Chip Chick
France is known for a lot of spectacular things. The country’s history alone is fascinating, but it’s also the home of so much great art, culture, beauty, and stories.
One piece of France’s history I was made aware of recently was the legend of ‘The Beast Of Gévaudan,’ or ‘La Bête du Gévaudan,’ a beast that brutally killed over 100 people and injured over 50 more in the 1760s.
In the French countryside, between 1764 and 1767, people were getting killed in terrifying ways by a mysterious beast. Bodies were found somewhat intact but without organs. Their organs were either gone, sitting beside them, or misplaced near other victims.
Often, the victims’ heads would be torn off but not missing, usually found not far from their bodies. Though some of the bodies may have had visible claw and bite marks, they were mostly kept in their clothes.
Judging by the way the victims were left, it almost seemed like a serial killer could’ve committed such a heinous killing spree. However, the few bite marks and traces of fur left behind made it clear some kind of beast was responsible for this.
During those three years, it is estimated that 112 people in the countryside were killed, 53 were wounded, and 75 managed to escape the wrath of the beast, who was given the name La Bête.
It is believed that La Bête wasn’t very big. She was probably the size of a calf. She was believed to be a canine-type creature, similar to that of the legendary werewolf. Her fur was a brown-red color, and she had large pointy ears and a tail.
So, how was this vicious beast taken down?
An innkeeper named Jean Chastel shot the beast down when he saw her outside his home. However, some people believed that the beast belonged to Jean. After all, the way the beast killed people was so meticulous and extreme that it was hard to believe she acted alone.
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