Superstitions of the Wolf

A hunter. A man in disguise. The devil. A being of evil. A creature to be revered. There are many beliefs surrounding the wolf. Some believed a man could transform into a wolf – a werewolf. But others thought a wolf was the form the devil took on earth. There are quite a few age-old superstitions surrounding the wolf and you can find a couple of them below.

  • devil wolfThe wolf was said to be the favorite disguise of the devil.
  • There was a time when people thought the sight of a wolf could render a man dumb. But only if the wolf saw the man first.  If you saw it first then you were in the clear.
  • Some also said that just saying the word “wolf” could cause an encounter with one.
  • According to Welsh superstition, the wolf was not created by God, but by the Devil and it has retained its ties to evil ever since.
  • There was a time when people thought wolves feared crabs and shrimp.
  • An old medical superstition claims that wrapping sufferers of epilepsy in a wolf skin would protect them from seizures. It was also said that wrapping someone in wolf hide would cure them of rabies.
  • In some parts of Europe it was believed that wolf skins kept flies out the house.
  • According to French superstition, rubbing wolf teeth on the gums of a child will alleviate tooth pain. They also thought that wearing a wolf tooth around your neck protected you from evil.
  • It was once said that hanging a wolf’s tail over a barn door will keep wolves away.
  • Eating wolf’s meat would prevent a person from seeing ghosts.
  • Sleeping with a wolf’s head under the pillow will ward off nightmares.
  • Rubbing wolf poo on a baby’s body would cure colic.

And those are a few wolf superstitions. And yes, people actually believed those things once.

Crazy.

What do you think?

– 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 with coffee in hand. You can stalk her via her Twitter.

By moonlight

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

5 comments

  1. I am a Wolf lover,they are the best ones for me.Please,everyone out there please,please STOP the killing of wolves in the USA & elswhere.I am not the only one who loves them,many others do.

  2. Yep – fear can lead people to do crazy things. Even develop the myth of werewolves (note: not werecat or were-whatever….wereWOLF) for numerous reasons (explain unusual deaths, serial killers, etc).

    It’s sad because, being a conservationist, I have an absolute love for wolves. If I could open my own wolf sanctuary, I would.

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