Top 10 Scary French Urban Legends
Its about time we talked about France! Its a country known for its rich history and culture - but today were not going to be talking about restaurants, museums and buildings - were going to be talk about the dark stories that have haunted the people of France for hundreds - or even thousands of years. Will they end haunting you too? And this is the Top 10 Scary French Urban Legends
10. The Lou Carcolh
This urban legend originates from the Gascony region of France. The Lou Carcolh is said to be a disgusting, grotesque creature that wanders the countryside of southern France. Its described as half snake, half snail. Its massive and long body carried an enormous shell on its back. Its hideous mouth is surrounded by several long, hairy and slime covered tentacles that can extend for not inches or feet - but for miles, yes, miles. They send these tentacles stretching out from the caves they live on. They wait for people to accidentally touch one and then - bang - they grab hold of you and drag you down underground where they swallow you whole with their huge mouth.
9. Meat Pies
In the 15th century, the story goes that a barber and a cook made a deal in Paris. The barber would slit the throats of his clients who were mainly poor college students. He would then chop up their bodies and send them through a trapdoor to a cook - straight to his kitchen. The cook would then use the human meat for his pies - there were many different flavors and sizes to reflect the diversity of his supply … business grew for both of them and the bakers became one of the citys most well known Patisseries. Nobody was wise to what was going on - at least no human. One day, a German student called Alaric was visiting the barber. His dog sensed that something wasnt right and began barking at the neighbors. When people came to investigate - they found the cellar, full of torture tools used to hack apart the corpses. The two men confessed to their heinous crimes and were burnt alive in iron cages.
8. The Peluda
This creature has been a feared part of French folklore for generations. Its name means -hairy or shaggy beast- but to be honest - its a whole lot more than that. They are said to have stingers like a porcupine, the head and neck of a snake, tortoise feet and a serpent tail. Their breath withers crops, they can fire their quills like arrows, spit acid out of their tail and if they attack you - youre doomed - they are said to be invulnerable all over their body except for their tail. With their huge size, people say they could create floods simply by stepping on rivers. Some believe that the Peluda was on of the animals that was not saved by Noah and his Ark in the Bible. However, it still survived the Great Flood that came by hiding in a cave. Afterwards, it went on a rampage across the world - killing everything that got to board the ark. Some say it still continues this today, even if theyre only left in France.
7. The Chateau de Trecesson
This is a medieval castle in the Brittany region of France. From the outside, its an impressive looking building - attracting tourists from all over - but don't be fooled by its outward charm, the Chateau is famous for its terrifying ghost stories. One night, many years ago, a black coach stopped near the moat and two men got out. They used shovels and picks to dig a deep grave in silence. From the coach they dragged a young woman dressed as a bride - her face as pale as her dress. She doesnt cry or beg for mercy as her executioners lay her in her grave and cover her with dirt. The men then ride off into the darkness. A local man saw the whole thing from the trees and gathered the other villagers to help. They dug her up and tried to save her but by sunrise she had died without saying a word. They never knew who she was or why they killed her - but it wasnt the last time people saw her. In the centuries since then, locals have sworn they still see her ghost floating on the waters of the moat, still in her wedding dress - and still deathly silent.
6. Catacombs
This is perhaps one of the most famous and creepy parts of Paris. They are a series of tunnels that wind underneath the city. They are said to hold the remains of some six million people there. They were first started in the late 18th century to help deal with the citys overflowing cemeteries. A sign at the entrance reads -Stop! This is the empire of the dead!800 meters of the walkways in lines entirely with bones. Over the years locals have shared stories of dark goings on among the bones - legends of Masonic cults meeting, black masses, Nazi Gatherings, gang fights and serial killers.
5. The Wooden Leg
In The Chateau de Combourgis, there is a ghost with a wooden leg. It is said to be the ghost of Comte de Combourg - he was a general who lived there 300 years ago and lost his in battle, having it replaced by a wooden one. In life, his leg was said to send echos around the castle so that everyone knew where he was. After he died though, that never went away. In the years since, many visitors have said theyve heard his leg thumping in the night. Some even say theyve seen it walking up and down the stairs by itself - no body attached to it - accompanied only by a mysterious black cat.
4. A Strange Concert
On June 2nd 1925, a 24 year old medical student named Jean Romier was studying in a garden in Paris. An elderly man approached him dressed in a strange riding coat. The two men began to talk about classical music and eventually, the old man invites Jean to come and listen to his concert he was putting on with some friends on Friday. Jean accepted and asked him for his name and address. He said he was Alphonse Berruyer and his address was Rue de Vaugirard, 3rd floor, on the left. Next Friday, Jean arrived at the given address and was welcome in where he met the Alphonses whole family. They were lovely to him but Jean couldn't shake this strange feeling that something wasnt right. Maybe it was the old fashioned apartment with its outdated decor and gas lighting. They musicians sit down and perform some classical music including Mozart. Jean stayed for a few hours after and talked to Alphonses about music. He thanked him and left.
Out in the street, he realised he had left his lighter inside. He went up and rang the bell but there was no answer. He kept trying until a neighbor came out and asked what the problem was. Jean said he is trying to see Alphonse but the neighbour said - I think youre mistaken, Jean has been dead for 20 years and that the apartment has been empty since then. Jean tells him thats impossible, he had just spent a whole night with him and his family. The neighbour started to become suspicious of Jean and accused him of being a thief. The police unlocked the apartment and took Jean inside along with the owner of the place - Alphonses great-great-great Grandson. They walked through the apartment which was now empty, when they got to the back room they found a side table covered in dust. There, sitting on top, was Jeans lighter. Some say Jean experienced a time slip, others refuse to believe this happened at all - either way, theres an official police report out there that contains this story - and many believe its unsolved.
3. The Tuileries Phantom
This is the story of a man called Jean. He worked as a butcher near the Tuileries palace in Paris during the reign of Catherine de Medicis in the 16th century. She ordered Jean to be killed because he had threatened to reveal many of the royal familys secrets. Just before he was executed, he told his executioner that he would rise from the dead. The executioner left Jeans corpse in the garden. He then went to tell Catherine the deed had been done. When he returned to the garden to dispose of the body, he found Jeans corpse missing. A few days later, the Queens astrologist reported having a vision.
In it, he claimed he saw all the inhabitants of the palace die a terrible death and that Jean would haunt the palace until it was destroyed. Not long after, the executioner was on his way to the palace when he looked behind him - and froze in horror. There stood Jean, drenched - as if he was still alive - covered in blood - thus began the legend of the Red Man. He is said to have haunted the grounds ever since. People believe that comes across Jean - the little red man - means a terrible tragedy will follow shortly.
2. The Devils door of Notre Dame
Notre Dame is a very famous Cathedral in Paris - many visitors notice its elegant side doors with their intricate iron pattern. They were designed by an artist called Biscornet - his talents were known throughout France. The doors were considered a masterpiece - taking months to complete in Biscornets workshop. Parisians were so impressed that some of them began to doubt he did it alone. This was the 1300s - an age of deep superstition in Europe - some people said that Biscornet had sold his soul to the devil in exchange for this masterpiece.
Locals said they had been to his studio during his work hours where they had found him unconscious on the floor next to the finished piece which had been mysteriously completed in record time. When they came to first use the door on the Cathedral, the priests claim that they could only get it to work after sprinkling it with Holy Water. Biscornet died soon after and in the years since, many experts have struggled to explain how he made this with the basic tools of the time. Some also point to his name - Bis means two or twice while cornet means horn - put it together and you have the two horned man.
1. Chateau de Brissac
This old French castle in the Loire Valley was first built in the 11th century. Its been almost a thousand years since then and its walls have seen some grizzly deaths and hauntings. Perhaps the most famous is the story of Charlotte. She was the wife of Jacques de Breze, the lord of the castle in the 1400s. One night, he came home after a hunt and had dinner with Charlotte - then, they went to bed in their separate rooms - the marriage was said to be for political reasons, not love. That night, he was woken by his servant who said Charlotte had another man in his room - it was one of his hunter partners.
He flew into a rage, grabbed his sword and attacked both of them - slashing and hacking away. By the time they were dead, their bodies had almost 100 wounds inflicted. Charlotte was actually the half sister of King Louis the 6th. He stripped Jacques of all his titles and took possession of his castle. As for Charlotte, well, people say she never left - her traumatic death made her a ghost, cursed to haunt the castle forever. They say at night on the walls of the castle you can see a female ghost in a green dress with bloody, gaping holes all over her body. She is silent except for when she returns to the room where she was murdered - where deathly moans and cries can be heard until dawn.
