Legends of forest monsters and werewolves occupy a special place in the history of France. This is partly due to the fact that myths had very real reasons. Of course, it was not without hyperbole and exaggeration, especially given the enormous lengths of time during which such stories were retold. Among the closest to real events can be called legends about the Zhevodansky beast, which shocked the imagination several centuries ago. To this day, they are of interest to researchers.
What is the famous beast from Zhevodan?
Despite the huge resonance in society, which was caused by the monster, the period of its activity was short. The beast was operating in the Tenazeyr Forest and its environs in 1764-1767 - by the way, during the reign of Louis XV. This place is located near the town of Bresseir in the province of Zhevodan, from which the beast got its nickname. The very fact of the dwelling of an unusual creature might go unnoticed, but its fame has survived to this day thanks to numerous victims. According to the calculations of that time, the Zhevodansky beast, photo of the monument to which is presented below, claimed the lives of more than 100 people, while the number of attacks reached 250. But not only the number of murders is shocking, but also the form in which they were committed.
The image of the beast and attack tactics
Almost all the testimonies of people who saw the monster note its resemblance to a wolf. However, there were a number of differences that prevented more accurately identify the beast. Among them are the following:
- Large size and wide chest.
- The presence of a kind of brush at the end of a long tail.
- Elongated muzzle and mouth with protruding fangs.
- Red color. The presence of dark spots and stripes was sometimes noted.
- Pointy ears.
A rather vivid image, on the one hand, prompted researchers to legend about opinions about one animal, but the presence of conflicting characteristics made identification difficult again and again. It remained clear that the Zhevodansky beast is a deadly predator resembling a large wolf. But, besides appearance, the style in which the animal dealt with its victims caused no less questions.
Attacks were uncharacteristic of ordinary predators. The fact is that usually the beast seeks to knock the victim down, immobilizing it. In turn, the Zhevodan monster immediately attacked the face, tearing it apart and, as a rule, depriving a person of his head. But another thing is noteworthy in the behavior of the wolf-like beast. He preferred people to sheep, cows and goats, despite the difficulties in the massacre of them. However, the beast hardly attacked men armed with agricultural tools or other equipment. His main prey became children and women.
First victims
The first information about the monster arose on June 1 in 1764, when a peasant herding cows was attacked in the Mercur forest. True, the cattle, behind which the woman hid, scared away the predator. At that time, everything worked out, and for the first time the features that the Zhevodan beast possessed were recorded. The first victim was officially registered a month later. The young girl Jeanne Bule was less fortunate. The attack ended in death, and by the onset of autumn, the beast claimed the lives of two more children. In September, 5 children were killed, and in October - 3. After this, the authorities made the first attempts to find and destroy the beast, but this could not be done. The beast was wounded and for a month they forgot about him. However, already in November, his savage activities were continued.
Attempts to destroy the beast
The local governor, Count de Moncan, already in the autumn after the first attacks sent a dragoon detachment in search of the beast. As a result, several raids were carried out in the forest, more than one hundred wolves were killed, but there were no cannibal monsters among them. In the future, such raids were undertaken repeatedly, but they could not cope with the Zhevodansky beast. The creature was injured several times, but as a rule, after 1-2 months new rumors of victims appeared.
At the next stage of the struggle, the most skilled hunters of France, sent by the king himself, took part. It was the son and father of d'Ennevali, who also conducted several raids involving hundreds of people. In total, more than a thousand wolves were killed, but again failed to put an end to attacks on people. Due to the fact that the activities of d'Enneuvalley did not give results, they are replaced by Francois-Antoine de Botern, behind whom there is a huge experience in hunting wolves. In the fall of 1765, François, together with his group, discovers an unusually large wolf near the Chaz Abbey. They manage to kill him and, to everyone's joy, find pieces of clothing in the stomach. But, later it turned out that this wolf was not a Zhevodansky beast, since the attacks resumed. However, the de Botern trophy itself was worthy of attention - it received the nickname "wolf from Chaz." The rumors about the resurrected monster that brought new sacrifices, despite regular raids in the forests, went on among the people.
The Murder of the Zhevodansky Monster
The monster was destroyed in the process of one of the raids, which continued in 1767. The hero was Jean Chastelle. He received 72 livres for his feat. Oddly enough, the killed predator was smaller in size than the wolf killed by Francois de Botern. Nevertheless, there was plenty of evidence confirming that the dead beast belonged to a monster attacking people. First of all, the Zhevodan beast was identified by eyewitnesses encountering it. As a rule, these were hunters who also found traces of wounds left on the body of the beast. In addition, the monster really had many distinctive features, including a very large head, long legs and a third eyelid. After this, no mention of new victims appeared, but another part of this story began. Naturalists did not give an answer to the question about the origin of the beast, leaving this riddle to the present day and allowing it to acquire the most fantastic myths and speculation.
Legends of the Zhevodansky beast
Such impressive events could not remain without popular attention and detailed coverage from the press of that time. Due to the increased interest in the beast, his story has grown into many legends. In one of the most popular, it is noted that the monster was actually a werewolf. This opinion of people was prompted by inexplicable behavior for the wolf and its elusiveness. Another legend is related to the circumstances in which the Zhevodansky beast from the gun of Jean Chastelle was killed. The fact is that the hunter was a devout man and treated the monster as a manifestation of evil spirits. Therefore, as the legend says, he loaded his gun with a silver bullet. During the search for the beast, Chastelle made a halt, during which he began to read a prayer. At that moment, a cannibal wolf appeared, which was subsequently killed by two silver bullets.
Versions
There is still no clear answer to the question of who the Zhevodansky monster was. However, over the past centuries there have been many versions that, with varying degrees of certainty, explain the nature of the wolf-like creature. Today, cryptozoology, which studies hidden, mythical and little-known animals, is actively engaged in the search for answers to these questions. Representatives of this direction make rather bold assumptions about who the Zhevodan beast was. Andrewsarch, extinct about 40 million years ago, is one such version. This is an ancient predator that is known to modern researchers for its giant skull. There are also opinions about the belonging of the beast to phantom cats, Bigfoot and chupacabra. Nevertheless, the versions of academic science that are worth considering in more detail are still the most likely.
Large wolf or pack
Perhaps this is the most persistent and most truthful explanation of who the monster was. Several facts speak in his favor. Firstly, at that time wolves were larger. Secondly, conditions are possible under which wolves begin to prey on unusual prey to them - in this case, people. It is also possible that there were several attacking animals that later received the nickname Zhevodansky beast. The scientific explanation in this case fits into the events associated with attempts to kill a monster. Between the end of June 1764 and July 1767, several large wolves were captured or killed. One of the most notable was the wolf killed by de Botern, in whose stomach particles of clothing were found. It is likely that this and other animals also attacked people. But this version also has weaknesses. It is not known for what reason several individuals at once could change the behavior characteristic of a wolf. In addition, there is reason to doubt that it was possible to exterminate all cannibalistic predators for such a short period.
Hyena
If it were not for the whole series of distinctive external features that the Zhevodansky beast possessed, the version of a hyena might not have arisen. First of all, it is a red color, spots and stripes that are really inherent in this species. In addition, hyenas often make attacks on people, and they mark it right in the face. Another thing is that they are not as adapted for jumping as wolves. On this, the similarity of the description of the Zhevodansky monster with a hyena ends. There are several circumstances against this version. Hyena is, to put it mildly, an uncharacteristic animal for European forests. In addition, representatives of this species are not able to move with that light run, which was observed at the beast in Zhevodan after the attacks.
Crossbreed dog and wolf
Dogs are rarely bloodthirsty - among them there are almost no specimens that purposefully hunt people. And yet, it was precisely the proximity to man that became the basis for the version that the pet was crossed with a wolf. But this assumption has other variations on the topic of who the Zhevodan beast was and why it so easily avoided the pursuit of hunters. There are many hypotheses united by one condition - the direct participation of a person. For example, one of these versions is connected with the personality of Antoine, the son of Jean Chastelle, who managed to kill the beast. Historians of that time note that interruptions in the activity of the monster just fell during the periods of absence of Antoine Chastel, who liked to visit exotic countries and, perhaps, brought a hyena or leopard from there.
Feline beast
In addition to the leopard, many experts are considering the version of the panther. The habits of the beast, including its graceful run after attacks, confirm this assumption. In addition, according to eyewitnesses, the monster actively used its claws, tearing flesh on their neck and face. It is known that hyenas and, in general, representatives of the wolf seldom use their forepaws to cut the victim. Feline, on the contrary, use claws during the attack.
