by Brown Robert
Grenier then told the girls that when Pierre Labourant gave him the wolf-skin cape, he was transformed into a werewolf. He went on to explain that from dusk to dawn, every Monday, Friday, and Sunday, he would don his cape and again be transformed into a wolf. He claimed to have killed numerous dogs and drank their blood while in his wolf form. With malice in his eyes, he then told them that, more than the blood of dogs, he much preferred eating the tender flesh of young girls. He claimed to have eaten many young girls, and with a growling voice told them that, were the sun down, he would have eaten all of them. Grenier then burst into another joyous fit, this time frightening the girls so much that they ran from him in a screaming panic.
In truth, Jean Grenier was not the son of a priest as he had claimed. He was actually the son of a poor laborer (who is believed to have been an abusive father). Three months before the previously mentioned encounter, Grenier had run away from his home village (some believe he wished to escape brutal beatings from his father). It is unknown if he was living at any particular residence in the months that followed.
The Lost Boy and Marguerite
Facing starvation, and growing weary of living as a beggar, Grenier worked a number of jobs, mostly tending flocks for local farmers. Usually, he was soon fired for neglecting his duties. At the time, he had worked for several weeks at a rather low-paying job in the nearby village of Antoine de Pizon, where no one knew him. His job was to accompany the daughter of a livestock owner while she tended her father’s flock of sheep. The girl’s name was Marguerite Poirier, and she often complained to her father about Grenier’s increasingly erratic and unusual behavior. She told her father that Grenier would often frighten her with horrifying stories, which the boy claimed were about his own savage acts and bloody crimes. Despite Marguerite’s sincere complaints, her father thought nothing of the situation. He just assumed that she was exaggerating, or that Grenier was just having a bit of harmless fun (as boys tend to do) by telling scary stories.
One day, however, Marguerite returned home far earlier than normal. Quite out of character, she was in such a panic that she’d abandoned her father’s flock of sheep. Her father finally took the matter seriously, and asked his daughter to tell him what had happened to make her come rushing home without the family’s valuable flock.
Marguerite’s Tale
Marguerite explained to her father how, on frequent occasions over the last few weeks, Grenier had told her a strange story of how he’d sold his soul to the devil in order to receive the power of a werewolf. He had also told her the same story he’d relayed to the other group of girls, that he’d killed dogs and eaten young girls. On one occasion, he told her in horrifying detail how he had killed a young girl and devoured every bit of her flesh because he was overcome by hunger.
On that particular day, however, Marguerite had led the sheep out to pasture as usual. This time, Grenier was nowhere to be seen. When she heard a commotion from some nearby bushes, she’d thought this was an attempt by Grenier to jump out and scare her. She made her way over to the bushes, planning to bring him out before he could cause any such mischief. Before she reached the bushes, however, she explained that a giant, hairy beast had pounced from the bush and knocked her down. It ripped at her clothing with its fangs and claws, and she showed her parents the tears in her clothes. Luckily, she had not lost her grip on her shepherd’s staff.
Marguerite then fought for her life and succeeded in pushing the beast off of her. When it regained its footing and came at her a second time, she used the staff to beat at its head furiously until the beast suddenly retreated back. It then sat back on its haunches and, acting somewhat like a dog (though it is important to note that she never once said the beast was a dog), began to whine meekly. Marguerite said the creature had resembled a wolf in appearance, but was far more muscular and had a thicker neck and ribcage. Also, she reported that its head did not have as long a snout as a wolf’s. Lastly, she explained that all of the beast’s hair was red … and it was the same color of red, in fact, as Jean Grenier’s.
Grenier’s Confession
Soon, the local authorities decided they’d had just about enough with hearing complaints about Grenier’s outlandish and brazen behavior. When the reports of the two preceding incidents reached the courts, they had Grenier taken into custody. They insisted that the boy explain his history, since nothing was known about who he was or where he’d come from. The story he told the court was quite different from the one he’d told others. This time, the court officials investigated every claim he made. As it turns out, they were able to confirm as true most (but not all) of the details from his official testimony.
Grenier testified to the court that, when he was 11 years old, he’d been taken into the forest by a close friend and introduced to a mysterious man with black skin. He claimed that the man’s name had been Monsieur de la Forest. This strange gentleman, he explained, first signed his name into Grenier’s palm with the tip of a nail. He then gave Grenier and his friend a magic salve and wolf-skin capes that allowed them to transform into werewolves.
The Curse
Once again, Grenier may have been having some fun with the courts by referring to the devilish figure by the name Monsieur de la Forest. This could be translated as either “Man of the Forest” or “Lord of the Forest.” It is important to note that Grenier never once specifically refers to the man who gave him the wolf-skin cape as “the devil” or “Satan.” He only alludes to the possibility that he’d made a pact with the devil, but never openly says so.
When questioned by the court about the detailed testimony of Marguerite Poirier, and about her claims that he’d attacked her in the form of the wolf, Grenier testified that she had been telling the truth. He admitted that he had attacked her in his werewolf form, but that she’d beaten him off with her staff (a detail that the court had not revealed to him). As for the rest of her testimony, he said there were some mistakes. He admitted that he had, as Marguerite claimed, once killed a white furred dog. Grenier denied, however, having drank its blood.
The court then questioned Grenier about the various reports that he’d openly admitted to others that he’d attacked, sometimes killed, and eaten the flesh of children. Grenier testified that he had certainly done so, but only on three specific occasions. He made an admission that he’d once come upon an empty house in a small village (but did not remember the name of it). He claimed to have snuck into the house in the form of a werewolf, and found an infant sleeping in a crib. He had snatched the child, dragged it away, and ate as much flesh as satisfied his hunger. He claimed to have given the remains to one of his normal wolf companions.
In the local area of Antoine de Pizon, Grenier testified, he had also attacked another little girl while she was tending her family’s sheep herd. While he claimed that he did not know the girl’s name, Grenier testified that she had been wearing a black frock. He explained that he had been so hungry on this particular occasion that, unlike the case of the infant, he had eaten most of the little girl’s flesh to her bones.
Grenier then testified that he had attacked a third and final child only six weeks before, also in the region of Antoine de Pizon. He claimed to have come upon the child while crossing the parish’s stone bridge. While he had taken a bite out of the child, he claimed that he’d been chased off by passersby who pelted him with rocks and beat at him with sticks.
Grenier had then traveled to the nearby village of Eparon, still in wolf form, where he attacked a hound on the estate of a Monsieur Millon. Before he could kill and devour the dog, however, he was again thwarted when Monsieur Millon emerged from the home and attacked the wolf/ Grenier with his rapier (a thin but sharp sword used by nobles for dueling).
The court officials now inquired as to the nature and location of both the salve and wolf-skin cape that Grenier alleged to possess. Grenier explained that he kept them hidden in a large bush in a secret forest location, where he would also hide his clothes when in wolf form. He cl
aimed that in order to make his transformation he would first cover his entire body with the salve before he donned the wolf-skin cape.
The Investigation Continues
When the court insisted to know where the wolf-skin cape was currently located, Grenier’s testimony took a strange twist. He claimed that the wolf-skin cape was in the possession of his father, who had also sold his soul and often assisted him in his crimes. His father, he testified, was also a werewolf. In fact, he claimed that his stepmother had left his father after seeing him throw up the paws of a dog and fingers of a child that they’d killed and eaten.
As a result of Grenier’s testimony, the court had Grenier’s childhood friend, father, and stepmother taken into custody for questioning and examination. His parents both made testimonies that supported certain details of their son’s claims. When Jean Grenier was brought into the room to again testify about his father’s alleged role in the killings, he recanted his statements and said that he’d lied about that part. The court soon found Grenier’s father and stepmother innocent of any wrongdoing (in their son’s crimes, at least). However, further investigation proved that Grenier’s other claims were mostly true.
Many of the details Grenier gave about his attacks on children were soon confirmed. Investigators tracked down and interviewed the parents of children who’d recently gone missing. Several reports coincided with the details of Grenier’s testimony. For example, the detail of his report of attacking and eating a girl wearing a black frock was confirmed by her parents. She had last been seen leaving with the family’s sheep flock, wearing a black frock.
One man who had rescued the child Grenier had attacked at the bridge was also located and came forward to testify about the event. The man turned out to have been the boy’s uncle. Grenier had testified that one of the men had said “I’ll have you presently.” Without prompting, the uncle testified that he had shouted these exact same words when beating the wolf off of his nephew.
The court soon had all the evidence they needed to prove that Grenier had committed the crimes to which he’d already confessed. Normally, such a detailed confession would have been enough to convict a suspect in those times. However, his strange behavior led many to suspect that the boy was just a deranged liar. The only detail that the court was never able to confirm or dismiss was Grenier’s claim that he could transform into a werewolf. The only evidence they had regarding this was the eyewitness testimony of Marguerite Poirier. Neither the magic salve nor the wolf-skin cape was ever found.
The Fate of Jean Grenier
A renowned French physician and scholar, the President of Assize, came before the court in order to testify about what he believed to be the true nature of Grenier’s condition. In a long but well-presented speech, he addressed and proved false any claims that Jean Grenier was some dark agent of the devil or had become involved in witchcraft. He carefully demonstrated how this could be proven. He had examined the boy and showed how he had demonstrated an obvious lack of intelligence, maturity, and reasoning skills. Based on this, it was obvious that Grenier instead suffered from some form of mental derangement. He cited recent research supporting the idea that lycanthropy was nothing more than a delusional mental illness. He also asked that the court consider Grenier’s young age, explaining that sending him to prison (at the time, teenage criminals were imprisoned right alongside adult criminals) would only serve to worsen his mental condition.
The court took the physician’s testimony into account as they decided the fate of Jean Grenier. In the end, they concluded that prison was not the right place for the deranged boy. Instead, they sentenced Jean Grenier to a lifetime of imprisonment at the Bordeaux Monastery. The belief was that, at the monastery, Grenier would receive a proper education. He might also learn how to conduct himself appropriately in both social and spiritual matters. Additionally, and just in case Grenier really was an agent of the devil, the court probably figured that the righteous presence of the Bordeaux monks would be able to cleanse any such evil influences from his soul. There was, however, one strict condition to Grenier’s lightened sentence—if he ever escaped, or even attempted to do so, then Grenier would immediately be removed from the monastery and publicly executed.
Grenier’s arrival at the monastery was said to be rather disconcerting. Once he’d been released, he is written as having begun running around on his hands and feet, eyes wild. He ran from one end of the monastery to the other, howling loudly and growling like an animal. He soon came upon a pile of discarded, raw meat scraps and began to gobble down the bloody mess with enthusiastic voracity. He had completely eaten the entire pile in a matter of minutes.
Seven years into Grenier’s sentence, investigators (both from the courts and medical community) came to the monastery to conduct a follow-up interview. The young man they found was little more than a shadow of his former, rebellious self. He spoke very little, and avoided making eye contact. Grenier’s physical appearance had hardly improved. His eyes darted around wildly. His fingernails are said to have turned black, as if from bruising. Several of his blackened fingernails were also torn and broken, as if he had recently tried to claw his way through solid stone.
During the interview, Grenier was almost a vegetable. He rarely made verbal replies, and those he did make were short and/or incomprehensible. When presented with problems and questions that were designed to test him for any improvement in his intelligence, Grenier proved unable to provide answers for even the most simple of them.
Shortly after this follow-up interview, Jean Grenier died as a prisoner in Bordeaux Monastery. The cause of death remains unknown (though some speculate, based on his deteriorating intelligence, that he died from brain damage or some unidentified neurological disorder). At the time of his death, Jean Grenier was only 20 years old.
The Least You Need to Know
• The French word for werewolf is “loup-garou.”
• The “Beast of Gevaudan” may have been some now-extinct species of giant wolf.
• While no one knows the true name of the monster dubbed the “Demon Tailor of Chalons,” his crimes will live on in infamy.
• Sadly, Pierre Burgot may have been nothing more than the victim of a prank gone too far.
• Jacques Roulet, the convicted “Werewolf of Caude,” was first sentenced to death but later deemed mentally ill and sent to an asylum.
• Jean Grenier was also deemed the victim of mental derangement, and was sentenced to life in a monastery.
Chapter 9
Werewolf Chronicles
In This Chapter
• The Inquisition’s dismemberment of the man known only as the “Werewolf of Padua”
• The she-wolf of Auvergne
• The wolf-girls of Orissa
• Vseslav Bryachislavich, the werewolf-sorcerer prince of Polotsk
• The modern case of Bill Ramsey
We have discussed the infamous werewolf trials, as well as the medieval church’s resulting persecution of wolves and werewolves. We have also discussed the widespread werewolf obsession of medieval France. However, the story of werewolves in human history does not end with these. There still remain a multitude of historical accounts of lycanthropy that must be included in any comprehensive discussion of the subject. These are the werewolves who refused to fit into categories. These … are the werewolf chronicles.
The Werewolf of Padua
Job Fincel, in the second book of his manuscript Wunderscheizen, which roughly translates as “On Miracles,” recorded the tale of one werewolf account in Italy. In 1541, in the Italian city of Padua (also spelled Padova), a nearby villager savagely attacked a large group of men when he came upon them in a rural field. The villager even succeeded in killing some of the men, using nothing more than his teeth and hands. After an extreme and violent struggle, the surviving members of the group managed to subdue him. They tied up the wild man and immediately dragged him to the local authorities of the Ecclesiastical Court of the Inquisiti
on.
Upon questioning, the man insisted to the inquisitors that he was actually a wolf when he attacked. One of the inquisitors posed a question—if the man was indeed a wolf as he claimed, then where was his coat of fur? The man explained to the inquisitors that, unlike natural wolves, he wore his coat of fur in a concealed layer that was between his skin and his muscles.
The inquisitors decided that they would test the truth of his claim. If their test turned out to prove he was telling the truth, then he would be immediately executed as a werewolf. If he turned out to just be a madman, then they would set him free.
Unfortunately for the accused man, the inquisitors’ so-called “test” was to chop off all of his arms and legs and then inspect the areas beneath his skin for any signs of fur. The man was tied down and dismembered. The inquisitors found no signs of the fur he had claimed to possess. As the man lay bleeding on the table (but still alive, apparently), the head inquisitor informed him that he had been found innocent of lycanthropy and would therefore be referred to their surgeons and released. The man, despite the surgeons’ best efforts, died from blood loss only a few moments later.