This book i dedicate to all lovers of wolfs.
all info is been read up before if added it in my book .
To all the wolf lovers , enjoy.........
Becoming a lycan
The ritual
So what do you need to do this ritual?
1 Forest
1 Tree that has been cut down (basically a tree stump then)
1 Copper Knife
2 legs (your own for walking)
1 Voice (your own for chanting the ritual)
1 Night (pick your moon)
You have to stab the tree stump with the copper knife. Leave it there and then walk around it chanting:
On the sea, on the ocean, on the island, on Bujan,
On the empty pasture gleams the moon, on an ashstock lying
In a green wood, in a gloomy vale.
Toward the stock wandereth a shaggy wolf.
Horned cattle seeking for his sharp white fangs;
But the wolf enters not the forest,
But the wolf dives not into the shadowy vale,
Moon, Moon, gold-horned moon,
Check the flight of bullets, blunt hunter’s knives,
Break the shepherd’s cudgels.
Cast wild fear upon all cattle,
Oh men, on all creepings things,
That they may not catch the grey wolf,
That they may not rend his warm skin!
My word is binding, more binding than sleep,
More binding than the promise of a hero!
Now spring, which I suppose means leap over the tree stump THREE times. And you will turn into a wolf!
Introduction
Lycanthropy:
A Handbook of Werewolf Disclaimer
Neither the author nor the publisher will assume any responsibility for the use or misuse of the theories and instructions contained herein, or the misinterpretation of the same. You were warned! [top of page]
Introduction
This book contains the basic elements for exploration into a fascinating, yet largely untouched, facet of occultism; Lycanthropy (Werewolfism). In this book I have outlined the basic theories and instructions for lycanthropy. I have summed up years of personal work with this subject here, and now I present to you the "meat" of my work. But before we go on, let me introduce myself. My initiatory name is Frater D, and I have been a practicing magician for several years. My work has taken me to many fascinating places and fields of study. So it was inevitable that the subject of werewolfism would cross my path. My initial investigation into the subject was admittedly “half-hearted”. However after a more serious look, it seemed as though this was more and more becoming a part of my achievable reality. The myths are somewhat exaggerated, but a type of physical transformation is possible, as you will soon see. I wrote this book primarily because a good text on the subject of actual transformation has never been written (As far as I know.), and I wanted to cover some new ground. So venture forward, and suspend your disbelief long enough to learn. [top of page]
The Werewolf: a brief description
Webster's 20th Century Dictionary defines a Werewolf thusly: "(In folklore), a person changed into a wolf, or one capable of assuming the form of a wolf at will." This is a fairly good definition considering the current scientific dogma. But for our purposes, I need to give a clearer, more accurate definition. So for this book we will define a Werewolf as: A person who has regressed, by force of will and desire, to a feral or wolflike state, both physically and mentally.
Let me expand in detail:
"A person who has regressed, by force of will and desire, to a feral or wolflike state.”: By this I mean a person who has temporarily cast off the societal chains that repress the id (In psychoanalysis the "id" is the part of the psyche responsible for basic animal instincts.). I say regression, because the “higher” or “civilized” mind takes a secondary position in the consciousness. Will is a great factor in the transformation, it takes a profound force of will to transform. Yet this is a worthwhile task for the magician, as the animal state is desirable on occasion, because of its liberating and stress purging effects. The word feral refers to a wild or untamed state. Indeed you are quite wild while in this state, which is why certain precautions must be taken (Which will be explained in a later chapter.) The wolf is the archetype of all that is wild and untamed. Yet it remains a noble and beautiful creature. Of course if you identify more with another animal, you can choose that one instead.
"Both physically and mentally.”: The transformation first takes place as a subjective shift in the consciousness of the person, but then proceeds to manifest itself in more physiological ways. This is not to say that you will grow fur and fangs, but rather that your body will act in a manner that is different from its natural state. Now that I have explained what a werewolf is, let's explore why we would wish to achieve this state. [top of page]
Why the Werewolf?
As you all know, the Werewolf is a fascinating and prevalent "myth". Stories of the Werewolf can be found around the world. This powerful creature seems to be rivaled in popularity only by the Vampire. There are several reasons for this prevalence, but I feel that the basic scientific/sociological reasons are the most fascinating. Inside man's brain there are certain tissue masses that control his primal desires; hunger, sex, etc. These parts appear to have been added onto in the process of evolution. That is to say that at one point these were "front seat" functions, that dominated our entire being. As man evolved and grew more complex, these functions began to take a "backseat" position. Of course we continue to need food, sex, etc., but in our highly technological society these are viewed as being of secondary importance to say, running a computer (Except for eating, which is viewed as necessary to maintain health and energy, so that you can run the computer!). Now we are in a worldwide state where our primal instincts are being repressed (by major religions) and ignored (by technology). But the instinct is still there, never dying, just hidden. I am not saying that you should drop on all fours, abandon higher reasoning and run wildly into the forest, I'm just saying that we must appreciate the entire being, including the animal within. This appreciation can be accomplished through lycanthropic metamorphosis. It's easy to see why achieving the animal state from time to time can be both liberating and fun. Just as long as we don't let it dominate our being. It is only one small part of the entire psyche, and to neglect the other parts would just put us back into the situation we're trying to avoid. [top of page]
The Power of Lycanthropy
So now that we know what Lycanthropy is and why it is a desirable state, let us explore what we can expect from the experience of metamorphosis. Here is a list of some of the powers that you may experience while in a state of lycanthropy. The experience will be different for everyone, but here are some of the more common experiences.
Augmented Senses: While in this state, one usually finds that every physical sense is enhanced. The colors are more vivid. The sounds are sharper and clearer. You can detect scents that you couldn't while in human form. Taste is richer (both good and bad). Your skin becomes highly sensitive to stimulus.
Increased Physical Prowess: While in this state, one usually finds that they have increased agility and strength.
Increased Sex Drive: This is a major experience in lycanthropy. However you must refrain from sexual Intercourse unless you have a willing partner, of legal age, who understands EXACTLY what is going on.
As for other powers/experiences, they will be different for everyone. So just experience the experience, so to speak, and keep in mind that with power comes responsibility. Werewolfism is no different. [top of page]
A Brief Warning
Lycanthropy can be dangerous if misused. So I will now outline the conditions under which the transformation must take place to insure its proper use.
1) Never use lycanthropy while angry, unless you are in a safe uninhabited environment. Doing this could cause a violent reaction, which will just make the situation worse.
2) Only use lycanthropy around people who you trust, and fully understand what you are doing. However it is best that you use it alone, as this better facilitates uninhibited release.
3) Only use lycanthropy in a proper environment, such as your own property, away from prying eyes. This better facilitates the transformation, and will help keep police calls about "wild animals roaming the neighborhood", down to a dull roar.
4) Do not let lycanthropy dominate your life. Obsession is a possibility, so you must, from time to time, examine yourself from the standpoint of an objective observer. Treat lycanthropy as something special, and don't over do it.
If you follow these guidelines you should be all right. This is an enjoyable experience, but caution must be taken. Once again I must repeat: Neither the publisher nor I will take any responsibility for the use or misuse of the theories and practices contained herein, or the misinterpretation of the same. [top of page]
Preliminary Exercises
Before we get into the actual techniques for effecting the transformation, there are 2 preliminary exercises that must be mastered. Devote an hour, 4 days a week (no more, no less), to practicing these exercises. Do not go on to the actual transformation until these have been mastered (At least 2 weeks practice.). After you have transformed for the first time, it is suggested that these exercises be continued, however, according to your own schedule.
Form Assumption: Position yourself in a manner that you feel a werewolf (Or other were-beast if you are not using a wolf.) would stand while resting. Then see your form become that of a werewolf. Just close your eyes, and imagine your body becoming that of a werewolf. See the transformation of your body. It is important that you experience this behind your eyes, meaning as if you were watching yourself transform from your normal perspective. Not from the perspective of an observer.
Mind Assumption: For this exercise, you must think and feel how you believe a werewolf would. Shift your consciousness to that of an animal. Experience your world through the eyes of a werewolf. Experience the urges and instincts of an animal.
After you have mastered these exercises and created the proper environment, you are ready for the transformation. [top of page]
The Blueprint
You will find it extremely useful to use a prop or costume in your practice of lycanthropy. The costume will serve as a blueprint for what you will become. I would not recommend using a full costume, but rather some artificial fur that can be affixed to your body. It is also up to you whether or not you will work nude with the fur, or clothed with the fur. It is much a matter of what you are comfortable with. It will also serve you well to use the same costume for every transformation. Be very thorough and selective when creating your blueprint. For the more adventurous and experienced occultist, I would even recommend attaching a lycanthropy thoughtform or astral pattern to the costume, as this can greatly aid the process. [top of page]
The Environment
In the practice of lycanthropy it is essential that you create the proper environment for the transformation. The following is a proper outline to work with.
1) Firstly the environment needs to be secure from prying eyes and intrusion (I do pity the unsuspecting intruder who encounters the lycanthrope while in werewolf cycle.)
2) The best environment is outdoors, in a natural forest setting (Or the natural environment of your particular animal, if you do not choose the wolf.) However it is often difficult to get both this and a secure environment in one package, so you may have to improvise according to your ingénue.
3) You may wish to consider placing some food within your environment. I would recommend a plate of cooked meat such as steak. This appeals directly to a powerful primal urge.
4) Be thorough and inventive. [top of page]
Other Points of Interest
In your practice of lycanthropy you may wish to use elements from various systems of occult thought to augment the experience. Here are two suggestions:
Invocation: You may wish to perform a ritual invocation of a lupine deity, spirit or principal to aid in your work. Since invocation in and of itself is beyond the scope of this small text, I suggest that you study a book that outlines this practice in detail. As for the godform itself, I highly recommend Fenris of Norse Mythology. (While on the subject of Norse mythology, I must suggest that you also learn of the Berserkers. Berserkers were special warriors that would don the skins of animals and fight with a wild animal rage against all enemies.)
The Moon: You may wish to time your transformations according to the lunar cycle. I have found this be particularly effective in my practice of this art.
Of course there are many more possibilities and avenues to be explored. I have included these because they have proven their effectiveness to me. As with all magical art, imagination and experimentation are essential. Therefore treat these instructions as a beginning for your exploration into this subject, and not the final word. [top of page]
Effecting The Transformation
I will now give you a technique for transforming yourself into a werewolf. You will probably have to practice and experiment a little with the technique to effect the transformation completely. Perseverance is the key.
- The Transformation -
A) Put on the animal "blueprint" costume.
B) Go to your designated area, and find a comfortable spot to sit. Close your eyes and clear your mind. Meditate upon the qualities of the animal that you wish to become. See it hunting, mating, etc. Become aware of your desire to be this animal, and let that desire grow in intensity.
C) Now examine the present stressors in your life, and think what it would be like if you could cast off the responsibilities of society, and become this beast. Let the stress that you feel fuel your desire to become the animal.
D) Visualize as intensely as possible, your chosen animal standing behind you. See it, feel it, conjure this image powerfully. When you can actually "feel" the creature, see it step into your body. (In this step you are actually creating an astral archetype to aid in the process.)
E) Now see your form become that of the animal. Visualize this as intensely as possible. Will yourself to become the animal.
F) Now take on the mind of the animal as in the preliminaries. Ignore all thoughts that are not those of an animal. Don't think in words, but rather pictures and experiences. Will a total consciousness merger with the animal.
G) When you have achieved a good degree of success with this, get up and move like a werewolf (or your particular animal). Move exactly how you feel that a werewolf should move. Act like the animal, sniff the air, listen to the sounds around you, and search with a piercing stare into dark corners and shadowed areas. Run, snarl, howl, do whatever it is that you feel is right. Become the animal in thought and action. If the moon is in view, it can serve as a powerful focal point.
H) As you are acting like the animal, find the dominant emotion that you are feeling and try to intensify it (If it is lust, then sexually stimulate yourself. If it is joy, then more fully revel in what you are becoming.)
I) When you are at the "peak" of this exercise (In the case of lust, this would be orgasm.), feel yourself transform completely. You are now the animal. You may find that your body transforms. Again, This not to say that you will grow fur and claws, but rather your body will use itself in a manner that you are not used to. This is a sign of great progress, just go with it.
J) When you are ready to return to your normal human state, just sit down, and separate yourself from the animal. Take on your normal consciousness, go get something to eat, take a nap, and relax.
There you have it! That was simple wasn't it? Of course it will get easier each time, but it was probably much easier than you anticipated. You now have a great gift, use it wisely. I recommend that you experiment with your own ideas. Be original, innovative and passionate with your application of lycanthropy. It has been said before (and quite wisely so!), that there is no room for authority in occultism. [top of page]
Conclusion
It is my hope that this short text has broadened your studies and awakened your imagination to the possibility of new experiences. It is my opinion that the liberating effects of lycanthropy can prove indispensable to the magician. Especially those who work in a “darker vein” of the art such as myself. There is still much to be explored on the subject. Hopefully in the future I will publish further findings and points of interest pertaining to this and related subjects
MEANING OF LYCANTHROPY
Etymology
The word werewolf is thought to derive from Old English wer (or were)— pronounced variously as /ˈwɛər, ˈwɪər, ˈwɜr/— and wulf. The first part, wer, translates as "man" (in the specific sense of male human, not the race of humanity generally). It has cognates in several Germanic languages including Gothic wair, Old High German wer, and Old Norse verr, as well as in other Indo-European languages, such as Sanskrit 'vira', Latin vir, Irish fear, Lithuanian vyras, and Welsh gŵr, which have the same meaning. The second half, wulf, is the ancestor of modern English "wolf"; in some cases it also had the general meaning "beast."
An alternative etymology derives the first part from Old English weri (to wear); the full form in this case would be glossed as wearer of wolf skin. Related to this interpretation is Old Norse ulfhednar, which denoted lupine equivalents of the berserker, said to wear a bearskin in battle.
Facsimile of the first seven lines of the 14th century English translation of the 12th century French manuscript The Romance of William of Palerne
Yet other sources derive the word from warg-wolf, where warg (or later werg and wero) is cognate with Old Norse vargr, meaning "rogue," "outlaw," or, euphemistically, "wolf".[1] A Vargulf was the kind of wolf that slaughtered many members of a flock or herd but ate little of the kill. This was a serious problem for herders, who had to somehow destroy the rogue wolf before it destroyed the entire flock or herd. The term Warg was used in Old English for this kind of wolf. Possibly related is the fact that, in Norse society, an outlaw (who could be murdered with no legal repercussions and was forbidden to receive aid) was typically called vargr.
Other terms
The term lycanthropy, referring both to the ability to transform oneself into a wolf and to the act of so doing, comes from Ancient Greek lykánthropos (λυκάνθρωπος): λύκος, lýkos ("wolf") + άνθρωπος, ánthrōpos ("human").[2]
A compound of which "lyc-" derives from the Proto-Indo-European root *wlkwo-, meaning "wolf", formally denotes the "wolf - man" transformation. Lycanthropy is but one form of therianthropy, the ability to metamorphose into animals in general. The term therianthrope literally means "beast-man." The word has also been linked to the original werewolf of classical mythology, Lycaon, a king of Arcadia who, according to Ovid's Metamorphoses, was turned into a ravenous wolf in retribution for attempting to serve his own son to visiting Zeus in an attempt to disprove the god's divinity.
There is also a mental illness called lycanthropy in which a patient believes he or she is, or has transformed into, an animal and behaves accordingly. This is sometimes referred to as clinical lycanthropy to distinguish it from its use in legends. Despite its origin as a term for man-wolf transformations only, lycanthropy is used in this sense for animals of any type. This broader meaning is often used in modern fictional references, such as in roleplaying game culture.
Another ancient term for shapeshifting between any animal forms is versipellis, from which the English words turnskin and turncoat are derived.[3] This Latin word is similar in meaning to words used for werewolves and other shapeshifters in Russian (oboroten) and Old Norse (hamrammr).
The French name for a werewolf, sometimes used in English, is loup-garou (pronounced /lugaˈru/), from the Latin noun lupus meaning wolf.[4] The second element is thought to be from Old French garoul meaning "werewolf." This in turn is most likely from Frankish *wer-wulf meaning "man-wolf."[5]
History of western werewolves
Classical literature
Zeus turning Lycaon into a wolf, engraving by Hendrik Goltzius.
A few references to men changing into wolves are found in Ancient Greek literature and mythology. Herodotus, in his Histories,[6] wrote that the Neuri, a tribe he places to the north-east of Scythia, were all transformed into wolves once every year for several days, and then changed back to their human shape. In the second century BC, the Greek geographer Pausanius relates the story of Lycaon, who was transformed into a wolf because he had ritually murdered a child. In accounts by Apollodorus (or pseudo-Apollodorus, Bibliotheca 3.8.1) and Ovid (Metamorphoses I.219-239), Lycaon serves human flesh to Zeus, wanting to know if he is really a god. Lycaon's transformation, therefore, is punishment for a crime, considered variously as murder, cannibalism, and impiety. Ovid also relates stories of men who roamed the woods of Arcadia in the form of wolves.[7][8]
Besides Ovid, other Roman writers also treated lycanthropy. Virgil wrote of human beings transforming into wolves.[9]Pliny the Elder relates two tales of lycanthropy. Quoting Euanthes,[10][11] he mentions a man who hung his clothes on an ash tree and swam across an Arcadian lake, transforming him into a wolf. On the condition that he attacked no human being for nine years, he would be free to swim back across the lake to resume human form. Pliny also quotes Agriopas regarding a tale of a man who was turned into a wolf after tasting the entrails of a human child, but was restored to human form 10 years later.
In the Latin work of prose, the Satyricon, written about 60 C.E. by Gaius Petronius Arbiter, one of the characters, Niceros, tells a story at a banquet about a friend who turned into a wolf (chs. 61-62). He describes the incident as follows, "When I look for my buddy I see he'd stripped and piled his clothes by the roadside...He pees in a circle round his clothes and then, just like that, turns into a wolf!...after he turned into a wolf he started howling and then ran off into the woods."[12]
Folk beliefs
Description and common attributes
Werewolves were said in European folklore to bear tell-tale physical traits even in their human form. These included the meeting of both eyebrows at the bridge of the nose, curved fingernails, low-set ears and a swinging stride. One method of identifying a werewolf in its human form was to cut the flesh of the accused, under the pretense that fur would be seen within the wound. A Russian superstition recalls a werewolf can be recognised by bristles under the tongue.[13] The appearance of a werewolf in its animal form varies from culture to culture, though it is most commonly portrayed as being indistinguishable from ordinary wolves save for the fact that it has no tail (a trait thought characteristic of witches in animal form), is often larger, and retains human eyes and voice. According to some Swedish accounts, the werewolf could be distinguished from a regular wolf by the fact that it would run on three legs, stretching the fourth one backwards to look like a tail.[14] After returning to their human forms, werewolves are usually documented as becoming weak, debilitated and undergoing painful nervous depression.[13] Many historical werewolves were written to have suffered severe melancholia and manic depression, being bitterly conscious of their crimes.[13] One universally reviled trait in medieval Europe was the werewolf's habit of devouring recently buried corpses, a trait that is documented extensively, particularly in the Annales Medico-psychologiques in the 19th century.[13]Fennoscandian werewolves were usually old women who possessed poison-coated claws and had the ability to paralyse cattle and children with their gaze.[13]Serbian vulkodlaks traditionally had the habit of congregating annually in the winter months, when they would strip off their wolf skins and hang them from trees. They would then get a hold of another vulkodlaks skin and burn it, releasing from its curse the vulkodlak from whom the skin came .[13] The Haitian jé-rouges typically try to trick mothers into giving away their children voluntarily by waking them at night and asking their permission to take their child, to which the disoriented mother may either reply yes or no.[13]
Becoming a werewolf
Various methods for becoming a werewolf have been reported, one of the simplest being the removal of clothing and putting on a belt made of wolfskin, probably as a substitute for the assumption of an entire animal skin (which also is frequently described).[15] In other cases, the body is rubbed with a magic salve.[15] Drinking rainwater out of the footprint of the animal in question or from certain enchanted streams were also considered effectual modes of accomplishing metamorphosis.[16] The 16th century Swedish writer Olaus Magnus says that the Livonian werewolves were initiated by draining a cup of specially prepared beer and repeating a set formula. Ralston in his Songs of the Russian People gives the form of incantation still familiar in Russia.
In Italy, France and Germany, it was said that a man or woman could turn into a werewolf if he or she, on a certain Wednesday or Friday, slept outside on a summer night with the full moon shining directly on his face.[13]
In other cases, the transformation was supposedly accomplished by Satanic allegiance for the most loathsome ends, often for the sake of sating a craving for human flesh. "The werewolves", writes Richard Verstegan (Restitution of Decayed Intelligence, 1628),
are certayne sorcerers, who having annoynted their bodies with an ointment which they make by the instinct of the devil, and putting on a certayne inchaunted girdle, does not only unto the view of others seem as wolves, but to their own thinking have both the shape and nature of wolves, so long as they wear the said girdle. And they do dispose themselves as very wolves, in worrying and killing, and most of humane creatures.
Such were the views about lycanthropy current throughout the continent of Europe when Verstegan wrote.
The phenomenon of repercussion, the power of animal metamorphosis, or of sending out a familiar, real or spiritual, as a messenger, and the supernormal powers conferred by association with such a familiar, are also attributed to the magician, male and female, all the world over; and witch superstitions are closely parallel to, if not identical with, lycanthropic beliefs, the occasional involuntary character of lycanthropy being almost the sole distinguishing feature. In another direction the phenomenon of repercussion is asserted to manifest itself in connection with the bush-soul of the West African and the nagual of Central America; but though there is no line of demarcation to be drawn on logical grounds, the assumed power of the magician and the intimate association of the bush-soul or the nagual with a human being are not termed lycanthropy. Nevertheless it will be well to touch on both these beliefs here.
The curse of lycanthropy was also considered by some scholars as being a divine punishment. Werewolf literature shows many examples of God or saints allegedly cursing those who invoked their wrath with werewolfism. Those who were excommunicated by the Roman Catholic Church were also said to become werewolves.[13]
The power of transforming others into wild beasts was attributed not only to malignant sorcerers, but to Christian saints as well. Omnes angeli, boni et Mali, ex virtute naturali habent potestatem transmutandi corpora nostra ("All angels, good and bad have the power of transmutating our bodies") was the dictum of St. Thomas Aquinas. St. Patrick was said to have transformed the Welsh king Vereticus into a wolf; Natalis supposedly cursed an illustrious Irish family whose members were each doomed to be a wolf for seven years. In other tales the divine agency is even more direct, while in Russia, again, men supposedly became werewolves when incurring the wrath of the Devil.
A notable exception to the association of Lycanthropy and the Devil, comes from a rare and lesser known account of an 80-year-old man named Thiess. In 1692, in Jurgenburg, Livonia, Thiess testified under oath that he and other werewolves were the Hounds of God.[17] 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.
Becoming a werewolf simply by being bitten by another werewolf as a form of contagion is common in modern horror fiction, but this kind of transmission is rare in legend, unlike the case in vampirism.[13]
Even if the denotation of lycanthropy is limited to the wolf-metamorphosis of living human beings, the beliefs classed together under this head are far from uniform, and the term is somewhat capriciously applied. The transformation may be temporary or permanent; the were-animal may be the man himself metamorphosed; may be his double whose activity leaves the real man to all appearance unchanged; may be his soul, which goes forth seeking whom it may devour, leaving its body in a state of trance; or it may be no more than the messenger of the human being, a real animal or a familiar spirit, whose intimate connection with its owner is shown by the fact that any injury to it is believed, by a phenomenon known as repercussion, to cause a corresponding injury to the human being.
Vulnerabilities
Most modern fiction describes werewolves as vulnerable to silver weapons and highly resistant to other injuries. This feature does not appear in stories about werewolves before the 19th century. (The claim that the Beast of Gévaudan, an 18th century wolf or wolf-like creature, was shot by a silver bullet appears to have been introduced by novelists retelling the story from 1935 onwards and not in earlier versions.)[18]
Unlike vampires, they are not generally thought to be harmed by religious artifacts such as crucifixes and holy water. In many countries, rye and mistletoe were considered effective safeguards against werewolf attacks.[citation needed]Mountain ash is also considered effective, with one Belgian superstition stating that no house was safe unless under the shade of a mountain ash.[13] In some legends, werewolves have an aversion to wolfsbane.[citation needed]
Remedies
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.[13]
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 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.[13] 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.
European cultures
Many European countries and cultures influenced by them have stories of werewolves, including Albania (oik), Armenia (mardagayl), Croatia/Bosnia and Herzegovina (vukodlak), France (loup-garou), Greece (λυκανθρωπος - lycanthropos), Spain (hombre lobo), Bulgaria (върколак - varkolak), Turkey (kurtadam), Czech Republic (vlkodlak), Slovakia (vlkolak), Serbia/Montenegro (вукодлак - vukodlak), Belarus (ваўкалак - vaukalak), Russia (оборотень - oboroten' ), Ukraine (вовкулака - vovkulaka and перевертень - pereverten' ), Poland (wilkołak), Romania (vârcolac, priculici), Macedonia (vrkolak), Slovenia (volkodlak), Scotland (werewolf, wulver), England (werewolf), Ireland (faoladh or conriocht), Wales (bleidd-ddyn), Germany (Werwolf), the Netherlands (weerwolf), Denmark/Sweden/Norway (Varulv), Norway/Iceland (kveld-ulf, varúlfur), Galicia (lobishome), Portugal/Brazil (lobisomem), Lithuania (vilkolakis and vilkatlakis), Latvia (vilkatis and vilkacis), Andorra/Catalonia (home llop), Hungary (Vérfarkas and Farkasember), Estonia (libahunt), Finland (ihmissusi and vironsusi), and Italy (lupo mannaro). In northern Europe, there are also tales about people changing into animals including bears, as well as wolves.
A German woodcut from 1722
Werewolves in European tradition were mostly evil men who terrorized people in the form of wolves on command of the Devil, though there were rare narratives of people being transformed involuntarily. In the 10th century, they were given the binomial name of melancholia canina and in the 14th century, daemonium lupum.[13] In Marie de France's poem Bisclavret (c. 1200), the nobleman Bizuneh, for reasons not described in the lai, had to transform into a wolf every week. When his treacherous wife stole his clothing needed to restore his human form, he escaped the king's wolf hunt by imploring the king for mercy and accompanied the king thereafter. His behaviour at court was so much gentler than when his wife and her new husband appeared at court, that his hateful attack on the couple was deemed justly motivated, and the truth was revealed. Other tales of this sort include German fairy tales, Märchen, in which several aristocrats temporarily transform into beasts. See Snow White and Rose Red, where the tame bear is really a bewitched prince, and The Golden Bird where the talking fox is also a man.
Werewolf folklore is rare in England, possibly because wolves had been eradicated by authorities in the Anglo-Saxon period.[19]
Harald I of Norway is known to have had a body of Úlfhednar (wolf coated), which are mentioned in Vatnsdœla saga, Haraldskvæði, and the Völsunga saga resemble some werewolf legends. The Úlfhednar were fighters similar to the berserkers, though they dressed in wolf hides rather than those of bears and were reputed to channel the spirits of these animals to enhance effectiveness in battle.[13] These warriors were resistant to pain and killed viciously in battle, much like wild animals. Ulfhednar and berserkers are closely associated with the Norse god Odin.
In Latvian folklore, a vilkacis was someone who transformed into a wolf-like monster, which could be benevolent at times.[citation needed] Another collection of stories concern the skin-walkers. The vilkacis and skin-walkers probably have a common origin in Proto-Indo-European society, where a class of young unwed warriors were apparently associated with wolves[citation needed].
In Hungarian folklore, the concept of werewolf goes back to the Middle Ages. The werewolves used to live specially in the region of Transdanubia, and it was thought that the ability to change into a wolf was obtained in the infant age, after the suffering of abuse by the parents or by a curse. At the age of seven the boy or the girl leaves the house and goes hunting by night and can change to person or wolf whenever he wants. The curse can also be obtained when in the adulthood the person passed three times through an arch made of a Birch with the help of a wild rose's spine.
The werewolves were known to exterminate all kind of farm animals, especially sheep. The transformation usually occurred in the Winter solstice, Easter and full moon. Later in the XVII and XVIII century, the trials in Hungary not only were conduced against witches, but against werewolves too, and many records exist creating connections between both kinds. Also the vampires and werewolves are closely related in Hungary, being both feared in the antiquity.[20]
According to the first dictionary of modern Serbian language (published by Vuk Stefanović-Karadžić in 1818) vukodlak / вукодлак (werewolf) and vampir / вампир (vampire) are synonyms, meaning a man who returns from his grave for purposes of fornicating with his widow. The dictionary states this to be a common folk tale.
Common among the Kashubs of what is now northern Poland, and the Serbs and Slovenes, was the belief that if a child was born with hair, a birthmark or a caul on their head, they were supposed to possess shape-shifting abilities. Though capable of turning into any animal they wished, it was commonly believed that such people preferred to turn into a wolf.[21]
According to Armenian lore, there are women who, in consequence of deadly sins, are condemned to spend seven years in wolf form.[22] In a typical account, a condemned woman is visited by a wolfskin-toting spirit, who orders her to wear the skin, which causes her to acquire frightful cravings for human flesh soon after. With her better nature overcome, the she-wolf devours each of her own children, then her relatives' children in order of relationship, and finally the children of strangers. She wanders only at night, with doors and locks springing open at her approach. When morning arrives, she reverts to human form and removes her wolfskin. The transformation is generally said to be involuntary, but there are alternate versions involving voluntary metamorphosis, where the women can transform at will.
The 11th Century Belarusian Prince Usiaslau of Polatsk was considered to have been a Werewolf, capable of moving at superhuman speeds, as recounted in The Tale of Igor's Campaign: "Vseslav the prince judged men; as prince, he ruled towns; but at night he prowled in the guise of a wolf. From Kiev, prowling, he reached, before the cocks crew, Tmutorokan. The path of Great Sun, as a wolf, prowling, he crossed. For him in Polotsk they rang for matins early at St. Sophia the bells; but he heard the ringing in Kiev."
There were numerous reports of werewolf attacks – and consequent court trials – in 16th century France. In some of the cases there was clear evidence against the accused of murder and cannibalism, but none of association with wolves; in other cases people have been terrified by such creatures, such as that of Gilles Garnier in Dole in 1573, there was clear evidence against some wolf but none against the accused[citation needed]. The loup-garou eventually ceased to be regarded as a dangerous heretic and reverted to the pre-Christian notion of a "man-wolf-fiend." The lubins or lupins were usually female and shy in contrast to the aggressive loups-garous.[citation needed]
Some French werewolf lore is associated with documented events. The Beast of Gévaudan terrorized the general area of the former province of Gévaudan, now called Lozère, in south-central France. From the years 1764 to 1767, an unknown entity killed upwards of 80 men, women, and children.[citation needed] The creature was described as a giant wolf by the sole survivor of the attacks, which ceased after several wolves were killed in the area.
At the beginning of the 17th century witchcraft was prosecuted by James I of England, who regarded "warwoolfes" as victims of delusion induced by "a natural superabundance of melancholic."[23]
American cultures
Main article: Skin-walker
During the Norse colonization of the Americas, it is thought by Woodward that the Vikings brought with them their beliefs in werewolves, which would manifest themselves in the folklore of some Native American tribes.[13]
The Naskapis believed that the caribou afterlife is guarded by giant wolves which kill careless hunters venturing too near. The Navajo people feared witches in wolf's clothing called "Mai-cob".[24]
When the European colonization of the Americas occurred, the pioneers brought their own werewolf folklore with them and were later influenced by the lore of their neighbouring colonies and those of the Natives. Belief in the loup-garou present in Canada, the Upper and Lower Peninsulas of Michigan[25] and upstate New York, originates from French folklore influenced by Native American stories on the Wendigo. In Mexico, there is a belief in a creature called the nahual, which traditionally limits itself to stealing cheese and raping women rather than murder. In Haiti, there is a superstition that werewolf spirits known locally as Jé-rouge (red eyes) can possess the bodies of unwitting persons and nightly transform them into cannibalistic lupine creatures.[13]
Asian cultures
Main article: Ashina (clan)
Common Turkic folklore holds a different, reverential light to the werewolf legends in that Turkic Central Asian shamans after performing long and arduous rites would voluntarily be able to transform into the humanoid "Kurtadam" (literally meaning Wolfman). Since the wolf was the totemic ancestor animal of the Turkic peoples, they would be respectful of any shaman who was in such a form.
Origins of werewolf beliefs
Many authors have speculated that werewolf legends may have been used to explain serial killings.[citation needed]. This theory is given credence by the tendency of some modern serial killers to indulge in practices commonly associated with werewolves, such as cannibalism, mutilation, and cyclic attacks. The idea is well explored in Sabine Baring-Gould's work The Book of Werewolves.
Until the 20th century, wolf attacks on humans were an occasional, but widespread feature of life in Europe.[26] Some scholars have suggested that it was inevitable that wolves, being the most feared predators in Europe, were projected into the folklore of evil shapeshifters. This is said to be corroborated by the fact that areas devoid of wolves typically use different kinds of predator to fill the niche; werehyenas in Africa, weretigers in India,[13] as well as werepumas ("runa uturuncu")[27][28] and werejaguars ("yaguaraté-abá" or "tigre-capiango")[29][30] of southern South America.
In his Man into Wolf (1948), anthropologist Robert Eisler drew attention to the fact that many Indo-European tribal names and some modern European surnames mean "wolf" or "wolf-men". This is argued by Eisler to indicate that the European transition from fruit gathering to predatory hunting was a conscious process, simultaneously accompanied by an emotional upheaval still remembered in humanity's subconscious, which in turn became reflected in the later medieval superstition of werewolves.[31]
Werewolf, by Lucas Cranach der Ältere, 1512
Some modern researchers have tried to explain the reports of werewolf behaviour with recognised medical conditions. Dr Lee Illis of Guy's Hospital in London wrote a paper in 1963 entitled On Porphyria and the Aetiology of Werewolves, in which he argues that historical accounts on werewolves could have in fact been referring to victims of congenital porphyria, stating how the symptoms of photosensitivity, reddish teeth and psychosis could have been grounds for accusing a sufferer of being a werewolf.[32] This is however argued against by Woodward, who points out how mythological werewolves were almost invariably portrayed as resembling true wolves, and that their human forms were rarely physically conspicuous as porphyria victims.[13] Others have pointed out the possibility of historical werewolves having been sufferers of hypertrichosis, a hereditary condition manifesting itself in excessive hair growth. However, Woodward dismissed the possibility, as the rarity of the disease ruled it out from happening on a large scale, as werewolf cases were in medieval Europe.[13] People suffering from Down's Syndrome have been suggested by some scholars to have been possible originators of werewolf myths.[24] Woodward suggested rabies as the origin of werewolf beliefs, claiming remarkable similarities between the symptoms of that disease and some of the legends. Woodward focused on the idea that being bitten by a werewolf could result in the victim turning into one, which suggested the idea of a transmittable disease like rabies.[13] However, the idea that lycanthropy could be transmitted in this way is not part of the original myths and legends and only appears in relatively recent beliefs.
Vampiric connections
In Medieval Europe, the corpses of some people executed as werewolves were cremated rather than buried in order to prevent them from being resurrected as vampires.[13] Before the end of the 19th century, the Greeks believed that the corpses of werewolves, if not destroyed, would return to life as vampires in the form of wolves or hyenas which prowled battlefields, drinking the blood of dying soldiers. In the same vein, in some rural areas of Germany, Poland and Northern France, it was once believed that people who died in mortal sin came back to life as blood-drinking wolves. This differs from conventional werewolfery, where the creature is a living being rather than an undead apparition. These vampiric werewolves would return to their human corpse form at daylight. They were dealt with by decapitation with a spade and exorcism by the parish priest. The head would then be thrown into a stream, where the weight of its sins were thought to weigh it down. Sometimes, the same methods used to dispose of ordinary vampires would be used.[13] The vampire was also linked to the werewolf in East European countries, particularly Bulgaria, Serbia and Slovenia. In Serbia, the werewolf and vampire are known collectively as one creature; Vulkodlak.[13] In Hungarian and Balkan mythology, many werewolves were said to be vampiric witches who became wolves in order to suck the blood of men born under the full moon in order to preserve their health. In their human form, these werewolves were said to have pale, sunken faces, hollow eyes, swollen lips and flabby arms.[13] The Haitian jé-rouges differ from traditional European werewolves by their habit of actively trying to spread their lycanthropic condition to others, much like vampires.[13]
In fiction
Main article: Werewolf fiction
The first feature film to use an anthropomorphic werewolf was Werewolf of London in 1935. The main werewolf of this film is a dapper London scientist who retains some of his style and most of his human features after his transformation,[33] as lead actor Henry Hull was unwilling to spend long hours being made up by makeup artist Jack Pierce.[34]Universal Studios drew on a Balkan tale of a plant associated with lycanthropy as there was no literary work to draw upon, unlike the case with vampires. There is no reference to silver nor other aspects of werewolf lore such as cannibalism.[35]
A more tragic character is Talbot, played by Lon Chaney, Jr. in 1941's The Wolf Man. With Pierce's makeup more elaborate this time,[36] the movie catapulted the werewolf into public consciousness.[33] Sympathetic portrayals are few but notable, such as the comedic but tortured protagonist David Naughton in An American Werewolf in London,[37] and a less anguished and more confident and charismatic Jack Nicholson in the 1994 film Wolf.[38] Rachel Hawthorne's Dark Guardian novels examine a secret society of werewolves who live peacefully alongside normal humans, are able to initiate the change at will to protect their kind, and generally retain control of themselves when transformed.[39] Other werewolves are decidedly more willful and malevolent, such as those in the novel The Howling and its subsequent sequels and film adaptations. The form a werewolf assumes was generally anthropomorphic in early films such as The Wolf Man and Werewolf of London, but larger and powerful wolf in many later films.[40]
Werewolves are often depicted as immune to damage caused by ordinary weapons, being vulnerable only to silver objects, such as a silver-tipped cane, bullet or blade; this attribute was first adopted cinematically in The Wolf Man.[36] This negative reaction to silver is sometimes so strong that the mere touch of the metal on a werewolf's skin will cause burns. Current-day werewolf fiction almost exclusively involves lycanthropy being either a hereditary condition or being transmitted like an infectious disease by the bite of another werewolf. In some fiction, the power of the werewolf extends to human form, such as invulnerability, super-human speed and strength and falling on their feet from high falls. Also aggressiveness and animalistic urges may be harder to control (hunger, sexual arousal). Usually in these cases the abilities are diminished in human form. In other fictions, it can even be cured by medicine men or even antidotes.
Chapeter 2
Where do werewolfs live
Werewolves live at a house in human form, from wherever they come from. A werewolf in wolf form lives in forests or near their house where they live in human form. It is where they feel most safe, Werewolves are only in wolf form for 24 hours, so they could wake up human, naked, on the floor of a forest.
I am a lycan. I live in SC in the USA. its just a small little town. We have woods behind our house.
Werwolves can live all over the place like Asia, Brazil, and ect..
also I live in Kentucky USA. i really want to become one and meet one.
I live in a house by the river in the USA...
Werewolves do live in houses, when there human, but no one is sure for how long that can be. Usually the house is near the forsest, and by near i mean the forest being their backyard. That way when they transform all-of-a-sudden, they can just slip into their other world without their secret getting out. They might stay near their house, might be for safety, but usually it is for teritorial reasons. just like wolves, werewolves have that 'My area, you cant be hear, my hunting grounds' instinct.
Werewolves, unlike vampires, are not immortal – in other words, they do not live forever as vampires are so famous for. Some say that werewolves do however have an unnatural life span – they have very long lives, and live longer than most human beings. There are some reports of ancient werewolves living hundreds of years, although this is not the case for most.
Lycanthropy:The Ways of the Wolf
There are two categories of werewolf cases; 'false' or Lycanthropic Disorder cases and genuine werewolf cases.
LYCANTHROPIC DISORDER Lycanthropic Disorder is a mental condition in which the subject (called a Lycanthrope) believes that he or she is a werewolf. The subject does not actually change shape, but is nevertheless capable of being as dangerous as an actual werewolf. Most cases of supposed werewolfry are really the works of Lycanthropic Disorder victims.
MAN TO BEAST In real werewolves a physical change to wolf form does occur. The change can be voluntary (at will), or can be forced by certain cycles of the moon and certain sounds (such as howling).
WEREWOLVES & IMMORTALITY Werewolves are immune from aging and from most physical diseases due to the constant regeneration of their physical tissue. They can, therefore, be virtually immortal. However, they can be killed by any wound that destroys the heart or the brain, or any form of death that causes brain or heart damage (such as hanging or other oxygen-deprivation methods).
THE MIND OF A WEREWOLF Though primarily a true wolf while in wolf form, there is some proof that the werewolf retains enough knowledge to assist his killing; recognition of victims, evation of traps, and human cunning have all been seen on werewolf cases.
BECOMING A WEREWOLF There are several ways to become a werewolf. They include being givin the power of shape shifting through sorcery, being cursed by someone who you have wronged in some way (called Lycaeonia curse), being bitten by a werewolf, and being born to a werewolf. In each case, the blood becomes tainted or cursed.
DAMNATION A person who becomes a werewolf against his will (birth, curse, or bite) is not completely damned until he tastes of human blood. Once he does, his soul is eternally damned and nothing may redeem him. Even without tasting of human blood, however, as long as the taint lays upon the immortal soul, it cannot enter Heaven, and will remain chained to the mortal plane upon death.
THE WEREWOLF PACKS
WEREWOLF PACKS Like real wolves, werewolves can live alone for many years, yet the instinct for a pack often leads them away from their secretive lifestyle, into revealing their nature to a priest or close associate, or converting another to werewolfry for companionship. This is when the otherwise cagey werewolf opens himself to dection! Werewolf packs cause immense destruction. A pack consists of one werewolf who became a werewolf through sorcery, birth, or curse - in other words, his is the original tainted blood. This werewolf is called the Alpha werewolf. The remaining werewolves in the pack are called Beta werewolves because they became werewolves through the bite of the Alpha and carry the Alpha's tainted blood.
ALPHA & BETA WEREWOLVES The relashinship between Alpha and Beta werewolves is a complex one. Once a subject is bitten by a werewolf, his or her life and death are doomed to the werewolf curse. The victim does, however, have some hope - as long as they themselves do not taste of human blood, the curse is reversible. If the Alpha werewolf is killed - through some action of the Beta - the Beta's curse is broken. It is important to note that whether the Beta werewolf was bitten by the Alpha werewolf himself or by another Beta, it is the Alpha who must be destroyed - the source of the original tainted blood. It is also an interesting note that since Betas and Alphas share common blood, an Alpha cannot physically harm a Beta of his own bloodline by his own hans without inflicting the same injury upon himself. However, if a Beta is harmed or killed by another, it does not affect the Alpha.
SYMPTOMS OF WEREWOLFRY When hunting for a werewolf it is important to remember that your biggest clues will come through your suspects personalities. Becoming a werewolf is not transparent, no matter how the victim tries to hide it. The tainted, sub-human blood greatly alters the subject's own mind and personality, even physical appearence. Therefore, look for symptoms in your human suspects that include increasing violence, increasing aggression, unprovoked rages, insomnia, restlessness, and other bizarre behavior. Unfortunately, over time these symptoms can be brought under control, so do not rely on them exclusively. A good example of this comes from a case reported by the ancient priesthood society, Manos Del Sol, of Brazil. A rash of werewolf killings there was tracked to a high ranking officer in the army. The society became aware of the man mainly through rumers of his violent behavior and changed personality. The case was successfully resolved with the man's capture.
Packs
Werewolf packs live in groups together, usually in small rural areas. They can be any number from 4 to up to 100 with a hierarchy. The majority of werewolves live and blend in with normal humans, but they do not separate too far from each other. They have jobs, go to school, pay taxes, and live like normal law abiding citizens (for the most part). But some packs of werewolves live absolutely traditional, meaning they never shift to their human skin. They live in their fural forms all the time, dwelling in the mountains and forests with real wolves. This practice is long but extinct, but there are still werewolves out there who prefer to avoid the costly lifestyle that comes with being a human.
Packs are composed of several status' of leadership. Alpha male, beta male, the mid-rank, and omega. Each part is significant and important in the success of the pack.
Roles in a Pack
These roles are done in a traditional way, the way their great ancestor wolves did it. Of course, with modern human lifestyles, they are slightly different. These roles in the pack are strict, but not permanent, they can always change. The higher the rank, the more in control you are. In a wolf pack there is no equal.
Alpha Male
In order to become the alpha male (or pack leader), you must have been born a werewolf. Most of the time the alpha is chosen according to age or popular vote. If there is a dispute other males display a ritual battle to prove your strength. Whoever walks away alive or less wounded becomes the leader. It is a dangerous game. Most of the time, modern packs discuss leadership in a civil matter.
Once you are nominated alpha, you and your mate (if there is one) are the primary decision makers of the pack. The alpha female can also give orders and has authority over all except the alpha male. They call the shots, address the issues, make changes in leadership roles, and asses threats to the pack.
Beta Male
The beta is second in charge, and answers only to the alpha, and has dominance over all under him. He is the one put in charge when the alpha is gone, or when extra help is needed in governing a peaceful pack. He dominates over the mid-ranking members (or subordinates).
Mid-rank
These make up for the general population of the pack, male and females. They obey and help the pack when needed. They are especially helpful for numbers during hunting.
Omega
The lowest ranking member(s) (can be male or female, or both). They aren't often treated with respect. They usually spend time trying to avoid contact with high ranked members and try to avoid drawing attention to themselves. They are actually lower rank then children. They must obey and yield to all the other adults living in the pack. This rank is chosen by majority, and is usually given to the most unpopular members of the pack. They aren't even allowed to breed unless the alpha gives permission. Even with the harsh position, it doesn't mean they are worthless. Every member in the pack has a purpose.
Identifying a Pack
It's easy to spot a werewolf pack if you know what to look for:
Big houses with multiple families living in them; brothers, sisters, grandparents, cousins, uncles, aunts, siblings, etc.
They disappear around the full moon to go and do ritual moon runs and hunting.
All are usually shy and reserved, and very rarely hang out with normal human families. They pretty much shun being social with humans all together. Even children are advised to only make friends and hang out with wolves of other packs, though some packs are more relaxed with their rules.
Marriage and Relationships
In addition to leading the pack and various other responsibilities, the alpha male can choose a mate (wife) from any eligible female in the pack, as long as she has reached maturity. The females usually have no say in the matter, especially if its the alpha male. Tradition is that if they are chosen by the alpha, they must oblige or suffer a severe punishment, but most packs aren't so primitive.
The main function for a female in a relationship is to give birth to plenty of strong pure-bred children and to help raise them. She can also assist the leader in any duties he allows her. Most, if not all marriages between pack leaders and their wives are very loving, long lasting relationships.
Mid-rank members also have special relationships. Marriages are actually normal. Ceremony, reception, and honeymoon. Of course, werewolves have other own unique traditions.
Mid-rank members can marry any member they wish, as long as they aren't already spoken for, and as long as they aren't pure human. (Dating or falling in love with a human is strictly against the rules and can lead to severe punishment.)
Females are treated with the utmost respect in a pack. They are considered "goddesses". The males feel very dominant and protective over their females, whether they are in a relationship with them or not. Females can give orders as long as its not the alpha male or female. They can also hold high responsibilities in a pack.
There is no homosexuality of any kind in a wolf pack. Gender "roles" are set in stone naturally from birth. Their packs are family centered, with mothers and fathers and children as the most important unit. Having a mate of the opposite sex to breed with is crucial for their survival.
Mating/Sex
Traditionally, sexual intercourse is done for the specific purpose of bringing young ones into the world, and only the alpha male and female have the children in the pack. But, in the world of humans, that is difficult to do, so sexual intercourse (like human nature) is both recreational and for creating offspring.
When wolves mate, they can do it in any form (anthro, feral or human), though most prefer to do it in human form. And of course, its as normal as anyone would think it is.
Just like regular wolves, werewolves have cycles of heat, in which they have a strong desire to mate. This usually happens only with the females, but with most werewolves, the men have cycles of heat too, which occur once a year, usually in the winter time. This heat cycle normally lasts five to ten days.
Breeding/Pregnancy
Females can get pregnant in any form. Just like real wolves, they can have a small litter (usually two or three, but no more than four), which are born human.
When it comes to the actual birthing process, some find it it is best to do it in human or anthro form because of the size of the children. Birthing is painful (especially with multiples) as it is with humans, but werewolves cannot die during childbirth, so the fear of getting pregnant regularly and having large families is eliminated.
A pregnancy for a female werewolf is shorter than the 9 months a human would normally have. Werewolves grow rapidly the first few years, so the gestation can be as short as 3 months or sometimes longer depending on how many babies the female is carrying.
If werewolves and humans breed, the werewolf gene can sometimes transfer to the unborn child, but it is rare. This can be dangerous if the female is human. If the child does get the werewolf gene, then her pregnancy will be the 3 month gestation (like a werewolf's), which can harm both the mother and the baby. A humans body isn't equipped for such a quick gestation, so a miscarriage is likely to happen. And also like werewolves, the possibility of having multiples increases, which puts the human mother at even more risk, but it is almost impossible for human female to successfully birth multiples.
Children/Pups
They are loved and adored by all the members of the pack. They are born human and they are raised like normal humans, but still respected and loved like part of the family. They discover the ability to shift later in life (around 3 years of age), but don't reach full wolf maturity until puberty.
Unlike human children, werewolves grow much faster than humans, in fact, they grow 5 times faster than humans, but slow down when they get to be the size of a toddler. From there, they age normally.
Even though they aren't the real parents, the entire pack has say in how a child is raised.
Chapter 3
Myths about the FULL MOON
When it comes down to it, the myths of werewolves have been around longer than the misconceptions swirling around about vampires. Ancient Greek mythology speaks of Lycaon, a man who ate human flesh and then turned into a wolf. Another twist to the myth shows Lycaon being tuned into a wolf after serving the mighty Greek god Zeus the flesh of a human. It was this myth that would give birth to cults in Arcadia that favored human sacrifice and supported the belief that they would turn into a wolf because of the practice. Other myths along these lines would see humans transform into other animals, such as cats, bears, and birds of prey.
Interestingly, the term werewolf itself is believed to have come from the Old English 'wer,' which translates into 'man.' The werewolf is often described as a beast that possesses the features of both a man and a wolf-like creature with a habit of searching for humans to prey upon. Many different cultures have their own version of the werewolf, but for the most part, the descriptions are mostly the same.
During medieval times, Europeans were pretty scared of the concept of the werewolf. Wolves at this time had a reputation for attacking man. They had no reason to fear humans, as they didn’t have proper weapons to fend for themselves – like guns. The majority of residents in Europe also had to deal with 'wolfmen' called 'berserkers,' who wore wolf skins and killed in a rather aggressive manner. However, the people of Germany had a different take on wolves and would pay homage to them regularly. This is why children were named Wolfgang and Wolfhard during these times.
Over time, the fear and thoughts regarding the werewolf slowly died down, as Christianity gradually took control – condemning these sorts of beliefs as Satanic. Since the concept of the werewolf has survived over the centuries, so has a great deal of myths. Below you will find some of the most popular:
Silver Bullets
From watching movies like The Howling, you probably noticed how they used silver bullets to kill the creatures in the film. Since silver is often linked to the moon, it has always been known that using the element to kill a beast associated with the moon is one of the best ways. However, Internet enthusiasts claim that in order to kill a werewolf, the bullets that you use don’t have to be made out of silver, but instead, just need to be pretty powerful.
Full Moon
One of the oldest superstitions dealing with a werewolf is the fact that a full moon is the only time that this type of creature will transform, but according to numerous books and supposed sightings – a werewolf can appear at any time.
Magic Rituals
It seems that thanks to the occult, black magic, and Satanism, people are under the impression that they can become a werewolf through some sort of ritual. However, the only way to become a werewolf is to have been bitten by a werewolf, which makes me wonder – can you be born a werewolf
The RED MOON
What is a red moon? When the moon is fully eclipsed by the earth, the shadow blocks out most of the solar light except for a little bit. This little bit only represents part of the solar spectrum, and reflects back into the eyes of humans as red. The end result is that when looking up at the sky, the moon appears to be a coppery red or rust color.
When do red moon occur? Typically during a total lunar eclipse which is when the sun, moon, and earth align, which occurs every couple of years. There will be a total lunar eclipse on 16 june 2015.
Chapter 4
All myths around werewolfs
Werewolf Myths and Legends
The legend of the werewolf is one of the most ancient and wide spread. Stories of werewolves can be found as far back as history has been written. These shape-shifter myths can be found all over the word from China to Iceland and Brazil to Haiti.
The name Werewolf most likely derives from Old English wer (or were) and wulf. The first part, wer, translates as "man" (in the sense of male human, not the race of humanity). It has cognates in several Germanic languages including Gothic wair, Old High German wer and Old Norse var, as well as in other Indo-European languages, such as Latin vir, Lithuanian vyras and Welsh gwr, which have the same meaning.
The second half, wulf, is the ancestor of modern English "wolf"; in some cases it also had the general meaning "beast". An alternative etymology derives the first part from Old English weri (to wear); the full form in this case would be glossed as wearer of wolf skin.
The first documented werewolf attack was in Germany in 1591. Dogs were sent upon a 'wolf' that turned out to be a man named Peter Stubbe. He was tortured until he confessed to the murder of sixteen people. He even confessed to murdering his own son in his thirst for human flesh and was put to death.
Most legends have had some basis in fact, and the legend of the werewolf is no exception. However the werewolf of popular fantasy/horror novels and films is an imaginary beast, based on extravagant interpretations of past superstitions.
Wolves have been both feared and worshiped by past civilizations. The Ancient Egyptians feared the wolf god Ap-uat, who was associated with the Lord of the Dead. Ancient Greeks believed that wolves were sacred to Apollo and Ares, and a bronze statue of a wolf ornamented the oracle at Delphi. The legend of the founding of Rome is well known, with the abandoned twin babies Romulus and Remus being saved and succored by a wolf. Being suckled by a wolf is a notion that persisted into the Celtic civilisations, a legendary King of Ireland supposedly nurtured in this way. One Irish tribe claimed to be descended from a wolf.
The werewolf story has roots at least as far back as the Ancient Romans. One of Ovid's shape-shifting stories tells of a King of Arcadia who turned into a wolf. This was a punishment because he tried to trick the god Jupiter into eating human flesh. Other ancient Greek writers including Herodotus and Pliny wrote about shape-shifting human/wolves.
What could have led to such stories in the first place? There are various theories. The legend is too widespread and has been so for too long a time to have no basis in fact at all.
A rare genetic mutation can produce excessive body hair, in females as much as males. Varieties of this disorder were probably responsible for the unfortunate 'bearded ladies' and 'wolfmen' in traveling freak shows in less enlightened times than ours. It is a mutation of the X chromosome so can be passed to future generations by either parent. It is easy to see how such conditions could have frightened people in past centuries, especially in remote country areas (where inbreeding could have led to an intensification of the disorder).
Lycanthropic Disorder is a mental illness which causes the victim to believe that they are actually a werewolf. If someone truly believes that they turn into a werewolf under the full moon, they may be capable of committing crimes consistent with this delusion - thus perpetrating the werewolf legend into modern times.
Ergot, the fungus which frequently affected the grains that were used to make bread throughout Europe for many centuries, is well known for its hallucinogenic properties. In a modern case in France in 1951, over 100 people suffered from ergot poisoning after eating bread made from infected rye. Many of them suffered from hallucinations about being attacked by or turning into wild animals. Such poisoning could have been another cause for the development of the werewolf myth.
One final possibility lies in the diseases Rabies and Porphyria. Rabies, however, only lasts for a short while once the symptoms have developed, and then the victim dies. Rabies might have caused victims to briefly take on the appearance of a mad beast, but they would not lived to attack beyond this short timeframe. Porphyria, if untreated, leads to extreme sensitivity to light and degredation of the skin, thus producing a victim who rarely ventures out before nightfall and whose physical appearance is sinister. Mental disturbances accompany the physical symptoms. This disease is also genetic and therefore could have given rise to the notion of cursed families, as it often does not manifest until an age whereby the victim would have reproduced.
There have been a few celebrated cases of feral children, such as inspired Mowgli in The Jungle Book. Many cases have been reported over the centuries but there is little documentary evidence for most of them. However some have been documented, in which children have been found in the depths of the jungle or forest, apparently having been raised by wolves, and then returned the human civilization (usually by missionaries or other religious people). These children seen to have retained a propensity to run on all fours rather than walk upright, to eat raw meat rather than cooked meals, and have extreme problems learning any human language. It is difficult to say whether the children already had a mental disorder, whether one was induced by their upbringing, or anything else about them. But they undoubtedly add another thread to the enduring notion of the werewolf.
Just how enduring this legend is can be well born out by the proliferation of popular novels, films and television programs about werewolves. And a quick Internet search on werewolves throws up a wide variety of sites, some dealing with legends and possible causes such as outlined above - and some apparently written for werewolves, by werewolves!
1. Can werewolves go into the sunlight? Yes! Werewolves can go into the sun. It is vampires that cannot go in the sun (traditionally).
2. Are werewolves noisy? No, they are not. Werewolves are extremely stealthy. As some people on this blog have pointed out, a werewolf can sneak up on you without you even knowing it. They are excellent hunters.
3. Do werewolves have lots of hair? Not always, no.
4. Are dogs afraid of werewolves? Yes they are.
5. Do werewolves live forever? No, they don’t. That is the vampire again. Vampires are immortal. Werewolves are mortal, and do have a certain life span different from a human.
Chapter 5
Difference between a Werewolf and a Shapeshifter
Skinwalkers are practitioners of evil magic (their view of magic is different from neo-pagan witches and modern witchcraft). Some Dine (Navajo) will tell you that they actually adopt the skin of other animals (usually coyotes) in order to "walk" in them, and others will tell you that they don't actually change into the animals but instead use skulls, skins, and hallucinogenic drugs to achieve an altered state and appearance. Werewolves, on the other hand, are people who change into wolves, or believe they do, through the use of drugs (often a topically applied ointment), a pact with the devil, wearing a skin (usually in the form of a girdle - belt), or as the victim of a spell. They are mainly a European belief (although most cultures have some type of shape-shifter or were-animal belief). The use of hallucinogens and "evil magic", and a propensity for murder, are the factors that werewolves and skinwalkers have most in common.
A werewolf is a human being just born that way, depending on what fiction is your entertainment. If its standard Hollywood, someone attacked by another werewolf who survived; werewolves are very rare, it is explained in most Hollywood movies because the majority of people will get torn to shreds. If you're attacked by a werewolf, your chances of survival are like, easily only 1%, according to unwritten concensus of most Hollywood horror writting. White Wolf publishing, more or less the authority on Werewolves, has written on their RPG books, that a person or wolf is just born that way.
An animal shape shifter is a forest spirit; because they are spiritually tied to this forest or that, or this land or that, they can assume the form of any creature that dwells there. However, they are spirits in harmony with nature, not "abominations of nature" like werewolves are, also unlike werewolves, they're not dangerous. According to most lore, most are quite harmless. Like I said; according to most fiction, if you are just a "wimpy human" the odds of surviving a Werewolf attack stand at around 1%, that is why they are so rare.