Benandanti werewolves are unique because they are not only a particular type of werewolf, they also carry with them their own unique legend and myth. In fact, the myth of the Benandanti werewolf dies out sometime around 1610, when the Benandanti werewolves become the very things that they had spent their time in the Underworld defeating.
The original Benandanti werewolves claimed that they were beings that stayed in human form during the day but at night went to the Underworld to defeat evil beings, namely witches. These wolves did not so much change shape but leave one shape to take on another. During this time they would ensure that the paths from the earthly world to the Underworld were secure, they would heal the sick, and of course, fight off evildoers, the Malandanti.
The Benandantis’ fight with the Malandantis occurred mainly on four different nights of the year. These different nights and different times coordinated with the times of year for planting and harvesting crops. When they weren’t spending their time protecting and healing their villages, or fighting off the Malandanti, Benandanti werewolves were thought to leave their human forms at night to meet with other Benanadanti werewolves.
Throughout the years the Benandanti werewolves always maintained an anti-witchcraft position. However in 1610 a group of Benandanti were brought under Inquisition and they were found guilty of committing acts of witchcraft and in fact, of being witches. Some say that the Benandanti was in fact made up of many packs of werewolves long ago. However these same believers feel as though they must have sadly lost their battle with the Underworld witches, and that it was these same witches that assumed the Benandanti name and were found guilty at the Inquisition.
In 1692 however, a man by the name of Thiess came forward as a werewolf and was said to be of the Benandanti kind. Of course, the tale of Thiess is a story all unto its own, and brings with it many different twists on the Benandanti legend. But many believe that if someone such as Thiess could come forward as being a Benandanti werewolf, when they were all thought to be extinguished as witches, that perhaps there must be more of this kind…
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I had never heard of Benandanti werewolves before, they sound awesome. Very facinating article, thanks for posting it :)
You probably never heard of them because the Benandanti are not werewolves. These article (and many others) mixes the Italian tradition of the Benandanti, who could leave their bodies in the shape of animals (but these could just as well be butterflies), with a Livonian case of a benevolent werewolf called Thiess. There are similar traditions in other parts of Europe and e.g. there are similar tales of leaving the body in animal shape among nordic gods but these shapes were not restricted to the wolf-shape so if at all these “beings” should be called shapeshifters or beast-men but not werewolves.
i whould love to be a werwolf and evry body else but do you know that thay eat animals and people.
10yers old ;]
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I am a werewolf dont tell anyone but i have 1 question i cant controll my self i kill at night and i get reail angry what do i do i am afraid i will hurt someone oh and i am a benanadanti
hey im 12 yrs old and i whant 2 be a benandanti werewolf like u justin calderon,can u turn me into one?
I’m afraid that you are mistaken. All of you. You cannot be turned into one, your are born. The sign of being marked is if you were born with a caul over your head(like a membrane from the womb). If you were and haven’t had the “dreams” then it’s more of a matter of waking yourself up in sleep. IF you were marked.
Second, Justin Calderon, if you are indeed a licantropo(basic Italian werewolf), then fine, but you are definitely NOT a Benandanti. The very name Benandanti means “Good Walker(s)” and they fight witches to protect their village. They are not evil and do NOT kill.
cool u r!!!!!!!! i would luv to be one but i act like one the reason im not one is becuase my mom won’T let me be one & she says she allready has a dog we don’t need another one that wht she says!!!! >:(
Please turn me into 1 to
have any tips 4 me
please can someone turn me into a werewolf
they are not myths I saw one with my own eyes
So werewolf’s are real? I would really hate to have to fight a warewolf every full moon, I wouldn’t know if thay were real cause I am always inside on a full moon. So if thay are real its going to be a total hell hole,if thay are real I am vary afriad cause of all the research that I have done on them,it all started when I was watching TV when teen wolf came on,and so thats how it all started.
the end.
Please. I won’t to be one even though i’m 7 and i’m in second grade. I dont tell anyone but I will make one I guess. I beg you
! A female one of corse. See? Even girls want to be one.