The Wolves of Paris: A Deadly Winter…
1450 CE
The Wolves of Paris: A Deadly Winter (1450)
In the winter of 1450, the city of Paris was terrorized by a notorious pack of man-eating wolves, historically remembered as the Wolves of Paris. Exploiting breaches in the city’s defensive walls, these wolves entered urban areas, preying upon Parisians and eventually causing approximately forty deaths.
The pack was reportedly led by an especially fearsome wolf known locally as Courtaud, or "Bobtail," notable for his distinctive reddish coat. Modern historical speculation suggests Courtaud may have been an Iberian wolf, possibly migrating north from the Pyrenees—a theory consistent with contemporary descriptions of his unusual appearance.
After repeated deadly attacks, enraged citizens devised a plan to eliminate the threat. Courtaud and his pack were deliberately lured into the heart of Paris, where they were cornered near the parvis of Notre-Dame Cathedral. In a dramatic display of communal defense, the Parisians confronted the wolves directly, using stones and spears to kill the animals, thus ending the deadly siege.
This extraordinary event underscored the vulnerabilities of medieval urban defenses and the persistent dangers posed by wildlife, even within Europe's largest cities, marking a vividly remembered moment in the social history of fifteenth-century Paris.
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