Historical Horror: The Beast of Gévaudan
This is the fascinating account of an unknown animal(s) that killed dozens of people near and around the Gévaudan village in southern France. It got so serious that the king of France had to intervene and spend a considerable amount of resources to try and bring the beast down.
First Deaths
In the early summer of 1764, a young woman named Jeanne Valet was tending to her family’s cattle in Langogne when she saw a lumbering beast come at her. She was immediately horrified, describing it as being “like a wolf, but not a wolf”. Fortunately, among the cattle were some brave bulls that, together, charged the beast and made it give up on the attack.
Unfortunately, and displaying a common trait among predators, the beast bid its time and, when it had the chance, attacked an easier target. 14-year-old Jeanne Boulet did not resist the attack of the beast and her mangled remains were found in a field in the village of Les Hubacs (near Langogne).
Until the end of 1764, the beast would claim many more victims, leading people to believe it was at least two different creatures. It attacked lone people, often tending to their cattle. The odd thing was that it went for the neck and head…
