Jean Grenier was discovered by his stepmother by vomiting up bones and body parts.
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The Jean Grenier werewolf case was a series of interesting events that took place in Landes in southern France. His case was one of the most famous cases in Europe of lycanthropy, a disorder where a person believes that they are a wolf or another wild animal. Jean Grenier was thirteen at the time and had thick, long red hair and a tanish complexion.

Confessions

Two shepherd girls came across the boy sitting on a log. They looked at him and noticed his hair, his fangs sticking out over his lip, and his long, pointed black fingernails that resmembled claws of a bird. His clothing looked like rags, they were dirty and torn and he gave out a loud laugh. He started to talk to the girls, he told them his father was a priest and was trying to determine which of the girls was the prettiest so that he could marry one. He could see the girls were quite scared and told them that he looked like a wolf because he wore a wolf-skin every once in a while. He said that the skin was given to him by a man named Pierre Labourant. He said that Pierre lived in a place with fire and wore an iron chain necklace. Labourant wrapped the skin around Grenier and told him to wear it every Sunday, Monday, and Friday, and also to wear it every other day for about an hour at dusk to turn him into a wolf. He then told the girls, “I have killed dogs and drunk their blood; but little girls taste better, their flesh is tender and sweet, their blood rich and warm. I have eaten many a maiden, as I have been on my raids together with my nine companions. I am a werewolf! Ah, ha! If the sun were to set I would soon fall on one of you and make a meal of you!” With that said the girls quickly ran away.

Marguerite Poirier

Another encounter with him from another thirteen year old was recorded, a girl named Marguerite Poirier. She lived near the village of St. Antoine de Pizon and she often worked with Grenier tending sheep. He would talk to her about eating dogs, drinking blood, and killing little girls. He told Poirier about a girl that he ate, telling her grusesome details, including him giving the remains of the little girl to a nearby wolf. He also told her about a girl that he bit to death and ate everything except for her shoulders and arms.

Poirier was tending sheep alone one day when she was attacked by a wolf wearing clothes, later believed to be Grenier. She tore his clothes as she attacked him with great panic with her shepherd’s staff. She said he backed off but looked at her with rage in his eyes. She said it looked like a wolf but it was shorter, stalkier, had a small head, and red hair with a tiny tail. This incident scared her so bad she left the sheep alone and ran home.

Poirier Describes the Event

After the incident the villagers were scared and noticed a few small girls were missing. Poirier told the villagers about Grenier’s graphic stories that he had told her, which led to an investigation. Grenier was found and arrested. When he was found they discovered he wasn’t the son of a priest at all, he was the son of a poor laborer in St. Antoine de Pizon. Grenier had left home three months earlier and performed odd jobs, along with begging. He then started tending sheep with Poirier, but was slacking caught slacking off.

Grenier goes to Court

In court Grenier told the everyone about him being a werewolf. He started by telling them how it all began, when he was eleven years old. A neighbor took him into the woods to meet a black man named Monsieur de la Forest (Lord of the Forest), who gave them both a wolf-skin and magical ointment. He was told to put the ointment on and the skin to become a werewolf, and he did so from then on.

He admitted to trying to kill Poirier, and told the court about how he ate a white dog by drinking its blood. He injured another dog but was chased off by the owner. He also admitted to killing an infant sleeping in her cradle, he ate her and shared her with another wolf. He also devoured a shepherd girl and another child standing by a bridge. He told everyone the Monsieur de la Forest was his master and would tell him when to hunt for children. He was told to would put the ointment on, and to go in the daytime, but sometimes he would also go at night. He was also not allowed to bite off his left thumb nail, it was the longest and thickest nail. He had to keep it in sight when he was a wolf.

One night after being a wolf he ate a dog and a child, when he went home he got sick and threw up. His stepmother went to clean it up and saw that there were dog paws and children’s finger in it. This made her leave for good. He also said that his father had a wolf skin and both went out one night and ate a girl tending her geese in Grilland. His father was dismissed from court, there was no other evidence against him.

Many of the details about the attacks were matched up with wounds. The president of the court thought that Grenier had something wrong with him and suffered from hallucinations and didn’t believe that he was directed by the devil. He was given life imprisonment in a monastery in Bordeaux, where he would recieve a religious direction.

Seclusion

When he first arrived he ran around on his hands and knees and ate raw bloody intestines. Seven years in the monastery he was visited by Pierre Delancre, a demonologist. Grenier had changed since then, both mind and appearance. He told him his story and how the Lord of the Forest came and visited him twice in the monastery, but kept him away with a cross. Not long after the visit Jean Grenier died at age 20.

The Budas comes from Abyssinian lore.
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The Budas come from Abyssinian lore and were potters or iron workers that had the ability to shape-shift into werewolves or hyenas. They had an evil eye and wore earrings or a belt, which gave them the power to transform. The earrings would sometimes be found on the ears of hyenas that were later captured. They were only able to shape-shift one day out of the year. They would use their powers to inflict back luck, sickness, and/or death upon others.

The boxenwolf was a human who could take the form of a regular wolf.
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The boxenwolf (also known as the buxenwolf) is from Germanic lore, from the Schaumberg region. He was believed to have made a pact with the Devil himself, and can transform into a wolf with the help of a magic girdle. The girdle was said to be a gift from Hell. When it takes the form of a wolf it enjoys tormenting people. Even though he looks like a regular wolf he is still able to think like a human, but gains “wolf powers” as well. His senses are enhanced, such as smell, sight, and he is able to run incredibly fast. The Boxenwolf can have its identity revealed by someone holding a piece of steel or iron over the creature’s head. In the older tales they use iron, in the more modern versions, steel is used. Unlike the classic werewolf it can be killed with any weapon.

Gilles Garnier, a hermit accused of being a werewolf.
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The Gilles Garnier werewolf case took place in 1873. Gilles Garnier was described as an old hermit that lived in the forest near Amanges, France with his wife, Apolline. He was described as having a long beard, pale face, walked with a hunch, and had a pale complexion. The town only saw him around, he rarely spoke to any of the townspeople and wasn’t a suspect until later in the werewolf attacks that occurred in the area.

The Attacks

In the fall of 1873, a few reports of missing children and witnesses telling parliament that a werewolf took the children to Dole. The authorities ordered the peasants to hunt the werewolf down. On November 8th a scream was heard from deep in the woods from a girl, which caught the curiosity of the local peasants. When they reached the child they saw her trying to defend herself against the wolf. The wolf was scared off into the woods and a few of the peasants thought that the wolf had the same features of the hermit, Gilles Garnier.

The Confession

On November 14th, a ten-year old boy went mysteriously missing and Gilles was captured and immediately put on trial. He and his wife both confessed that he was a werewolf. He talked about how he also attacked and killed a 12-year old back in September. He took her clothes off, chewed up, and ate the girl’s legs and arms. He enjoyed the taste so much that he brought some meat back for his wife. He also admitted to attacking another young girl and later strangling a ten-year old to death and enjoyed eating his legs, arms, and belly. He also killed a young teen boy, he didn’t get to eat him because he was scared off by some peasants. The men that claimed to have seen him all said that they saw him in human form, not in wolf form. He was then sentenced to death, where he was burned alive.

The gandillon werewolf of France.
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The strange case of the Gandillon werewolf took place in France in 1598. The events started when a young girl named Pernette from the Gandillon family walked around on her hands and knees believing that she was a wolf. She roamed around the woods one day acting like a wolf and came across a boy and girl, both brother and sister, picking berries. Pernette went crazy for blood and started to attack the girl. The girl’s little brother, aged four years old, grabbed a knife and tried to protect his sister while getting a huge gash on his neck but both made it out of the woods alive. They told the townspeople what happened and a mob of peasants went after Pernette and destroyed her.

Not very long afer the incident, Pernette’s brother Pierre, kidnapped children and took them to witch sabbats. He was said to have an ointment that he received from the devil that made him transform into a wolf. When he was a wolf he would run around killing people and animals, and to turn back into a human he would roll in the wet grass. He wasn’t the only one that used the ointment, his son also claimed that he used it and killed two goats. Once the spirit becomes the animal, the body lies in bed in a trance. They were both accused of witchcraft, and both had scratches all over their bodies and bite marks. The two men were taken into prison where they didn’t turn into wolves, but they did run about on all fours howling uncontrollably. It was believed they couldn’t take the shape of a wolf because they didn’t have access to the ointment.Pierre’s daughter also confessed that she sold her soul to the devil who took the form of a black cat.

The Eigi Einhamr was a pagan who could transform into animals.
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Introduction

The Egi Einhamr is from Nordic and Icelandic lore. The names mean “not of ones skin” and was a pagan cult of were-animals. These men had the ability to shape-shift into animals and take on their complete form, characteristics, and powers, while still being able to think like a human. While being wolf or bear form, they would attack other animals and even humans. The forms were called hamr, and the empowered men themselves were called hamrammr.

The Transformation

One could turn into an Eigi Einhamr by wearing the skin of an animal. The human body would be left in a trance while the spirit would enter the animal body. Another way the transformation was accomplished was by using magic. The person would actually still be a man, but everyone that saw him would think he was an animal.

The Anspach, a german werewolf.
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The Anspach Werewolf was a German werewolf case that happened in 1685. The werewolf was believed to be a returning dead burgomaster who wanted to raise havoc to Anspach, present-day Ansbach, Germany. They also believed he was sort of a vampire, since he came back from the dead and attacked. He killed many women, children, and domestic animals. The townspeople got together to hunt this beast down, and eventually chased the wolf into a well, its final resting place. The wolf was brought up and dressed up like the burgomaster. It had on a flesh-colored suit, mask, beard, and a wig. The wolf carcass was hung on a gibbet for all of the town to see, then was later put on display at a museum where it was titled a werewolf.

A transformed Berserkr after a battle.
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Berserkir are from Norse lore and their name, directly translated, means “men in a bear shirt.” Their name is also the foundation of the english word berserk, meaning uncontrolled chaotic behavior.

Werewolves at Will

Berserkir were destruction-loving warriors who often wore bear or wolf skins over their armor. The animal skins were thought to give the berserkir demonic powers and also giving them the ability to transform into either a bear or a wolf. Many Norse legends of werewolves involve berserkir and their ability to transform at will.

Berserkir also had the ability to work each other up into frenzies, where they could gain demonic possession. This possession was said to make them invulnerable to fire and swords. They could, however, be destroyed by beating them with a club. After they would be done battling they would become extremely exhausted.

Facing the Berserkr

In Norway, berserkir would often challenge local farmers to fight. If the farmer declined or was killed, he had to give all of his property to the Berserkr. If they knew someone was having a gathering where a lot of food was involved, very often Berserkir would invite themselves over and make themselves at home. If anyone had a problem with them, they would split open their skull or snap their backbone. As Christianity made its way through Europe, Berserkir became less popular.

The dogmen; a human, dog hybrid.

Introduction

Dogmen are reported all over the world. They are creatures with wolf heads and seem to have unusual human characteristics as well, such as hands and can usually walk upright. Some believe they are a hybrid or a type of human being. In the past they were known as Cynocephali or Dog-heads and were feared among humans. They were considered cannibalistic and could even breathe fire. They were also feared for their huge teeth.

Historic Perspective

Unlike werewolves, they couldn’t shape-shift. They are known to break into houses and attack people and animals. They cause massive destruction, they claw, bite, and even leave their teeth marks on doors. One of the oldest descriptions of Dogmen was written by a philosopher, writer, and historian, Artaxerxes from Persia in 400BC. He described a race of dog-headed men in India that would eat raw meat. He described them as having no language, instead they barked at each other. They understand the Indian language but cannot respond, they can make signs with their hands. The Indians referred to them as Calystrains, which means dog-headed in Indian. They were said to be black and very hairy, they had massive teeth and claws bigger than those of real dogs. Their estimated population at the time was around 129,000. They also appear in Egyptian lore, when Queen Hepshepsut sent out sailors to modern day Somalia, they reported seeing Dogmen who they described as being “fierce fighters.”

In Christianity, The Theodore Psalter shows a picture of Jesus preaching to men with dog heads. Some claim it’s symbolic for him preaching to heathens, others disagree. A giant Dogman named Abominable appears in “Contendings of the Apostles.” Sightings of Dogmen continue until this day. Many sightings have been reported in northern Michigan beginning in the late 19th century, they were described by lumberjacks as large black dogs that walked on their hind legs.

An engraving of a werewolf, from the 18th century.

The Aurvegne Werewolf case took place in 1558. It was first recorded by Henri Boguet, a demonologist, in his book titled “Discours des Sorciers” in 1602.

The story starts out like this. A hunter goes up to a man who owns several acres, for permission to hunt on his land. The man agrees, provided that the hunter brings back some of the catch to the landowner. The hunter goes on his way and after several hours of seeing nothing at all, he was attacked by a giant wolf. He tried to shoot it repeatedly, but the wolf wasn’t phased at all or even wounded. The hunter was down to fighting it with just his hands when he managed to grab his knife from his belt. He wasn’t able to kill it, but he did manage to cut off one of the wolf’s enormous paws.

Keeping with the original deal, the hunter returned to the landowner with the wolf’s paw. To the gentleman’s disbelief the paw changed into a woman’s hand with a ring on the finger. He ran into the kitchen where his wife was cooking and found his wife hiding one of her arms in her apron. He grabbed her arm and saw that her hand was missing. The woman later confessed that she transformed herself into a wolf so that she could attend a sabbat. In Ryon, she was then burned alive at the stake.