← Conspiracy Theories
Loading summary
Transcript5 lines
- [00:01]
Carter Roy
Due to the graphic nature of this story, listener discretion is advised. This episode includes discussions of violence and death. Consider this when deciding how and when you'll listen. In 1765, 71 year old Francois Antoine was King Louis XV's most trusted hunter. Even in unfamiliar woods, he was a sharp tracker, which was more important now than ever as he pursued an elusive killer. The predator he chased wasn't human. It was a ferocious animal, and Francois felt the constant, intense pressure to slay it. Lives were at risk. If he couldn't kill the beast today, the creature would surely catch its next victim before sunrise tomorrow. When Francois passed a crossroad, he spotted strange animal tracks in the mud. They were far too big to be from a wolf. They must have come from the Beast. Francois scanned the treeline and that's when he saw it. Its razor teeth gleamed through its matted fur. With each breath, a cloud of steam curled around its long snout. And its eyes. They blazed red, intense with fury, and focused right on Francois. All day long, the hunter had combed the forest searching for the Beast of Jevaudan. But now he realized the Beast was hunting him too. Welcome to Conspiracy Theories, a Spotify podcast. I'm Carter Roy. You can find us here. Every Wednesday for the month of October, we're examining classic monsters and the conspiracy theories around them. For the next two weeks, we're traveling to 18th century France to hunt for werewolves. From 1764 to 1767, a creature known as the Beast of Jevaudan killed about 100 villagers. But to this day, nobody knows what the creature really was. Be sure to check us out on Instagram heconspiracypod and we would love to hear from you. So if you're listening on the Spotify app, swipe up and give us your thoughts. Stay with us.
- [02:42]
Buzzballs Ad
This episode is brought to you by Buzzballs. Every time I see these guys in the store, I have to smile. They are hilarious and so cute. My favorite flavor is Watermelon Smash. Thanks to Buzzballs, you can get delicious cocktails in these cute ready to drink ball cans. They're made with real fruit juices and creams. Plus they're kosher certified and gluten free. There's a Buzz Balls for every cocktail taste. Find a Buzz balls near you. Buzzballs 15% ABV Carrollton, Texas Please enjoy responsibly.
- [03:14]
Amazon Ad
This episode is brought to you by Amazon. The holidays are here and you know what that means. It's time to get your friends and family the gifts they deserve. Take the stress out of shopping with Amazon's great deals and low prices on a huge range of items from toys to tech and much more. Whoever you're gifting for, Amazon has great prices on everything you need this holiday season. Shop Black Friday Week deals now. This is Red Web, a podcast all about mysteries, true crime and the paranormal. Join hosts Trevor Collins and Alfredo Diaz as they uncover a unsolved mystery every week, discussing the background and theories behind the case. If you love the unknown like we do, you're going to love Red Web. Follow and listen every Monday right here on Spotify.
- [04:08]
Carter Roy
France in the 1760s was marked by failure and disgrace. After a series of humiliating defeats in the Seven Years War War, the government relinquished control of most of their land in North America. Before this, France and Great Britain had been in a near constant struggle to see who would be the dominant power in Europe. But now the country was the laughingstock of the continent. Soldiers returned home defeated and dishonored. Many were desperate for any way to regain their honor, and the royals scrambled to find anything that could repair the country's standing. Soon a solution emerged. A crisis that needed strong leadership. It all began in a remote community in the spring of 1764. Nestled in the south of France, the Jevaudans province featured rolling hills and farms where sheep and oxen flourished. While the land was beautiful at first glance, danger lurked just below the surface. Bogs dotted the otherwise stable countryside. If unwary travelers weren't careful, they'd step in the muck and the earth could swallow them whole. Wolves lurk near pastures, frequently killing livestock. But they were cautious around people, so as long as someone was guarding the herds, the predators would usually keep their distance. That's why in the spring of 1764, one 13 year old girl was in charge of the family's oxen. Her small community didn't have the resources to hire professional guards, so usually they had women or children do the job. The girl ensured none of the animals strayed too far from the flock. But as the hours passed, she sensed something big just a few steps behind her. She could feel its fiery eyes on her back. When she finally worked up the nerve to look behind her, she was horrified. A creature was watching. Something with broad shoulders, a large flat head, and a black stripe running down its spine. Surrounded by crimson fur, it bore a resemblance to a wolf. But it was far bigger than any wolf the girl had ever seen. While she stared in fright, the beast rushed the girl and caught hold of her clothes. Somehow, she wiggled free from its grasp. Unharmed. The girl scrambled backward, aware The Beast was fast. She didn't have any chance of outrunning or overpowering it. Then an unlikely savior stepped in. The oxen she cared for. The herd gathered between the girl and the Beast, forming a wall to protect her from the assault. Eventually, the creature fled back into the woods. Nobody reported the incident at the time, and there wasn't much to report. Predators were common pests. Even though the girl was scared, she wasn't hurt. The people of Gevaudan may have chalked her and counter up to a rabid wolf or the girl's imagination. That is, until a few months later, when a 13 year old girl named Jeanne Boulay was working in the field at the edge of the pasture. Something lurked and waited. Just after sunset, locals found Jeanne's body mutilated beyond recognition. Her burial notice, written by the parish priest, cited her cause of death as La Bette Ferose, the Ferocious Beast. It was the first written mention of the creature, but it wouldn't be the last. In August 1764, two teenage girls and a boy went missing. Only one girl's remains were identified, but all had disappeared in broad daylight while working alone in the fields. This pointed to one culprit. The Beast. In September, there were three more deaths. One was a 36 year old woman who was killed in her own garden. The Beast wasn't only targeting solitary children outside the villages anymore. It would attack anyone it could get its teeth around. By now, everyone was talking about the slayings. Word made its way to the subdelegate for Gvaudan, Etienne Lafont. He monitored town happenings and reported the news to the regional government. If something was killing the people in his province, it was his job to stop it. Lafont enlisted a local named Count Mongier, a nobleman with deep pockets. In addition to his financial contributions, Mongier was a veteran of the Seven Years War. Like so many French military men, he was eager to prove his worth. Lafon and Morangier offered rewards to anyone who killed an animal fitting the Beast's description. They encouraged peasants to comb the woods. But the locals weren't trained hunters and their skills were limited, as were their tools. At the time, only the aristocracy was allowed to own firearms, so the farmers and shepherds mostly had to make do with wooden staffs and batons. In other words, they were at a major disadvantage. Nevertheless, the hunters occasionally killed a wolf, and Lefon granted them small rewards for their catch. Each time, the community celebrated the accomplishment. But then the creature would strike again. They'd failed to capture the monster. Finally, in early October 17th in 1964, hunters spotted the beast crouched behind a low wall, eyeing a shepherd boy as he worked. It looked like the animal was just waiting for an opportunity to strike. When the beast spotted the hunters, it bolted. The chase was on. The hunters followed it deeper into the woods, lined up a shot and fired. The first bullet hit the animal's shoulder and sent it stumbling to the ground. But it wasn't a fatal injury. The creature got back on its feet and stumbled again just as the hunters fired twice more. Then the beast lay totally still. It looked dead. The men were almost giddy as they approached the slain creature. They were sure they'd earned a handsome reward. Then, by some miracle, the beast staggered to its feet and escaped into the woods. It was still alive, and its injuries didn't stop it from racing out of sight. For the next two days, over 200 men scoured the area expecting to find a corpse. But the creature was nowhere to be found, and apparently it recovered quickly. Later that week, it reemerged to attack a farmhand. The animal tore off a chunk of his face and cracked his skull before the boy managed to wiggle his way out of the creature's grip. Then, on October 15, the beast decapitated a woman. For Lafond's ragtag crew of peasant hunters, these attacks proved they were no closer to catching the predator than when they started. It was time for reinforcements. This episode is brought to you by Simplisafe. We talk about a lot of complex mysteries and theories on this podcast, so let's take a moment and discuss something simpler. If you want to secure your home, you need Simplisafe. There's a lot of home security systems on the market. Simplisafe is one of the best. And they make it so easy to protect what matters most to you. And I speak from personal experience. I had a break in about three years ago. Somebody pried open a window, climbed in, and robbed me while I slept. It is one of the worst feelings in the world, the feeling of vulnerability and violation. I needed to feel safe. I got simply safe. And I cannot express to you enough the difference it's made me feel. And it was so easy, you could hire someone to set it up. But I did it myself in under an hour. If you're going to trust anyone with you and your family's safety, trust Simplisafe. They've been named best home security system by U.S. news and World Report for five years running. And right now, you can get an exclusive 50% discount on a new system plus a free indoor security camera with fast protect monitoring. Just visit simplisafe.com conspiracy this offer is available for a limited time only, so be sure to order today. That's simplisafe.com conspiracy there's no safe like SimpliSafe. In the summer of 1764, a mysterious wolf like creature prowled rural France. New spread. The Beast mutilated and decapitated peasants, usually young women and children. After local search parties failed to capture the monster, the sub delegate for the region called in Captain Jean Baptiste Duhamel of the French Armed Forces. Duhamel was a veteran of the Seven Years War and like Count Merangier, was desperate to shake the stink of failure. When he learned of the Beast, he was hooked. Before long, he and 50 of his best soldiers set off for Gvaudan. But as his small army made their way toward town, they were blocked by snow. What should have taken only a few days became a two week journey. Their delay had tragic consequences. During this time, the Beast attacked and decapitated another woman. Finally, on October 31st, the troop made it to town, only for that day's hunt to be canceled because of another snowstorm. Finally, two weeks later, on November 15, his troops started their hunt in earnest. Soon the regional newspaper Courrier d'avignon published its first account of the Beast. The Courrier was known for telling sensational stories, a sort of early true crime approach to journalism. The Beast quickly became the paper's crown jewel. Reporters gave the creature a gender she, because the French word for beast was a feminine noun. They published numerous articles about her attacks. But they weren't all that concerned about accuracy. Instead, they focused on telling a good story. As other newspapers picked up the accounts, the Creature became an international sensation. Audiences from Paris to London were riveted by the gory tales. Readers clamored for every new development in the hunt for the Beast of Jebaudon. Unfortunately, those new developments often came in the form of more deaths. Throughout November and December, the monster attacked and killed multiple victims. The hunters couldn't keep up with the predator. But Captain Duhamel was dogged and unsentimental. The importance of this mission wasn't lost on him, and not just in terms of the human cost. His reputation was on the line. He was willing to do just about anything to bring the creature down. At one point, Duhamel laid out the victim's remains as bait. This must have been disturbing for the grieving families, especially because the Beast never once fell for it. As the creature eluded Duhamel and more deaths made headlines, the news traveled up the royal flagpole. In mid November, officials had alerted King Louis xv. The government proceeded to cancel all holidays in Gevaudan. Henceforth, all the locals would spend their days off hunting the creature by order of the king. By this point, Duhamel and Lafont had been hunting for weeks. During that time, they'd only gotten close to the creature once, and she had escaped without the soldiers ever firing a shot. The longer the monster evaded capture, the more convinced people became that it was no ordinary animal. On December 31, the Bishop of Mond published a mandate blaming the citizens for their own plight. He suggested the victim's parents had incurred God's wrath through religious disobedience. According to him, the beast was a punishment directly from the Lord. The region could only save itself through prayer and repentance. It's important to remember Catholic bishops weren't only religious leaders, but influential political figures. His message must have been alarming to the people of Gevaudan, who had nothing to do but pray and hoped God was listening. New Year's Day came and went, but if anyone hoped 1765 would mark a new beginning, their hopes were dashed on January 2nd. That day, the beast killed a 16 year old boy. By now, locals were terrified. All kinds of reports fluttered in and the Courier published each one without question. It was hard to separate truth from fiction. Mothers claimed the beast stared through their windows at night, licking her chops at the sight of their newborn babies. Some people even said the creature spoke to them, threatening to attack if they grabbed a weapon. By day, locals traveled in groups, armed with whatever tools they could muster. With everyone on high alert, Lafont advised parents to keep their sons and daughters indoors. But this was easier said than done. Families relied on the children to herd livestock. Many failed to heed lafont's warning. On January 12, 12 year old Jacques Andre Portfait and six friends were watching cattle on a nearby mountain peak. Port Fei was barely four and a half feet tall, but he was on the verge of adulthood. In Gevaudan, you had to grow up fast, especially with the beast lurking. Port Fay and all his friends carried makeshift weapons, a sharp iron blade affixed to the end of a stick. That morning, the beast burst out of the nearby woods and circled the kids. They all turned, watching the monster. Nobody let it get behind their back. Then, in a flash, the creature struck. She grabbed the smallest child, an 8 year old boy, clenching her jaws around his Neck. Port Fay and two of his companions attacked the beast. But their iron blades were no match for her thick hide. They never even broke the skin. Nevertheless, she eventually dropped dropped the little boy. But only after she bit off a portion of his cheek. And she wasn't ready to retreat. She charged another child and clamped down on his arm, then dragged the kid toward the woods. Portfay watched helplessly. He couldn't run that fast. He had no hope of catching or rescuing his companion. But even if the boys couldn't catch her, maybe they could heard her. One of his companions flanked the beast's left, while Port Fay darted to the right. As the beast backed from them both, she fell into a swamp and got stuck. The creature was mired in the muck and the boy was trapped under her. But still alive. Port Fay hit the creature until she managed to scramble out of the pit. She lurched into the forest, leaving her would be victim behind. Portfay's heroic defense was just about the only good news to come out of two months of hunting. With some assistance from Lafont, the tale of the 12 year old made its way through the newspapers and up to the king. To the child's delight, Louis paid Portfay and his companions a sizable reward. This was a grand victory for the preteen boy, but humiliating for Captain Duhamel. The soldier had been upstaged. He quickly lost favor with his superiors. Lafont was still on his side. But Lafont's boss, the district intendant, was frustrated with his lack of progress. The locals were angry with Duhamel too. The beast was murdering their children and neighbors. But the captain only seemed to see the creature as a PR opportunity. Making matters worse, the people of Gevaudan accused his troop of stealing food and destroying their crops. Lafont denied these charges, calling Duhamel's squadron well controlled. Still, at the end of February 17th in 1765, the king's advisors dispatched a new pair of hunters, the Denevals, a father and son duo famed for killing predatory wolves. They refused to work with Duhamel because they feared he'd take all the credit when the beast was finally slayed. This eventually led Duhamel to leave the area in disgrace. This didn't matter much to the Denevals. They were singularly focused on killing the creature. But like Duhamel, the duo immediately encountered bad weather that prevented them from hunting. Their dog struggled to navigate the swamps, snow and other hazards of Gevaudan. In April, the father son pair finally began hunting the beast in Earnest. But by the end of May, at least another dozen people had been killed by the creature. And a few weeks later, the Beast murdered a woman in the very same area they'd spent the day searching. Now, to be fair, their task was daunting. When the attacks had begun, the Beast had stayed local. But now it was regularly sighted within an area that was about 60 miles long and and 50 miles wide. Between the difficult terrain and volatile weather, the hunters stood little chance of defeating the creature. But these excuses didn't satisfy the public as they watched their loved ones die. And the King was tiring of the steady stream of bad press. So that June, he appointed Francois Antoine to take charge of the search. Francois was a knight and the King's gun bearer. It was his job to load the monarch's rifle. King Louis had chosen his most loyal hunter to finish the job. On June 23, Francois arrived at Jevaudan with a team of royal gamekeepers. When he dismissed the Denevals from duty, they burst into tears and pleaded for another chance. Chance to finish the job. But Francois didn't budge. The Royal Hunt was on. In 1765, Francis King Louis XV offered a reward to anyone who could kill the Beast of Je Vaudan. He handpicked his gun bearer, Francois Antoinette, to lead the hunt. Although Francois was 71 years old, he was an experienced tracker and a brilliant choice to eliminate the monster. Initially, Francois experienced many of the same setbacks his predecessors had encountered. For nearly a month, Gevaudan was shrouded in rain and fog. But when Francois managed to set foot in the woods woods, he frequently found giant paw prints. However, these clues didn't lead him to the Beast. Throughout July, he and his royal gamekeepers didn't encounter the creature once, but the people of Gevaudan did. In early August, a 19 year old named Marie Jean Valet walked with her younger sister through the community of Paul Lock. Marie Jeanne had heard about the Beast, so she carried a short spear. This was fortunate, because when the sisters crossed a river, the monster sprang out from the bushes along the bank. Marie Jeanne fought back, jabbing the creature in its shoulder. The predator dove into the river and fled as the woman watched in horror. When they reported the attack to authorities, Marie Jean and her sister's description lined up perfectly. Satisfied the reports were genuine, the local police summoned Francois. When he arrived, Francois personally examined Marie Jean's spear. Given the blood on the weapon, he surmised she'd penetrated the Beast's tough skin. Burrowing three inches deep, he declared her a hero. And compared her to Joan of Arc. Marie Jean became a local celebrity. And more importantly, her actions made the Beast easier to track. Its injuries slowed it down and visibly distinguished it from ordinary wolves. And yet, Francois still couldn't find the monster. In September, there were more deaths, including two 12 year old girls. Emboldened, the creature also attacked a man who shot at it instead of running away. That month, the King sent a pack of wolf hunting dogs from the royal stables. And around this time, Francois got a tip. In the nearby woods of Les Chassis, wolves were reportedly doing a lot of damage. Francois suspected the packs were more aggressive, impressive because the Beast was among them. With the dogs in tow, Francois and several men headed for the woods on September 20, 1765. As soon as they arrived, they released the hounds so they could track the creature. Francois scoured the forest. He spotted tracks at a crossroads and paused to examine the dirt. When he glanced up again, Francois saw a strange animal. Its sharp teeth, fiery eyes and dorsal stripe confirmed for him. This was the Beast. She was about 150ft away and closing in on him. Francois snatched at his gun, aimed at the Beast face and fired. The bullet went through her eye and shrapnel from the shot hit her in the side. She crumpled to the forest floor immediately, as did Francois, knocked backward by the recoil. But when he clambered back to his feet, he saw a horrifying sight. The Beast was standing again. Even a bullet to the head and it couldn't bring her down. She loped steadily toward Francois as he frantically reloaded his rifle and yelled for help. Just then, Francois's nephew and another hunting partner heard his cries and fired on the Beast. Once again, they hit her. She shuddered, tried to stumble away into the woods and then collapsed. Finally, the Beast was dead. In October 1765, Francois's son presented the animal's body to the Royal Court in Versailles. Francois was hailed as a hero, the man who destroyed the scourge of Gevaudan. But his success invited controversy. Some citizens argued Francois nephew deserved the credit for killing the Beast. After all, he fired the fatal shots, and some weren't convinced. Je Baudon's long nightmare was over. Sub delegate Lafont, the local official who'd organized the first hunts, was worried. The peasants had killed wolves before, but the Beast always returned. Perhaps his skepticism was unwarranted. November passed without incident, the first month without any recorded attack. Since the trouble began, Francois's men packed their bags and left Gevaudan for good. In Gevaudan, life returned to normal. Young women and children resumed shepherding duties, forgotten by the rest of France, not to mention the rest of the world, until one December morning when a six year old boy was taken by a creature. Suddenly, after a month of quiet, the attacks resumed in full force. Little girls were found decapitated. Others could only be identified by their detached limbs and scraps of clothing. Either the Beast was back from the dead or it had never been killed at all. But now nobody was paying attention. Not the newspapers, not the hunters, and certainly not the King. Any suggestion that Francois hadn't killed the Beast would be considered an offense against Louis XV's honor. But Lafont wasn't interested in playing games. He wasted little time organizing the locals. He had fewer resources and men than before, and this time he had no reason to expect he'd get more help. If they were ever going to truly stop the Beast of Jevaudan, the people would have to finish the job themselves. Thank you for listening to Conspiracy Theories. We're here with a new episode every Wednesday. Be sure to check us out on Instagram at the Conspiracy Pod. If you're listening on the Spotify app, swipe up and give us your thoughts. Or email us@conspiracy storiespotify.com for more information on the the Beast. Amongst the many sources we used, we found Beast by Gustavo Sanchez Romero and S.R. schwab and Monsters of the Gevaudan by J.M. smith. Extremely helpful to our research. Until next time. Remember, the truth isn't always the best story and the official story isn't always the truth. This episode was written by Thomas Dolan Gavitt with writing assistants by Amber Hurley and Angela Jorgensen. Fact checked by Bennett Logan, researched by Chelsea Wood and sound design by Kelly Gehry. Our head of programming is Julian Boirau. Our head of Production is Nick Johnson and Spencer Howard is our post production supervisor. I'm your host Carter Ro.
- [33:34]
Buzzballs Ad
This episode is brought to you by Buzzballs. Every time I see these guys in the store I have to smile. They are hilarious and so cute. My favorite flavor is Watermelon Smash. Thanks to Buzzballs you can get delicious cocktails in these cute ready to drink ball cans. They're made with real fruit juices and creams plus they're kosher certified and gluten free. There's a Buzzballs for every cocktail taste. Find a Buzzballs near you. Buzzballs 15% ABV Carrollton, Texas Please enjoy responsibly.