, I see a herd of sheep...” - “When will you come?” - Bluebeard shouted. “Just a minute,” the wife answered, and then called out to her sister: “Anna, sister Anna, can’t you see anything?” “I see,” she answered, “two horsemen, they are galloping here, but they are still far away!” - "God bless! - she exclaimed after a few moments. - These are my brothers. I give them a sign to hurry up.”
Then Bluebeard screamed so loudly that the whole house shook. The poor thing came down from the tower and threw herself at his feet, all in tears, with disheveled hair. “It won’t do any good,” said Bluebeard, “you’ll have to die.” And, grabbing her by the hair, he raised the knife and was ready to cut off her head. The poor woman, turning to him and looking at him with deadened eyes, asked to give her one more minute to prepare for death. “No, no, entrust your soul to God,” he said, raising his hand... At that moment there was such a terrible knock on the door that Bluebeard stopped. The door opened, and immediately two men entered, who, drawing their swords, rushed straight at Bluebeard...
He recognized his wife's brothers, a dragoon and a musketeer, and, fleeing from them, started to run, but they chased him so quickly that they caught him before he could jump out onto the porch. They pierced him through with their swords, and he fell dead. The poor woman herself was barely alive, and she didn’t even have the strength to get up and hug her brothers.
It turned out that Bluebeard had no heirs and that his wife, therefore, should get all his wealth. She used some of them to marry her sister Anna to a young nobleman who had loved her for a long time; the other part is to give her brothers the rank of captain, and the rest is to marry one herself good man, who helped her forget that difficult time when she was Bluebeard's wife.
Bluebeard: character history
Character from a French folk tale. A rich aristocrat with a blue beard who kills his own wives.
History of creation
Still from the cartoon "Bluebeard" The story of Bluebeard has found its way into comics and computer games. The American publishing house Vertigo began publishing the Fables comic book in 2002. The main characters of this comic are characters from folklore and folk tales, who by chance ended up in New York and are forced to survive among people. Bluebeard is one of these heroes. In 2013, a video game in the genre of neo-noir detective “The Wolf Among Us” was released, based on this comic. Bluebeard is one of the main characters here too.
Quotes
“Once upon a time there lived a man. He was very rich: he had beautiful houses, many servants, gold and silver dishes, gilded carriages and magnificent horses. But, unfortunately, this man’s beard was blue.”
“Neighbors and girlfriends endlessly admired Bluebeard’s treasures and envied his young wife. But these treasures did not interest her at all. She was tormented by curiosity: she wanted to unlock the small room at the end of the corridor.”
Material from Wikitranslators
| ← Chapter 4 Convict | "Gilles de Rais - Marshal Bluebeard" ~ Chapter 5 The Legend of Bluebeard by Zoe Lionidas |
Chapter 6 Justification after five hundred years? → |
The tragedy and terrible end of Gilles de Rais remained in the people's memory, merging and intricately mixing with images and fairy-tale motifs familiar to Brittany, the most famous of which was the story of Bluebeard.
This fairy tale is familiar to each of us from childhood. A scary aristocrat with a blue beard marries time after time, but after a short time another wife goes missing. For the eighth time, he takes a quiet, modest girl for himself, and gives her the keys to all the rooms of the castle, warning, however, that she should not dare look into one of the rooms. The newlywed endures it for some time, but curiosity takes over, and looking into the forbidden room, she sees the dead bodies of Bluebeard’s former wives. Out of fear, dropping the key on the floor, she realizes that it is stained with blood, but it is no longer possible to wash or wipe off the enchanted key, and the strict husband learns on the same day that the new wife has also violated the ban.
Snatching the sword, he orders her to prepare for death, but she delays the execution of the sentence under various pretexts, while simultaneously asking her sister Anna, who is at the top of the tower at that moment, “Are the brothers coming?” (who, by a lucky chance, decided to visit her just that day. As usually happens in a fairy tale, everything ends well, the brothers make it on time, and the villain dies, having accepted the well-deserved punishment for all his crimes.
The tale, in the old fashion, ends with a “moral”:
“Yes, curiosity is a scourge,
It confuses everyone
On the mountain mortals were born.
There are thousands of examples,
If you look a little closer,
A woman’s passion for immodest secrets is funny:
It is known that it came at a price.
It will instantly lose both taste and sweetness.”
(translation by L. Uspensky).
For the first time in the state in which we know it now, the fairy tale “Bluebeard” appeared in the publication “Histories and Tales of Former Times, Tales of Mother Goose,” which was published in 1697 (publisher - Claude Barbin). As you know, this collection gained such popularity that it was translated into almost all languages of the world, and French enriched himself with the saying “waiting as if for sister Anna” - that is, waiting with great impatience. In its initial state, the collection of “Tales of Mother Goose” included the following texts:
Later, “Griselda or the long-suffering Marchioness of Salus,” “Donkey Skin,” and “Amusing Desires” were added to the original edition. As you know, one of these fairy tales, “Rike with the Tuft,” was composed by the author, Charles Perrault himself; the others were based on certain “materials.” In some cases, these original sources are easy to discover, for example, the story of patient Griselda was well known in Europe as told by Giovanni Boccaccio, however, in the case we are interested in, the situation is not so obvious.
Charles Perrault, author of the tale
Before moving on to the question of whether our hero was or was not the prototype of the villain Bluebeard, let’s briefly talk about the author of the fairy tales himself. The profession “writer” does not exist and has not existed, apparently at any time. Charles Perrault, the seventh and last child of Pierre and Paquette Perrault, as often happens with younger ones, tried not only to catch up, but also to surpass his brothers. By the way, he had a twin - Francois, who died at the age of six months. The French-Italian researcher Marc Soriano, who devoted a lot of effort to researching the biography and work of Perrault, believed that the “twin” motif haunted the writer until the end of his life, giving rise to images of endless mirrors, doubles, heroes acting in pairs, etc. Whether this is true or not, We will not discuss; those who wish to do so can simply refer to the source.
It is known that young Perrault was one of best students Catholic College of Beauvais (note in parentheses, one of the founders of which was Cauchon, Jeanne’s judge and executioner... how closely history is connected...) At the age of 23, having received a license from the University of Orleans to practice law in the field of civil and canon law (or as they used to say then “both rights”), Perrault worked in this field for a short time, but left his activities at the insistence of his brothers, so that in 1654 he finally became an assistant under the eldest of them, Jean Perrault, the controller general of finances of Paris.
In 1663, young Perrault managed to attract the favorable gaze of the Comptroller General (or, as they would say now, “Minister”) of Finance - Colbert, and I must say, just in time. A year later, after the destruction of the tax farming system, according to which tax collectors were private individuals who, having received an agreed amount for the king, had the right to rob the population for the sake of their own enrichment - Jean Perrault finally went bankrupt and left the political scene. However, the younger brother remained afloat, and moreover, was approved as an inspector of royal real estate. Moreover, not wanting to fall behind Richelieu, who founded the French Academy of Sciences, Colbert laid the foundation for the so-called. "Small Council" or "Small Academy", which will eventually turn into the "Academy of Inscriptions and Fine Literature"; while the permanent secretary of this new institution will be, as you may have guessed, the reader, Perrault Jr. The initial task of this “small academy” was to burn incense to Louis the Sun and his family, sophisticated in composing prosaic and poetic praises, odes and puns. It must be said that Perrault managed to make a worthy mark even earlier in this field by creating such “masterpieces” as “Ode to Peace” (in 1659 - to commemorate peace with Spain), “Ode to the Marriage of a King” (1661), “Ode to birth of Monsieur Dauphine" (1661). In his new post, he continued to write works of the same type, praising in verse Cardinal Mazarin, well known to Russian readers from the novels of Dumas, poems about balls and holidays held in the royal palace, verses in honor of the victories of French arms in Franche-Comté, at Cambrai and Monse, etc. It must be said that the hardworking official also did not forget about his direct responsibilities, overseeing the repair of the eastern wing of the Louvre Palace (which, by the way, he entrusted to his older brother Claude), the construction of the Parisian observatory, the triumphal arch in the Faubourg Saintes -Antoine, etc.
In short, the younger Perrault’s career was going uphill, and he could have remained one of hundreds of palace officials and petty sycophants, whose names are known only to professional historians, but, as often happens, “there would have been no luck, but misfortune would have helped.” In literary affairs, Perrault fiercely feuded with the famous poet Racine, the creator of the classicist theory of Boileau and their adherents. We will not go into the reasons for such hostile relationship between writers - again, anyone can open necessary literature. Let us only note that after the death of Colbert in 1683 and the coming to power of a new minister, Louvois, the younger Perrault was thrown out of the academy without any discussion, not forgetting to deprive him of the salary due to the secretary. Having retired from business for several years, Perrault began raising his sons, however, he did not give up hope of regaining royal favor. For this reason, he composed another ode, “The Feast of the Gods on the occasion of the birth of the Duke of Burgundy,” dedicated, of course, to the birth of the grandson of Louis XIV. Sophisticated in flattery and servility, Perrault suddenly remembered a conversation he accidentally overheard: the king loves fairy tales! The future collector of folklore was inspired to take this path without knowing it by Colbert, who on occasion mentioned that the young king, when at the age of seven it was time for him to move from nannies to the patronage of men, complained bitterly that there was no one else to tell him about “Donkey Skin,” since he was used to falling asleep to the sounds of this ancient fairy tale.
Not forgetting about odes and teachings (and the court at that time was zealously imbued with the spirit of Christian humility, which was brought with her by the new favorite - and later, the secret wife of the king - Madame de Maintenon), Perrault over the next six years (1691-1697) created famous us fairy tales in verse and prose, dedicating his first collection “Mademoiselle”, that is, to the daughter of Philippe d'Orléans. As you know, this collection will make him famous and will live on, while all other writings will be long and happily forgotten.
Is Gilles de Rais the prototype of Bluebeard?
Let's stop here and ask the following question: did the author use a clearly literary fairy tale when writing his, and was he at all familiar with the story of Gilles de Rais, and if so, why did he choose to convey it in the form of a story about an aristocrat-wife-killer, although How could a writer, and by no means a collector of folklore (there was no such thing then!), freely vary the plot?
The first question can be answered with some certainty: yes, he could be familiar. The Perrault family came from Tours, these places are located relatively close to Brittany, the memory of the life and death of Gilles de Rais continues to this day. The Gilles process itself was never secret; moreover, it was freely distributed in lists already in the 16th century, and in the next two centuries the number of these lists grew to such an extent that historians find it difficult to determine it with accuracy. To date, about 20 copies have survived, two of which belonged to Cardinal César d’Estrê (Perrault’s colleague at the Academy), as well as State Councilor Nicolas-Joseph Foucault. And Perrault himself, as a specialist in the field of law, could not help but have a collection of judicial decisions of the past - such collections were used as precedents for making judicial decisions. They quite often included the Gilles process.
But if this is so, why did Perrault choose the form of a wife-killer for the main villain in his fairy tale? Trying to answer this question, the newest biographer of our baron, Matei Cazacu, suggests:
- In those days, everyone heard the so-called. the scandalous poisons case French courtyard. The fact is that Louis' long-time favorite, the Marquise de Montespan, not wanting to come to terms with the fate of her abandoned passion, tried to regain the king's favor in numerous ways - both by sending poisoned gloves to his new lover, and with the help of the so-called. "black masses". Under this name in the 17th century, one of the forms of the ancient spell of the devil was believed. In order for the unclean spirit to respond favorably to the request of the new adept, babies were sacrificed to him. This case turned into a huge scandal and many executions and exiles; it was at least imprudent to remind about it, even in literary form.
- Philip of Orleans, the king's younger brother, was distinguished by homosexual inclinations. However, if in the time of Gilles such attempts were sometimes punishable by death, in the corrupted 17th century, this no longer surprised anyone. Surrounding himself with young “favorites,” the Duke had fun for his own pleasure, not paying attention to the complaints of his abandoned wife. An unnecessary reminder of this could also result in royal disfavor for the writer.
Whether this is true or not, one can argue for a long time. Not wanting to go into such vicissitudes, the author prefers to end with Plato’s famous expression “ and then, let everyone think as they want».
It has been known for a long time that in popular memory the image of the very real child killer Gilles de Rais merged with the archetypal wife killer. As mentioned above, local peasants used to show the grave of Maria de Rais to their children as “the grave of Bluebeard’s daughter.” Having arisen in the midst of village life, this identification gradually found a place in “scientific” literature. So, in particular, Edouard Richet, who in 1820 published his essay “Description of [the surroundings of] the Edre River,” he mentions the castle of Verrières, standing on its bank, specifically stipulating that this castle belonged to Bluebeard; V real story The man's name was Gilles de Rais. By the beginning of the 19th century, this castle had already turned into ruins; adjacent to it was a tiny chapel, also destroyed, around which seven extremely beautiful trees grew, and our author was firmly convinced that their number corresponded to the number of Bluebeard’s murdered wives.
He was echoed by Pierre Fouché (1772-1845), father-in-law of the famous writer Victor Hugo. Recalling his time in Nantes, he says that on Sundays local residents have the habit of walking to Bluebeard's castle, directly calling it Gilles de Rais, and this tradition dates back to time immemorial. Interprets somewhat differently old fairy tale J. Colin de Plancy, author of the famous “Dictionary of Hellish Powers” in the 19th century. Publishing with his comments the next edition of “Fairy Tales” by Charles Perrault, he stipulates that the story of Bluebeard came from Lower Brittany, and that “ in fact, Bluebeard was a noble lord from the house of Beaumanoir».
In later editions, Bluebeard is referred to as "Count". In Perrault's imagination, this clearly medieval character turns into a modern nobleman who lives in a richly furnished mansion with cabinets, sofas and Venetian mirrors. One of the heroine's two brothers is a royal musketeer, the other is a dragoon. Abbot Bossard noted, not without humor, that the heroine of such an opus was the half-sister of Madame de la Fayette or Madame de Monteville, a frequent guest at the Rambouillet salon, and if her ferocious husband were to threaten her with death, she would ask for a couple of minutes of respite to powder her nose and straighten her hair - to look charming even in a coffin!
Distant Predecessors
But jokes aside, the very plot of the story about the demonic killer of women goes back to much more ancient times than the era of our hero. Thus, French folklorists and collectors of fairy tales, Paul Delarue and Marie-Louise Tenez, counted at least three versions of the story of Bluebeard in Brittany.
In the first of them, three sisters are kidnapped one by one by a certain demonic creature, marries each of them, accordingly forbidding them to open a locked room, and then kills them for violating the ban. However, the youngest of the three manages to avoid execution by cunning, bring her sisters back to life and defeat the villain.
The second and most famous within France, based his tale on Perrault, with the only caveat that in the popular tale, not only brothers, but also parents or other relatives of the victim can act as saviors.
And finally, the third is marked by a clear touch of Christian piety. In this case, the devil or his earthly incarnation kidnaps two sisters one after another, wanting to destroy both, but the intervention of a saint or saints stops the execution.
In addition, throughout Europe, already during the Middle Ages, the ballad about “Reno, the killer of women” was known. In total, up to 23 of its variants are known in France alone, of which seven are in Brittany. In the Breton version, a noble lord acts as the executioner, and the legend calls him typically medieval titles- Sieur de la Tremblay or Marquis de Coatredez.
Thus, we can say with confidence that the story of Bluebeard existed many years, and perhaps many centuries before Gilles de Rais; the very real pedophile and child murderer was connected by popular memory with the well-known archetypal image of a tyrant husband. It remains only to answer the question of where the ancient roots of the fairy tale come from, and how such a merger could occur.
In search of an answer to the first question, naturalist and folklorist and naturalist early XIX century, Karl Anastas, Baron Walkener, in his “Messages regarding fairy tales based on the creations of Perrault,” traces the story of Bluebeard to the times of Breton paganism. Walkener sees its basis in one of the pious stories typical of this area, set out in the “Great Chronicles” and “Lives of the Saints of Brittany or Armorica”. From his point of view, the original prototype of Bluebeard was the Breton king Comorr the Accursed (VI century AD), who married Triphina, the daughter of the king (according to other sources - Count) of Vannes. According to legend, the beast-like husband has already managed to execute four wives; soon he hangs his new wife, but she is resurrected by St. Gildas (or Veltas), while the cruel Comorr perishes under the rubble of his castle.
In Alain Bouchard’s retelling, this plot, as it is presented in the “Great (Breton) Chronicles,” reads as follows:
| Comoros, Breton king of the 6th century. He had already killed several of his wives, while Gerok, Count of Vannes refused to marry his daughter Triphina to him. However, ultimately defeated by the king’s advances, he agreed, “making him promise that, in agreement with the King of Comoros, Mr. Saint Gildas will take the trouble to look after her and return her to him alive and healthy if he demands it.” Some time after the wedding, the queen learned that her husband was putting his wives to death as soon as he noticed that they were pregnant, and fearing the same fate, she ran back to her father, but Comorr, setting off in pursuit, overtook her in a small forest, where she tries to hide, and cuts off her head. The grief-stricken father, Count Gerok, sends for St. Gildas, begging him to keep his word. The saint soon discovered the body, with the assistance of heavenly forces, with prayers and tears he brings Saint Tryphina back to life. |
Charles Morin de Suverdahl, a researcher of the mid-19th century, who specially came to Brittany to examine the ruins of the Machecoul castle, in turn believed that Charles Perrault, when composing his famous fairy tale, was based precisely on stories about the atrocities of Gilles de Rais, but wanting to soften the too cruel painting, considered it necessary to replace children with women, thus crossing a medieval baron with the polygamist Henry VIII of England.
“What does he intend to do?”
"Avenge the death of all those you have destroyed."
“Does that mean I’m finished?”
“Not yet, for your hour has not struck.”
“Who will stop them?”
“I, with your assistance and help, am my good knight.”
"You will do this?"
“Yes, I will, because alive you are a thousand times more useful to me than dead. Now, farewell, Gilles de Rais, and remember that you belong to me, body and soul.”
And the blue devil disappeared into a cloud of sulfur. He kept his word and frustrated the intentions of the nobles from the land of Redon, but from that time onwards Gilles in this land was not called anything other than the man with Bluebeard.
And finally, the legends, as they should be, tell of the miserable death of the villain:
| “Gilles de Rais was taken to the city of Nantes and there he was sentenced to death, however, the judges wished that he end his life where he committed his crimes.” On the mountain slope, where the northern side of the castle fortifications was located, and under the feet of the beholder there was a view of the tops of alder trees, poplars and oaks covering the banks of the Sevres River, they still show the place where the criminal, as if in the fairy tale about the “Cunning Princess”, was beaten to death into a barrel, the inside lined with blades and sharp nails, prepared by him for his wife, and thrown down, and this barrel rumbled down from stone to stone, to the very bottom of the river valley, and when he finally reached the water's edge, the criminal was already dead, then , as our storytellers stated, “a great celebration was held in Tiffauges, as well as throughout the entire region, due to the death of such a cruel lord.” |
We will put an end to this.
Marginal theories
The 19th century was a turning point for the newly formed science of linguistics. This is the heyday of the so-called. comparative linguistics, in other words, the theory that the languages of Europe for the most part go back to a single ancestor that existed about 6 thousand years ago. Now we call this proto-language Indo-European, in those days they preferred the term “Indo-Germanic” or “Aryan base language,” but this did not change the matter. And then the idea, revolutionary at that time, was put forward that not only the languages, but also the mythology of Europe goes back to a single source: the rituals and religious beliefs of the Indo-Aryan tribe. In fact, parallel plots in the mythology and religious teachings of peoples attracted attention, in modern world located in different parts of the continent. In particular, the kinship of the names and functions of the Greek Zeus and the Vedic Dyaus, the name of the Vedic fire god - Agni, clearly related to the Slavic concept of “fire”, myths about twin couples, repeated in the cultures of many nations, etc., were suggestive. that a fairy tale is essentially distorted and deformed into new environment savage ritual and savage myth, developed, in particular, by the school of E. Tylor, made a real revolution in cultural studies. One of the fairy tales that was studied was, as you may have guessed the reader, the ancient legend of Bluebeard, and interesting things immediately began to emerge.
So, for example, in Greek, as well as in Scandinavian (which is important, since Normandy is Brittany’s closest neighbor!) the word “blue”, in relation to hair, has the meaning of a deep blue-black shade, “the color of a raven’s wing”, moreover, the owners of such hair are considered noted ladies' men and seducers. In particular, a similar beard color Greek mythology endows Zeus - known for his love affairs, thus stretching a thread from the mythical gods-seducers to the image of a demonic killer of women; in fact, it is known that at the beginning of the Christian era the ancient gods were interpreted as “demons” seducing and trying to lead to the death of devout Catholics.
The next, much more extravagant theory did not find followers due to its too obvious curiosity. Its author suggested that beard color fairy tale hero is connected with the fact that Gilles de Rais (as is known) labored in the field of alchemical transformations. The first stage of the process was considered to be the coloring of the mixture in a bluish-black color - so that this stage in alchemical grimoires bore the special name “crow’s head” or “crow’s wing”. Therefore, the color of the protagonist’s beard meant that he was unable to advance beyond this stage, and he pursued women like birds, known for their fickle behavior and flitting from branch to branch. Let us note, in parentheses, that this tale has many varieties, and the protagonist’s beard can be Green, Blue, or even Red. I wonder, in such cases, to what stage of alchemical transformation has the main character reached?
Another, no less extravagant theory was extremely fashionable in the 19th century, the so-called. “astronomical” or “solar” wanted to see in the main character the embodiment of the ancient deity of the Sun, who moves across the sky from constellation to constellations, abandoning his inconsolable star lovers one after another.
Among many other subjects, Bluebeard is sometimes considered to reflect a primitive custom of dedication or initiation. Since they paradoxically tried to use the description of this ritual to justify our hero, this ethnographic topic is worth special attention.
The rite of passage or initiation appears, apparently, at the stage of the beginning of the decomposition of the hunting community, the gradual transition to patriarchy and the identification of a tribal elite. The fact is that for a tribe whose survival depends on the success or failure of the hunter, it is vitally important not only to teach its youth to shoot accurately and track prey, but also to subjugate the beast. In fact, a hunter, no matter how dexterous and experienced he may be, largely depends on blind luck. You can spend a day or two in the jungle and waste your time without coming across a fresh trail. Therefore, it is not difficult to learn how to kill an animal; it should be bewitched, forced to go out to the hunter, to expose itself to an arrow or spear. This is what the youth initiation rite is dedicated to. Most often it is performed on boys entering puberty, although female initiations are also known. Among the tribes different countries and continents, the ritual is quite diverse. In the very general view, it always boils down to the fact that children are taken into the forest or dense bush - the habitat of animals, a place of danger and possible death, where they are then subjected to painful trials. This can be circumcision, cutting off the little finger, flogging, burning the skin, etc. Sometimes, to cloud the consciousness, which for a savage is tantamount to moving into the “spirit world,” they offer narcotic smoking or drinking. In a semi-delusional state, the future hunter sees images of animals and spirits, learns to speak with them and finds himself a “spiritual” patron who will henceforth accompany and help him until his death. Having finally exhausted themselves, the neophytes lose consciousness (“temporarily die”) and, having been “resurrected,” receive all the rights and privileges of adults.
Those who have received initiation, as a rule, are separated from the rest of the tribe, and until marriage they live as a kind of “brotherhood”. In essence, this is training not only future hunters, but also future warriors. Young men settle in the so-called. The “men's house” is the largest and most elegant building in the village. Masks and amulets of the tribe are kept here, and here, behind tightly closed doors, magical rituals and dances take place. For women and children, visiting the “men’s house” is prohibited on pain of death; however, with a few interesting exceptions. Old women, who are no longer considered “women” by age, are allowed to enter a man’s house; as a rule, they clean it or prepare food; young men respectfully call old women “mothers.” In addition, one (or less often several) selected girls have access to the men's house. Here they play the role of “sisters” with whom young men can satisfy their sexual needs. Children born from such cohabitation are killed. Over time, the girl, as a rule, chooses one of the young warriors, and, having married him, settles in her husband’s house.
The question of how it becomes possible for a chosen girl to see the secret rituals of the tribe has not been fully resolved. There is an assumption that she also undergoes a rite of passage, thus becoming equal to the young men. From the rite of passage of a girl - let’s make a reservation, potential, since such a rite has not been recorded ethnographically! - they tried to derive the plots of fairy tales about “dead princesses” and “sleeping beauties” - temporary, witchcraft death, which, as one would expect, ends in marriage.
As you may have guessed, reader, it was the ban on entering a man’s house, a ban on pain of death, the violation of which cannot be hidden, that ethnographers tried to discern in the fairy-tale motif of “violation of the ban” (Pandora’s box, the pantry where the chained Koschey is kept, the room with the boiler, boiling gold), and of course - the closet with the hanged wives of Bluebeard. Entering it results in temporary death for the heroine, that is, initiation, and, as follows from the ritual, entry into permanent marriage.
Whether this is true or not, one can argue for a long time, and the theory itself has not yet been fully formulated, since Europeans almost never managed to observe the initiation rite; at best, they learned about it through a translator, from those who went through it in their youth and broke the secret, and these cases for the most part occur at a time of dying and decay of the tradition, when the sacred awe has already been lost, and at the same time the initial, The ritual, already unclear to the performers themselves, begins to become greatly deformed. But let’s assume that the theory is correct, and, as often happens, the most ancient layer, already forgotten and obscure in new conditions, is superimposed real memories and recent events.
In any case, there is no doubt that the real image of the child-killer baron in popular memory was superimposed on already existing archetypes, and gradually merged with them, turning very real events into a fairy tale, embellished by the imagination and adjusted by it to long-existing and familiar patterns. The debate about Bluebeard continues, but having left it to folklorists and ethnographers, let's move on to the next, final chapter of this publication.
Literature
- Georges Bataille Le Procès de Gilles de Rais. - Paris: Éditions Pauvert, 1977. - 338 p. -
- Abbé Eugène Bossard Gilles de Rais, Maréchal de France dit Barbe Bleu. - Paris: H. Champion, 1886. - 638 p.
- Matei Cazacu Gilles de Rais. - Paris: Tallandier, 2006. - 382 p. -
© Zoe Lionidas (text). All rights reserved. / © Zoe Lionidas (text). All rights reserved.
