The Trial of Gilles de Rais
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- Author：Georges Bataille
- ISBN：1878923021
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Summary
Georges Bataille presents the case of the most infamous villain of the Middle Ages: Gilles de Rais。 Fascinated with the depths of human experience the meeting points of sexuality， violence， ritual， spirituality， and death Bataille examines with dispassionate clarity the legendary crimes， trials and confessions of this grotesque and still-horrifying 15th-century child-murderer， sadist， alchemist， necrophile and practitioner of the Black Arts。 Gilles de Rais began his remarkable career as lieutenant to the devout martyr and saint Joan of Arc; after her execution， he fled to his estates in the countryside of France， where he began to ritually slaughter hundreds of children。 After his arrest and subsequent trials， he was hanged and burned at Nantes， France on October 25， 1440。 The latter section of The Trial of Gilles de Rais consists of the actual ecclesiastical and secular trial transcripts， annotated by Bataille， and translated from the ecclesiastical Latin by Pierre Klossowski。"
Reviews
Miranda Watson
，
Me llevé un poco de decepción con el libro， porque quizá esperaba un análisis más exhaustivo de este personaje y la sociedad de su época。 El estilo del ensayo no me ha gustado， me ha parecido un poco embarullado， comentando pinceladas de diversos temas pero sin profundizar en ello。Sí me ha parecido interesante el análisis psicológico que Bataille hace de Gilles de Rais， y cómo su figura se fue mitificando y transformándose en Barba Azul， pero tampoco profundiza en el análisis sociológico que cau Me llevé un poco de decepción con el libro， porque quizá esperaba un análisis más exhaustivo de este personaje y la sociedad de su época。 El estilo del ensayo no me ha gustado， me ha parecido un poco embarullado， comentando pinceladas de diversos temas pero sin profundizar en ello。Sí me ha parecido interesante el análisis psicológico que Bataille hace de Gilles de Rais， y cómo su figura se fue mitificando y transformándose en Barba Azul， pero tampoco profundiza en el análisis sociológico que causa esa transición。Como ya he dicho， me ha resultado decepcionante。 。。。more
Sean Tatol
，
The story of Gilles de Rais is interesting， and Bataille's commentary is good， but his commentary only amounts to a 50-odd page introduction， then followed by a straightforward timeline of events for about 90 pages， and the remaining 130 pages of the contemporary court documents， originally translated by Pierre Klosslowski from Latin to French。 In all fairness， the title page states "Documents Presented by Georges Bataille，" so Bataille himself didn't particularly think of the book as his own wo The story of Gilles de Rais is interesting， and Bataille's commentary is good， but his commentary only amounts to a 50-odd page introduction， then followed by a straightforward timeline of events for about 90 pages， and the remaining 130 pages of the contemporary court documents， originally translated by Pierre Klosslowski from Latin to French。 In all fairness， the title page states "Documents Presented by Georges Bataille，" so Bataille himself didn't particularly think of the book as his own work， and I respect the scholarly gesture of publishing the records。 The problem is simply that， unless you're a historian or someone with a deep affection for the long-windedness of medieval ecclesiastic Latin， I cannot fathom why anyone would actually read the court documents， especially when it's immediately following an extensive and more easily readable reconstruction of all the major facts it covers。 I like that this exists， but I can't help feeling that it's a bit of a letdown in terms of content。 。。。more
Eric
，
I have no idea why， over 20 years ago， I bought this book。 Perhaps I thought it would be transgressive - Story of the Eye and all - but it was merely dull。The first 60ish pages are a bloodless but mildly entertaining history and psychoanalysis of our anti-hero， Gilles de Rais， an exceedingly sadistic and repulsive member of the landed gentry。 His idiosyncrasy？ A bloodlust for torturing and violating children。 His only redeeming trait is that he distinguished himself in the service of Joan de Arc I have no idea why， over 20 years ago， I bought this book。 Perhaps I thought it would be transgressive - Story of the Eye and all - but it was merely dull。The first 60ish pages are a bloodless but mildly entertaining history and psychoanalysis of our anti-hero， Gilles de Rais， an exceedingly sadistic and repulsive member of the landed gentry。 His idiosyncrasy？ A bloodlust for torturing and violating children。 His only redeeming trait is that he distinguished himself in the service of Joan de Arc。 So why oh why would he do such horrible things？ Daddy died and grandpa ignored him - that old chestnut。 His depravity lasted as long as it did because back in the day the rich really were different from you and me， and could get away with murder， literally and figuratively。Oh， Mr。 Bataille also makes much of the fact that he felt really， truly， super-duper bad about all that he did after he was sentenced to death。 But that hardly exempts him from his vicious crimes。The rest of the book is a detailed historical timeline of Gilles' life followed by transcripts from the trials。 In other words， cure for insomnia material。 Reading trial transcripts is a special kind of tedium I would engage in only for monetary recompense。 It certainly is no way to spend your leisure time。Suffice to say that Gilles de Rais is the epitome of the "idle hands" admonishment， and the poster boy for guillotining the aristocracy。 Eat the rich！ 。。。more
Aman
，
How could anyone display more pride or more humility？
Ricardo Osmany Pacheco Ortiz
，
Este fue uno de esos libros que lees de principio a fin en un instante。 Es un recordatorio perturbador de hasta donde puede llegar la naturaleza humana。 Muy recomendable
Maximiliano Graneros
，
Georges Bataille nos transmite， con sus conceptos y subjetividades， las razones， virtudes y forma de vida del nefasto personaje glorificado。 Con un léxico mayoritariamente ameno nos va conduciendo por su interpretación de Guilles de Rais， no cayendo en lo mórbido， con algunos prejuzgamientos de su época nos brinda un pantallazo decente de él。 Así como faltó lo mórbido， también las explicaciones del sucesivo misticismo y de la mecánica analítica de los procesos psíquicos del personaje。 Si bien in Georges Bataille nos transmite， con sus conceptos y subjetividades， las razones， virtudes y forma de vida del nefasto personaje glorificado。 Con un léxico mayoritariamente ameno nos va conduciendo por su interpretación de Guilles de Rais， no cayendo en lo mórbido， con algunos prejuzgamientos de su época nos brinda un pantallazo decente de él。 Así como faltó lo mórbido， también las explicaciones del sucesivo misticismo y de la mecánica analítica de los procesos psíquicos del personaje。 Si bien indago en revueltas de la mente， se dejo absorber por su lineamiento y no estableció otras posibles vías más allá que anecdóticas。 Quizá un buen principio si se quiero indagar en las sombras y espectros de Guilles de Rais。 。。。more
Tote Cabana
，
Un ensayo sobre la vida de este temible monstruo que lamentablemente existió。 En muchas ocasiones se le recuerda o compra con barba azul y eso fue lo que me llevó a leer este libro， ya que a mi no se me parecía mucho la historia y realmente no estaba equivocada。 Lástima lo que una posición social y el poder pueden alcahuetear， incluso hoy en día， aunque en esta oportunidad tuvo su justo castigo。 En cuanto a la narración me costó mucho introducirme en la lectura， tuve que releer algunos párrafos Un ensayo sobre la vida de este temible monstruo que lamentablemente existió。 En muchas ocasiones se le recuerda o compra con barba azul y eso fue lo que me llevó a leer este libro， ya que a mi no se me parecía mucho la historia y realmente no estaba equivocada。 Lástima lo que una posición social y el poder pueden alcahuetear， incluso hoy en día， aunque en esta oportunidad tuvo su justo castigo。 En cuanto a la narración me costó mucho introducirme en la lectura， tuve que releer algunos párrafos y eso que estaba interesada en el tema， no sé si es un tema de traducción o de origen， pero me parecio pesada， repetitiva en algunos casos y toda la información la contaba como de sopetón。 Por cierto el prólogo de Vargas Llosa me lo salté por completo， porque desde el principio me tenía un poco estresada。 Así que no fue mi lectura favorita， ni por el personaje ni por la narración pero me hizo salir de dudas。 。。。more
Signor Mambrino
，
Well slit my throat and come on my belly - this was a horrible book。
Jill Korn
，
Would be more useful to my research in a good translation。 This version reads almost as though translated word for word。 Some parts are so confused as to be incomprehensible。 Damn; suppose I'll have to read it in French。 Would be more useful to my research in a good translation。 This version reads almost as though translated word for word。 Some parts are so confused as to be incomprehensible。 Damn; suppose I'll have to read it in French。 。。。more
The Literary Chick
，
How many times can you write the same thing？ Apparently， quite a few。
sologdin
，
In wondering if Gilles de Rais is the “most abject criminal of all time，” this text opens with the observation that “crime hides” （13）， parallel to Poe’s principle that “thus the essence of all crime is undivulged。” （Please be advised that， for modern purposes， de Rais stands convicted of the abduction， rape， and murder of dozens of minor children; the facts may bear the allegation that his toll runs rather into the hundreds。）Bataille notes that de Rais is “monstrous，” a “legendary monster” （17） In wondering if Gilles de Rais is the “most abject criminal of all time，” this text opens with the observation that “crime hides” （13）， parallel to Poe’s principle that “thus the essence of all crime is undivulged。” （Please be advised that， for modern purposes， de Rais stands convicted of the abduction， rape， and murder of dozens of minor children; the facts may bear the allegation that his toll runs rather into the hundreds。）Bataille notes that de Rais is “monstrous，” a “legendary monster” （17） likened and at times equated in the folklore with Bluebeard。 （We should note well the etymology of monstrous here， perhaps recalling the significance of it in Genet’s Our Lady of the Flowers--Bataille’s subheading for this section ‘Sacred Monster，’ which is totally Genet。） But if de Rais is a warning， against which Evil does he warn？ If he is sacred， for whom is he consecrated in the agambenian sense？ “As if so excessive a story was unable to have anything but a monster as its protagonist， a being outside common humanity for whom the only appropriate name was one charged with legendary miasmas。 Bluebeard could not have been one of our own， only a sacred monster unbound the limits of ordinary life” （19）。 But， there’s also a sense of “sovereign monstrosity” （20）。One refrain is that de Rais is an ‘energumen，’ One possessed （from Greek energeo， ‘to influence’） （21， 47， 60， 124）。 For de Rais， “as for barbarians of the past， the goal was breaking bounds; it was a question of living sovereignly” （34）; “the privilege of the German warrior was to feel himself above the laws” （id。）。 Bataille regards the monstrosity however as “childlike” （33）: “in the manner of savages” and “as a cannibal”—“more precisely， as one of his Germanic ancestors， unbounded by civilized principles” （id。）。 This basic narrative here is as though it were the model for de Sade’s 120 Days of Sodom: de Rais’ lineages “number among the noblest， richest， and most influential houses of feudal society” （24）。 It is most definitely a matter of “libertines inured in vice” （40）。 His father died at Agincourt; he was raised by his grandfather， a bandit， whose “fortune is considerable”: “Except for the ducal family， his is the richest feudatory in Anjou” （26）。 Regarding some of the crimes that de Rais and his grandfather committed， “it is possible to imagine the brutalities of the Nazis” （27）。 He is certainly guided by instrumental reason （with all of the critique that Horkheimer gives of this concept in The Eclipse of Reason） insofar as de Rais “is in agreement with the principle of reason which always， in an act， looks to the end result” （27）。 At his trial， de Rais noted “the origin of these crimes” as “the bad management he had received in his childhood” （35）—in this prototypical serial killer case， we always already have the cliché of the abused childhood as mitigatory evidence。 Likely these crimes are not gendered， or at least gender is not substantially probative—we have a Hungarian aristocrat， one Erzebeth Bathory” who “yielded to a desire to kill daughters of the lesser nobility” （41）。 This leads to the quasi-marxist argument that de Rais “represents in a pure state the impulse that tends to subordinate the activity of men to enchantment， to the game of the privileged class” （42）。 Our monstrous protagonist here is “the very principle of the nobility， what it is in essence， is the refusal to suffer degradation or disgrace – which would be the inevitable effect of work” （id。）。 We must recall that de Rais was one of Joan of Arc’s marshals， and had success against the English occupant during the Hundred Years War: “The interest of work is subordinated to its result; the interest of war is nothing but war” （43）。 （Some think that de Rais was preparing to rescue Joan at Rouen just before her execution （81）; his crimes began after she was executed and the war was over。）Bataille wants to argue that “the tragedy of de Rais […] is the tragedy of feudal society， the tragedy of the nobility” （46）。 Part of the tragedy， allegedly， is de Rais’ financial ruin， based on extravagant expenditure that caused him to alienate a number of properties （by ‘property，’ we mean castles）。 After the war was over， de Rais， “for whom the game of war was lost， needed a compensation。 He seems to have found it in the game of ostentatious expenditure” （48）， the main argument of The Accursed Share: In societies different from our own—we ourselves accumulate wealth with a view to continual growth—the principle has prevailed instead to squander or lose wealth， to give it away or destroy it。 Accumulated wealth has the same meaning as work; on the other hand， wealth wasted or destroyed in tribal potlaches has the meaning of a game。 Accumulated wealth has only a subordinate value; in the eyes of whoever squanders or destroys it， wealth squandered or destroyed has a sovereign value， for it serves nothing else if not this squandering itself， or this fascinating destruction。 （48） The properties alienated included the castle of Machecoul: as well as his castle in Champtoce: and the castle of Tiffauges:After he sold some of these， his relatives interdicted him， obtaining “royal letters of prohibition” against him （52， 97）。 The scope of the spending， for instance， was 80-100，000 crowns for several visits to Orleans for a festival in honor of Joan in 1435—which may amount to “a billion of our own money” （96）。 Finding “feudal superiority， insolence， and exploitation essential to the nobility，” Bataille notes that the “impulse that personifies tragedy can be accounted for by one formula: facing headlong into the impossible” （53）。 In that connection， the weirdest aspect of all this—and the most important for the ancient law—is the conjuring Satan stuff。 Many of the children were apparently sacrificed as part of sorcerous rites， and dude retained conjurors and alchemists and whatnot。 Part of the alchemy stuff was to fabricate gold， and de Rais was apparently taken in by scammers here; the narrative therefore also prefigures Ben Jonson and Kit Marlowe。 （He also prefigures celebrity impersonators to the extent that he retained a fake Joan in 1439 （110）。 Wtf？）After the wars ended， de Rais’ expenditures were in part to maintain his own private army， which took to banditry， as he had learned from his grandfather; i。e。， we should note very fucking well that the bandit here is not a Robin Hood， but rather a multi-castle owning aristocrat who is addicted to war。 The monarch issued “the great ordinance of 1439 following a meeting of the Estates General of Orleans” which ordinance “points to the continual progress， in spite of overwhelming disorder， of administration [！] and law over arbitrariness and violence，” and it is “to put an end to ‘the tremendous excesses and pillages’ that are desolating the realm” and seeks “to substitute a regular army based on discipline and military hierarchy for the bands of brigands commanded by lords” （117）。 Bataille interestingly regards this ordinance as: “dictated by reason， marks the birth of the modern world， a bourgeois world， where the unrestrained violence of a Gilles de Rais will find no place” （117）。 This is what Ayn Rand and her objectivist cult will never understand: the want of a public sphere， of a state， is the feudalist world of private arms and indiscriminate violence led by the propertied。 The bourgeois order is instituted as a public space， by a state， with its monopolization on legitimate violence， that protects the space necessary for liberal institutions to develop。 When I read Rand， all I see de Rais。The last two-fifths of the text contains the trial documents。 Procedurally it’s all very interesting， moving very fast from investigation to indictment to trial to execution。 Substantively it seems fairly obvious that the evidence is beyond sufficient to convict， though torture is used （not against the parents of missing children， who all said that they delivered their kids over to the servants of de Rais， and the servants， who explained the rituals and rapes and murders）。 What is damned curious is that the indictment （168 ff） and depositions （209 ff） and sentences （204 ff） are very concerned about sodomy and heresy and sorcery—but where is murder？ It is a bizarre， curious， gross absence。The ultimate weirdness is that， just prior to their executions， de Rais told his two main servants that “as soon as their souls left their bodies， those who had committed evil together would thereby meet each other again in glory， with God， in paradise” （284）。 The servants were hanged and burned， whereas de Rais was hanged and then “before the flames could open his body and entrails， it was drawn away and his body placed in a coffin and carried inside the Carmelite church of Nantes， where it was buried” （285）。 I guess all that murder and rape and whatnot was okay after all。 。。。more
Miguel
，
Gilles de Rais como figura representante de la maldad en su forma más pura y simple es bastante adecuada， como un animal salvaje， corrupto e inocente， formado por sí mismo y su entorno。Esa era la premisa del libro， una biografía。 Fue una lectura clara pero esperaba más considerando la capacidad descriptiva de Bataille y su atracción por lo visceral lo cual es una pena ya que este libro pudo haber sido ataque toxico hacia la mente si se hubiera hecho con esa intención。
Jonfaith
，
What grips us in Gilles de Rais' death is the compassion。 It seems that this criminal moved his audience to compassion; in part by reason of his atrocity， in part by virtue of his nobility and the fact that he was crying。This observation occurs near the end of Bataille's summation of crimes and trial of the infamous de Rais。 Following this is 150 pages of transcripts from the ecclesiastical and secular trials。 What Bataille achieves in his Foucauldean burrowing is a 15C world where the devil or What grips us in Gilles de Rais' death is the compassion。 It seems that this criminal moved his audience to compassion; in part by reason of his atrocity， in part by virtue of his nobility and the fact that he was crying。This observation occurs near the end of Bataille's summation of crimes and trial of the infamous de Rais。 Following this is 150 pages of transcripts from the ecclesiastical and secular trials。 What Bataille achieves in his Foucauldean burrowing is a 15C world where the devil or at least a diabolical affinity had to be culpable。 His own analysis is rather Marxist， looking at the milieu of the gentry with its privilege and the subsequent marginalization of the peasantry。 All of this transpired during a time of day incessant warfare between England and France。 All of this contributes to a berserker medium of sexual experimentation。Beyond that， it was largely inexplicable that this man who once fought alongside Joan of Arc would later seek to and succeed in sodomizing and murdering 140 children。I should note that my subconscious appeared to be maladjusted by this gruesome experience。 Be forewarned。 。。。more
Affasf
，
Il declino di Gilles de Rais mostra aspetti di magnificenza funebre。 Si sente l’ossessione della morte: poco per volta， un uomo si chiude nella solitudine del crimine， dell’omosessualità， della tomba; in quel profondo silenzio， i volti che l’ossessionano sono quelli dei bambini morti， che egli profana in un turpe abbraccio。 In questo scenario di fortezze – e di tombe – il declino di Gilles de Rais assume l’aspetto d’una allucinazione teatrale。 Noi non possiamo giudicare gli stati d’animo di ques Il declino di Gilles de Rais mostra aspetti di magnificenza funebre。 Si sente l’ossessione della morte: poco per volta， un uomo si chiude nella solitudine del crimine， dell’omosessualità， della tomba; in quel profondo silenzio， i volti che l’ossessionano sono quelli dei bambini morti， che egli profana in un turpe abbraccio。 In questo scenario di fortezze – e di tombe – il declino di Gilles de Rais assume l’aspetto d’una allucinazione teatrale。 Noi non possiamo giudicare gli stati d’animo di questo mostro。 Ma è certamente da quella camera sporca di sangue， nella quale le teste di bambini lo stavano a fissare， che gli capitò di uscire， la mattina presto， per vagare per le strade di Machecoul e di Tiffauges。 Una lunga e intollerabile allucinazione potrebbe esprimere qualcosa di più vero， di più sentito？ Il personaggio di Gilles de Rais è collegato a questa tragica apparizione。 Essa si connette a questo declino in una maniera che， oltre alla tragedia personale di Rais， mette in luce quella d’un mondo al quale si addice un personaggio sanguinario， che， dai Berserkir al signor di Charlus， rivela in ogni caso una crudele ingenuità。 Infatti， il mondo feudale non può essere disgiunto dall’eccesso， che è il principio stesso delle guerre。 Queste verità dette a proposito di Gilles de Rais hanno precisamente il vantaggio di derivare dall’origine impura della sua vita。 La tragedia non può essere che impura: anzi è tanto più vera in quanto è impura。 Oltre a ciò non bisogna poi dimenticare un principio che， per quanto misconosciuto， non è per questo meno saldo: e cioé che， senza la nobiltà， senza il rifiuto di calcolare e di riflettere （la qual cosa ne costituisce l’essenza）， non ci sarebbe tragedia， ma soltanto riflessione e calcolo。 Parlando della tragedia di Gilles de Rais， considerata come tragedia dalla riflessione greve， dalla riflessione che tien conto del mondo che rifiutò la riflessione （che anzi considera tale rifiuto il punto di partenza）。 Questo va detto parlando di Gilles de Rais， che si distingue da tutti coloro per i quali il crimine è personale。 I crimini di Gilles de Rais sono quelli del mondo nel quale egli li commette。 È quel mondo a mettere in mostra le gole squarciate。 Quel mondo ammetteva quelle crudeli differenze che lasciavano indifese le gole degli umili。 In quel mondo andava comunque formandosi il movimento che avrebbe ridotto， se pure lentamente， quelle differenze。。。 Questo lento movimento che， prendendo le mosse da una violenza opposta， avrebbe avuto a sua volta una tragica ruvidezza。 。。。more
Virgil S。
，
The actual trial documents and timeline are an essential asset， but I could do without Bataille's nonsensical rambling， which offers nothing of value。 The actual trial documents and timeline are an essential asset， but I could do without Bataille's nonsensical rambling， which offers nothing of value。 。。。more
Neil
，
This guy was REAL fucked up
Grouchung
，
If you are reading this expecting hardcore lurid horror scenes， or to wallow in the perversity and terror of Gilles de Rais' crimes， this is really not the book for that。However， I did really enjoy it。 There's something interesting in how Bataille tries to delve in to the culture and mindset of that era， of how he tries to navigate around Rais' motives and possible madness。 There are descriptions of his crimes which are horrific in themselves， but essentially that is not what this book is about。 If you are reading this expecting hardcore lurid horror scenes， or to wallow in the perversity and terror of Gilles de Rais' crimes， this is really not the book for that。However， I did really enjoy it。 There's something interesting in how Bataille tries to delve in to the culture and mindset of that era， of how he tries to navigate around Rais' motives and possible madness。 There are descriptions of his crimes which are horrific in themselves， but essentially that is not what this book is about。 It felt more like a piece that is trying to puzzle out the unfathomable depths that the grand horror Rais' crimes present， that something that massive had to have had some origin or motive。Bataille and the editors did a pretty good job of giving the book and transcripts a sort dreadful atmosphere， but this is not a book for people who are looking for blood and guts。 。。。more
TR
，
One would think that a writer like Bataille would have some very interesting things to say about such an infamous murderer， but his essay is only mildly interesting。 A short， worthwhile read， but unsatisfying and forgettable。
Dennis
，
Intense
Tom Schulte
，
Reading Death in the City of Light: The Serial Killer of Nazi-Occupied Paris recalled to me this book by Georges Bataille， for some reason I couldn't place。 Then， as the author got into WW II-era philosphers and surrealists and mentioned Bataille， I figured we were on the same wavelength。Something about clumsy and lethally confused de Rais speaks to the "banality of evil"。 This book presenting so much unearthed trial transcripts made this horrible monster real and believable， like the police rep Reading Death in the City of Light: The Serial Killer of Nazi-Occupied Paris recalled to me this book by Georges Bataille， for some reason I couldn't place。 Then， as the author got into WW II-era philosphers and surrealists and mentioned Bataille， I figured we were on the same wavelength。Something about clumsy and lethally confused de Rais speaks to the "banality of evil"。 This book presenting so much unearthed trial transcripts made this horrible monster real and believable， like the police reports of Death in the City of Light: The Serial Killer of Nazi-Occupied Paris。It's also amazing how de Rais caused so much mayhem without getting caught， like so many serial killers。 Of course， de Rais had his hired minions who "were just following orders"， bringing me back to the Nazis。。。 。。。more
Jodi Lu
，
I give up。 I give up because I had to take Gravity's Rainbow to work today instead to get a respite from the torture of reading this book， and Gravity's Rainbow is nothing if not an unnatural respite， and I assure you the aforementioned "torture" had nothing to do with Gilles de Rais， one of the most compelling actual torturers of all time， his perversion and bloodthirst outshining the competition even during the very golden age of outlandish torturing！ I braced myself （as one needs to do simila I give up。 I give up because I had to take Gravity's Rainbow to work today instead to get a respite from the torture of reading this book， and Gravity's Rainbow is nothing if not an unnatural respite， and I assure you the aforementioned "torture" had nothing to do with Gilles de Rais， one of the most compelling actual torturers of all time， his perversion and bloodthirst outshining the competition even during the very golden age of outlandish torturing！ I braced myself （as one needs to do similarly with both Bataille and the juiciest serial killers， typically）， but met only Bataille's unfortunate restraint or just。。。utter failure to present anything but the most tepid， clinical rendering imaginable of a mindbogglingly gullible and stupid beast of a man who first buddied up with Joan of Arc but then actually （or concurrently， as the case may be） raped and gruesomely killed and dismembered HUNDREDS of innocent children。 I mean， there it is: goosebumps quiver up even from thinking about Gilles' sending out his charismatic， orgy- and wine-bloated toadies to procure so many of the most beautiful children to the putrid castles to sodomize them， slit their throats， rip them asunder and proudly display their decorative bits about， put pieces of them into jars to use in the invocation of demons， collect their heads in rooms to rank them in cherubic beauty as the flesh started to shrink back from their mouths！ HOW COULD BATAILLE SCREW THIS UP？？！I grant he had limited and dull sources and I certainly didn't want him to invent details beyond these court transcriptions， but come ON: allow me the chills this nakedly demands！ You are the master of perversion and you glued on your historian cap at the most annoying moment。 To sum up what I think transpired to snuff out the potential glut of enticing depravity: destructive interference。 I wouldn't have believed it had I not read this myself， but the wavelengths of the most deranged writer fully offset the tale of one of the most flagitious， flamboyant killer-freaks of all time。 Snore fest。 。。。more
Ben Fairchild
，
This is about the same guy that Cradle of Filth's latest album is about。 He used to rape and sodomise little children in the worst possible way （as if there were a best possible） I do wonder about all this gothic stuff sometimes。 He also fought as a commander under Joan of Arc; I am a big fan of St Joan obviously - the warrior virgin of Christ - yummy！ I am going to see Cradle of Filth play on the 26th。 I am looking forward to the support band just as much。 Of course Cradle of Filth are famous f This is about the same guy that Cradle of Filth's latest album is about。 He used to rape and sodomise little children in the worst possible way （as if there were a best possible） I do wonder about all this gothic stuff sometimes。 He also fought as a commander under Joan of Arc; I am a big fan of St Joan obviously - the warrior virgin of Christ - yummy！ I am going to see Cradle of Filth play on the 26th。 I am looking forward to the support band just as much。 Of course Cradle of Filth are famous for their 'Jesus is a c**t' t-shirts。 I suppose it is a lot more Christian than most other things and now that that has been said we can all get on with it can't we？ 。。。more
Simone
，
interesting。。。
Hilary
，
"where it all vegan"。。。 "where it all vegan"。。。 。。。more
Tosh
，