La Velue, cover of an 1889 French pamphlet
The Velue ("The Shaggy One" in English, more commonly known as "Peluda"), is a dragon from French folklore that lived near La Ferté-Bernard. The dragon was bestial and a danger to the human populace, burning down crops and eating livestock, young women, and children, which would lead to its slaying by one of its victim's partners.
Etymology[]
In French, the dragon is referred to as La Velue, which can be translated into English as "The Shaggy One". The creature would be introduced into English in The Book of Imaginary Beings as "The Shaggy Beast of La Ferté-Bernard".[1] The word "Peluda" is the name of the creature in Spanish but would proceed to become the more popular term for the creature even outside of the Spanish-speaking world. Some sources even claim the Spanish term to be Occitan in origin despite the folktale of the Velue being nowhere in proximity to where Occitan was spoken historically.[2]
Description[]
The Velue was described to be the size of an ox with a round body and the head and neck of a snake. It was covered with a green fur that held within them stingers that could be lethal to humans. Additionally, the beast had round hooves for feet similar to a tortoise, and it had a serpentine tail that was powerful enough to kill humans and cattle.[1]
Folklore[]
The Velue was said to have lurked in the riverbanks of the Huisne near La Ferté-Bernard in the Sarthe. The beast had managed to survive the biblical flood despite having been purposely excluded by Noah on his Ark. At night it would raid nearby stables, and when the local farmers chased it away it would retreat and escape into the Huisne, causing the riverbanks to flood and drown out the surrounding valley. When angered, it would burn down the local crops with its fiery breath. The dragon had a particular taste for innocent beings, devouring children and beautiful young maidens (L'aganelle or "Little lambs"). This appetite would lead to its demise after one of its victim's sweethearts would track down and kill the dragon with a sword, slicing into the dragon's only weak spot, its tail, and splitting it into two. The beasts would then be embalmed, and its death would be celebrated with music and dancing.[1]
Background[]
The Velue in the local folk history is fairly new, the oldest sources of it being dated back to the 15th century before being resurrected and popularized in the folklore in the 19th century. The creature is talked about in a similar vein to other French dragons that are associated with a local town such as the Tarasque, however the beast has had no effigies or folk celebrations. The oldest and possibly only historical depiction of the dragon in the local region is a terracotta fountain sculpture found in a ditch on the road of La Chapelle-Saint-Rémy.[2]
Gallery[]
