Blue Beard
the name of the bloodthirsty husband in the familiar tale of "Blue Beard," best described in Perrault's "Tales" (1697). The original of this monstrous personage was a character celebrated in Breton legend, Gilles de Laval, Baron de Retz (1396- (1396-1440), famous in wars of Charles VII. According to tradition he used to entice the children of the peasants into his castle, and there sacrifice them to the Devil. He was condemned to death, strangled, and his corpse burned at the stake at Nantes in 1440. Another Breton legend represents de Retz with a red beard about to marry a beautiful girl after having already made away with seven wives. The bride expostulates at the altar. De Retz offers her all his possessions, finally his body and soul. "I accept," cried the bride at the same time transformed into a blue demon and making a sign that changes de Retz's beard from red to blue. Henceforth he belongs to Hell, and is the dread of the country under the name of Blue Beard.
BLUEBELL (so called from the color and shape of the flowers), the English BLUEFIELDS name of the plant genus agraphis, and especially of the wild hyacinth (agraphis nutans of Link, scilla nutans of Smith, hyacinthus nonscriptus of Linnæus).
The bluebell of Scotland is the roundleaved bell flower or harebell (campanula rotundifolia).