Origin
It is thought that the origins of the belief in werewolves dates back to the stone age. A 1978 book by Ian Woodward called THE WEREWOLF DELUSION: A fully documented, thoroughly researched investigation into the world of the werewolf says that the Vikings may have brought werewolf folklore into the Americas and introduced it to Native American tribes.
Werewolf myths
Myths are as common and as popular as the myths surrounding Vampires and some other creatures. The more these werewolf movies are made the more stories and myths develop about the werewolf. Before the Hollywood took hold of the mythological creature, werewolf, the legend has been growing and growing.
Werewolves have existed for centuries – almost as long as man has been alive…and, to much debate, possibly longer than vampires. History does not agree on all the individual details of werewolves, but there are some facts that carry over from story to story, from legend to legend.
Werewolf is a term used to describe a creature that changes from human to wolf and back to human again. Other terms for werewolf that have a similar meaning in English include lycanthrope, and lycan.
The werewolf has evolved over the years.
Werewolves go by many different names in the English language, each name has a slightly different connotation, but in the end, they all refer to the werewolf. Names that these creatures have been referred to as include: shapeshifter, wolfman, lycanthrope, lycan, werebeast, werecreature, therian, and skinwalker.
From the viewpoint of the vampire, werewolves are sometimes called “dogs”, which is most often intended as a derogatory term.
The word for werewolf is translated into almost every language, and every culture has some term it uses to refer to the creature. In Mexico, the term is nahual or sometimes hombre lobo, while in France, the French call the creature the loup garoux. Other names for the creature include kurtadam (Turkey), lupo manaro (Italy), ihmissusi or vironsusi (Finland), and lycanthropos (Greece).
How to become a werewolf
There are a number of different methods that are cited as ways to become werewolves, though because there are no real werewolves that have been proven by experts to exist in today’s world, all of these methods are considered unproven and untested. (Sidenote: while science does not acknowledge that werewolves exist, there is a huge underground community that not only believes in werewolves, but also acknowledges that not only did they exist, but they currently do exist. There are those in this community that do claim to be real werewolves).
Magic Belt Transformation
The Magic Belt is one of the oldest cited methods to become a werewolf. It is said that there exists a belt, and when the owner of this belt puts it on, that person will become a werewolf. Sometimes this belt is said to be made out of wolfskin or wolf fur.
Curse of the Werewolf
Another ancient method of becoming a werewolf is by having a curse placed upon you. People that turn into werewolves through this method often do so unwillingly, and have no desire to be the werecreature. Witches are often cited as the people that can afflict these curses. In some cases the curse does not just effect the current generation, but is said to pass down through all offspring.
Cures
There are few cures to the supposed “curse” of becoming the werewolf, and some claim that there are actually none – the most surefire cure they claim is death. Research does indicate however a few theories that continue to pop-up over time. One theoried cure says that if someone calls you by your birth name while you’re a werewolf, you will be cured. Another story indicates that if you strike a werewolf on the forehead with a knife 3 times it will be cured.
Full Moon: When the time is right the werewolf will transform
The full moon is perhaps the most widely known method of werewolf transformation. The full moon method has been widely perpetuated by the mainstream media including most fiction books and movies featuring werewolves. It depends upon who you talk to as to what extent the moon plays in the shifting process – some believe that the full moon is the sole influence that triggers the transformation, while others believe that it plays a part but only for new werewolves. Whichever side you believe, the one thing that is clear is that the moon – in particular the full moon, does play some part in the process.
Infection: A way to become a werewolf
The belief in the transformation into werewolves by means of infection comes in many different forms. Some believe that the infection comes from the bite of the creature. This is a common thread that comes from all time periods in history. Often werewolf attacks – and in particular bites – were said to result in the human becoming the beast (often during the next full moon). It is believed that it is the saliva which transmits the infection. Another belief along the infection vein of thought is that the “werewolf disease” is a virus. This belief references the full moon as an aggravator of the virus – somehow it causes the virus to expand to a point that transformation occurs.
Sightings of the creatures
Sightings of werewolves are studied by cryptozoologists, who not only study these creatures, but also study all legendary / mythical creatures. Some of the more famous sightings include the Beast of Bodmin Moor about huge cats which were said to mutilate animals in Cornwall in the United Kingdom, and the Welsh Werewolf, a 1790 report of a huge black beast which was attacking local farm areas.
Fiction
Books about or starring werewolves have always been a popular subject in fiction. They are most often paired with vampires, with whom most fiction books and novels put them at odds with. Vampires are often romanticized while werewolves are most often portrayed as the villain and evil creature.
Movies
The Howling: New Moon Rising – 1994
Wolf – 1994
Werewolf – 1996
Bad Moon – 1996
The Wolves of Kromer – 1998
The Curse – 1999
Wolf Man – 1999
Ginger Snaps – 2000
Dog Soldiers – 2002
Tomb of the Werewolf – 2003
Ginger Snaps: Unleashed – 2004
Van Helsing – 2004
Ginger Snaps Back: The Beginning – 2004
Cursed – 2005
Underworld: Evolution – 2006
Blood and Chocolate – 2007
Games
There is a popular game featuring werewolves that has been making a comeback, especially around young professionals. The game – called werewolf – is a variation of the popular part game Mafia. Players sit around in a circle, and are secretly given the role of townsperson or werewolf. “Night” comes, and the narrator asks everyone to close their eyes. During this time the werewolves take a vote to eat one human. The “daytime” round of the game then comes and all the townspeople open their eyes and try to figure out who the werewolf is. The townsfolk then cast a vote and kill one person with a silver bullet, hoping it is the werewolf. The rounds continue until either all the werewolves are killed (the humans win), or the number of werewolves equals the number of townspeople (the townspeople all get eaten and lose the game.)
Wolves
The wolf – Canis Lupus – is a highly intelligent member of the canid family. Wolves are known for their preference of traveling in packs. A wolf pack typically consists of for to seven members, including the alpha – or dominant – member, and the beta, or lowest ranking member. Wolves are particularly known for their howls, which can be heard up to six miles away. They hunt large prey including elk, deer, moose, and bison.
Yes…?? or No??
The question on if werewolves are real is something that at first glance seems to have the most obvious of answers. Any scientific person would tell you that werewolves are not real and such a type of creature could never exist. But recently, with the resurgence of vampires into popular culture, werewolves are also starting to take a hold. And people are starting to examine this once mythical of creatures and give it its place in modern times. A whole subculture of “werewolves” have started to develop. This subculture has formed “packs” and is much more in tune with their instincts. They may not mesh with the more traditional image of the werewolf, but as history has shown, traditional images can change to fit with the times. Understanding the origins and most traditional stories of the werewolf can help one develop a fuller picture of today’s werewolf.
Real Werewolves
It is believed that it is very difficult to find real werewolves in person, as it is said that they are extremely reclusive and hide their identities. There are however a number of places online that call themselves home to real werewolves. The people of these communities say that they are in tune with their animal side. Some say that they are spiritual werewolves, while other say that they actually physically transform.
A search for “werewolf communities” will bring up the various sites dedicated to these different groups sites such as I Love Werewolves and Werecon which serve as online meeting places for possible lycanthropes
When people refer to Werewolves of London, there are three main things that they could typically be referencing – either the 70s-era song of that name, a video game from the 80s, or a movie entitled “Werewolf of London”.
Music
Werewolves of London is a song made popular by musician Warren Zevon. The song was at its peak in the 1970s, and remains quite popular today thanks to remixes by current artists including most recently – and most popularly – Kid Rock who sampled the song in his famous hit “All Summer Long”. Kid Rock’s version of the song brought the tune of Werewolves of London into the mind of popular culture. The sampling only uses the the music however; the lyrics do not reference werewolves at all.
Warren Zevon
Warren Zevon became most famous for the song Werewolves of London, however he did record a number of other songs to mixed success throughout the 80s and 90s.
Song Lyrics
- Lyrics to the song Werewolves of London by Warren Zevon:
I saw a werewolf with a Chinese menu in his hand
Walking through the streets of Soho in the rain
He was looking for a place called Lee Ho Fook’s
Going to get a big dish of beef chow mein
{Refrain}
Ah-ooooo, werewolves of London
Ah-ooooo
Ah-ooooo, werewolves of London
Ah-ooooo
If you hear him howling around your kitchen door
You better not let him in
Little old lady got mutilated late last night
Werewolves of London again
{Refrain}
He’s the hairy-handed gent who ran amok in Kent
Lately he’s been overheard in Mayfair
You better stay away from him
He’ll rip your lungs out, jim
Ha, I’d like to meet his tailor
{Refrain}
Well, I saw Lon Chaney walking with the Queen
Doing the werewolves of London
I saw Lon Chaney Jr. walking with the Queen
Doing the werewolves of London
I saw a werewolf drinking a piña colada at Trader Vic’s
His hair was perfect
Ah-ooooo, werewolves of London
Ah-ooooo, werewolves of London
Werewolf Video Game
Another reference to Werewolves of London is that of a video game from the ’80s intended for the Commodore 64. The game is no longer distributed. Gameplay started out with the player in a human state, and eventually ended with the player transformed into a werewolf. The game was called “werewolves of london” because players actually found themselves in the London streets during the game.