Jean Chastel
Encyclopedia
Jean Chastel was a local farmer and inn-keeper, noted for killing the Beast of Gévaudan
on June 19, 1767 at Mont Mouchet
. According to tradition and several subsequent novels, he positioned himself on a prime spot to get first bids on the beast and opened the Bible
. Then he fired two shots with silver bullet
s, obtained from a medal representing Virgin Mary. The last shot hit the creature in the heart. Chastel's son, Antoine, was said to have possessed hyenas, animals matching the description of the beast, in his menagerie
. However, he stated that beast was staring at him for a while. This would have been aberrant behavior for the beast, as it would usually attack on sight. Some believe this is proof Chastel participated with the beast, or that even he had trained it.
Chastel appeared as a character in the Brotherhood of the Wolf
film.
Chastel is also a werewolf in Patricia Briggs
' novel, Hunting Ground. In this he is both the Beast of Gévaudan and Jean Chastel, having been made to fake his own werewolf persona's death by a more powerful werewolf who objected to the Beast's bloody rampage through the area.
Beast of Gévaudan
The Beast of Gévaudan is a name given to man-eating wolf-like animals alleged to have terrorized the former province of Gévaudan , in the Margeride Mountains in south-central France from 1764 to 1767 over an area stretching . The beasts were consistently described by eyewitnesses as having...
on June 19, 1767 at Mont Mouchet
Mont Mouchet
Mont Mouchet is a 1,497-metre high mountain located on the border of the French départements of Cantal, Haute-Loire and Lozère. It is famous for the historical events which took place there, notably during the Second World War where it hosted a group of French resistance fighters, the Maquis du...
. According to tradition and several subsequent novels, he positioned himself on a prime spot to get first bids on the beast and opened the Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
. Then he fired two shots with silver bullet
Silver bullet
In folklore, the silver bullet is supposed to be the only kind of bullet for firearms that is effective against a werewolf, witch, or other monsters...
s, obtained from a medal representing Virgin Mary. The last shot hit the creature in the heart. Chastel's son, Antoine, was said to have possessed hyenas, animals matching the description of the beast, in his menagerie
Menagerie
A menagerie is/was a form of keeping common and exotic animals in captivity that preceded the modern zoological garden. The term was first used in seventeenth century France in reference to the management of household or domestic stock. Later, it came to be used primarily in reference to...
. However, he stated that beast was staring at him for a while. This would have been aberrant behavior for the beast, as it would usually attack on sight. Some believe this is proof Chastel participated with the beast, or that even he had trained it.
Chastel appeared as a character in the Brotherhood of the Wolf
Brotherhood of the Wolf
Brotherhood of the Wolf is a 2001 French film directed by Christophe Gans, starring Samuel Le Bihan and Mark Dacascos, and written by Gans and Stéphane Cabel...
film.
Chastel is also a werewolf in Patricia Briggs
Patricia Briggs
Patricia Briggs is an American author, well-known for the Mercy Thompson urban fantasy series. Briggs was born in Butte, Montana, and lived in various cities in the Pacific Northwest...
' novel, Hunting Ground. In this he is both the Beast of Gévaudan and Jean Chastel, having been made to fake his own werewolf persona's death by a more powerful werewolf who objected to the Beast's bloody rampage through the area.