Tradition: French Mythology
Alternative Names: Fausserole
Category: Fairy
The Myth
The Fausserole was a malevolent supernatural creature associated with Saint-Cast in Brittany. It was said to take the form of a dog or a calf and to attack people by knocking them over. The creature was blamed for an incident in 1832 when it allegedly knocked down the rector of the village church. A place called La Fausserole still carried the creature’s name, although the tradition does not make clear whether the beast took its name from the place or the place from the beast.
The Fausserole was also described as a lutin capable of changing its form. In another tradition, it was a beautiful young woman dressed in white, said to have been banished from the fairy realm because of her wickedness. She wandered from village to village, making herself beloved by the people around her and seeking a husband. Once she succeeded in marrying, however, her true nature was revealed: she killed her husband by absorbing his vital essence.
The Fausserole therefore appeared in several frightening forms, from an animal-like creature that violently knocked people down to a beautiful fairy who concealed her murderous nature beneath an innocent appearance. Its ability to change form made it particularly dangerous, allowing the creature to disguise its malevolent nature until its victim was unable to escape.
Sources
“Fausserole.” Wikipédia, l’encyclopédie libre (French Wikipedia). Wikimedia Foundation. Accessed October 5, 2026. Wikipedia
https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fausserole