Graves - Werewolves: The horrific truth behind the legend

Copyright

2013 Canary Press eBooks Limited

This 2013 edition published by Canary Press eBooks Limited

www.canarypress.co.uk

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying or otherwise, without the prior permission in writing of the publisher.

The views expressed in this book are those of the author but they are general views only, and readers are urged to consult a relevant and qualified specialist for individual advice in particular situations. The author and Canary Press eBooks Limited hereby exclude all liability to the extent permitted by law for any errors or omissions in this book or for any loss, damage or expense (whether direct or indirect) suffered by the third party relying on any information contained in this book.

ISBN: 9781908698094

Cover & internal design: Anthony Prudente

More titles from Canary Press eBooks

Discover more at www.canarypress.co.uk

Contents

Introduction

Introduction

The werewolf is a dark and mysterious creature. Folklore from all over the globe tells stories of massive wolves stalking the countryside for prey, terrorizing and mutilating victims. These stories have given much to popular fiction writers, who have built on the legend, adding rules and dimensions to this ancient beast. In medieval folklore, there are numerous tales of remote villages being torn apart by werewolves with an uncontrollable bloodlust and an insatiable appetite for human flesh. By day, however, these creatures are nowhere to be seen. The only evidence of their existence being the discovery of dead bodies apparently torn apart by something with claws, and bloody paw prints marking the perpetrators last movements.

Craving for Human Meat

Often, the man behind the werewolf committed such heinous acts of violence that were so sickening to society, that he was deemed to be working for the devil himself. A cannibal killer displays the same cravings for human meat and blood as the midnight predator, the werewolf. It is not surprising that murderers got dubbed werewolves, and were usually executed in a truly torturous way. Some people, however, did believe absolutely in the werewolf legend. Wolves were hunted and slaughtered as a result, for fear that they may metamorphose into a much more dangerous beast at night.

By day, detecting a potential werewolf was a matter of looking for clues. People with eyebrows that met over the bridge of their nose were often suspected, as were those with hair inside their legs, an affliction difficult to prove until the suspect was dead, sadly. Through the werewolf panic that took place in medieval Europe, people learnt to avoid areas where the beasts were believed to congregate. Precautions were taken against becoming a werewolf oneself; people were told not to drink from enchanted streams or accept unusual ointments or salves from strangers. The seventh child born into a family would often be killed at birth or given away, in the belief that one day it would be answering the call of the wild. Donning a belt made of wolfskin was believed to transform you instantly into a werewolf, as was wearing a lycanthropic flower or eating the flesh of a werewolfs victim. There was a lot to remember in these deeply superstitious and suspicious times.

Mans Alter Ego

As time passed and advances in psychology and medicine were made, mental illness soon was blamed for mans alter ego bursting out uninvited. A werewolf is, of course, a perfect metaphor for the duality of man. There is a raw, wild power within each of us and when we are crossed, we feel a strong urge to retaliate. The rage can escalate until we can contain it no longer. For most of us, we can tame this inner beast through rational thought. But for some, it is impossible to suppress and when the monster inside takes control, the results can be devastating. Andrei Chikatilo, the notorious Russian serial killer, was so consumed by his bestial urges that he literally consumed parts of his victims. Someone who acts this way is alien to most of society, and it is easy to see why such animalistic behaviour was attributed to supernatural forces in times past. Perhaps this was easier than admitting that humans have the ability to tear each other open and feast on the exposed body parts.

Werewolf fiction finds its foundation in folklore, and the werewolf is part of the horror pantheon which grows ever more popular. The werewolf is the savage creature alongside the recently romanticized vampire and the slightly comedic zombie. The werewolf has a pulse, giving it an immediate advantage over its supernatural colleagues, and also has the benefit of being able to enjoy the daytime, something the others have to miss out on unless youre the rather sparkly Edward Cullen, that is. Red blood runs through a werewolfs veins along with primal instincts that make them more than a match for the vampire or zombie.

Thanks to folklore inspiring popular fiction, the werewolf myth has been presented to us in literature, film, television and music. Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson wrote The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde in 1886. It is a portrait of a man with a divided self, a double consciousness an allegory for the good and evil within everyone. Jekyll describes his evil double Mr Hyde as the animal within me and a caged creature that cannot be denied. This may not be a werewolf story, but it remains the archetype for all the werewolf and transformation stories that followed. In the same way that Frankenstein spawned the re-animated zombie and Dracula gave life to the vampire, Jekyll and Hyde taught us about the wolf within exposed by drinking a potion of drugs. Other means of transforming in werewolf fiction can be through a magical amulet, a curse or hex, or simply through bad genes. Scott Howard, in Teen Wolf , becomes a werewolf as puberty kicks in, a concept also used in Ginger Snaps , albeit tackled completely differently. One of the most famous werewolf movies, 1941s The Wolf Man , introduced us to Larry Talbot (played by Lon Chaney Jnr) and many of the werewolf rules with which we are are now so familiar. It taught us that transformation from man to werewolf takes place under the glare of the full moon and that silver (a bullet or simply an object) is the most effective weapon against the wolfman.

Remorse and Regret

The human form of a werewolf, in fiction, is often a decent character during daytime. After a savage night out, the werewolf will wake in human form, full of remorse. The werewolves of Being Human and Buffy the Vampire Slayer , are so concerned for their condition that they lock themselves up when they know the transformation is coming. Remus Lupin, in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban , is so disturbed by his affliction that he takes a daily Wolfsbane potion to control his inner beast. The werewolves of Stephenie Meyers Twilight series have a more protective nature, and phase when they need to protect others or defend themselves. The representation of Jacob Black in his werewolf state is much more cuddly than the werewolves of Dog Soldiers . The werewolf is constantly battling with the two sides of his character. By day, the human-wolf is deeply ashamed of its deadly night-time excursions, but under darkness their werewolf conscience is clear and they have no qualms about ripping innocent flesh.