Home | Comics | Store | Fun Stuff! | Fan Games | FAQs | Links | Forum | News Archives
WerewolfThe word werewolf comes from the word were meaning man. The word literally means man-wolf. A word commonly used to describe werewolves is lycanthrope. The word lycanthrope has a similar meaning (wolf-man) from two Greek words: lykos (wolf) and anthropos (man). |
|
|
Werewolves are people who transform into a wolf, or wolf-man creature either temporarily or permanently by a spell, supernatural disease, or natural ability. The word lycanthrope originated in Greek mythology. The king of the gods, and god of lightning, Zeus, transformed into a human traveler and came to the palace of the evil Arcadian King Lycaon hoping to be welcomed. Unfortunately Lycaon recognized Zeus for who he really was and tried to kill him. King Lycaon served Zeus human flesh (but not in a way that would make its origins clear), and Zeus refused to eat it. Zeus punished the King by destroying the palace and transformed Lycadon into a wolf. The first recorded werewolves were little like the werewolves in modern fantasy. Possibly the first was from Herodotus, an ancient Greek writer of the fifth century B.C., who described a tribe that lived north of the Black Sea and had the ability to turn themselves into wolves a few days each year. A nonhereditary view of werewolves was revealed in the first century B.C. by the Roman poet named Virgil who introduced the idea of herbs being used to cause lycanthropy. Virgil described a sorcerer who took lethal herbs to turn himself into a werewolf. The idea of herbs used for lycanthropy was used by magicians who sold herbs guaranteeing transformation a person into a wolf. In modern European folklore, werewolf legends originated in the countryside near the German towns Cologne and Bedburg in 1591. People of those towns lived near the woods and were afraid of wolves. People were attacked by wolves frequently and occasionally half-eaten human limbs were found in their fields. In the first werewolf legend, a few people cornered a wolf. They set their dogs loose against it and attacked the wolf with spears. The wolf stood up and turned into a man they knew to be Peter Stubbe. (What is historically true is that after that incident was told, Peter Stubbe was interrogated on the torture wheel where he confessed 16 murders.) Peter Stubbe started to practice spell casting when he was 12 and tried to make a pact with the Devil. Eventually he started to kill his enemies for revenge. Then he transformed into a wolf to continue to kill people by tearing at their throats and sucking their blood. It was his thirst for blood that kept his interest in killing people. Stubbe's punishment was for his flesh to be pulled off with a red-hot pincer, he was decapitated, and his body was burned to ashes. His daughter and mistress were also burnt alive for his crimes. Soon after the crimes of Stubbe were discovered, people started believing other werewolves lived among them. Most werewolves were believed to be sorcerers who could cast a spell on themselves to become a wolf. Werewolves had various explanations throughout European history. Some werewolves were believed to be out of body experiences or the devil who would enact one's evil dreams. In later European folklore, werewolves were usually believed to be sorcerers who drank potions, used ointments, wear wolf skin, or cast spells to turn themselves into wolves. Sometimes a combination of those things were required to transform into a wolf. A full moon was often required to cast the spell. There are several attributes of werewolves in various legends. In some legends it is believed that werewolves become vampires after death. Great Britain had myths describing werewolf families, whose curse was passed on through generations. The Romans believed that werewolves could not be shot, for their skin was thought to be bullet-proof. Several people really believed they were werewolves (possibly influencing them to kill or eat other people) and this belief has been explained chemically by modern science. Hallucinogenic plants and fungus-infected grain have caused several people to believe that they are werewolves. The main ingredients of potions often put on the body to turn into a wolf are belladonna and nightshade. These can produce hallucination and delusions of turning into animals. The food medieval people ate could have also caused delusions and lead to people believing they were werewolves. Bread was often made of grain infected with the fungus, ergot, which can cause hallucinations (often of being attacked or turning into beasts). In modern fantasy and movies werewolves are people that turn into a wolf at night and devour animals, people, or corpses, then return to human form at day. Most of these werewolves are people who turn only partially into a wolf (and possibly fully into wolf form during a full moon). The most popular cause of lycanthropy is said to be by being bitten by a werewolf. Werewolves of fantasy have supernatural strength and healing ability. They can only be permanently or greatly hurt by silver or fire, unless they are beheaded. Werewolves in Dungeons and Dragons are somewhat based on werewolves of modern fantasy, but they are a creature of their own. They can grow larger when transformed into wolf-men, and only some can turn completely into a wolf (which is the size of a bear). Although they are born as werewolves, if they bite a person who isn't killed or eaten, then that person becomes a werewolf (from an enchanting disease). People born as werewolves are called true werewolves. True werewolves are naturally in human form and can choose to transform into the other form (usually wolf-man) at will. People who become a werewolf by being bitten are always human during the day and transform into a wolf-man or wolf at night if within a day of a full moon. Werewolves in Dungeons and Dragons are only permanently damaged by magic or silver, and other damage is quickly healed. |
|
|