istant past. They linger as personal figures
in the folk-memory, but they scarcely seem as the personages of
folk-tale. Let us say, then, for the purposes of our classification of
Breton tradition, that we include in the term 'legend' all tales of
great personal figures who are historical or over whom folk-tale has
cast an historical _vraisemblance_, remembering at the same time that
in the case of personages whose existence is doubtful we may be
dealing with a folk-tale disguised or even a distorted myth.

_The Dark Story of Gilles de Retz_

Of the dark and terrible legends to which Brittany has given birth,
one of the most gloomy and romantic is the story of Gilles de Retz,
alchemist, magician, and arch-criminal. But the story is not
altogether legendary, although it has undoubtedly been added to from
the great stores of tradition. Gilles is none other than the Bluebeard
of the nursery tale, for he appears to have actually worn a beard
bluish-black in hue, and it is probable that his personality became
mingled with that of the hero of the old Oriental story.

Gilles de Laval, Lord of Retz and Marshal of France, was connected
with some of the noblest families in Brittany, those of Montmorency,
Rocey, and Craon, and at his father's death, about 1424, he found
himself lord of many princely domains, and what, for those times, was
almost unlimited power and wealth. He was a handsome youth, lithe and
of fascinating address, courageous, and learned as any clerk. A
splendid career lay before him, but from the first that distorted idea
of the romantic which is typical of certain minds had seized upon him,
and despite his rank and position he much preferred the dark courses
which finally ended in his disgrace and ruin to the dignities of his
seigneury.

Gilles took his principal title from the barony of Retz or Rais, south
of the Loire, on the marches of Brittany. As a youth he did nothing to
justify an evil augury of his future, for he served with zeal and
gallantry in the wars of Charles VI against the English and fought
under Jeanne Darc at the siege of Orleans. In virtue of these
services, and because of his shrewdness and skill in affairs, the King
created him Marshal of France. But from that time onward the man who
had been the able lieutenant of Jeanne Darc and had fought by her side
at Jargeau and Patay began to deteriorate. Some years before he had
married Catherine de Thouars, and with her had received a large d