Vampires & Werewolves & Others [information]

Werewolves

2. Werewolves

a)

The idea of being able to change form into something else and possess superhuman like abilities is scary to some and exciting to others.

Werewolves, or wolf men, are mythological humans with the ability to change form into wolves or wolf-like beings. This is believed to happen after suffering a bite from another werewolf or sometimes by being the victim of a curse. Restlessness and agitation are said to precede a werewolf transformation, followed by convulsions. The transformation is almost always associated with the full moon.

The werewolf is generally thought to be invulnerable to religious weapons such as holy water or a crucifix that are popular weapons against vampires. The most widely accepted method of werewolf slaying is with a silver bullet. Silver daggers or knives are also thought to be effective weapons against an attacking werewolf.

Shape-shifting creatures that are similar to werewolves are found in tales and legends from all over the world. Werewolf and vampire stories were often used to explain serial killings in earlier times.

Clinical Lycanthropy is a medical condition in which the patient believes he or she is an animal and has been believed to be a condition that could have sparked some the more ancient werewolf tales. A sufferer of this "disease" is usually triggered by the belief that they are destined to change form. A variety of life experiences can trigger this feeling. The symptoms have included dry skin, fatigue, eyes or hair changing color, hair growth and hands changing. Rabies has also been suggested as the origination of many werewolf tales because the symptoms of rabies and a suspected wolf transformation are similar.

*How to Become a Werewolf

There are several different ways that one is believed to become a werewolf, besides being bitten or being afflicted with a curse.. One popular legend is of the "magic belt". It is said that when someone removes their clothing and puts on a special belt made of wolfskin, that they can become a werewolf. The wearing of entire wolfskins has also been mentioned throughout history. Some cultures, such as in Brazil, believe that the seventh son after a line of six daughters is born a werewolf. Some attribute werewolves to a divine punishment and it was once thought that people who were excommunicated from the catholic church became werewolves. A pact with the devil to purposely gain the shape shifting abilities of a werewolf has also been blamed. Drinking the water from an animal footprint has been believed to cause someone to become a werewolf as well.

The allure of the werewolf has made it a popular subject for many books, television shows and films. Just as with vampires, there are many people who firmly believe in the existence of werewolves and some even claim to be werewolves.

The mythical and legendary werewolf is a monster that has a special place in the hearts of society and werewolf tales will continue to be told for centuries to come.

*Werewolves Sightings

The supernatural is always written off by the non-believer as farce or tall tales; the case of werewolves is no different. The werewolf is said to be a beast that is a combination of man and wolf. They usually have the head of a wolf, or at the very least wolf-like features such as an elongated nose. Legends place these creatures under the full moon, walking on hind leg and, at times, terrorizing local populations. The werewolf has been a mix of legend and superstition throughout history, and this even went as far as a series of werewolf trials in 16th century France. Sightings of werewolves were not limited to this time period. In contemporary times, many have claimed to be in the presence of large, wolf-like creatures. To the non-believer, these events do not seem plausible, but to others the only logical explanation is that werewolves exist.