In many old cultures around the world, people lived close to nature and there was a thin line between the human and animal worlds. For that reason, shapeshifters often appeared in folklore. From the fox spirit of China to the skin walkers of Native Americans to the Selkies of Celtic shores, many legends have been told of beings that could shift from one form to another. Shapeshifting remains a theme in some fantasy and science fiction novels even today.
Aside from vampires, no shapeshifter is more famous in more countries than the werewolf. The idea of werewolves seems to trace back at least as far as ancient Greece. Wolves themselves were the chief villains in so many fairytales that achieved an important place in Western mythology. Many of these fairytale stories originated in the Black Forest region and Central Europe, collected and re-told by names we know today like Hans Christian Andersen and the Brothers Grimm.
In dozens of countries from Europe to the Americas, children (and their parents) also have shivered at tales of werewolves: people who can change into wolves and back again. There is the bisclavet of France, the lupo mannero of Italy, the vrkolak of Bulgaria, the bodark of Russia, the vilkatas of Lithuania, the varulv and varulfur of Scandinavia and Iceland, the lob hombre or lob omen of Spain and Portugal, and the lobizon or lobisomem of South America, plus similar stories from other countries in those regions. With some regional differences, this legend is widespread.
Sketch of the transformation of Lykaon into a wolf.
Let’s go back to where the werewolf legends may have started. That takes us to ancient Greece. First, there was the myth of Lykaon, the King of Arcadia. In the most common version of this story, Lykaon wanted to test the divinity of the god Zeus. Lykaon served him meat that was mixed with human flesh. Angry, Zeus overturned the table and (in some versions of the story) struck down Lykaon’s sons with a bolt of lightning, and then turned the king into a wolf.
The origin of this story is the reason that werewolves today are also called lycanthropes. Plato made note of this in The Republic, mentioning that one who had tasted human flesh could be transformed into a wolf. However, the Roman author Pliny the Elder had a different take on the origins of the story.
In his Natural History, Pliny mentioned what might have been a hunting ritual or adolescent ‘coming of age’ trial. A group of people removed their clothes and went naked into the wilds, living as wolves and abstaining from human contact. After a period of time, if they were true to that life, then they could return, put their clothes back on, and live as humans again.
In fact, it’s common in many cultures for young men to have ‘coming of age’ tests, often involving hunting. Did that hunting ritual or adolescent ‘coming of age’ trial shift its shape? In so many re-tellings, did it become a story about people changing in and out of wolf form?
Traditionally, in the European werewolf legends, there were several ways a person could become one. They could be cursed, in some cases by a clergyman. They could be conceived under a new moon. They could drink water touched by a wolf. Or they could sleep under a full moon on Fridays. Being that wolves are nocturnal predators and people imagine many terrible things in the dark, the moon (and specifically the full moon) became more central to the werewolf stories over time.
Werewolf sketch from Germany
The werewolf legend is sometimes compared with the selkie stories of Scotland, Ireland, and elsewhere in the British Isles. Selkies are seal people. Unlike in most werewolf lore, selkies are not humans first and animals later. Selkies begin as seals. They can shed their seal skin and take on human form. When they shed their skin, they can no longer swim and live as seals, so some selkies live on land as humans for a period of time.
Artist's depiction of a selkie maiden. Creative Commons by Carolyn Emerick from Celticguide.com, obtained via Wikimedia.
They are not meant to frighten, like the tales of werewolves, but most selkie stories are tragedies. Most commonly, a person will fall in love with a selkie in human form, not knowing its origins. While happiness prevails for a while, the selkie eventually yearns to don that seal skin and return to the sea. And often, there are children in the stories who have both human and selkie qualities.
In 1589, there was a man in Germany named Peter Stumpp (sometimes written as Stubbe) who claimed to be a werewolf. He had a belt made of wolfskin and said that he became a werewolf when he wore it. He was accused of witchcraft as well as being a serial murderer and cannibal. When he was tortured for a confession, he claimed to have killed 25 people over a period of time.
In punishment, the so-called Werewolf of Bedburg was executed by decapitation and his headless body was burned. And they did it on Halloween night.
Drawing of the execution of Peter Stumpp, the Werewolf of Bedburg, 1589.
This story, recorded only in a short pamphlet that was found much later, became extremely influential for fiction and film. From Scooby-Doo to Dr. Who to the Exorcist, there are dozens of references to this story in popular culture. A number of authors, musicians, and filmmakers created stories that were inspired by the Werewolf of Bedburg.
Today, modern werewolf stories have gone a few steps further. In wolf form, the person is not purely animal, but some loathsome hybrid beast. While in medieval times, people used the herb wolfsbane and exorcism to purge someone thought to be a werewolf, today the silver bullet theory reigns. In this, there is a strong connection to vampires as well.
Source: Marvel Comics
Howling III from ScreenMedia Films.
Some stories and movies even combine the two legends. When Bram Stoker wrote Dracula in 1897, he drew heavily from werewolf lore and the dark stories he had heard from the Carpathian region. Count Dracula stated in the novel that there were wolf shapeshifters and the only way to kill them was with a sacred bullet. Judging by today’s werewolf stories, any silver item, from a stake to a bullet, seems to have some chance to slay one of these horrors.
Silver Bullet film from Stephen King novel by Paramount Pictures.
Elder Scrolls Online by Zenimax Online Studios.
So make sure you keep something silver and sharp close at hand. Or was this just an ancient hunting ritual that was interpreted to mean something else? Whatever its origins, the werewolf story has certainly shifted its shape in the centuries since. People like to be scared.
Tattoo: Creative Commons from Flickr.com by Tony Alter.
Sources:
http://mythicalrealm.com/humanoid-mythical-creatures/shapeshifters-around-world/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lycaon_(Arcadia)
http://blogs.bl.uk/digitisedmanuscripts/2013/02/naked-came-the-werewolf.html
http://www.jasoncolavito.com/blog/the-werewolf-in-ancient-greece
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pliny_the_Elder
https://www.livescience.com/24412-werewolves.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Selkie
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Stumpp
https://www.biography.com/people/bram-stoker-9495731
All images are public domain except where noted.
In as much as history may or may not be true, I do not think nothing can take the scare of werewolf away from me. The sight is so frighten that I am certain I would faint if I get to see one in real life. Werewolf and vampires movies are a no go for me.
But this is very interesting though, sometimes I wish I could see real life pictures/videos of these animal-human transformation
It still remains a mystery if any of those folktales or werewolf stories ever really happened. I guess people just need to b Ed entertained and so, someone just cook something up.
We have many stories we learnt from elders whole growing - stories of the man tortoise. Obviously, they were all fiction, but kudos to any one who is capable of producing such an interesting piece of fiction, especially in those ages.
There's some meaning in these stories, even if they are fiction, because they say a lot about the culture.
Very true. Some Yoruba heroes here were said to have changed forms to stone out of anger of betrayal or persecution by their kinsmen. Some of these seem to be true and even if not true, the story behind it is a significant piece that upholds the culture of those people.
I'm just reading Stephen King's dark tower series at the moment and currently on book 4.5 (the wind through the keyhole) where Roland and his gunslinger friend are in pursuit of a skin man (shape shifting wolf/cat/bear). King seems to work ancient mythological tales into his stories. If you've not read the dark tower series it takes some getting into, but it's quite epic once it get's going, with references to many of his other tales.
He's an amazing storyteller for sure.
Interesting history @donkeypong.
I feel like we all have a bit of beast within, and tales like the werewolf have always been a way for humanity to try and explain, or excuse, our baser instincts.
I have watched countless movies on werewolf and I have come to believe that they are not just folklore. In Africa where I come, my dad told me stories of shape-shifting, it was a hunting tradition way back and these men had the ability to change into wolves and other wild animals during wars and hunting expeditions. Honestly I didn't believe this until some years back when an old hunter in my village grew so much hair on his body shortly before his death. It was so scary that people were going to watch and even take pictures. I believe that werewolves could very well be in our midst.
Wow, what a story!
Yea this is a great story @donkeypong
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@eleaza, i couldn't agree less. i was of the opinion that most movies on werewolf couldn't be true but as i hear stories of legends which has its origin in Africa. i began to have a different perspective to movies on werwolf and vampires. i remembered the story of one of such legend who was lured by beautiful beings in the said forest and he changed to another being and followed the beautiful creatures. it was an awesome story of seven men who went to a dangerous forest on the request of the king and they faced insurmountable problems. only one made it back and alive. That story stand to still be one of my favorite.
Nice writing ...I would talk about the werewolf mythology how get started ...People were prey of wolves for a long time in the past. People used their imagination when starting this myth. They did not embalm the dead so when they dug up a grave they see the deceased with fingernails that have grown longer and they look like claws.The cuticles on the nails look retracted. The face jaw also looks wide open and the teeth are exposed. Bugs have moved the body around. And sometimes there is blood coming from the mouth and they hear howling wolves beyond the shadows of the night.
Very interesting perspective. I had not heard that before, but it makes some sense. There certainly are stories of werewolves robbing recent graves also, which might connect.
I haven't heard that before too, but it truly does makes sense.
Thank you for this insight @kouba01
Hmm such a lovely write up. I only know of silver as the way to kill a werewolf, and that maybe because I have been highly influenced by Hollywood. But my question is, how many karat silver is required to kill the werewolf? Can its blood detect 14, 18, or 24 karat silver? If it can, I guess jewelry sellers will surely be after the blood of werewolf 😂😂😂
You'd have to ask someone who knows more about werewolves and silver than I do. :)
As much as I have just been educated by the writeup, I sure I'm with u on that question, in my country there is just too many fake and adulterated silver wares, I really need to know if the ware wolf blood could detect silver and possible reactions, so at least I can start ware wolf hunting just for the blood.
LOL!
Wow! This had me for a moment. Werewolf films I enjoy a lot, though scary and I always thought they belonged in folklore, that there was nothing real about them. I hope it remains there
The first written mention of werewolves in one of the German languages was appr. in the year 1035. It described a man who dropped himself from a tree onto the back of a passing wanderer. He then forced the man to carry him to the next city.
Since I read this about 10 years ago, I wondered how he technically did it. I assume he put a knife or another sharp object to the throat of his victim.
Now that I‘m thinking about it again, maybe he bit him. :D
I’ve read many stories about shapeshifters and I enjoyed watching films related to those characters. However, I honestly do not believe in the existence of any of them. I personally believe that shapeshifters are no more than legends and fictions.
But in other aspect, it is quite interesting as all people around the world were talking about this hairy creature, the stories told were almost identical. The name might be different locally as you have written, but they all refer back to the same entity. It keeps people wondered if these beings were actually exist or not. However for me, unless I see one with my own eyes, I remain skeptical.
I think the stories spread quickly and people start to "see" them. For centuries, people saw angels and devils and witches also. More recently, people saw aliens. At least some of it is coming from peoples' culture and projecting what they expect to see.
You’ve got a point there, some people see what they expect and want to see. Alientology is an interesting topic, it is a worldwide phenomenon like the shapeshifters story. All of those stories about abduction, crop circles, UFO, USO and spaceship crash are fascinating. I believe we are not alone, human have discovered thousands of exoplanets in the past decades, so it is weird to think that we are the only civilization in the universe, but my opinion is they have yet to visit us, we will find them first in our solar system, most probably in microbial forms.
@donkeypong, Absolutely brilliant topic introduction about werewolves. I think they was only lived scientific fiction stories and fantasy movies. Actually I can't believe they still lived on the earth coz they have been equal to humans bodies. I've studied before my advance level class about Greek and other Europe counties history. About werewolves mentioned there. Greek peoples trust more about werewolves.
That's well educative post and you said more information. Thanks for it.
Tales or folklore tells a lot about mystical and horrible things, I think the main purpose to scare or create a frightening specter. most of these horrible stories, the story is attributed to the gloom of the night. Chinese past with Vampire stories, stories about bodies that grow teething teeth and jumping around to find blood at night. In another version of the vampire is also narrated in the European country, about the corpse coming out of the coffin transformed into a large bat that flies for prey to suck blood. In a European country about Werewolves who are looking for prey to suck blood in the night as well. Another terrible story in Indonesia. The story of a ghostly phantom of a ghost who wanders at night with a long-haired white robe, his face covered in his hair with blood smearing his face and a large hole in his back. Another figure of the headless ghost. The elderly grandmother who laughs in a terrible voice, the story of the grandmother is told to scare the children not to wander at night. All the stories narrated on Friday night. There are still many stories about other mystical things in Indonesia, because the many tribes that inhabit the islands in Indonesia with different cultures. Cultural diversity, various folklore stories or fairy tales. Best regards @jamilfian.
They seem to contain many cautionary tales.
It seems so, almost all folklore about the scary thing at night. Warning not to go out at night.
I thought werewolf stories were just for the movies, i never knew it had this much history. I believe that with the thin line drawn between men and animal in the early years, there would be so many unrealistic stories but if these stories are true, then i'm happy to be born in this generation😀, those times will certainly be scary.. Thanks for sharing @donkeypong
If we came from chimps then, the idea of werewolves would be terrifying, i'm glad and contented with the idea of chimps transformation, lol.
Thank you I was thinking if this was real but now I think I have the answer to my question
The fact that there are myths/tales of shapeshifters in virtually every culture around the globe does tend to lend more credibility that these are more than simply stories made up by the campfire.
For example, in the In Navajo culture, the skin-walker (yee naaldlooshii) is a type of witch who has the ability to turn into, possess, or disguise themselves as an animal. the phrase literally means 'he or she who goes on all fours' and is an evil entity that often took the guise of a coyote to cause harm to other Navajo tribe members, which is very contradictory to their normal way of life.
Similar tales can be found throughout Latin America, and even among the Inuit - if there is not some basis in reality for these legends - how is it that virtually every culture has come up with them?
Yes, it's quite interesting that there have been so many similar folk tales around the world.
Great post. Love me some warewolf and vampire folklore. Goes back to my youth and the hammer horror days with Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee.
Tell me though, have you heard of the modern day tale of the ghostly typist? Apparently Its in the 'slenderman' realm of spookyness and revolves around someone leaving a message to a persons post they liked.
It was a curse passed through the internet to the very person they were posting too. This is how it was passed on. As they typed, their hands began to swell, their typinge became more erratick. Than, As they wer abot to reveal the ony way to remov th kurse ,,,, ksdjflk; ;jlk;jdsf sdf klj;l sdaf asdfjlk ;lkjklj lkd kjkljdjf ......fwgdfgk kdjfgkj dfgjkfj lkjdf goo luk......
It’s very interesting article. I have always been fascinated by werewolfs and good movies with werewolves involved. For me on of the best movies would be “Underworld” where vampire who works as a Death Dealer, killing the lycans who allegedly slaughtered her family. I love all of the movies.
I would cal a werewolf as a human human with the ability to shapeshift into a wolf, either purposely or after being placed under a curse or affliction.
Werewolves did not consider wolves one of their own; in fact, wolves were inferior. They were hunters, strong and ravenous like them, but they weren't as big or as intelligent. Since I have seen werewolf transformations hundreds of times on screen it’s kind of fascinating. It has a huge humanoanimal history. if a werewolf acted like this crazy out of control psychopath it wouldn’t be because he was part animal, but because he was still too human. Only humans kill for sport.
I have heard of the story of Lykaon before and was a bit different to this. Said he asked for the power as he thought he could be more menacing and feared by his enemies if he had the ability.
Growing up, I used to love reading either vampire novels(Salem's lot by SK is my Fav) or werewolf ones. But the contemporary movies/novels have made these ideas a thing to laugh at(Not all.)
Owk @donkeypong you just succeeded in scaring the shit out of me. I am beginning to have a rethink about werewolves, draculars and selkies(marmaids).
You just breathed life into what has since been known as folklore and I am begining to wonder , what if all these you said are really true? Mehn!
No nightmares, please!
Has anyone thought about this, since werewolfs are usually males, and they usually stand upright and they are usually without clothes, why is it that we have never gotten to see any private pa***, is it that they kind of disappear when the man transforms, just wondering.
Not anatomically correct? Hmm. How convenient for most films.
This is awesome
I could remember very well when my father told me stories about werewolves and man changing into werewolf. I was little then so it seems like horror and a scary story to me until I grow up to be a man and found it interesting to the fact that I love it
THANKS FOR THIS AMAZING POST @donkeypong
@gprince ✍️
Humans are the perfect creatures because they have Steemit (hahaha, just kiding). However, in many ways, humans often look for animal references as symbols of strength, glory, wisdom, and intelligence. Animal life cannot be separated from human life as fellow beings.
In Aceh and elsewhere in Indonesia, the folktale of half-animal man remains eternal today. There are human tigers, human horses, snake man, crocodile man, Birdman, fish man, and so on. I have never heard of a human mosquito.
The Tigerman human story can be read in Eka Kurniawan's novel titled Lelaki Harimau which has been translated into dozens of languages in the world, including English.
Some people who have privileges, have a tiger within them, but not in physical form, but rather strength and courage. Uniquely, they can not control the tiger, it is the tiger that controls them. tigers often appear when humans are hurt, both physically and psychologically.
But how to explain this scientifically? I think, need a long research to explain it.
The story @donkeypong is interesting if written in novel form. Thank you for sharing.
Those are great stories, maybe worth a post or two from you? :)
In my opinion, it is more interesting if it is written in the novel. However, it takes more time and energy.
Wow! Talking about were wolf makes me excited. I want to learn more about this creature.. I never know that zues is the reason why werewolves became so popular hahaha need to bring silver bullet always hahaha. The only were wolf I love to watch is fhe werewolf in twilight hahaha :D thanks for this @donkeypong i learn many new things from you. :)
Werewolves were always my favorite type of villains. I especially appreciate when they are scary but not loathsome.
I can't remember the movie but I remember a great twist: a village organizes mass hunts on a werewolf that kills one inhabitant every full moon, but in the end it turns out that the werewolf is actually a girl that is one of the main hunters (a girl), totally unexpected.
In my home town there is a legend of one that has been seen, but it was just me taking of my shirt before dark
Haha! You might have to post that in NSFW.
Very nice,
Thanks for this post sharing.... i appreciate this history. resteemit done
I've been enjoying these stories in movies, but I didn't know the history of werewolves. From a feud between Lykaon and Zeus.. there is great pleasure in getting the background of what we so dearly love to read about and watch.
Though I feel ancient hunting ritual was interpreted to mean something else, there is no denying that werewolves have remained among many generations with the movies attracting enormous sales.
Of the different ways a person could become a werewolf from
being cursed, being conceived under a new moon, drinking water touched by a wolf, and sleeping under a full moon on Fridays.. I enjoy the sleeping under a full moon. This part always freaks me out when am watching werewolf movies.
According to this post now, that means we have different types of wolves based on their country of niche. Thanks boss for educative post. Kudos
오래전 깜깜한 밤 12시 경에 어느 강원도 산골짜기에서 늑대의 울음소리를 들어본 적이 있으세요.
그때를 기억하게 하는군요.
This is really very informative and great post about werewolves history @donkeypong. All the images and stories that you have shared about werewloves are really very perfect and attractive. You have described the history of werewolves in very well manner. I really appreciate your article. Thanks for sharing this great history information.
Interesting history on werewolf
Kudos to @donkeypong
This was really scary. This reminded me of those werewolf movies I watched, movies such as underworld. I just don't know why vampires and werewolfs hate each other. I think vampires are another way to kill werewolfs. When they are many in number, and they all bite the werewolf, it usually bleeds to death.
Interesting folklore. I just saw a program about the world records and a guy was in there covered with hair. They didn't mention his night life lol. Joy
Awesome story you've got here. I thought of an idea, and I guess am going to patent this. With respect to killing werewolfs, why don't we just wait for then to transform back to humans, and then decapitate them, or we can wait for a lunar eclipse where the moon is hidden behind the earth, and thence they don't get to transform on that day, and then we have the golden opportunity to kill them in their human forms.
What do you think @donkeypong
Some how this info about werewolve maight prove that there are such creature existing. Because here in our country (Philippines), we also have a famous or well known mythical creature here and it was called "Aswang" they are shafeshifters too and they eat human flesh specially the flesh of a new born.. and most of the elderd in provinces believes that they do exist in real life.jpeg)
Very disturbing image lol gave me chills
awesome!!
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There used to be tales of shapeshifters and warewolves in my village when i was little. It seemed pretty real and convincing back then. Everyone talked about them, some claimed to see them.
Although the incidence seems to be reducing now with civilization. Still don't know if it was real or not.
a good post @donkeypong .. but I am honest from the beginning until now still a question mark about werewolves and vampires that, what they are just illustrations, only in the movies alone or is there in the real world..??
Great research! Nice writing!
This is educative Sir!
I used to think the werewolves stories were just made up.
Thanks for sharing☺ and how have you been?
really good poss, is amazing moon
This is educative Sir!
I used to think the werewolves stories were just made up.
Thanks for sharing !!!!!
Virtually every culture across the globe has its own werewolf mythology, with this beastly shape-shifter being one of the oldest monsters to terrorize humans.
Thanks for sharing @donkeypong.
Thanks to @donkeypong for sharing,,,, those stories have made me to be very scared back in the days, i can't really realize how i was able to make those thoughts out of my mind. Well from my little awareness towards life it may be seen at times that such things can really exit.
Interesting! Werewolf what an interesting story is amazing.
The supernatural scares the shit out of me though. But I don't really believe that werewolves are real. Except I see with my eyes.
Wow! Really? Please tell me to breathe gently, would you? I have always thought they were just cooked up stories.
Warewolfs are really true? i thought it was just only a movie or just story telling. but i just wondering why they attack people! i think if they are evolved into a warewolf its a ritual,and they need to kill people for the outright..
i can't believe it that warewolfs are true..thanks for sharing @donkeypong
I am fascinated about these fairytales and some how I want to believe these are for real. Well I cant eat human flush to turn, may be I can try sleep under a full moon on Friday - what if I turn ? :)
It is night here in Nigeria, the time now is 12:09, am alone in my room, just finished reading your post and this cold all over my body, even in fiction every story has its story, you just have to listen to the story to get the story. Thanks for sharing.