The twelfth century monk Bungus of Burford described a creature inhabiting the wild woods of the English midlands that had been terrifying villagers and, under cover of darkness, taking cattle. He described it as ‘like a great tyger but horned and as large as an ox’
Prayers were offered up, hoping for divine intervention in deliverance from the beast but attacks continued. A‘grayte spyked pitt’ was dug and baited and on a stormy night in 1136 howls and roars echoed around the Chase forest for many hours. On the following morning when the trap was examined, evidence of the creature was found but the animal itself had evaded capture. After this, nothing more was heard of the creature and it was assumed that wounded, it had permanently returned to its diabolical place of origin.
To this day when the wind whistles through the low valleys and hills, some cross themselves for luck in memory of the ‘Great Beast’
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