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2. series - European beasts

Beast of Gévaudan

In the 18th century in Gévaudan, in south of central France, appeared a huge beast, which during three years killed hundreads of people. For the first time it was a woman, who was with grazing cows, which fortunately stood around her, what saved her life. Since then, the beast attacked people and mostly it headed to the neck and even some say about how well the beast suck human blood.

Overall, the beast of Gévaudan was described as a huge animal about the size of a donkey or cow, with a big head, short ears, very broad chest and shoulders, unbearable smell, huge claws in the shape of a human hand, large canine teeth protruding from its jaws, with thick hair with red accents, black stripe on the back and a thick tail. Even its eyes were red blaze, as if it was a servant of the devil himself.

Witnesses claimed that the beast was moving very quickly and was able to jump long distances, sometimes up to nine meters. On beast was made frequent hunts, but it was like the beast knew that and cleverly managed to hide. The consequence of this hunt, however, end like the reduction of the number of wolves. Interestingly enough, the beast has been seen several times a day at different locations and globally in various areas of France, therefore, there are theories that say that the beasts were in fact more. This hypothesis is confirmed by the fact that although some of the hunts end with successful hunters and really caught the enormous beast, murders persisted.

To these days are speculations was actually the mysterious creature was. Some say that it was a mutated wolf,half wolf and half bear; wolf, bear, lion and tiger, but some on the basis of the description of large canines speculate about surviving creature of yore. Regarding the beast of Gévaudan emerged even more interesting theory that talked about the werewolf, which will explain the seeing of the beast as it passes river on the rear paws or as it lifted a sheep by front paws.

To the beast, however, belong also mysterious man who wanted to help people to go to or from church through forest and give them the protection. When he was refused by two women and man went alone into the forest, soon after that ran out of soldiers, who warned them that they have seen the beast in the forest. Witnesses claimed that the man had his hands covered with hair, and sometimes when the wind blew noticed that the hair is covered completely. Who could be the mysterious man? On the one hand, it is considered that suffered by hypertrichosis a disease causing ingrown facial and other body parts by hair. But on the other hand, the disease could not explain seeing of  beast in the woods shortly after as the man came into the forest.

Could it be a werevolf? Read more about them in Werewolves, new view on the old mystery. 

picture: https://pixabay.com/sk/vlci-vlk-pr%C3%ADroda-divok%C3%BD-zviera-2954968/