The Beast of Boulogne

On 7 April, 1810, an extraordinary event took place in a little village near Boulogne sur mer. The story goes that a violent storm threw onto the beach an horrific amphibious monster that proceeded to devour men and dig up corpses. After many fearful attacks, the monster was finally killed one night near the cemetery. This story proved so popular that it entered the cannon of popular folklore, with the beast featuring in prints and popular song. Representations of the beast varied between wolf and dragon, and it became known alongside other half-man, half-beast creatures, such as the Beast of Gévaudan and the Beast of Orléan, that populated the collective imagination.
 
Source: Chantal Lheureux-Prévot, Les Paysans de Napoléon, Sotéca, 2010, pp. 47-48