France
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Quinotaur
The Quinotaur is a creature from French myth. Its name means “bull with five horns.” It is described as part bull, part dragon, and part fish, and possesses intelligence. Supposedly it originated from the Merovingian bloodline and was thought to be the father to King Merovee, having possibly raped his mother when she went to swim in the sea. In some versions, she was already pregnant and the Quinotaur’s DNA fused with the unborn baby, giving it magic powers. Citations: Bane, Theresa. Encyclopedia of Beasts and Monsters in Myth, Legend and Folklore. United States, McFarland, Incorporated, Publishers, 2016. Fanthorpe, Patricia. The Big Book of Mysteries. United States, Dundurn Press, 2010.
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Peluda/La Velue/Shaggy Beast/The Shaggy Beast Of La Ferte-Bernard/Peallaidh/Pehuda
The Peluda is a large dragon thought to have lived near the Huisine River in the village of La Ferte-Bernard, France. This creature was spoken of in Medieval times, and it was thought that it refused a ride on Noah’s ark but still survived the great flood. It was thought to have had four stubby legs, quills covering its back, a scaly tail, shaggy green fur, turtle claws, and the ability to breath fire. It was so large that it flooded nearby farms when it entered the river. One day, it ate a young maiden, whose fiancé sought out a wise woman to find the creature’s weakness. He was told…
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Mahwot/Karnabo
The Mahwot, later called the Karnabo, is a monster thought to live in the Lower Meuse Ardennes in France. It is described as an amphibious creature as large as a calf and shaped like a lizard. It rarely leaves the Meuse, and it foretells disaster and destruction. It is thought to come when mothers call for it to attack disobedient children. It is known to make a nasal sound that paralyzes and suffocates people who get too close, and it kills cattle. Later iterations had a human face, eyes like a basilisk, and a trunk-like nose. It is often thought to be locked away in an abandoned slate quarry. Citations:…
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Loup Garou
The Loup Garou is a French form of werewolf that traveled to the US with colonialism. They are known to feed on blood and the flesh of humans. There are various distinct forms of Loup Garou. The oldest form starts out human and changes fully into a wolf with human intelligence. Often this version of transformation is induced by wearing a magic belt made of wolf skin. The next form, these stories starting in the eighteenth century, only partially transform, turning into human-wolf hybrids. This form had incredible strength, speed, and was very difficult to kill. The next form, these stories starting in the nineteenth century, were people who did…
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Hans Trapp
Hans Trapp is a mythical figure from the Alsace-Lorraine region of France. He is related to the figures Knecht Ruprecht and Père Fouettard. He was also associated with a historical figure known as Hans Von Trotha, who was a knight and nobleman from the 1400s. He had a dispute with an abbot from a Benedictine monastery. He made a dam to deprive the town of Weissenburg of water and then broke it to flood the area. For this crime and others, he was summoned by Pope Alexander VI. He refused to appear and insulted the pope, resulting in his excommunication. Because of this, he was sometimes referred to as the…
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Guivre
The Guivre is from French myth. They have serpentine bodies with horned dragon heads. They live in swamps, pools, woods, and generally damp places. They would often hunt and kill humans. Citations: Bane, Theresa. Encyclopedia of Beasts and Monsters in Myth, Legend and Folklore. United States, McFarland, Incorporated, Publishers, 2016.
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Gavres Hairy Alien
The Gavres Hairy Alien was a creature sighted in Gavres, Morbihan, France on October 20, 1954. The witness was a 23-year-old woman named Marie C. She was closing the shutters of her home and she saw a red-orange light hovering over a nearby road. From the light there was a thin beam of light pointing straight down and five beings appeared from it. These beings stood 1 to 1.2 meters in height, were covered in russet red hair, their heads had no hair and all had pig-like noses. These beings approached and entered the witness’s house and walked in line, all making three turns around the witness. She started screaming…
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Tarasque/Tarasconus/Taras/Tauriskos
The Tarasque was a bizarre chimerical dragon from Medieval France. It was an amphibious beast thought to live in the forest around the Rhone River. It was believed to be the child of the Leviathan and the Onachus. It was larger than an ox, had six legs ending in bear paws, a lion head, a serpentine tail ending in a scorpion stinger, a hard shell covered in spikes, and impenetrable scales covering its body. It was incredibly vicious, being known to sink ships and kill anyone moving along its river. It was believed a village requested the assistance of Saint Martha, who then went and found the creature in the…
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Dard/Cat-Headed Snake
The Dard is a strange cryptid from Europe. Its name means “forked tongue” in French. They’re lizard-like creatures with cat heads, four legs, viper tails, and horse manes running down their backs. They are known to bite viciously when provoked, but have no venom. They are known to hiss very loudly and consume milk from cows. Citations: Bane, Theresa. Encyclopedia of Beasts and Monsters in Myth, Legend and Folklore. United States, McFarland, Incorporated, Publishers, 2016. Eberhart, George M.. Mysterious Creatures: A Guide to Cryptozoology. United Kingdom, ABC-CLIO, 2002.
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Le Croque-Mitaine
Le Croque-Mitaine is a bogeyman from France. Its name means “hand cruncher” or “mitten biter.” It is unclear as to what it is. Some guesses are a fairy, one of the Fates, a goblin, or a cat-like humanoid who is sporadically savage and sly. It grinds its teeth. Citations: Bane, Theresa. Encyclopedia of Beasts and Monsters in Myth, Legend and Folklore. United States, McFarland, Incorporated, Publishers, 2016.
