Tradition / Region: French Mythology
Alternative names: Lo Drapet, Lou Drapé, Lo Drapé
Category: Horse
The Myth
Lou Drapé is a legendary horse from the town of Aigues-Mortes in the Gard region of southern France. It is said to wander the streets and the city walls at night, searching for children who have strayed from home.
The supernatural horse gathers lost children onto its back one after another. As more children climb aboard, its rump magically lengthens until it can carry dozens at once. Once they are all mounted, Lou Drapé carries them away, and they never return. Later traditions claim that it leads them into the marshes surrounding Aigues-Mortes, where they perish, while others say it takes them to a mysterious distant kingdom.
According to one local legend, the final child ever taken by Lou Drapé escaped by crying out, “Jesus, Mary, great Saint Joseph!” before jumping from the horse’s back. At that moment, Lou Drapé vanished, freeing all the children it had carried away.
Lou Drapé was traditionally used to frighten children into staying close to their parents, much like the bogeyman. It is often regarded as a local form of the drac, a dangerous water spirit of Occitan folklore that can assume the shape of a horse. Like many supernatural horses in French tradition, Lou Drapé is closely associated with marshes, water, and death.
Sources
Wikipedia contributors. (n.d.). Drapé (legend). In Wikipedia. Retrieved June 29, 2026, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drap%C3%A9_(legend)