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I went down a bit of a rabbit hole on this one. In totality, I think the concept of describing the unknown is interesting and the example I feel tie together but there isn’t an overarching narrative. I hope you enjoy. If you make it to the end, you may learn something.
Human memory and speech provide an obstacle that is hard to account for in regard to getting to truth. There are countless examples throughout history of people incorrectly describing things or events. Much of this isn’t intentional. Small mistakes can often compound and make the reader question what the person writing truly knew. Examples of this come from Herodotus and Rome but my purpose is only to use them for context in showing the historical descriptions of the Beast of Gévaudan and working to draw conclusions on what the creature murdering peasants in the French countryside really was.
COMMENTS: INCLUDE YOUR WORST ANIMAL DESCRIPTION AND I WILL DO MY BEST TO GUESS WHAT YOU ARE WRITING ABOUT.
Resources
The Beast of Gévaudan (1764-1767) publicdomainreview.org/collection/the-beast-of-gevaudan-1764-1767
Caesar’s Giraffe penelope.uchicago.edu/~grout/encyclopaedia_romana/gladiators/giraffe.html
Eyewitness Testimony..Reliable or Unreliable? sites.psu.edu/aspsy/2020/03/08/eyewitness-testimony-reliable-or-unreliable/
The Histories by Herodotus (Book)’
Herodotus en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herodotus
Herodotus www.historymuseum.ca/cmc/exhibitions/civil/egypt/egcw04e.html#:~:text=Herodotus%20(c.,his%20writings%20on%20various%20nations.
How reliable is eyewitness testimony? Scientists weigh in www.science.org/content/article/how-reliable-eyewitness-testimony-scientists-weigh
Man is the Prey by James Clarke (Book)
Mermaids www.marinersmuseum.org/sites/micro/women/myths/mermaids.htm#:~:text=Reports%20of%20mermaid%20sightings%20by,with%20powers%20to%20entrap%20seafarers.
What Was the Beast of Gévaudan? By Joseph A Williams www.history.com/news/beast-gevaudan-france-theories
Wolves and Werewolves by John Pollard (Book)