According to the legend, a man named Lycaon angered Zeus, the Lord of the Gods, when he served Zeus a meal made from human flesh. As punishment, the enraged Zeus turned Lycaon into a wolf. Since the ancient myths, werewolves have reappeared time and again throughout history, making numerous appearances in fifthteenth and sixthteenth century folklore.
So where did the myth of werewolves come from? One common werewolf myth centers around people changing into werewolves during the night of a full moon. An unnatural human-animal mutant unnerves us, but many people fear werewolves because of their relation to the actual wolf, Canis lupus. In , in Jurgenburg, Livonia, Thiess testified under oath that he and other werewolves were the Hounds of God. He claimed they were warriors who went down into hell to do battle with witches and demons.
Their efforts ensured that the Devil and his minions did not carry off the grain from local failed crops down to hell. Thiess was steadfast in his assertions, claiming that werewolves in Germany and Russia also did battle with the devil's minions in their own versions of hell, and insisted that when werewolves died, their souls were welcomed into heaven as reward for their service.
Thiess was ultimately sentenced to ten lashes for Idolatry and superstitious belief. A distinction is often made between voluntary and involuntary werewolves. The former are generally thought to have made a pact, usually with the Devil, and morph into werewolves at night to indulge in nefarious acts. Involuntary werewolves, on the other hand, are werewolves by an accident of birth or health. In some cultures, individuals born during a new moon or suffering from epilepsy were considered likely to be werewolves.
Various methods have existed for removing the werewolf form. In antiquity, the Ancient Greeks and Romans believed in the power of exhaustion in curing people of lycanthropy. The victim would be subjected to long periods of physical activity in the hope of being purged of the malady. This practice stemmed from the fact that many alleged werewolves would be left feeling weak and debilitated after committing depredations.
In medieval Europe, traditionally, there are three methods one can use to cure a victim of werewolfism; medicinally usually via the use of wolfsbane , surgically or by exorcism. However, many of the cures advocated by medieval medical practitioners proved fatal to the patients. A Sicilian belief of Arabic origin holds that a werewolf can be cured of its ailment by striking it three times on the forehead or scalp with a knife. Another belief from the same culture involves the piercing of the werewolf's hands with nails.
Sometimes, less extreme methods were used. In the German lowland of Schleswig-Holstein, a werewolf could be cured if one were to simply address it three times by its Christian name, while one Danish belief holds that simply scolding a werewolf will cure it.
Conversion to Christianity is also a common method of removing werewolfism in the medieval period. A devotion to St. Hubert has also been cited as both cure for and protection from lycanthropes. Rolling in dew is also said to cure the ailment. The most famous werewolf story in the Volsunga Saga is about a father and son, Sigmund and Sinfjotli. While wandering in the woods, Sigmund and Sinfjotli come upon a hut where they find two spellbound wolf pelts. If put on, either pelt will turn a man into a wolf, and the person will possess the power, cunningness, and valor of wolves.
But once on, the pelt can only be removed on the tenth day. Having put on the pelts, Sigmund and Sinfjotli turn into wolves and begin wandering about the forest together. Before they split up, they agreed to howl to each other if either of them encounters seven men to fight at a time. Sinfjotli, the son, breaches the agreement and kills 11 men at one time. Angered, Sigmund fatally injures his son. After Sinfjotli becomes healed from his injury, he and his father take off the enchanted wolf pelts as the tenth day arrived.
They burned the pelts to ashes and freed themselves from the curse of lycanthropy. The Luison, also written as el lobizon , or lobizon , is the South American werewolf. The myth of the luison mainly prevails in Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay. It stems from the Portuguese belief that the seventh son of a family of all boys would turn into a luison on the night of a full moon, especially if it fell on a Friday.
The myth is especially prevalent in Argentina. The origin of the luison legend is in Guarani mythology. The Guarani are the indigenous people of Paraguay whose mythology stated there were seven monsters. Of the seven monsters, the last one, known as luison, had a horrendous appearance but had no apparent resemblance with a wolf and became known as the God of Death. The luison myth eventually mixed with European werewolf legends.
The Lobizon morphed into a half man and half wolf. Werewolves in Mexico are known as the Nahual or Nagual. Even though Mexico was a Spanish colony for years, the Nahual myth did not co-mingle with the European legend of the werewolf.
The tale remains in its original form to this day. The belief in Mexican werewolfism or nagualism varies from region to region. Some Mesoamerican Indians believe that the nagual is a guardian spirit that resides in an animal, such as deer, jaguar, eagle, bobcat, mountain lion, and so on. In other regions and a more ominous version of nagualism, it is believed that powerful men can transform themselves into an animal to cause harm. Perhaps no other country has played more of an influential role than the United States in creating and propagating the werewolf phenomena, especially in the s, and among the horror fans.
Back then, the werewolf phenomenon was an element of pop culture and still is now. Thanks to makeup artist Rick Baker, who provided the most realistic werewolf transformations ever depicted on screen. The legend of the werewolf in America mainly comes from European settlers. When these pioneers began settling in North America, they noticed a considerable wolf population — real wolves. When their legends mixed with Native American werewolf legends — already in existence before the European arrivals, America created the werewolf myth we see today.
Typically, the French werewolf or loup-garou has human reasoning within it. Hence it attempts to free itself from the lycanthropic curse. Whereas the Wendigo, a werewolf-like creature in the Native American folklore, is characterized by malevolence and cannibalism. All three places once being French colonies. There is something else we should discuss regarding the American lycanthrope. Does loup-garou rhyme with rougarou?
Pronounced lu-ga-ru and ru-ga-ru, respectively. These words rhyme with each other because rougarou is the variant of French loup-garou. The rougarou, most commonly described as a bayou-dwelling werewolf, appears in Louisiana folklore. The legend of the rougarou is common across French Louisiana, also once a French colony. A soldier stated this story happened to his grandfather. His grandfather went into the forest to cut wood with a friend and a third man.
After they had done their job and had become tired, the third man recommended they take a nap. Accordingly, the three men lay down on the ground and closed their eyes.
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