Facts And Myths About Werewolves

The legend of the werewolf is one of the oldest and most widespread legend in the world.

People from the time when they began to live in tribes had an animal as their patron, usually a wolf or a bear. Simple logic of that first tribal society somehow has always taken as wolf totem for the way of life, in a pack, with a clear hierarchy.

Taking wolf furs and clothing in it are probably the first steps towards the creation of the legend of the transformation of man into a wolf.

Werewolf is in the folklore and mythology person who turns into a wolf, either intentionally using magic or because of the curse thrown at him. These stories are spread throughout Europe, including France (Loup-garou), Greece (lycanthropos), Spain (hombre lobo), Scotland (wulver), England and Germany (werewolf), Ireland (faoladh or conrioth), Italy (magnifier Mannaro) , Russia (vurdalak or oboroten), Romania and Bulgaria (varkolak) and many others.

First myths about werewolves

The first recorded story about werewolves comes from ancient Greece. Herodotus wrote in his History of the Neuros, a tribe in the northeast Scythia, which once a month turn into wolves for several days. In Greek mythology, also, Zeus punished the king Likana (Lycaon) turning it into the wolf, because he ate human flesh.

In Latvia, there are stories about “Vilkacis”, the person who turns into a wolf-like creature once a month, but they also have this situation privileged. For them, the wolf was the animal through which the gods took care of their tribe, and the young warriors are dressed in a wolf’s skin during the transition from boyhood to adulthood.

In Nordic mythology there is a legend about Ulfhedars, the old warriors of the far north, similar Berseker (crazy, wild, raging), except that they are their strength, invulnerability and cruelty dragged from their wolf nature, not by potions of grass that Berseker drank just before battle. The characteristic of these warriors was their clothing, ie, wolf fur, which are passing over the head and shoulders.

In France, the myth of the werewolf reached its peak during the sixteenth century. At that time, the increased number of wolves in Europe, but nowhere like here imagination has not got wings in connection with the attacks animals to humans.

Thus, in 1573 in Dole was a great chase to the person who is attacking people and cattle in the area. Although the evidence is saying that it is a wolf, the villagers insisted the culprit among the people, rather than in a nearby forest. On the other hand, in the case of family Gandiljon, tailors Chalon and Roulette in Angers in 1598 by the accused for the murder and cannibalism, but they could not prove their charges that the werewolves.

In England, Prussia, and the rest of the Baltics the Church stamped werewolves as a result of witchcraft and devil’s product, in order to collapse and deny the divine law. Therefore, the trial was a bit different than in France. The suspects were in most cases sentenced to death.

How to explain werewolf hysteria?

There are many theories that try to explain the myth and hysteria of the werewolf, and a newer one is to blame types of fungus ergot, which grows in grains stored in damp areas, usually after a very cold winter. This fungus causes hallucinations, hysteria and paranoia, convulsions and sometimes death.

Some modern researchers note rabies, hipertricosis (excessive growth of body hair), a kind of porphyria (porphyria – a disorder of various enzymes that cause hallucinations, sensitivity to light, bleeding and receding gums, so teeth seem bigger and bloody) and rare mental disorder…

Read also Facts About Vampires – History And Myths!

Facts about werewolves:

first recorded story comes from ancient Greece
silver will not kill a werewolf (only a vampire)
werewolves didn’t always have to be males
werewolf was able to walk on his hind legs
also “exist” Werepuma, Weretiger and Werehyena