Gilles Garnier

Gilles Garnier could be known as "The Werewolf of Dole"; Dole, as in, the small village in France; not the juice. Garnier lived outside of Dole for many years, eventually finding himself a wife. Garnier had not been used to providing for anyone besides himself. After a while, children began disappearing, with them being mutilated and dissected as well. Garnier's testimony had stated that, while hunting through the forest to find food for small family of two, a man appeared and gave him a magic ointment. This ointment would change him into a wolf, making finding foot to hunt, much easier. Between the timeline of around 1 year, Gilles had murdered more than four children at the young ages of 9 to 12.

First victim was a young ten year old girl. Garnier dragged her into the vineyard outside of Dole. He removed her clothing, after strangling her, eating her flesh off her arms and thighs. Once he was satisfied, he took more flesh off the young girl so he could feed his wife to also have a meal.

Another young girl was attacked by Garnier. When he had begun biting her, he was rudely interrupted by people coming near, so he fled. She came out of the closet a few days later, confessing what had happened to her as her injuries showed well.

Two boys were next attacked by Gilles, one a ten year old who had been eaten from his thighs, and stomach. A leg was torn off with Garnier's vicious teeth to save for later as well. Just a few days later, Gilles strangled a young boy, although he was interrupted once again by oncoming people not being able to dissect this boy at all.

A group of the villager's had gone out to find and hunt down the werewolf. Finding him crouched over a boy one day, the villagers captured him. During trial, Garnier confessed everything, including the magic ointment the devil gave him. Although, the devil might have been to blame, Garnier was still thought of as guilty for the crimes of witchcraft and lycanthropy.

In 1573, Gilles Garnier died, after being burned on a stake.

Jean Grenier

The most famous case of lycanthropy was that of Jean Grenier. Lycanthropy is the transformation of a human into a wolf-like creature; also believed to be a disorder where a person believes they are a wolf-like creature. Jean Grenier, only the age of 14, was a mentally disabled adolescent. In 1603, all around Southern France, a series of magnificent events occurred. It was said to be that Jean had met a man named Pierre who told him to wear a wolf-skin cloak a few days a week. Along with using a salve, the boy turned into a werewolf with fangs, black nails, and his hair a big change.

One encounter Jean had was with two shepherd girls. They came across each other, with the girls noticing his hair, fangs, nails, and torn-up clothing. Jean began to talk to the girls, told them his father was a priest. He had noticed the girls were quite scared but had been discussing with them which was prettiest for him to marry. Next, he brought up that he looked like a wolf as wolf-skin was what he would wear every few days after being given it to by Pierre Labourant. Grenier began to tell the girls what he had all killed, and soon it would be there turn. The children ran away as they were extremely frightened.


Another time, Jean was with a young thirteen year old girl by the name of Marguerite Poirier. Jean and Marguerite often tended sheep together near the village of St. Antoine de Pizon, when he would begin talking to her about drinking blood, killing young girls, and feeding on dogs. Jean would tell appalling details of every part that happened with a few of these young girls. Attacked by a wolf one day, as she was tending sheep alone, Marguerite used her shepherd's staff to attack back. She has thought it looked like a wolf only shorter, and had a very small head. She was extremely scared after the incident that she ran home instead of continuing her duties. The wolf attack was later to be believed caused from Grenier. Marguerite later told villagers of the attack and the stories she was told, for an investigation was opened. Jean was arrested after he was found for the people to find out he was actually the son of a poor man in St. Antoine de Pizon village besides the part where he had left home.
Life in a monastery had been set out for him as Grenier had been guilty of all of these crimes, confessing he was a werewolf. Jean Grenier later died at the age of 20, shortly after Pierre Delancre, demonologist visited him to hear his story.