The Beast Of Gevaudan, was seen during the years 1764 - 1767, in Gevaudan France. The creature was reported being as big as a large calf or young cow, it was covered with a fur that was reddish, the head was big and wolf-like, and more brown than the rest of the body, the jaws were always gaping, ears short and straight, chest white and very broad, tail very long and thick with the tip white, the back paws very big and long, according to some having hooves like a horse, those of the front were shorter and covered with a long fur, having six claws to each paw. Once when the creature was sighted crossing a river, it raised itself on its hind legs and waded over like a human being. Furthermore it was very agile and extremely strong. It was sometimes sighted in locations very far apart on the same day. When hunting it crawled almost with its belly to the ground. One shepherd claimed it could stand up on its rear legs and was strong enough to lift an adult sheep with its arms. Dogs fled in terror from it as did most other animals.

The creature often made a sound more like a horse neighing than a wolf howling, but sometimes it would make a growling sound like those of a mean dog, or one in pain or distress. There were two mysterious cases reported during the times of the creatures attacks. Three women were going to church near the wood of Favart, when a dark man offered to escort them through the woods. They refused and before leaving he touched one of them with a fur-covered hand. Soldiers arriving on the scene just after the incident warned the terrified women not to go into the woods, because the creature had just been seen there.

Two women of Escures also on the way to church had a similar experience in an area where, unknown to them, the creature had just been seen by several people. This time they saw that the man accosting them was covered in fur only when his shirt blew open in the wind. It was said at the time the creature was called an instrument of the Devil, and besides killing, was trying to stop people from going to Mass.

One can certainly see the spiritual connection to the beast if we are to believe the stories of the meetings that occurred between the women and the strange man, who had fur covering him. Since spiritual creatures can assume any form, it would of been nothing to change from the wolf-life beast into the form of something humans would of not found so scary, only to change back into the beast once inside the dark woods. One reason the creature would of done this is the following. I have read numerous times when there has been an encounter with a ghost or demon in a haunted location, the spirtiual being draws energy off their victims or those near them. The women would of became frightened easily once inside the dark woods, especially when they would of noticed the man was covered with fur, etc. Once they became scared and released their psychic energy given off in fear, the creature could drain and use this energy to change and keep it's varied forms more easily, like a demon or ghost does when it drains energy from frightened people.

There is a website that describes this and numerous other creatures of Cryptozoology in detail. The website is called: Unknown Creatures, and may be found at this address:

http://www.unknown-creatures.com

By Robert W. Benjamin

Copyright © 2006

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