The Beast of Gévaudan

The affair of the Beast of Gévaudan involves a series of mysterious and deadly attacks that occurred mainly in the former province of Gévaudan (now Lozère) between 1764 and 1767. The animal, described by witnesses as a huge wolf or an unknown creature, specifically targeted isolated women and children, spreading panic among the population. King Louis XV sent royal wolf hunters and even military troops to try to capture or kill the creature, mobilizing considerable resources for the time. These events generated extensive media coverage, making this story a national phenomenon reported in newspapers all the way to Paris. Several animals were killed, including a large wolf shot by Jean Chastel in 1767, marking the end of the attacks. Today, the exact identity of the beast remains a topic of debate, ranging from a canine hybrid to a particularly aggressive wolf, or even human intervention, making this story a fascinating legend in French history.

Between 1764 and 1767, the Beast of Gévaudan terrorized the northern part of the former province of Gévaudan, now Lozère. This mysterious canid was responsible for numerous fatal attacks, with the death toll estimated between 88 and 124 victims. The first attacks were reported near Langogne before spreading to other regions, such as southern Auvergne.

At the time, France was home to about 20,000 wolves, but the drama of Gévaudan coincided with a sudden need for sensational news in the press, marked by a decline in sales after the Seven Years' War. Publications like the Courrier d'Avignon and La Gazette de France quickly covered the affair, fueling rumors and prompting the mobilization of military troops. Contemporaries perceived the Beast sometimes as a wolf, sometimes as an exotic animal or even a sorcerer's creature.

Among the many animals killed during this period, two canids were particularly suspected of being the Beast. The first, a very large wolf, was killed in September 1765 by François Antoine, King Louis XV's royal gunbearer. However, the attacks resumed shortly after. On June 19, 1767, Jean Chastel killed a second animal in La Besseyre-Saint-Mary, definitively putting an end to the nightmare.

The majority of historians attribute the predations of the Beast to several wolves that became man-eaters. This phenomenon, although rare, has been observed several times throughout history. However, the biological identity of the responsible canids still sparks debates today, exacerbated by controversies over the true danger of Canis lupus and the reappearance of the gray wolf in France.

Some essayists defend the idea of the wolves' innocence, preferring to blame humans. Drawing inspiration from the works of Abel Chevalley and Henri Pourrat, they suggest the murders could be attributed to a serial killer. However, no tangible evidence corroborates such a criminal involvement.

In Lozère and Haute-Loire, several tourist sites celebrate the legend of the Beast of Gévaudan. The story has also inspired many works of fiction, including three films made in 1967, 2001 (such as Brotherhood of the Wolf), and 2002.

In 1763, a series of worrying attacks had already occurred in the Dauphiné region. Witnesses described an animal the size of a very large wolf, with fur the color of burnt coffee and a tail longer than that of an ordinary wolf. Some authors suggest it could have been the very same animal that later appeared in Gévaudan.

The first attacks in Gévaudan were reported in July 1764, with the first officially recognized victim being Jeanne Boulet, killed near Langogne. The attacks quickly multiplied, particularly in the Mercoire forest. Étienne Lafont, syndic of the diocese of Mende, sent hunters, but the killings continued. On December 31, 1764, the Bishop of Mende issued a solemn call to prayer and penance, a pastoral letter famously known as the "mandement of the Bishop of Mende."

On January 12, 1765, the Beast attacked seven children in Villaret. The courageous children faced the animal and managed to fend it off. Impressed by their bravery, the King offered to fund the education of Jacques Portefaix, one of the young boys. Meanwhile, the d'Enneval family, renowned hunters from Normandy, claimed exclusive rights to the hunts and requested the dismissal of Captain Duhamel and his dragoons. However, their hunts proved ineffective, and the Beast continued its deadly streak. On June 8, François Antoine arrived in Gévaudan under the King's orders to put an end to the Beast's reign of terror.

On August 11, Marie-Jeanne Vallet achieved a memorable feat by plunging her bayonet into the Beast's chest, forcing it to flee. On August 16, during a massive hunt, Jean Chastel participated in a drive with his sons. On August 29, a guard named Rinchard shot at an animal that was stalking young shepherds, but the Beast escaped once again.

On September 21, François Antoine finally killed a massive wolf near the royal abbey of Chazes. The body was taken to Saugues and dissected by a surgeon, supposedly confirming it was indeed the Beast. However, the attacks tragically resumed shortly after Antoine's departure.

On June 19, 1767, local hunter Jean Chastel shot and killed a large wolf-like animal, successfully ending the attacks. The body was taken to the Castle of Besque and displayed. The killings definitively ceased after this event.

The Beast of Gévaudan primarily operated in a region corresponding to the current department of Lozère, an area characterized by its deep valleys, mountains, and dense forests. Statistics regarding the victims vary, but official documents report just over 80 people killed, with a total of around 230 individuals attacked.

The Chastel family, originating from La Besseyre-Saint-Mary, entered the history of the Beast thanks to Jean Chastel's successful shot in June 1767. However, their reputation was also tarnished by later accusations made against them in various romanticized and fictional accounts.

Jean Chastel, born in 1708 and died in 1789, was known by the nickname "de la Masca." He fathered nine children and frequently appeared in parish registers as a farmer, brewer, and innkeeper. His brother, Jean-Pierre Chastel, was a fugitive facing the death penalty.

Jean-François-Charles, Count of Morangiès, born in 1728, became a musketeer of the King at the age of 14. During the Seven Years' War, he rose to the rank of colonel and distinguished himself in combat in Germany. After enduring multiple imprisonments for debt later in life, he was murdered by his second wife in 1801.

Jean-Joseph, born in 1745, gradually took on the leadership of the hunts against the Beast of Gévaudan starting in 1765. He organized the fateful driven hunt on June 19, 1767, during which Jean Chastel finally managed to kill the creature.

Gabriel-Florent de Choiseul-Beaupré, Bishop of Mende since 1723, made a public statement on December 31, 1764, suggesting that the Beast was a divine scourge sent by God to urge the inhabitants to repent for their sins. He died in Mende on July 7, 1767, just eighteen days after the death of the Beast. Abbot Trocellier, the parish priest of Aumont-Aubrac, also played an active role in the hunt, organizing many drives and describing the animal several times in his detailed correspondence.

To this day, the Beast of Gévaudan remains a powerful symbol of terror and mystery—a legendary tale that continues to haunt minds and nourish the collective imagination.