Page 103 - Encyclopedia of the Unusual and Unexplained Vol. 3

Mysterious Creatures 83

Mack, Carol K., and Dinah Mack. A Field Guide to According to a number of ancient magical
Demons, Fairies, Fallen Angels, and Other Subver- texts, one of the methods by which one might
sive Spirits. New York: Henry Holt, 1998. willingly become a werewolf was to disrobe and
Melton, J. Gordon. The Vampire Book: The Encyclope- to rub completely over one’s naked body an
dia of the Undead. Farmington Hills, Mich.: Visi- ointment made of the fat of a freshly killed ani-
ble Ink Press, 1998. mal and a special mixture of herbs. The person
“Self-styled Vampire Reveals British Link.” The who wished to accomplish the lupine transfor-
Guardian, February 1, 2002. [Online] http://www. mation should also wear a belt made of human
guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,3604,642870, or wolf skin around the waist, then cover his or
00. html. her body with the pelt of a wolf. To accelerate
the process of shapeshifting, the apprentice
werewolf should drink beer mixed with blood
Werewolf and recite an ancient magical incantation.
Unlike the vampire, werewolves are not mem- The prefix were in Old English means
bers of the undead who promise everlasting “man,” so coupled with wolf, it designates a
life in exchange for a little bite on the neck. creature that can alter its appearance from
When werewolves are in their human form, human to beast and become a “man wolf.” In
they can walk about tranquil forest paths or French, the werewolf is known asloup garou; in
bustling city streets appearing as ordinary as Spanish, hombre lobo; Italian, lupo manaro;
anyone on his or her way to work or shopping. Portuguese, lobizon or lobo home; Polish, wilko-
They needn’t fear the scorching rays of the ris- lak; Russian, olkolka or volkulaku; and in
ing sun. They have no use for a coffin in Greek, brukolakas.
which to sleep during the daylight hours.
They have no dread of mirrors that may not
show their reflection. Crucifixes don’t distress
them in the least, and they themselves would
probably use garlic for seasoning. STORIES of women who gave birth to
Contrary to the legend popularized by Holly- werecreatures are common among the North
wood horror films, one does not undergo a American tribal myths.
painful transformation into a wolf after being
bitten or scratched by a werewolf. According to
the ancient traditions, those who became were-
wolves were generally of two types: 1) Power- Native American tribes tell of bear-people,
hungry sorcerers who deliberately sought the wolf-people, fox-people, and so forth, and state
ability to shapeshift into the form of a wolf that in the beginning of things, humans were as
through an application of black magic so that animals and animals as humans. Stories of
they might more effectively rob or attack their women who gave birth to werecreatures are
victims. Those who became werewolves through common among the North American tribal
incantations, potions, or spells took evil delight myths. Early cultures throughout the Americas,
in their savage strength and their ability to strike Europe, Asia, and Africa formed totem clans
fear into the hearts of all those whom they and often worshipped minor deities that were
encountered. 2) Innocent men or women who half-human, half-animal. Norse legends tell
ran afoul of a sorcerer who had vengefully placed about hairy, humanlike beings that live in the
a curse of lupine transformation upon them. underworld caves and come out at night to feast
Those innocents who had become werewolves on the flesh of unfortunate surface dwellers. To
against their will may have been filled with dis- the people of the Middle Ages, there was little
gust at their acts of slashing, ripping, and often question that such creatures as werewolves truly
ingesting the flesh of their human victims, but existed, and the Inquisition was certain to
they were powerless to resist such gruesome and include these demonic entities in their arrests.
murderous desires while they remained under Switzerland can lay claim to the first offi-
the spell that had been placed upon them. cial execution of werewolves, when in 1407,

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