I couldn’t resist this article from 1893 for a few reasons. How could I not love a story about a werewolf for a start! I loved the details in this tale from 1558, it seems to be the re-telling of an old fairy story.
Camperdown Chronicle 17 Aug 1893 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article19365982
The story is a re-telling of a tale from 1558 about a woman who was burned at the stake after being charged with werewolfery (yeah, I made that word up but you know what I mean…).
Apparently a gentleman, who was visiting her husband’s château in Auvergne, went out to hunt early one morning, the man of the house telling him “Mind you bring me what you take.”
Clearly the hunt was none too successful as the guest returned at night fall, ‘weary and footsore’.
I think he was lucky it was only his feet that were sore! He reported that the only creature he saw was a large wolf, which attacked him.
His story ended only with him only just managing to escape with his life after severing one of the creatures front paws.
After telling the master of the house the tale of his desperate struggle he opened the bag containing the paw and, amazingly, it had changed into a womans bejewelled hand.
The master of the house recognized one of the jewels as belonging to his wife. She was quickly tracked down to the kitchen and was found to be minus one hand. Off she went to trial and was unsurprisingly found guilty and quickly executed.
Now, you know I love a Fortean tale but this one…. all I could think of as I was reading was the poor wife and what on earth had gone on in Auvergne that day for her to lose her hand and be conveniently accused of this supernatural crime?
The most surprising thing about this article is the last paragraph. “It is a pity that history does not tell us what became of this pair of scheming villains. Their crime does not seem to have been brought home to them judicially, so they probably escaped the fate they richly deserved.” Even in 1893, when some strange things were still believed, people could see right through a story like that.
I wonder what the wife’s real crime was? Not inheriting enough money? Not producing the right amount of sons? I wonder if the master of the house had another wife already lined up? If so, I wonder what dreadful fate was in store for her if she didn’t live up to expectations?
Werewolfery… great word!
😀
Maybe it was true and maybe it wasn’t!
You have to wonder why the husband didn’t stand up for his wife though. I wonder what the social status of the visitor was?
Perhaps the husband was a werewolf as well!
Maybe he was hoping she would be executed and the whole thing would blow over before anyone noticed his full moon escapades!
A real word for werewolfery does exist and it’s lycanthropy!
Potato, Patato…
Of course! Thank you! I finished this post at the end of a very long day knowing there was a more correct word than werewolfery but it just wouldn’t come to me!
Gotta love it.
It is a great story. Not for the wife though!
This could be made into an amazing book.
But from which point of view? Gentle wife? Boorish husband? Travelling guest? I think that once news of his accusation got out he might have found his welcome a little colder at homes where the husband wanted to keep the wife he had!
This will sound out there but my ex-husband turned into a werewolf – true story… I may use your post as a springboard to post it… I’m guessing the wife in this circumstance was deemed to be deficient in some manner,… crazy story though.
Also, knowing your love of Horrible Histories I thought you might be interested in this http://premier.ticketek.com.au/Shows/Show.aspx?sh=HORRIBLE13
Wow! Awful Egyptians live on stage! Thank you for that link!
I am dying to hear you own werewolf story, clearly it had a better ending than “she was burned at the stake”.
My other mental picture of this event was having a high level Inquisitor over to dinner. You know that it can’t go well but there is no way you can avoid sitting at the table and desperately hoping you laugh at all the right points…. 😉
I thinking by the time it gets to the high level Inquisitor stage it’s all over bar the bonfire 😉
😀 😀 Imagine one just turning up on your doorstep one day expecting to be accommodated. All the servants racing around hiding anything even slightly incriminating and what on earth do you serve for dinner? Too lavish a spread would be sinful, not lavish enough, disrespectful… I think you would be better off just building your own bonfire and cutting your losses. 😉
Reminds me of when I was the lucky recipient of a tax audit…
Everything but the robes and fire…. 😦
-grin- I’m not sure which I enjoyed more – the original story or the comments that followed!
😀 It has gone from a were wolf story to a rogue Inquisitor travelling the coutryside and burning those who don’t live up to his standards….
Ok, now my mind has conjured up Masterchef Inquisitor. He turns up on the doorsteps of each couple unannounced. Their cooking (and general moral standards) had better be up to standard or else. You don’t get evicted from this show, it is out the door and a public burning in the courtyard for you!
Gah… have you ever thought of writing horror??? I could so imagine the tall fat one – Matt? – showing up with that knowing leer, and a blowtorch behind his back!
Oh yes, he was the one I had in my mind when I was thinking of this!
Long scarlet robes, pointy hat (for some reason he is dressed as a bishop in my mind), contrasting cravat, and no chance for appeal. 😀
Now you really are scaring me. :p
Mwah. Ha. Ha.
😀
The husband sounds a fine chap!
He certainly does. Hopefully he and his friend came to an appropriately horrible ending…
We can only hope
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