True Scary Stories: The Beast Of Gévaudan
Wikimedia CommonsAccording to centuries-old creepy stories, the Beast of Gévaudan killed some 300 people.
In 18th-century Gévaudan, an idyllic country territory in France, a horrific series of slayings and scary stories about a killer had residents up in arms. But the perpetrator was believed to be, not a man, but a beastly monster that resembled a wolf.
The first victim was Jeanne Boulet, a 14-year-old shepherdess who was mysteriously found dead in 1764 with her throat ripped out. Then, another teen victim was discovered a month later. The second victim allegedly described their killer as “a horrible beast” before taking their last breath.
Hundreds more were mauled with their throats or chests ripped out. Creepy stories from those who claimed to have survived or witnessed the attacks described an enormous wolf-like animal with black fur, a large chest, and a mouth full of sharp teeth. These witness accounts peppered the newspapers which quickly dubbed the murderous creature as the Beast of Gévaudan.
Wikimedia CommonsFrench hunters spent three years chasing the bloodthirsty beast.
Locals organized hunting parties in the wake of the brutal killings. Jean Baptiste Duhamel, an infantry leader of the local militia, organized 30,000 volunteers to hunt down and kill the beast with the promise of a year’s salary as the reward.
Still, the hunting campaigns were unsuccessful and the body count continued to grow. According to the scary stories that spread across the countryside, a farmer named Jean Chastel, who lost many loved ones to the Beast of Gévaudan, decided to take matters into his own hands. He allegedly wandered into the mountains armed with nothing but a pistol and some silver bullets.
After taking a rest to read the Bible in the hopes of luring in the creature, the alleged beast appeared in front of him. Somehow Chastel managed to shoot and kill the beast, triumphantly presenting it later to the king. Some claim that a cornucopia of human remains tumbled out of the wolf’s stomach when it was cut open.
Wikimedia CommonsAn 18th-century rendering of François Antoine killing the Beast of Gévaudan in 1765.
These creepy stories famously inspired Robert Louis Stevenson’s 1879 book Travels with a Donkey in the Cévennes and pop culture adaptations like Christophe Gans’ 2002 horror film Brotherhood of the Wolf. But was there really a supernatural wolf terrorizing France?
Historians have yet to agree on what exactly happened at Gévaudan. Some say it was simply mass hysteria and the murderous pack of wolves or lions that likely caused the killings were exaggerated into a monster.
Nevertheless, one thing remains clear: an estimated 300 people were brutally killed during that tragic period. Perhaps the true scary story is that nobody will ever know what may have caused those very real deaths.
