If you have been a long time reader of this site then you know that every now and then I post a werewolf tale from hundreds of years ago – today I bring you something even better. Andrew Barger has put together a collection of werewolf short stories penned from 1800-1849, some of which haven’t been published in over 150 years. But that’s not all, not only does this book contain stories on our favorite supernatural creatures, but Andrew Barger also filled it with amazingly well researched information on werewolves and history. The Best Werewolf Short Stories 1800-1849 is most definitely a book for any werewolf fan.
The first short story in this anthology is ‘Hugues the Wer-Wolf: A Kentish Legend of the Middle Ages’ by Sutherland Menzies. It tells the dark tale of the Hugues, a family of werewolves, and the suffering they endure from the rest of the town. Like all good stories, love prevails – but not until some gruesome events take place first.
The next story is ‘The Man-Wolf’ by Leitch Ritchie. It’s a magical story about a knight, his treacherous wife and a cowardly monk. Not only does this story feature werewolves, but there are some other supernatural beings mixed in as well.
‘A Story of a Weir-Wolf’ by Catherine Crowe is the third tale (and one of my favorites) in this collection. This beautifully written and intelligent story follows two young women, Francoise and Manon, and their quest for love and redemption.
Next is ‘The Wehr-Wolf: A Legend of the Limousin’ by Richard Thomson. This tale about revenge and magic was one was the most unique of all the stories – mentioning things like the power of werewolf skin and the five different types of werewolves, while the other stories stuck with the common werewolf myths. Also, an added bonus in this story was the comedic relief, something the others didn’t have.
The final story is ‘The White Wolf of the Hartz Mountains’ by Captain Frederick Marryat. In this short story, Krantz tells Philip an enthralling tale of murder, mystery and hidden evils. This was another favorite of mine, a perfectly macabre werewolf story.
This anthology was an excellent read, while the old English may have be difficult to understand at times, it was still well worth it in the end.
– Moonlight
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