Werewolves, also known as lycanthropes, have been a part of the folklore of many different cultures since ancient times. Images of European werewolves in dark forests usually come to mind when the beasts are mentioned.In some versions of the legend werewolves are very solitary creatures, but in other versions, werewolves live in communities called clans.These mythical creatures seem like normal humans - except in the case of a full moon. At that time they transform into a wolf, or a wolf and man hybrid creature. While the definition of a werewolf may be common knowledge, its origin is not: The Werewolf legend is thought to have got its start in Europe's middle ages. From the 15th to 17th century, Europe was under the dark shadow of ignorance and superstitions. Towns were underdeveloped and people lived near woods. The fear of wolves was like a nightmare. Their attacks were so frequent and atrocious in nature that people even feared to travel from one place to another. It was from these nightmares that the legend of the werewolf is thought to have been born.
There are several movies as well as hundreds of books about werewolves, each having their own mythology. In some versions the werewolf is a hybrid creature that transforms physically once a month. These transformations are thought to happen when the moon is full. In some of the stories, a Werewolf can also change at will or when in danger. The change is reputed to heal otherwise mortal wounds making them nearly impossible to kill by normal methods. It is thought that one becomes a werewolf when you have been bitten by another werewolf. In most mythology’s werewolves can only be killed by a silver bullet thats been blessed by a preist, but some believe that silver in any form will do the job.
Shape-shifters, similar to werewolves, are common in tales from all over the world, most notably amongst the Native Americans, though most of them involve animal forms other than wolves.
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.
Certain physical traits were thought to indicate the possiblility that one may be a Werewolf, these included the meeting of both eyebrows at the bridge of the nose, excessive facial hair, curved fingernails, low set ears even a swinging stride or gait, luckily the courts never accepted this as evidence.
CLICK HERE to check out some of my favorite Werewolf books
Click on the link below to see my New Book Tianna Logan and the Salem Academy for Witchcraft - Find out about the book coming out in the fall of 2009. Read Exerpts from the book. Learn how to make your own spells, Hand craft your own Wand or Besom.