Bluebeard
Gustave Doré/Wikimedia Commons.Bluebeard and his wife
The legend of Bluebeard tells of a sadistic count who marries a string of young women only to systematically murder them, and of his newest wife, who tries to avoid becoming his latest victim.
The story closely mirrors the accounts of the real-life King Conomor. Conomor was the ruler of Brittany, a Celtic region in what is today France. And his reign was so famously cruel that he came to be known as “Conomor the Accursed.”
Conomor served as the inspiration for a number of legends in Brittany, including that of Bluebeard. According to some accounts, Conomor heard a prophecy one day that he would be overthrown by his son. To prevent this from happening, Conomor would murder his wives as soon as they became pregnant.
And while there is a good chance that this story is also a legend, Conomor was certainly not the sort of person anyone would want to marry.
Conomor was followed by accusations of murder his entire life. He began by murdering his predecessor as ruler and marrying the man’s widow. He then attempted to murder her, but she managed to escape to a rival court. Conomor married a second time to a woman named Tréphine. After a few years, he murdered her as well, along with their son.
King Conomor was eventually killed in battle by the son of his first victim, a man named Judael, putting an end to his murderous reign. But he likely survives in the legend of Bluebeard and his wives.
Next, discover the truth behind some of the most famous Grimm fairytales. Then, read up on the creepy story of Slender Man. Finally, read up on Mary Tudor, the real woman behind the mythology of Bloody Mary.
