Buzz
Boasting formidable fangs and spine-chilling howls, wolves are often perceived as terrifying creatures. Although attacks by wolves on humans are exceedingly uncommon, fear of these animals persists, extending even to the mythical werewolves—humans believed to transform into wolves under a full Moon.
In the Middle Ages and early modern era, alleged werewolves faced trials akin to witches, often enduring torture until they confessed to obtaining wolf pelts and magical ointments from the devil. Many of these so-called werewolves were, in reality, serial killers with a savage nature. Others were outcasts, mentally unstable individuals living on the fringes of society. Regardless, both wolves and werewolves have sparked widespread fear and panic across history.
10. The Wolves of Paris
In 1450, Paris was not the sprawling metropolis it is today, yet it held the title of the largest city in the Western world. Encircled by protective walls, the city was theoretically shielded from the dangers of the surrounding countryside, which included wild and aggressive animals.
During that harsh winter, a pack of starving wolves infiltrated the city, killing 40 residents and igniting widespread panic. These wolves, noted for their reddish hue (possibly indicating they were Iberian wolves from northern Spain), struck such fear into the hearts of Parisians that they dubbed the pack's leader with the ominous name Courtaud (“Bobtail”).
Determined to end the threat, the citizens of Paris took action. Armed with an assortment of weapons, they trapped the wolves in the city center. In the public square near Notre Dame cathedral, the angry crowd hurled spears and stones until every wolf was slain.
9. The Wolf of Gysinge
In 1817, a wolf pup was captured in rural Sweden and kept in captivity for several years. After escaping, it became known as the fearsome “Wolf of Gysinge,” responsible for attacking 31 people and killing 12 between December 30, 1820, and March 27, 1821, in the Swedish regions of Dalarna and Gastrickland. Most victims were children aged three to 15, and many were found partially eaten upon discovery.
To address the crisis, the Swedish government offered rewards for wolves and their pups, leading to a sharp decline in the wolf population. The Wolf of Gysinge, along with other wolves suspected of preying on humans, was eventually hunted down and killed. This harrowing tale was later adapted into a BBC dramatization in 2005.
8. The Werewolf Trials of Vaud
From the 15th to the 17th century, the Swiss canton of Vaud, known for its French-speaking population, was rumored to be a haven for witches, werewolves, and sorcerers. Reports of a child-devouring werewolf date back to 1448, but the hysteria in Vaud peaked later, coinciding with Europe's widespread witch hunts and trials.
In 1602, three women were accused of turning into wolves using a satanic ointment. As werewolves, they allegedly kidnapped and devoured a child during a sacrilegious Sabbath ritual. Two decades later, a man confessed to transforming into a werewolf to attack livestock in a stable, though he failed in his attempt.
As the hysteria subsided in 1653, Francois Perrault, a Huguenot pastor, authored a pamphlet titled Demonologie, asserting that lycanthropy stemmed from depression and delusions. Consequently, he argued that werewolves no longer held any link to witchcraft.
A shift in official attitudes soon followed. By 1670, when a 12-year-old boy claimed that he and his mother frequently turned into werewolves, his story was dismissed as unbelievable.
7. The Werewolf Trials of Valais
Werewolf trials in Switzerland extended beyond Vaud. From 1428 to 1447, a wave of witchcraft trials swept through the French province of Savoy and the French- and German-speaking regions of the Swiss canton of Valais. The trials began in late summer 1428 when delegates from seven Valais districts urged the Duke of Savoy to launch a witch hunt. They demanded that anyone accused of witchcraft by three individuals face trial. Given the medieval context, the accused were also subject to torture.
Unlike many subsequent trials, the Valais witch trials also targeted individuals accused of lycanthropy. While modern perspectives often separate witches from werewolves, French and Swiss courts of the time viewed them as interconnected, believing werewolves were created through dark sorcery.
Within a few years, the trials that began in Valais expanded across Switzerland and beyond the Alps. Recognized as one of the earliest large-scale witch hunts in European history, the Valais trials are infamous for the mass execution of 100 individuals accused of witchcraft and lycanthropy.
6. The Wolves of Turku
Similar to the earlier Swedish panic, the “Wolves of Turku” were a fearsome group of wolves that preyed primarily on children. Between 1880 and 1881, two or three wolves claimed the lives of 22 children in and around the Finnish coastal city of Turku.
The initial casualty, an eight-year-old boy whose father was a sailor, suffered such severe injuries from the attack that his remains were discovered in fragments. Following a similar incident with another victim, authorities sent a team of 15 soldiers and nine expert hunters from Pskov, Russia, tasked with either capturing or eliminating the wolves.
During the period when the Turku wolves were still a threat, they instilled widespread fear, leading to the years 1880 and 1881 being dubbed the “Wolf Years” in Finland. The community was gripped by fear, especially parents who dreaded the possibility of their children being the next victims, as tales of wolves snatching toddlers circulated. The situation began to calm down after hunters shot an elderly, nearly toothless female wolf in January 1882, followed by the poisoning of a male wolf twelve days later, and the subsequent killing of another wolf.
5. The Beast Of Bladenboro
The true nature of the “Beast of Bladenboro” remains a mystery. Descriptions from those who saw it varied widely, suggesting it resembled anything from a large cat to a wolf or even a hybrid of the two. Without photographic evidence or a body to examine, the creature's identity continues to be a subject of speculation.
The saga of the Beast of Bladenboro started on December 29, 1953, when a woman in Clarkton, North Carolina, scared off what she described as an unusually large cat from a neighbor's yard. The situation escalated on New Year’s Eve when Roy Fores, the local police chief, was summoned to a farm where two dogs had been mysteriously killed.
Shortly after the initial incident, the Bladenboro police were inundated with reports of dogs being assaulted by a massive creature attempting to haul them into the forest. Local newspapers picked up the story, detailing how several dogs had been brutally slain and left bloodless.
Over the following weeks, sightings of the beast spread across Bladen County, with locals reporting frequent attacks on goats, pigs, and dogs. Descriptions of the creature varied widely: from a large feline spotted on December 29 to an African-like predator, a massive bobcat with paw prints indicating a weight of 45–70 kilograms (100–150 lb), a surviving cougar, a bear, and even a wolf.
Some modern theories suggest the Beast of Bladenboro might have been a cryptid—an undiscovered species. While the case faded in the 1950s, a few eyewitnesses still claim the creature roams the North Carolina Piedmont region to this day.
4. The Siege Of Palmyra, Maine
Maine stands as the final frontier of wilderness on the heavily populated East Coast of the United States. Larger than all other New England states combined, it boasts a sparse population and vast rural landscapes. Its dense pine forests could easily conceal countless mysteries. Much like the Pacific Northwest, renowned for its Sasquatch sightings, Maine could harbor an array of cryptids.
In 2007, a couple in Palmyra, Maine, endured a harrowing night that might have involved werewolves. Shelley Rockwell-Martin and Eric Martin had just settled into their new home when five wolf-like creatures began prowling around their front porch. Both reported that the creatures occasionally stood upright on their hind legs, towering at an estimated 2 meters (7 ft) tall.
The creatures displayed unnerving intelligence as they circled the couple’s home throughout the night. Eric, an experienced hunter, typically kept his firearms close, but Shelley had insisted they be stored in an outdoor shed. Aside from a few terrifying encounters—later featured on an episode of Paranormal Witness—the Martins spent most of the night barricaded inside their house.
Adding to the strangeness of a potential werewolf encounter in modern-day Maine, the ordeal was preceded by mysterious lights in the woods near the Martin property. Eric also claimed to have seen the apparition of a small child dressed in outdated clothing inside the house before the wolf-like creatures appeared. These bizarre occurrences have led some to speculate that the Martin home might be situated near a portal between the spirit world and ours.
3. The Wolves Of King Louis XV
During the reign of King Louis XV, France was plagued by ferocious beasts. One of the most notorious incidents took place from 1764 to 1767 in Gevaudan, a southern French province, where an unknown predator claimed the lives of 80 to 113 people. The creature was eventually slain by a local farmer, Jean Chastel, using a silver bullet. To this day, the case fascinates historians, investigators, and cryptozoologists, with theories ranging from a diseased wolf to a hyena.
Amid the 18th-century hysteria, King Louis XV dispatched royal soldiers to eliminate the beast. Though unsuccessful, some troops were sent to Soissons, northeast of Paris, in 1765. There, a wolf wreaked havoc for two days, killing four and injuring 14. The aggressive animal attacked without discrimination, even targeting a man on horseback. It was ultimately subdued by a militiaman wielding a pitchfork, who held the creature down while another delivered the fatal strike.
Another wave of terror struck in February 1766 when a pack of wolves killed 18 people. Instead of relying on royal hunters, the residents of Perigord formed their own hunting parties, successfully eradicating the wolves within a month. In one notable act of bravery, an elderly man used a billhook to save a fellow farmer from a wolf attack. King Louis XV personally honored the man with silver and granted his children a military exemption.
Today, the remains of two of these deadly wolves are exhibited at the Chateau de Razac in Thiviers.
2. Austrian Werewolf Panic
While werewolf trials originated in Switzerland and France, they became more prevalent and lasted longer in southern Germany and Austria. This was partly due to the prosecution of individuals accused of being “Wolfssegen” (wolf-charmers), who were believed to use magical powers to control wolves, turning them into hunting companions or weapons. Similar to witches and werewolves, wolf-charmers faced trials and were often sentenced to death.
In Austria, numerous witch and werewolf trials took place at Moosham Castle, a famously haunted structure now popular on ghost tours. Constructed in the 13th century by the Prince Bishop of Salzburg, the castle earned the nickname “Witches Castle” due to the many witch trials and executions held there between 1670 and 1690.
Between 1715 and 1717, an unidentified creature slaughtered cattle and deer near Moosham Castle. Initially, wolves were blamed, and armed hunters were dispatched. When their efforts failed, superstition took hold, and the killings were attributed to werewolves.
In 1717, several beggars were arrested and tortured into confessing. They claimed to have received a “black cream” from Satan that enabled them to transform into wolves. In this form, they allegedly killed and consumed livestock. As expected, after these confessions, the accused were either executed or imprisoned in the castle’s dungeons.
1. The Werewolf Of Defiance, Ohio
Defiance, Ohio, now more commonly associated with a Columbus punk band, is a small town located on the state’s western edge. Named after a bold statement by General Anthony “Mad Tony” Wayne, Defiance became the center of a series of werewolf sightings in 1972.
Between July and August of that year, railroad workers and residents began reporting encounters with a “wolfman” near the Norfolk and Western tracks close to Fifth Street. Witnesses described the massive creature emerging from the woods and attacking people with a wooden plank between 1:30 AM and 4:30 AM.
The alleged werewolf quickly became a source of amusement for local newspapers, which often referenced the 1941 film The Wolf Man or published sensational headlines to stir up fear. Despite the jokes, sightings persisted, with one woman claiming she nearly shot a creature scratching at her door, while three others sought police protection from the monster. Fortunately, the hysteria soon faded, and life in Defiance returned to normal.
