The first time I ever heard about this creature was when I was watching Animal Planet's old show, "Animal X", which was very cool, by the way. Then, I was immediately interested in it. I went onto a website called "The Supernatural Zone" which was my best information source at that time. Once there, I read their article and continued to do research on it on Wikipedia. I even did a school project on it once. Anyway, I wanted to know what you guys thought.
Here's the article(s):
http://www.qsl.net/w5www/gevaudan.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Beast_Of_Gevaudan
Full Version: The Beast of Gevaudan
Willkommen, Sir Muffonious! I hope you will find our castle as comfy as your own.
Now about the Beast. Some people claim it was a werewolf; some people say it was just a rabid wolf; and some other people claim that it was a psychotic murderer using a beast as a cover-up. Me, I don't know. From the accounts in the first website you gave, it sounds like a werewolf. But I am highly skeptical of those.
Now about the Beast. Some people claim it was a werewolf; some people say it was just a rabid wolf; and some other people claim that it was a psychotic murderer using a beast as a cover-up. Me, I don't know. From the accounts in the first website you gave, it sounds like a werewolf. But I am highly skeptical of those.
QUOTE(rosenrot @ Jun 24 2007, 04:39 AM) 
Willkommen, Sir Muffonious! I hope you will find our castle as comfy as your own.
Now about the Beast. Some people claim it was a werewolf; some people say it was just a rabid wolf; and some other people claim that it was a psychotic murderer using a beast as a cover-up. Me, I don't know. From the accounts in the first website you gave, it sounds like a werewolf. But I am highly skeptical of those.
Now about the Beast. Some people claim it was a werewolf; some people say it was just a rabid wolf; and some other people claim that it was a psychotic murderer using a beast as a cover-up. Me, I don't know. From the accounts in the first website you gave, it sounds like a werewolf. But I am highly skeptical of those.
I believe it's just a rabid wolf. Really, werewolves don't make quite much sense to me, although the first site did give some great examples. The third thing, with the guy using the wolf, I just can't...no...im sorry, but no.
Hi..new to the forum, but not to the subject...Read about this one in a book I had from the library "Mysterious and Unexplained Creatures", I believe the title was...first I had ever heard of it, but book went into great detail on the history of the The Beast..
Was a reason for many Werewolf legends. They also say it was finally dispatched with a silver bullet..Though I believe it was more a well placed shot, then from the silver itself...
Here are some more links..even one from a dog breeders website..Guess interest sparks in the most diverse areas, eh..
http://www.subversiveelement.com/Gevaudan_Beast.html
http://labete.7hunters.net/bete1.htm
http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/articles/wolfbeastofgevaudan.htm
Was a reason for many Werewolf legends. They also say it was finally dispatched with a silver bullet..Though I believe it was more a well placed shot, then from the silver itself...
Here are some more links..even one from a dog breeders website..Guess interest sparks in the most diverse areas, eh..
http://www.subversiveelement.com/Gevaudan_Beast.html
http://labete.7hunters.net/bete1.htm
http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/articles/wolfbeastofgevaudan.htm
Well, Holy Hell. It's Muffonious.
I'm also of te opinion it's a rabid Wolf, or possibly a remenant Dire Wolf, altough I'm not sure about the placement...
I'm also of te opinion it's a rabid Wolf, or possibly a remenant Dire Wolf, altough I'm not sure about the placement...
I'd vote for the wolf-dog hybrid, raised to attack people. Simple and scary, aight?
QUOTE(sadistic jellyfish of doom @ Jun 24 2007, 06:24 PM)
Well, Holy Hell. It's Muffonious.
I'm also of te opinion it's a rabid Wolf, or possibly a remenant Dire Wolf, altough I'm not sure about the placement...
I'm also of te opinion it's a rabid Wolf, or possibly a remenant Dire Wolf, altough I'm not sure about the placement...
Yes. It is me! I got the link here from a post by you I saw on SSLF.
Out of everything, I agree with capo. But here is another piont to ponder. If it was a wolf-dog hybrid trained to kill, then why? Was it for psychotic fun? for science? for cannabalism?
QUOTE(rosenrot @ Jun 24 2007, 07:15 PM)
Out of everything, I agree with capo. But here is another piont to ponder. If it was a wolf-dog hybrid trained to kill, then why? Was it for psychotic fun? for science? for cannabalism?
Or maybe it was a wolf-dog hybrid that went rabid and started eating people. Hmm?
No, IMHO, it was trained to kill for a political reason, land disputes, or just about anything.
Didn't someone njamed Jean-Baptiste or something kill it?
Wouldn't the big issue with it being rabid, be the length of time over which attacks occur? A rabid dog is only in the violent stage for about 1 week after which they tend to die of seizures. If I'm over analyzing what you mean by rabid, sorry 
. I would lean towards a trained hybrid, or a dire wolf (I like this one, but it seems unlikely - most of what I've been able to find implies Dire wolves were a North American species.. going to look at those more).
As for why they would train them to assault the region... who knows why some people do what they do? Maybe it was for some personal gain, revenge, or maybe they're just sadistic.
Quick Edit to add: The Brotherhood of the Wolf (original/french title Le Pacte des Loups) is really good, even if they take a few liberties
. I would lean towards a trained hybrid, or a dire wolf (I like this one, but it seems unlikely - most of what I've been able to find implies Dire wolves were a North American species.. going to look at those more).As for why they would train them to assault the region... who knows why some people do what they do? Maybe it was for some personal gain, revenge, or maybe they're just sadistic.
Quick Edit to add: The Brotherhood of the Wolf (original/french title Le Pacte des Loups) is really good, even if they take a few liberties
QUOTE(sadistic jellyfish of doom @ Jun 25 2007, 06:35 AM)
Didn't someone njamed Jean-Baptiste or something kill it?
I believe it was Jean Chastel. I also find it wierd that the grass won't grow on the spot the beast was slain.
QUOTE(Sir_Muffonious @ Jun 24 2007, 03:19 PM)
Or maybe it was a wolf-dog hybrid that went rabid and started eating people. Hmm?
I think Nocturnal already said it, but a rabid wolf wouldn't have made attacks over such a long time. Unless it was more than one rabid wolf, then it is very unlikely that the Beast was a rabid wolf.
I'm with the wolf/ dog hybrid, I actually did some studies and found the perfect dog that was around that time. My post is probably way back in the achives now.
I agree a rapid wolf could not last as long as the attacks occured for.
I agree a rapid wolf could not last as long as the attacks occured for.
What if not a Rabid wolf, but true Wolf-Hybrid?
Something bred with say, a large breed of french dog..and I'm not talking poodle. Is it possible?
Rabies is a maddening desease, but eventually it would dibilitate the animal. No, this animal knew what it was doing..it was just a freak..and a big freak at that.
Something bred with say, a large breed of french dog..and I'm not talking poodle. Is it possible?
Rabies is a maddening desease, but eventually it would dibilitate the animal. No, this animal knew what it was doing..it was just a freak..and a big freak at that.
It was the Catahoulas dog that I picked to breed with wolves. Back at the time they were alredy crossed with a wolf and would have been hairy then cross it with another wolf. They are known to control boars and cattle have no fear, need a truly strong willed owner and were sent to France at the right time.
The dogs now look nothing like their ancestors but still have the strong will and courage of their ancestors.
The dogs now look nothing like their ancestors but still have the strong will and courage of their ancestors.
Actually the more I look into it.. the more likely it seems to me that they might have seen a spotted hyena. I'm going to base this on the wiki article mostly .
While hyena's look a lot like canids, they are in fact more closely related to felines giving some belief to this more mixed description. Particularly the description of the size, and spotted hyenas actually have permanently extended claws on their paws, that are actually more feline like than canine. Also they seem to have coloring that fits the description (the spots actually fade with age). They are also quite large, with a female up to 3 feet tall at the shoulder (female hyenas are larger), some females can get as large as 200lbs.
While I'm not sure if going for the head is typical hyena behavior (Edit to add, attacking the face and head *is* typical hyena behaviour), unlike canines a hyena could crush the skull (canine's can gnaw on them, but couldn't break it in a short attack) - a hyena has massive crushing power, able to crush right through elephant bones.
Cough, without getting into too many details.. even when looking carefully at a hyena (up close, and anywhere) it's very difficult to tell the difference between a male and female hyena. (If you want more details look up the wikipedia article on Spotted Hyena).
Unlike some of their relatives the brown and striped hyenas, the spotted hyenas hunt as much or more often than scavanging.And to address the killing of people? This is from the spotted hyena article
Also relevant is this from a different article
This might explain the preference for humans over cattle. If this was actually an exotic pet that got loose, it might have grown up avoiding hunting cattle (which would probably resemble more difficult prey of Africa like wildebeest, not being as familiar with European stock which are more tame) and going after easier human prey, but only the weak and alone.. the children and women alone that were the prey of choice of the beast.
And if you want something more exotic / cryptid like? The Giant Cave hyena, which was common to Europe (though extinct sometime after last ice age to common belief) is related to spotted hyena but bigger.
Here's some Cave Hyena Skulls for you to check out... It's not really any more likely that a cave hyena would make it than a dire wolf.
Oh quick edit to add -- in one article comments that those who saw the beast said it didn't resemble a hyena - well, the striped hyena which is smaller, different behaviour, and different coloration is more common near europe (north africa, middle-east). The spotted hyena is more common in the mid-south Africa.
QUOTE
The Beast was described as being a wolflike creature the size of a cow, with a wide chest, a long sinuous tail with a lion-like tuft of fur on the end, and a greyhound-like head with small straight ears and large protruding fangs. The creature was said to have red fur, and a peculiar white stripe that ran down the length of its chest.The sole survivor of the attack, a young peasant girl, described it: "It was as large as a cow, with claws the size of a man's hand."
While hyena's look a lot like canids, they are in fact more closely related to felines giving some belief to this more mixed description. Particularly the description of the size, and spotted hyenas actually have permanently extended claws on their paws, that are actually more feline like than canine. Also they seem to have coloring that fits the description (the spots actually fade with age). They are also quite large, with a female up to 3 feet tall at the shoulder (female hyenas are larger), some females can get as large as 200lbs.
QUOTE
The creature's reported method of killing was unusual for a predator, often targeting the head, and ignoring the usual areas targeted by predators, including the legs and throat. Often the head was crushed or removed.
While I'm not sure if going for the head is typical hyena behavior (Edit to add, attacking the face and head *is* typical hyena behaviour), unlike canines a hyena could crush the skull (canine's can gnaw on them, but couldn't break it in a short attack) - a hyena has massive crushing power, able to crush right through elephant bones.
QUOTE
There were some reports that the beast was seen with another such animal, or with young; others state that the beast was with a man.
Cough, without getting into too many details.. even when looking carefully at a hyena (up close, and anywhere) it's very difficult to tell the difference between a male and female hyena. (If you want more details look up the wikipedia article on Spotted Hyena).
Unlike some of their relatives the brown and striped hyenas, the spotted hyenas hunt as much or more often than scavanging.And to address the killing of people? This is from the spotted hyena article
QUOTE
Spotted hyena attacks on humans are considered to be common, with dozens of deaths being reported each year.
In Sudan, due to a lack of proper housing, children often have no choice but to sleep outside at night, thus becoming vulnerable to nocturnal predators. A death census was taken in 2006, which showed that in addition to being at risk to human trafficking, “More than 280 orphans have died in our community of Nyamlell, Sudan this year alone, simply because they do not have a safe place to sleep at night.” Hyena attacks were shown to be the number one cause of death.[25]
In Mozambique, hyena attacks are said to be even more common than lion attacks. In one year, hyenas had attacked 52 people, 28 of which were killed.
In Sudan, due to a lack of proper housing, children often have no choice but to sleep outside at night, thus becoming vulnerable to nocturnal predators. A death census was taken in 2006, which showed that in addition to being at risk to human trafficking, “More than 280 orphans have died in our community of Nyamlell, Sudan this year alone, simply because they do not have a safe place to sleep at night.” Hyena attacks were shown to be the number one cause of death.[25]
In Mozambique, hyena attacks are said to be even more common than lion attacks. In one year, hyenas had attacked 52 people, 28 of which were killed.
Also relevant is this from a different article
QUOTE
Perfect opportunists, they always take the path of least resistance. Yet Crocuta is also the second-biggest and most formidable African carnivore, capable of running down and killing unaided a bull wildebeest 3 times its own weight.
How does the craven scavenger become transformed into the bold predator? Hunger drives a hyena to run down a large healthy ungulate-but only after failing to get a meal with less effort and risk. Predation also occurs spontaneously-e.g., when a daytime thunderstorm makes the ground slippery and antelopes easier to catch than usual.
How does the craven scavenger become transformed into the bold predator? Hunger drives a hyena to run down a large healthy ungulate-but only after failing to get a meal with less effort and risk. Predation also occurs spontaneously-e.g., when a daytime thunderstorm makes the ground slippery and antelopes easier to catch than usual.
This might explain the preference for humans over cattle. If this was actually an exotic pet that got loose, it might have grown up avoiding hunting cattle (which would probably resemble more difficult prey of Africa like wildebeest, not being as familiar with European stock which are more tame) and going after easier human prey, but only the weak and alone.. the children and women alone that were the prey of choice of the beast.
And if you want something more exotic / cryptid like? The Giant Cave hyena, which was common to Europe (though extinct sometime after last ice age to common belief) is related to spotted hyena but bigger.
Here's some Cave Hyena Skulls for you to check out... It's not really any more likely that a cave hyena would make it than a dire wolf.
Oh quick edit to add -- in one article comments that those who saw the beast said it didn't resemble a hyena - well, the striped hyena which is smaller, different behaviour, and different coloration is more common near europe (north africa, middle-east). The spotted hyena is more common in the mid-south Africa.
The Hyena theore sounds good, but I didn't know any hyenas lived near France.
QUOTE(Sir_Muffonious @ Jun 26 2007, 10:18 AM)
The Hyena theore sounds good, but I didn't know any hyenas lived near France.
They didn't natively.. however menageries and exotic animals have always been popular for rich people to show off with. Louis XIV constructed a large menagerie in Versailles in 1664, and after that it became the fad for all the monarchs to have similar menageries.
So it's very possible it was being taken to such a menagerie when it escaped (and really.. if you let a huge carnivorous animal loose accidentally in a time when hangings were fairly common.. would you really want to admit it, especially after it got associated with the devil). Similarly it's possible it was someones pet that got too large, or uncontrollable and got away.
The beast is a crypto. Totally unknown critter. More Myth than fact
I suppose that it's merely a wolf-hybrid. Or if not, then, it's a myth.
Uhm, yeah, I kinda down with the Hyena theory...it fits the description.
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