The Deadly Anspach Werewolf

Today, Dear Readers, we are traveling back in time. We are going hundreds of years into the past, back when the belief in werewolves was very real. A time when villagers hid in their homes, fearing that a ferocious and horrific werewolf would rip them to shreds. Today I am telling the tale of the Anspach Werewolf, a beast that terrified an entire town.

This chilling werewolf case took place in a time when werewolves were not only believed to exist, but when they were thought to have been a recently dead person who returned as one of the undead in the form of a wolf.

In 1685, the inhabitants of Anspach (now known as Ansbach), Germany  were plagued by a terrifying werewolf that had killed a number of women, children, and domestic animals. The victims were discovered ripped to bloody shreds, completely torn apart with bits of their flesh partly devoured. The werewolf was believed to have been the town’s hated and recently deceased Burgomeister or master of the town.

A great hunt was then arranged and the murderous wolf was chased, caught and killed. The townsmen then took the wolf’s bloodied carcass, dressed in a flesh-colored suit, and adorned its head with a mask, wig and beard, giving the dead werewolf the appearance of the Burgomeister. Later the dressed up carcass of the beast was displayed as a werewolf in a museum to prove that werewolves did indeed exist and that people should be fearful.

Now, was the beast of Anspach truly a werewolf? Or, was it simply the case of a regular wolf and the overactive imaginations of the townsmen? Who knows.

– Moonlight

About the Author
Moonlight (aka Amanda) loves to write about, read about and learn about everything pertaining to werewolves and other supernatural beasties. She writes for top genre sites like Vampires.com and Werewolves.com. You will most likely find her huddled over a book of folklore with coffee in hand. Touch her coffee and you may lose a limb. You can stalk her via her Twitter.

 

By moonlight

One of the writers for werewolves.com, as well as vampires.com.

8 comments

  1. “This chilling…case took place in a time when…were not only believed to exist, but when they were thought to have been a recently dead person who returned as one of the undead…”

    Cut out all references of wolf or werewolves and this doesn’t really sound like a “werewolf” at all, this sounds more like a “zombie”.

    1. Actually, in old folklore vampires and werewolves were very close to one another. It was commonly believed that after death one would become either a vampire or a werewolf. Or, that a werewolf in life would become a vampire after death.

      1. When i was little, i thought, when you died, you could come back as a werewolf or a vampire. In death, you could choose to one or the other. I quess there are some basis on the matter in folklore.

  2. Interesting. Makes sense they’d be found in Germany, being so close to France and the werewolves over there. Is there a place in Europe where there are no werewolves? It’s like their everywhere.

    1. I can’t really think of a country in Europe that doesn’t have any werewolf or werewol-like myths. I guess they’re everywhere :)

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