Werewolves — what folklore and mythology tells us
A mythological animal, the werewolf, has been the subject of many stories. Throughout the world, and even many nightmares. According to some legends, werewolves are people who morph into vicious, powerful wolves. Some say that werewolves are a mutant combination of humans and wolves. Yet, every legend declares them as bloodthirsty beasts. Beasts who cannot control their bloodlust people and animals.
The Early legends
The exact origins of the werewolf legend remain unknown. Some say that the werewolf first appeared in The Epic of Gilgamesh. It is the oldest Western prose that we know. They made another early appearance in Greek mythology with the Legend of Lycaon. Lycaon, the son of Pelasgus, angered the god Zeus by serving him a meal made from the remains of a sacrificed boy. The enraged Zeus punished Lycaon and his sons by turning them into wolves. Werewolves make an appearance in the early Nordic folklore also.
Some Infamous Werewolves
Many ‘werewolves’ from centuries ago turned out to be serial killers. This was very common in France. Frenchmen Pierre Burgot and Michel Verdun, in 1521, pledged loyalty to the devil. They claimed to own an ointment that turned them into wolves. They confessed to having committed brutal murders. After this, they were both burned to death at the stake. One of the few considered ways to kill a werewolf was burning.
Also known as the “Werewolf of Dole,” Giles Garnier, was another sixteenth-century Frenchman. His claim to fame, again, was an ointment with wolf-morphing abilities. According to legend, as a wolf, he viciously killed children and ate them. He too met death as he was set on fire for his monstrous crimes.
Whether the three were mentally ill or acted under the influence of hallucinogens. Or whether they were just cold-blooded killers. This is all is up for debate. Yet this didn’t matter to the superstitious Europeans during the 16th century. For them, such heinous crimes could only be the deed of a horrific beast, the werewolf.
Do werewolves really exist?
The werewolf phenomenon is bound to have a medical explanation as well. For instance, the people found Peter the Wild Boy wandering naked on all fours through a German forest. Many jumped to the conclusion that he was a werewolf or at least raised by wolves. He ate with his hands and couldn’t speak. The royalty adopted him as a pet later.
People have used werewolves and beasts to explain the unexplainable throughout the centuries. Today, most believe werewolves are nothing more than a pop culture horror icon. An icon made famous through Hollywood’s 1941 flick, The Wolf Man.
Despite everything, werewolves have a massive cult following. There are reports of Werewolf sightings every year. And werewolf legends will likely continue. Maybe even haunt the dreams of people throughout the world.