Prey: The Story of the Beast of Gevaudan

Like a lot of fairy tales, early versions of “Little Red Riding Hood” were quite a bit different from the story most of us heard growing up. There was no heroic huntsman with an axe, there was no tricking the wolf into a well. At the end of the tale, girl and grandmother were both devoured, and the only happy-ever-after was for the wolf. For most of human history, wolves have been a source of real darkness and fear—and for most of human history, that reputation had been entirely undeserved. But not always. Every now and again, growling, sharp-fanged beasts have wreaked havoc throughout the land, a grim reminder of primordial times when mankind was just another target to fill an empty stomach…and at least part of the origin of the werewolf stories we still love telling today. Join us for the perfect start to the Halloween season, a true story straight out of the Grimm Brothers.

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Sources: Beast by S.R Schwalb and Gustavo Sanchez Romero Smithsonian Magazine: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/beast-gevaudan-terrorized-france-countryside-180963820/ Scientific American: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-has-a-group-of-orcas-suddenly-started-attacking-boats/

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