Luxembourg Myths: The Doncols Wolf(man)

Despite its compact size, Luxembourg has its fair share of fables, folktales, myths and legends, from a mermaid and a wild woman to a wolfman and an underwater bogeyman.

In this series of articles, Chronicle.lu will be delving into some of these tales and their lasting impact in Luxembourg.

Next up is the legend of the Doncols Wolf(man).

For many years before Édouard Wolff officially killed Luxembourg’s last wolf (in Olingen forest in 1893), locals lived in fear of wolf attacks. Towards the end of the 18^th century, authorities issued a decree offering payment to anyone who could prove they had killed a wolf.

Local legend has it there was a shepherd from Bras, a village in the Belgian province of Luxembourg, who moved to Doncols in north-western Luxembourg and became a peddler in the early 19th century. He earned the name "Donkelsser Wollef" (or Doncols wolf) because he wore a wolfskin as a hat and cape. He claimed to have slain dozens of wolves, although he always wore the same wolfskin. Over time, as his beard grew wild and his stories more fantastical, he began to embody the very creature he claimed to hunt. Children would whisper in fear about the man who "became" a wolf as he continued to recount his bizarre methods of luring and killing the predators. He entertained listeners with stories of how he outwitted wolves by pretending to be one of them. More a storyteller than a hunter, the fate of the "Donkelsser Wollef" remains unknown but the legend lives on today…

Nestled between hedges and sheltered by a pergola, there is a statue in Doncols, accompanied by an explanatory sign with his tale in German and French, ensuring that the legend of the Doncols Wolf(man) remains part of the local folklore for generations to come.