Black Magic and Corpse Breeches

I’ve got quite the treat for you dear readers, an old tale of black magic and wolves. The story hales from Iceland, where items known as “corpse breeches” could help a warlock change his shape into that of a wolf.

Corpse breeches (also known as nabrock trousers) were said to be used by ancient Icelandic witches and warlocks. They were the feet, legs and lower body (including the genitals) cut from a fresh corpse and made into a pair of trousers or breeches. Disgusting right? Once made into wearable clothing, a black magician would first recite certain incantations and then would put the pants on. The stories say that during the hours of darkness, the magicians would fill the breeches up with gold (usually the scrotum if the corpse was male). The trousers were said to give the wearer special supernatural powers.

It was said that the “most evil man in Iceland,” Gottskalk Grimmi Nikulasson (Bishop of Holar 1496-1520), left detailed instructions on how to create the corpse breeches, as well as skin cloaks for turning men into animals.

These secrets were also taught at the famous Black Schools of Iceland, which were schools hidden away in secret locations that taught dark magic. These schools created some of the most evil sorcerers of the time. During this time, local stories tell of people that could change into the form of ferocious animals, like wolves.

Sadly, this is where the gruesome story ends. In short, it was once believed in Iceland that wearing the skin of a corpse and filling it with gold would give a magician the power to transform into a wolf, or any other animal. This definitely one of the more twisted werewolf stories I have heard.

What do you guys think about this folktale? Do any of you want to be a werewolf so badly you would wear another person’s skin?

– Moonlight

By moonlight

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

10 comments

  1. Gross.
    I would much rather wear a wolf skin or say some mumbo-jumbo chant then do this. skinning a person . . . Gross.
    If that had taken place in mainland Europe in the 1300’s to 1500s, those “werewolves” would have been hung, then burned, then cut to pieces, and then buried sixteen feet below the ground.

    1. I agree. Though I’d most likely become a Lycanthrope via oral administration of the venom, or through genetic inheritance of the shape-shifting trait.

    1. No, there is not. Werewolves are a type of lycanthrope. Do your research before spewing nonsense here. Trying picking up a book or at least looking up definitions of words you clearly don’t know the meaning to.

  2. Wow, gruesome. Sometimes I’m embarrassed to be human.

    In regards to the werewolf/lycanthrope argument, there are many, MANY different beliefs and myths. I’ve heard multiple ideas.
    1. Lycanthropes and werewolves are the same thing.
    2. The two are entirely different (Ex:Werewolves are shapeshifters who have no control over there predicament, while lycanthropes do have control).
    3. Werewolves are the actual creature while lycanthropy is just a mental illness.
    That’s only 3 out of probably hundreds of ideas.

    I’m not trying to say anyone is wrong here, I just thought I’d point this out. The lore behind both creatures is endless. One reason I love them so much ;).

    1. The meaning of the words has changed over time. It’s like the word “vampire” it has so many different tie ins and definitions now, just like werewolves and lycanthropes :)

  3. You all do not know how wrong you are. It is a demon that takes you over. Do you think it can be controlled ? It cannot. You’d sooner rip apart your own mother and eat her steaming in trails. You want it? Become possessed by her the demon of the rahga let her burn you from the inside out there is only endless pain in the blind wishes you seek.

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