Gévaudan (Saugues)

Auvergne · France · Natural site

Around Saugues the Beast of Gévaudan raged in the 1760s – a monster that killed up to a hundred people and was never explained.

The uplands around Saugues were the epicentre of one of France's most chilling mysteries: la Bête du Gévaudan. Between 1764 and 1767, up to a hundred people – mostly women and children tending livestock – were killed and mutilated by a creature described as larger than a wolf, with reddish fur and strange stripes. The king sent hunters and dragoons, the Church spoke of God's scourge, and though several great wolves were shot the killings only ceased when farmer Jean Chastel brought down 'the Beast' in 1767 – with a silver bullet, so the legend goes. What the creature truly was remains unsolved, and in the villages around Saugues the terror lives on in tales and monuments.

FAQ

Where is Gévaudan (Saugues) located?

Gévaudan (Saugues) is in Auvergne, France.