400~ B C, it is said that in ancient Greece, a boxer named Damarchus was transformed into a wolf for nine years before once again re-donning human form. There is little to be found regarding this part of werewolf history, yet what we do know about Damarchus can be found in Pausanias’ Description of Greece,…
Tag: werewolf history
Legendary Irish Wolf Warriors
All throughout history you can find stories in nearly every country of men that transform into beasts, and ancient Ireland is no different. Ireland is home to stories of ancient warriors known as the Laignach Faelad, warriors that could change their form into that of a savage beast, such as a wolf. Just imagine it,…
Did Darwinian Theory Kill Off the Werewolf?
While science has never been an area of interest for me, living with two roommates that both study biology, chemistry, biotechnology and a wide assortment of other scientific fields has triggered my curiosity and lust for knowledge. That said, I have been spending a lot of time reading scientific journals, researching everything from evolution to…
The Good Dr. Johann Weyer
In the 16th century when witch and werewolf trials were still going very strong and countless individuals were wrongly killed due to mass hysteria, most people supported it; they felt that these evil beings needed to be destroyed. However, there were in fact some brave men spoke against it. The Dutch physician Dr. Johann Weyer…
The Tailor of Chalons
In the 1500s and 1600s the people of France were plagued by the fear of werewolves. There were werewolf sightings, stories, trials and even executions of those who were believed to be a werewolf. It was mass hysteria and many innocents were burned to death all because someone claimed that they were a werewolf. But…
Bete de Gevaudon
Back in the 1500s and for centuries after, Europe was plagued by the fear of werewolves. Nearly every country reported werewolf sightings, werewolf deaths and so on. But no country has as many werewolf stories as France, which is where today’s tale hales from. The story is that of the Bete de Gevaudon, a creature…
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…
The Werewolf’s Cousin: The Werebear
Many months ago I switched things up a bit and wrote about werefoxes, the werewolf’s “cousin,” and I hadn’t thought about until recently when a reader asked me why I hadn’t covered werebears as well. So thanks to that reader I am adding some more variety to the mix by giving you werewolf fans another…
Is Werewolf Culture Dangerous?
From Team Jacob Fans, to the San Antonio “teen Werewolf” culture (claims of teen werewolves also apparently occurred in the media in 2003 from Brisbane Australia), a fascinating side of werewolves is their interpretations by modern culture. But what does it really mean when claiming to be a werewolf or having a deep fascination for…
The Tale of Melion
I’ve got a treat for you today Dear Readers, a werewolf tale that dates back to the 12th century. The author of the story is unknown, but it originated in Picardy some time between 1190 and 1204 and was told across England by traveling bards. The story tells the tale of Melion, a knight at…