This week on Wyrd Wessex, Craig and Andy delve into a beast so monstrous it was believed to be a scourge of God. From 1764 to 1767, a creature terrorized the French countryside, leaving a trail of death and mutilation. This is the story of the Beast of Gévaudan.
- A Nation Terrified: The hosts set the scene in 18th-century France, a land ripe with fear of wolves and rumors of werewolves, but unprepared for the true horror that was about to unfold in the region of Gévaudan.
- The Reign of Terror Begins: Learn about the first attacks of the Beast in April 1764 and the rapid escalation of its violence as it began to target women and children.
- The Royal Hunts: As the death toll climbed, King Louis XV himself became involved, sending his finest hunters to track and kill the beast. However, the elusive creature would prove to be an elusive and cunning foe.
- Heroes and Villains: Hear the astonishing tales of the peasants who fought back, including the brave young boy Jacques Portefeuille, who was rewarded by the king, and the Maid of Gévaudan, a woman who famously battled the beast with a bayonet.
- The Beast's True Form: Craig and Andy discuss what the creature might have been. Was it a wolf? A massive crossbreed? A legendary direwolf? They share the strange details from historical records, including the beast's unusually short ribcage and its extra dewclaws.
- Wyrd News: The hosts share three bizarre stories: a Russian spy whale found dead off the coast of Norway, a man who found a tombstone in his garden with his own birthday etched into it, and a burglar who broke into a home to suck a victim’s toes.
Stay Wyrd!
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Written by Andy Stevens and hosted by Craig Brooks and Andy Stevens
Edited by Craig Brooks
Intro music by Leonell Cassio - The Paranormal Is Real (ft. Carrie)
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