The Werewolf of Dole: The Trial of Gilles Garnier

In 1573, Gilles Garnier was put on trial in Dole, France, accused of crimes that would make him infamous as the Werewolf of Dole. As fear of werewolves and lycanthropy spread through 16th-century Europe, Garnier was blamed for the brutal attacks and deaths of several children and accused of hunting his victims in the form of a wolf. But behind the legend lies a disturbing historical case shaped by violence, superstition, and a world in which the boundary between man and monster could seem frighteningly thin. In this episode of The House of Strange, we explore the trial of Gilles Garnier, the crimes attributed to him, the beliefs surrounding werewolves in early modern France, and the circumstances that transformed an accused killer into one of history’s most notorious werewolf legends.