Werewolves are unfortunate creatures found in almost every culture around the world. We can hear about them, for example, in Slavic mythology. Many legends and folk tales tell of our ancestors struggling with humans trapped in the bodies of beasts.
Werewolves in ancient beliefs
In the past, a werewolf — a man in a wolf’s skin — was called a wikodlak. The word literally meant “a man in a wolf’s hide” and referred not only to the cruel beast of legend, but also to deceitful, evil, and untrustworthy people. In Slavic mythology, the werewolf was also known as an oborot. This was a person capable of transforming into an animal — and not necessarily a wolf. Some accounts tell of chosen individuals who could take the form of a bear, a great cat, or a deer.
In certain regions of Europe, the werewolf was identified with the figure of the Lord of the Forest — a forest demon whose task was to protect the deep woods and ancient groves. When Christianity replaced the old beliefs, the role of the forest’s guardian was taken over by various saints, depending on the region. The Slavs believed that a werewolf could be a cursed person, punished through a powerful spell. In Eastern Europe, it was believed that a betrayed or scorned woman had the power to cast the curse of lycanthropy on her unfortunate lover. In other parts of the continent, there were different sins for which one could be transformed into a wolf. In the south, in places like Bohemia and Hungary, people believed that one could become a wolf by offending the priests of the old faith.
Werewolves in different regions of the world
In Western countries, the belief persisted that werewolves were an innate curse, manifesting in the seventh son of a family whose ancestor had sinned so grievously that the gods punished future generations for his sin. In Anglo-Saxon countries, werewolves were considered a contagious disease. The curse spread from one werewolf to another when the former bit the latter. Although belief in werewolves and werewolves was strong among Slavs and other European peoples, these beasts appeared much earlier, in the legends of the ancient world.
Werewolves in the ancient world
The first mentions of people transforming into bloodthirsty, animal-like demons appeared as early as the fifth century BCE. The historian and philosopher Herodotus of Halicarnassus, known as the father of history and geography, wrote about a mysterious eastern tribe whose members could turn into wolves at will. When the wolf form was no longer needed, they would return to their human shape and continue their ordinary lives until the next transformation. Herodotus gave this ability a name that is still used today — Lycanthropy, derived from the Greek words lykos (wolf) and anthropos (man).
The ancient Egyptians also had their werewolf myths. According to their legends, there was a mysterious people who were banished from Egypt for practicing black magic and consorting with demons. As a reward for helping the inhabitants of the underworld, they were granted the power to transform their bodies into wolves. From the moment of their exile, the entire tribe wandered through the deserts of Africa, never settling anywhere for long. Ancient records suggest that these wanderers could be hired to commit murders and other horrific deeds.
The Romans revered wolves and considered them sacred. The god Mars himself chose a wolf as his companion, and it was a she-wolf who suckled Romulus and Remus, the legendary founders of Rome. For these and many other reasons, the symbol of the wolf became an extremely popular emblem on the standards of Roman legions.
Belief in werewolves today
Nothing could be further from the truth. Until quite recently, in the eastern and southern regions of Europe, the myth of the werewolf attacking travellers was still alive. It is said that even today there are people who, to protect themselves from the demon, keep silver bullets in their homes, believing that only this metal can wound the beast.
In newspapers from the early 20th century, terrifying reports often appeared about mysterious monsters attacking unsuspecting people. One example comes from the Bavarian town of Ingolstadt. In 1904, local newspapers published stories about a cruel beast prowling the nearby forests. The enormous creature was said to attack people, tearing them to pieces. This tragedy would not have been remarkable, if not for the fact that the attacks always occurred during the full moon — and at the crime scenes, tracks of both a giant wolf and a human were found.
According to newspaper accounts, a special team was assembled, consisting of hunters, scientists, and a priest. Their task was to find the being responsible for these brutal assaults. The case was never solved, and the attacks ceased after a few months.
Many similar stories emerged in different countries. Sometimes, attacks by ordinary starving animals were attributed to infernal powers. Thanks to modern science, we now know that the origins of the werewolf myth may be linked to a very rare disease called hypertrichosis, also known as the “werewolf syndrome.” It manifests as excessive hair growth over the entire body, including the face, hands, and feet. In 1995, scientists discovered a mutated gene responsible for the extreme form of this disorder. Hypertrichosis is so rare that over the past several centuries, only a few dozen cases have been documented. Perhaps it was this condition that gave rise to legends and myths about humans transformed into wolves.
Werewolves in today’s pop culture
People love scares, especially when they appear only in horror stories. That’s why the world of popular entertainment is filled with spooky creatures, demons, and all sorts of beasts. Among this plethora of monsters, the werewolf holds a prominent place. We see people transforming into wolves in movies and on television, as well as in popular novels and video games.
We invite you to our legends section, where you’ll find fairy tales and myths from around the world.
Films with werewolves in the main role
- Wolf – A 1994 film starring Jack Nicholson as a werewolf, and he was perfect at it. The film itself is a pretty good horror film and a light satire at the same time.
- Underworld – A series of films about werewolves and vampires. They tell the story of the struggle between these two species, lurking in the darkness of the human world.
- Wolfen – A 1981 film that attempts to combine action and horror. In my opinion, the attempt was quite successful.
- The Howling – A fun comedy-drama from the director of Gremilins.
- The Company of Wolves – This film combines various fairy tales with horror. Therefore, you can see not only wolves on screen, but also, for example, Little Red Riding Hood.
Books about werewolves
- Wolf Trail – Patricia Briggs.
- Wolf Pact – Melissa de la Cruz.
- Wolf Litter – S. Andrew Swann.
- The Girl in the Red Cape – Sarah Blakley-Cartwright.
- Night Call – Keri Arthur.
- The Werewolf – Steve Feasey.
- Indigo – Gale Camille.
- Shadow Falls – C.C. Hunter.
- Furious Hunger – Kresley Cole.
- Year of the Werewolf – Stephen King.
- Wolfmen – Rafał Dębski.
- The Wolf Gift Chronicles – Anne Rice.
Computer games featuring werewolves
- The Witcher III
- Werewolf: The Apocalypse – Earthblood
- Werewolf: The Apocalypse – Heart of the Forest
- The Secret World
- Secret World Legends
- Blood of the Werewolf
- The Elder Scrolls Online: Wolfhunter
Werewolves information and interesting facts
- In Russian legends, the werewolf was called a vovkulak, and in ancient Czech, a vlkodlak.
- Many legends say that a full moon is necessary to transform into a wolf. This stems from the fact that wolves howl, especially intensely during a full moon.
- It is believed that a werewolf cannot be harmed by ordinary weapons.
- The only metals that can kill a werewolf are silver or mercury.
- Werewolves hate other supernatural creatures, especially vampires.
- In legends, a werewolf can infect people and turn them into beasts.
- When more than one werewolf lives in a given area, the same laws apply as in a wolf pack.
- Werewolves are strong, fast, and incredibly cunning.
- A jester covered in black bristles from head to toe was employed at the court of King Henry II of France. He was portrayed as a werewolf, but today we know that this man suffered from hypertrichosis.
- The first person with hypertrichosis described in scientific papers was Petrus Gonzales, who lived from 1536 to 1618. Interestingly, Petrus happily married and fathered five children, passing on his condition to them.
- Animals also suffer from hypertrichosis, but in their world, it is even rarer than in the human world.
- Currently, only one domestic cat with observed hypertrichosis is alive.
- From 1500 to 1700, over 30,000 accounts of werewolf encounters were recorded.
- Werewolves were blamed for the frequent epidemics that occurred in Europe.
- Another disease that may have contributed to the werewolf myth was rabies.
- There are known cases of people who begin to believe they are transforming into wolves. This is attributed to a rare mental disorder called lycanthropy.
- Personally, I believe that a combination of numerous mental illnesses and disorders that were rampant in Europe contributed to the fear of werewolves.
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