Where do werewolves come from? Werewolves are no doubt familiar to anyone who has read a good set of horror stories. These mythical creatures seem like normal humans – except in the case of a full moon. At that time they transform into a wolf, or a wolf and man hybrid creature. While the definition of a werewolf may be common knowledge, its origin is not: where do werewolves come from? The answer depends on which variety of werewolf you are interested in. If you are asking about Russian werewolves, tradition holds that children who are born on December 24, Christmas Eve, become werewolves.

Russians also believe that men or women who offend God can be turned into werewolves as a punishment for their impudence. If you are looking in Sweden, the great Swedish historian Olaus Magnus wrote in the 16th century that werewolves were born men, but were transformed by drinking a magic cup of beer and saying a special chant. Elsewhere in Europe, such as in Germany and France, it is said that any man or woman can turn into a werewolf. To accomplish this feat, a person must only sleep outside on a Wednesday or a Friday. If the full moon shines directly on that person’s face for the whole night, the person will be transformed. Of course, there are some methods of becoming a werewolf that are not specific to any particular culture or legend.

The oldest and most frequently recounted legend is that a person can take off all of their clothing and put on instead the skin of a whole wolf. If the right magic happens, the person becomes a werewolf. There is also a less messy version of this method that only requires putting on a belt made from the hide of a wolf. Also, a person can take a sip of water out of the footprint of a werewolf. The enchantment on the werewolf will pass through the footprint and the water to the person. Lastly, new werewolves can be made the same way that new humans are made: when a mommy werewolf and a daddy werewolf love each other very much, they get together and make a baby.

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Tagged: chant, Christmas Eve, footprint, France, Friday, Germany, magic, moon, myth, origin, punishment, Russian, Sweden, Wednesday