"As old as time and as wide as the world, the belief in the werewolf by its very antiquity and its universality affords accumulated evidence that there is at least some extremely significant and vital element of truth in this dateless tradition, however disguised and distorted it may have become..."
My husband and I were discussing how the Great American Werewolf novel still has yet to be invented. This really piqued my interest -- in fact, I have personally decided to take up the challenge! ✒️✊️ In the meantime, however, I have been researching the topic, because aside from the portrayals in mainstream media (uhhh, Twilight?! 🥴) --
-- I honestly have no idea about the werewolf's true origins.
So, I took it upon myself to take out this book, The Werewolf in Lore and Legend, dating back to the year 1933! 😱 This book has been extremely informative, containing innumerable sources, from biblical times and onward.
What is perhaps the strangest part of this book, is the fact that it is mostly still in original languages; the author did not bother to translate any Latin, French, German, etc. excerpts into English. Thankfully we live in a very technologically advanced age, so of course I was able to translate everything, but it was still a pain in the ass, nonetheless! 😭
Obviously the first thing I needed to do was identify what exactly is a werewolf. To be fair, much of modern media has remained true to the werewolf's depiction:
"... a werewolf is a human being ... who either voluntarily or involuntarily changes into the apparent shape of a wolf, and who is then possessed of all the characteristics: the foul appetites, ferocity, cunning, the brute strength, and swiftness of that animal."
Once in such a form, the person takes on all of the attributes of a wolf: "their teeth and claws are strong and sharp like those of wolves; they taste raw flesh like wolves; they run on all fours; and when they run together, they are accustomed to divide their hunting among themselves, and if they are drunk, they howl to call the others."
In most cases, the person abandons all sense and reason, choosing instead to give into their bloody, lustful desires. Once back to the status of a human, they oftentimes experience memory loss and cannot recall what they did.
"Those who are changed suddenly fall to the ground as if seized with epilepsy ... the soul or spirit by some fascination quits the inert body and enters the spectrum ... of a wolf, and when they have glutted their foul lupine lusts and cravings, by the Devil’s power, the soul reenters the former human body, whose members are then energized by the return of life.' ... the individual, the ego, becomes enclosed in a wolf’s form, with bestial motions and ferocity."
Many accounts note that werewolves are highly influenced by the moon. The beast is reported to be at its strongest from dusk, until dawn. Interestingly, many reports claim that werewolves often have to remain in their bestial form for a number of days, around 10-12 days.
"For lunatics ... [are] obsessed ... [with] the moon, acts upon them, in whom the mind, enslaved by a dark imagination, easily becomes a receptacle for unclean spirits, and a demonic power is acquired ... this vice is called Lymphatics ... which kind of disease makes ... melancholics wild and monstrous."
While in human form, there are some important indicators that can hint at a person's bestial nature within. Many human werewolves can be recognized "by these marks: they are pale, their vision feeble, their eyes dry, tongue very dry, and the flow of the saliva stopped; but they are thirsty, and their legs have incurable ulcerations from frequent falls."
Experts also warn against individuals "with deep-set eyes and those whose eyebrows are united over the bridge of the nose."
What's more, a person can always be identified by their "wild, sunken, and black eyes, all wild," for the eyes are the mirrors to the soul, and the victims always retain their bestial nature.
An interesting fact: January and February are the most active months for werewolves, with reason being "that through the extremitie of cold & snow, those rauenous creatures could not fynd of other beasts sufficient to feed vpon.”
So now that we understand WHAT the werewolf is, HOW did it come to be?
There are a number of different methods and theories pertaining to the werewolf's origins. Some believe that werewolfism is hereditary, passed down within families. Others think it can be contracted like a disease. Some think werewolfism is a direct cause of sin and the conscience refusal to repent from it.
In some cases, a person would simply adorn themselves with "a girdle made of the pelt of the animal ... he was given a wide belt, which when girdled, was believed to have turned into a wolf..."
Of course, given how influential the moon is, many believe that anyone born under a New Moon could be susceptible to werewolfism. There is also the theory that "the wolf imparted by his very bite some demonic quality to the beeves he had torn and slain."
However, the most commonly accepted method of metamorphosis is "by black magic, by occult and most hideous bedevilment." By affiliation, werewolves are sorcerers and witches, making "a pact with the Devil ... these pacts 'are not only vain and useless; they are also dangerous and immeasurably pernicious."
The person participates in a sacred ceremony, anointing their body with a special ointment and reciting specific spells. "The spells recited by the sorcerer about to shift his shape to a werewolf are profane and horrible in the last degree. To inquire into these were impious; they were accursed to know."
Some consider nudity a necessity, in the sense that the participant needs to strip off their clothes before turning. In order to revert back to man, he will need to retrieve his clothes first.
"... the transformation is effected in the moonlight ... An essential condition preliminary to the shape-shifting is that the man should strip himself stark naked, whilst his return to the human form appears to be accomplished by his repossession of the clothes he had doffed. That the apparel which he has thrown off should be safeguarded during his appearance as a wolf is a matter of the first importance, and he secures this by a magic rite, by urination in a conjurer’s circle around the garments as they lie on the ground"
During metamorphosis, accounts are divided. There are some who believe that the werewolf retains reason and is in control of themselves.
"It is very generally believed that by certain witches’ spells and the power of the Devil men may be changed into wolves ... and when their work is done they return to their original shapes, but they do not lose their human reason and understanding, nor are their minds made the intelligence of a mere beast. Now this must be understood ... that the Devil creates no new nature, but that he is able to make something appear to be which in reality is not."
Others believe the werewolf is a result of possession, and it is the Devil who does their bidding.
"Satan sometimes leaves the witch asleep behind a bush, and himself goes and performs that which the witch has in mind to do, giving himself the appearance of a wolf; but that he so confuses the wolf’s imagination that he believes he has really been a wolf and has run about and killed men and beasts."
A big question may be pondered: why a wolf? Again, this can be traced back to Satan's influence, for Jesus said, “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves." (Matthew 7:15)
"... the reason why the Devil is more ready to change the sorcerer into a wolf rather than any other animal is owing to the ferocity of the natural wolf, who ravages and devours, who does more harm to man than any other marauder beast in his kind. Moreover, the wolf typifies the eternal enemy of the lamb, and by the Lamb is symbolized Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ."
If this is the curse, what, then, is the cure?...
Well, given that werewolfism is affiliated with Satan, anything holy will tend to do the trick! 😄 The Crucifix, holy water, the Eucharist... "The sight of the wayside shrines fills him with fear and trembling, and before the Crucifix or the Madonna he falls impotent to the eround, which shows that he is in truth possessed of the demon, and that werewolfism is clearly diabolical."
Running water itself is often considered effective, due to its association with baptism: "... lycanthropes avoid water: 'aquam perhorrescunt.' ... Running water in particular is known to dissolve spells and evil charms; true and natural water is the matter of the 'first sacrament’ [baptism] ... Thus the element has of itself a certain quality of holiness."
Aside from that, injury while in the form of a werewolf would transform the perpetrator back into man:
"... with a swift blow of his axe lopped off one of the beast’s hind paws, whereupon the werewolf at once resumed human shape. ... he was right glad thus to lose his foot, since such dismembering had rid him for ever of the accursed and damned form. For it is commonly reported and held by grave and worthy doctors that if a werewolf be shorn of one of his members he shall then surely recover his original body."
Another account reports, "... if he be struck with a knife, especially on the forehead or the scalp, and blood drawn, he will be cured. Some say that if the backs of his front paws or hands are pierced the spell is broken." Meanwhile, a more detailed case states that "... lycanthropia is a species of melancholy which you may cure at the time of the attack, by opening a vein and abstracting blood to fainting, and giving the patient a diet of wholesome food. Let him use baths of sweet water, and then milkwhey for three days, and purging with the hiera from colocynth twice or thrice."
But, what is perhaps the most popular cure is the use of silver bullets. I had to research why this is, and apparently it is because silver is revered for its purity and holiness. One could double their odds of success by dousing silver bullets in holy water!
