Unsolved Mystery: The Beast of Gévaudan

Fear gripped the French countryside in the summer of 1764 as the infamous Beast of Gévaudan terrorized its victims in a series of hideous and fatal attacks. 

The mysterious region of Gévaudan in France was renowned for its enchanting forests and untamed forces of nature. As Jay M. Smith wrote in his book, Monsters of the Gévaudan: The Making of a Beast, “Gévaudan had the reputation for being a remote, isolated backwater where the forces of nature had not been…[fully] tamed, where the forests were indeed enchanted. 

For three years, Gévaudan was plagued by a terror that left an indelible mark on its people. Reports of 210 attacks, resulting in 113 deaths and 49 injuries, spread across an area of 2,800 square miles, paint a harrowing picture of the reality on the ground.

In June 1764, Jeanne Boulet, a fourteen-year-old shepherdess, tragically became the first recorded victim of the mysterious creature. She was tending her flock when the beast attacked, cruelly cutting short her young life. However, two months prior to this, another young woman encountered the same creature while tending her cattle. 

The horror in the small French village of Gévaudan was far from over as yet another tragedy unfolded just a month after the death of Boulet. This time it was a 15-year-old girl who was killed by the mysterious creature, described as a “horrible beast” in her dying words. 

Striking fear into the hearts of the people of Gévaudan, a ‘monster’ was on the loose. The authorities produced a lurid poster describing the creature as, “the size of a young bull”, with a penchant for attacking women and children, drinking their blood, cutting their heads off and carrying them away! 

Have you ever heard of a creature resembling a wolf, yet as big as a donkey? Described as reddish-brown, with a dark, ridged stripe down its back, this mysterious creature was reported to have a long, gaping jaw, six claws, pointy upright ears and a supple, furry tail. 

In the town of Gévaudan, the massacre of the peasantry had to be stopped. With the death toll rising, the local nobility and government officials took action. The situation became so severe that it caught the attention of King Louis XV of France, who offered a large reward, equal to a year’s salary of a regular man, to anyone who killed the beast. 

The locals of the Chateau de la Baume didn’t stand idle when they encountered the fierce beast in October 1764. When the creature appeared and sized up a peasant and his flock, a party of huntsmen sprang into action. 

Jacques Portefaix was only ten years old when he exhibited this remarkable display of bravery. In January 1765, he was with a group of friends when the beast suddenly appeared and attacked. To protect his playmates, Portefaix rallied them together and, armed with only sticks, they managed to chase the animal away. 

In the summer of 1765, Marie-Jeanne Valet, a 20-year-old woman, made history with her extraordinary courage. While crossing a river with her sister, Valet was attacked by the beast. But the young woman was prepared, having armed herself with a bayonet attached to a staff. 

The horrifying tale of a wild beast terrorizing French villagers had quickly spread to the entire nation, thanks to the increasing impact of newspapers. In a time when political reporting was heavily censored by the authorities, this sensationalist story of a voracious creature was nationwide news. 

The story of the Beast of Gévaudan was one of the first media sensations of its time, with newspapers from Boston to Brussels covering it in disturbing detail. People in the 18th century had a morbid curiosity for gruesome reportage, with a seemingly unhealthy appetite for the macabre. 

Described as a ferocious creature, of unknown origin, the beast has been wreaking havoc and leaving a trail of destruction in its wake. According to press reports at the time, hunters of the beast were entirely unsuccessful in their efforts, as the beast was far more cunning than they were. 

Louis was determined to do something about the terror wrought upon his land by the ferocious beast of Gévaudan. Despite individual acts of bravery, the death toll kept rising and it was evident that a more organized approach was needed. 

The King had a plan to end this menace. He had already offered a reward for its killing, but went further by dispatching one of his most trusted men to hunt it down. The mid-18th century was a tumultuous time in France and the King was determined to take action. 

In 1764, France was in a state of turmoil due to the disastrous consequences of the Seven Years’ War with Britain and Prussia. Seeking to distract his people from this, King Louis XV came up with the idea of rallying them together to track down the Beast of Gévaudan. 

Among the consequences of the war with Prussia and Britain, France had suffered a great loss of its overseas territories, including Canada. The economic ramifications of this conflict had left the country in a weakened state. 

In 1809, King Louis XVIII of France declared the hunt was on for the mysterious and dangerous beast terrorizing the countryside. He appointed Captain Jean Baptiste Duhamel, an officer with Clermont Prince Dragoons and a local militia leader, and Étienne Lafont, a local politician, to lead the mission. 

In his desperate attempt to capture the beast, Commander Duhamel employed some cunning tactics. He laid poisoned bait to tempt the creature out of hiding and even ordered his hunters to dress in female attire, as the beast seemed to target women. 

After seven months of trying and failing, Duhamel abandoned his mission of capturing the elusive Beast of Gévaudan. Upon hearing the news, professional hunters from Normandy – father and son duo, the D’Ennevals – were eager to take up the challenge. 

Though the d’Ennevals were renowned wolf hunters, what was this mysterious creature they were hunting? With a snout resembling that of a calf, and long hair, was it a wolf, a hyena? 

For years the Gévaudan Beast had terrorized the French countryside, eluding all attempts to capture or kill it. The d’Ennevals, like Duhamel, had failed, so now the King of France had one last hope. He sent François Antoine, a 71-year-old trusted bodyguard, to face off against the fearsome creature. 

It was no small feat trying to capture the Beast of Gévaudan. As one of the hunters, d’Enneval, noted after surveying the animal’s habitat, “This beast will not be an easy catch.” Indeed, the terrain offered the beast several strategic advantages, making it a formidable opponent to the hunters. 

The treacherous terrain of Gévaudan proved to be the perfect hideout for its infamous occupant – the Beast of Gévaudan. With its plethora of swamps and rocky, wooded land, the task of hunting the beast was far from easy. 

Antoine was determined to capture the infamous Beast of Gévaudan. Undeterred by the daunting task, he assembled a small squadron of men, and together with his son set off on the hunt. The party scoured the forests, searching for the elusive creature. 

Antoine was a true hero, and his claim that he killed the animal responsible for the wave of attacks came to be accepted, although there were no human remains discovered in its gut. The creature was stuffed and sent to King Louis’ court. 

Antoine seemed to have put an end to the reign of terror by the mysterious beast that he had “proved” was a wolf. Yet, after two months of tranquility, the attacks started again. Despite this, Antoine remained confident that he had killed the Beast of Gévaudan and the King and his court agreed, claiming that the terrifying animal was indeed dead. 

Another summer of dread descended upon Gévaudan in 1767. Deadly attacks had become too frequent to ignore, and local aristocrat the Marquis d’Apcher was convinced the beast was still on the prowl. Determined to uncover the truth, the Marquis organized another hunt to capture the creature. 

When Jean Chastel, a local farmer, joined the hunt for the beast led by François Antoine, it was not his first time trying to track down the creature. The previous expedition had been a disaster, with Chastel leading his group into a marsh and incurring the wrath of Antoine. 

In June 1767, despite his previous mistake, the Marquis allowed Chastel to join his hunting party. They followed up on a report of an attack by the beast and tracked it down to a forest. Here, Chastel courageously faced the fearsome creature and succeeded in bringing it down with a single shot. 

The mysterious Beast of Gévaudan that terrorized Gévaudan for three years left no survivors to tell its tale. Even after it was finally killed by Chastel, the debate over what the creature was continued. Was it a wolf, as some suggested, or something else? 

In a bid to reveal the truth behind the legend of the Beast of Gévaudan, the animal’s corpse was taken to Paris and presented to the King. Famous naturalist Georges-Louis Leclerc, the Comte de Buffon, was called upon to perform an autopsy, however, his examination of the body was brief and inconclusive. 

Even in the absence of the possibility of further autopsies being carried out, theories continued to abound as to the creature’s true identity. Many who claimed eyewitness accounts of the beast, reported that it was unlike any other wolf, leading to further speculation. 

The Beast of Gévaudan has been a source of mystery and intrigue for centuries. Described as being the size of a calf or horse, with a reddish-gray coat and long panther-like tail, the creature was said to be “much bigger than a wolf” by one hunter.

For years speculation about the identity of this mysterious killer has continued unabated. Some wilder theories even suggested the killer may have been a man dressed in animal skin. However, this notion was not supported by any of the eyewitness accounts and seems highly implausible. 

Since its killing spree in the 1700s, the enigmatic Beast of Gévaudan has been shrouded in mystery and speculation. Historians, scientists, pseudoscientists, and conspiracy theorists have all offered their own theories on the beast’s true identity. 

Could a lion or hyena be the mysterious Beast of Gévaudan? Although it seems unlikely, it’s not impossible that a hyena escaped from a wealthy man’s menagerie and roamed the French countryside. Although as hyenas aren’t known for attacking humans, a lion could be a more plausible suspect. 

Could the mysterious Beast of Gévaudan really have been a lion? According to biologist Karl-Hans Taake, this is a very real possibility! In his book on the topic, he explains that a lion could have escaped from a private zoo, and the hunting pattern of the creature pointed to a lion. 

Speculating on the identity of the Beast of Gévaudan has kept many people enthralled. However, according to historian Smith, the most probable explanation is a wolf. Smith, who spoke to Smithsonian Magazine, said, “the best and most likely explanation is that Gévaudan had a serious wolf infestation.” 

The Beast of Gévaudan is a creature shrouded in mystery, with evidence often muddled and unclear. This legend of a ferocious animal has echoed through history, with tales of it instilling fear in all who heard them. But is the Beast of Gévaudan a true story, or just a myth? 

Traveling through the Odal Pass on the Isle of Skye, off the coast of Scotland, can be a frightening experience. The locals whisper of an otherworldly spirit that haunts the area, the Beast of Odal, rumored to have the power to change shape and make unearthly screeches. 

The tales of the Beast of Odal had been circulating for years. Travelers along the Odal Pass were often mysteriously injured and locals believed the monster was responsible. Sightings of the beast took many forms – a one-legged man, a dog – yet no one could be sure of its true identity. 

Legend tells of a remarkable creature with the body of a lion, the tail of a fox, and the head and ears of a cat – the gulon! We have a 16th-century Swedish chronicler, Olaus Magnus, to thank for bringing this mystery animal to life in his 1555 work A Description of the Northern People. 

The gulon is a creature that leaves much to be desired when it comes to its dining habits. They feasted on animal remains until they could eat no more, yet they were still not satisfied. To make room for more food, they would squeeze their bodies between two close standing trees. 

The mysterious rompo is a beast that was said to have lived in India and Africa during the medieval period. It was believed to be a combination of several different animals, including a hare, with human-like ears, and a horse’s mane, and a badger’s front limbs and hindquarters. 

Though it was only around 3 feet long, from nose to its behind, the Rompo was a monstrous creature when it came to its diet. It feasted on the cadavers of humans. And it had an extremely unsavory habit that made it even more reviled – in desperate times, it would dig up human graves. 

Unveiling the myth of Mimick Dogs, a species of canine known as Canis getulus, first mentioned in 1551 by Swiss Naturalist Conrad Gessner. Reportedly found in parts of North Africa and Europe, these dogs were said to possess extraordinary powers that set them apart from their peers. 

Have you ever seen a dog that could talk, act and move like a human? If not, then you never saw a mimick dog! Mimick dogs were an extraordinary species that looked just like your everyday canine but had an incredible ability to mimic humans. 

The Crocotta is a legendary beast that has been the subject of fear and fascination for centuries. Said to have combined the physical characteristics of a dog, hyena, and wolf, this ferocious predator roamed the lands of either Ethiopia or India. But, what was most frightening about this beast was its appetite for human flesh, making it a creature of nightmares! 

The Crocotta was no ordinary beast; it boasted a cunning that made it even more deadly. Porphyry of Tyre, a Roman-era philosopher, wrote that the crocotta “spoke in a manner so human and this without a teacher, as to go to houses and call out that person whom he knew he could easily vanquish.” 

Unveiling a strange tale, it was French naturalist Pierre Belon first described a bizarre marine creature in his 1553 work De Aquatilibus. According to numerous eyewitnesses who saw the creature near the city of Den Elepoch in Norway, it did not live more than three days and did not speak, yet emitted great, plaintive signs. 

From strange descriptions to amazing captures, the story of the sea monk is truly an incredible one. But what happened when one was captured and presented to a Polish king? With its silent gestures, the sea monk begged to be released. 

Travel back in time to over 2500 years ago, when Plato’s great ancient Greek work of philosophy, Republic, first mentioned the Hircocervus. This legendary creature was also part of the Middle Ages’ lore, and its first mention in English was in 1398. 

Once an odd combination of a goat and a stag, the Hircocervus has an interesting history. Arthur Cleveland Coxe wrote about it in his 1856 book Impressions of England after seeing a painting of the creature from 1579. It was described as “part man, part porker, part deer and part donkey, with a padlock on its mouth”. 

No, lambs are not vegetables! Unless you’re talking about the Vegetable Lamb of Tartary, an unusual medieval creature that has captivated people’s imaginations for centuries. According to the 14th-century book, The Voyage and Travels of Sir John Mandeville, Knight, this bizarrely fascinating creature was described as a combination of a lamb and a vegetable. 

It’s a mystery who wrote the Mandeville travel book, but one thing’s for sure – they had quite the eye for the bizarre and unusual! Take, for example, the Vegetable Lamb, found in Central Asia and referred to as the Borametz by the Tartars. 

Have you ever heard of the mythical creature called ‘monopod’? It is an amazing figure with a unique quirk – a single foot and one leg. This creature can be traced back to Roman mythology, and was known as ‘skiapodes’ by the Romans. Despite the disadvantage of having only one lower limb, these monopods possessed incredible and surprising qualities. 

The Monopods, which were native to Ethiopia, were said to be fleet of foot and a formidable force on the battlefield. But their most peculiar feature, as described by Pliny, was their habit of lying on their backs in the hottest of temperatures, shielding themselves from the sun with the shade of their own feet! 

Be afraid! Be very afraid! Lurking in the shadows of ancient Greece and medieval times is the monstrous Blemmyae – a beast so terrifying that you definitely wouldn’t want to encounter it. The origin of this ghastly creature dates back to ancient Greece, however, it was Sir John Mandeville who gave us the Middle Ages’ version of the Blemmyae. 

What would you do if you encountered a creature without a head? Believe it or not, this bizarre creature actually existed, according to Mandeville. He wrote the Blemmyae are a headless folk who have eyes on their shoulders and a mouth shaped like a horseshoe on their chest. 

Have you ever heard of the Nue, the mythical Japanese chimera of the Middle Ages? This strange creature has been around since the 8th century B.C., with legends and tales of its mysterious powers persisting through to modern times. The Nue is a unique creature that combines the features of different real animals, and it has been an enigma to many people over the centuries. 

Myths and tales of the mysterious nue have been passed on through generations. This beastly creature had the legs of a tiger, the tail of a snake, the head of a monkey, and the body of a tanuki – also known as the Japanese raccoon dog. 

Dark tales of terror lurk in the depths of South American folklore. In medieval times, when the Aztecs reigned, these tales centered around the ahuizotl – a mysterious aquatic monster. Described as a smooth-skinned dog with an elongated tail, this creature was said to have five human hands – four on its limbs and one on its tail. 

The ahuizotl is a truly terrifying creature, capable of luring unsuspecting humans to the edge of a lake or stream, before viciously dragging them into the water. With the inevitable result of drowning, these beasts were a feared menace. People living near bodies of water would take extreme caution when approaching the shoreline, knowing that an ahuizotl could be lurking, ready to strike. 

Have you heard of the cynocephalic? You’d be surprised to know that they are entirely human in form, except for a rather key feature – the head of a dog! This mythical beast was widely believed to be living in distant lands, such as Africa, India, China or Egypt. 

Would you have been brave enough to take a chance and face the dog-headed monsters? According to The Travels of Marco Polo, the great 13th-century explorer, these creatures existed on the Andaman Islands and were described as “big mastiff dogs”. While their human body made them seem less dangerous, one still had to be wary of them. 

Throughout the Middle Ages, the people living in present day Turkey had their own strange creature to contend with – the Gelin. Derived from the Turkish word for ‘bride’, the Gelin were the ghosts of women who had died in tragic circumstances related to marriage or childbirth. 

For centuries, tales of the gelin have haunted the people of the Middle Ages, a testament to the cruel fate they endured. These unfortunate spirits, either murdered by their husbands or who didn’t survive childbirth, were believed to roam the Earth, terrifying those who bore witness to them. 

Do you ever get the feeling that something strange is lurking beneath the surface? The Japanese monster futakuchi-onna is a perfect example of this. On the surface, these creatures look like perfectly normal women. 

Legend has it that the futakuchi-onna, a supernatural creature from Japanese folklore, had a second mouth concealed at the back of their head with an unquenchable appetite. This mysterious mouth was said to have locks of hair that would grab food from wherever it could find it, and then stuff it into its hidden mouth. 

For centuries, Muslim communities have been wary of djinns, a range of different types of ghosts and apparitions. Of these, the most dreaded of all was the ifrit – a powerful, shape-shifting creature often made of fire or smoke, with wings and a penchant for living underground. 

Are you familiar with djinns? They are powerful beings with the ability to be a force for good, but unfortunately, they are often associated with death and destruction. Trying to defeat them with ordinary weapons is not enough; the only way to overcome them is by using magic or invoking prayers from the Islamic holy book, the Koran. 

The Orkney Islands, a remote archipelago located some 20 miles north of the Scottish mainland, have a rich and mysterious history. Having come under the rule of Norway and Denmark before being annexed by Scotland in 1472, these islands have a unique story to tell. 

The Orkney Islands are surrounded by legends of Finfolk – mysterious creatures of the sea that had the power to control the waves. It was said that they could even call upon the waters to do their bidding. Finfolkaheem, their fabled underwater city, was the stuff of legend, but they could also survive above the waves. 

Behold the Manananggal – an abomination of nature that strikes fear into the hearts of many. Deriving its name from the Tagalog language of the Philippines, the word ‘tanggal’ means ‘to split’, and that’s exactly what these monsters could do. Manananggals were predators and their prey was none other than humans. 

Thus traveling through the Philippines in the Middle Ages was a daunting prospect for many, as the region was home to this particularly disturbing creature. These monsters could sprout wings, split in two, and fly through the night sky in search of human prey. 

Experience the thrill of uncovering the strange life cycle of the basilisk! Long before medieval folk were tormented by it, the basilisk had been described by Pliny the Elder in 79 A.D. Found in Europe and North Africa, the strange creature has a rather peculiar lifecycle. 

The basilisk was a mysterious and feared creature, originating from myths and legends. According to Pliny, the basilisk didn’t move like any other snake – it had its body upright, unlike its slithering counterparts. As the centuries passed, the basilisk became even more feared and its legend evolved – it was now a hybrid of a snake and a rooster. 

The belief in reincarnation – the idea that after death we return to inhabit another body – has long been a part of various Asian traditions. But those who had acted in evil ways during their human existence, could be condemned to a horrible fate. 

Nobody likes to feel hungry or thirsty, but for the preta, this sensation was an inescapable part of life. These spirits were cursed to wander the earth and no matter how much they ate or drank, their hunger and thirst could never be sated.