Nick Redfern - Shapeshifters: Morphing Monsters & Changing Cryptids

Llewellyn Publications

Woodbury, Minnesota

Copyright Information

Shapeshifters: Morphing Monsters & Changing Cryptids 2017 by Nick Redfern.

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First e-book edition 2017

E-book ISBN: 9780738753997

Cover design: Kevin R. Brown

Cover illustration: Dominick Finelle/July Group

Interior photos provided by the author

Llewellyn Publications is an imprint of Llewellyn Worldwide Ltd.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data (Pending)

ISBN: 978-0-7387-5203-7

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Contents

Chapter 1:

Chapter 2:

Chapter 3:

Chapter 4:

Chapter 5:

Chapter 6:

Chapter 7:

Chapter 8:

Chapter 9:

Chapter 10:

Chapter 11:

Chapter 12:

Chapter 13:

Chapter 14:

Chapter 15:

Chapter 16:

Chapter 17:

Chapter 18:

Chapter 19:

Chapter 20:

Introduction

The book that you are about to read deals with a subject that many people might assume falls solely into the domains of folklore, mythology, and legend. They would, however, be wrong. In fact, they would be acutely wrong. Shapeshifting, for most people, provokes imagery of nothing more than centuries-old tales of savage, murderous werewolves and of big-bucks movies, such as An American Werewolf in London , Underworld , Dog Soldiers , and The Wolfman . That is not the case, however. As incredible as it may seem, shapeshifters are not merely the stuff of Hollywood and urban tales of the friend-of-a-friend variety. Rather, they are all too menacingly real. And, they are not all of the man-turns-into-wolf variety, either. Quite the opposite, actually: shapeshifters come in all kinds and sizes and have done so for countless millennia.

While the traditional image of the werewolf is, without a doubt, the first thing that springs to mind when a discussion of shapeshifters takes place, the truth of the matter is that there is a veritable menagerie of such infernal things in our midst. Were-cats, were-tigers, were-hyenas, and were-coyotes are also near the top of the monstrous list. Then, there are the ancient beliefs that those who died violent deathsor those who were, themselves, murdererswere often destined to return to our plain of existence in the forms of hideous beasts, including wild and savage ape-like animals, fearsome black dogs with glowing and blazing red eyes, and mermaid-like things. There are also beings from other worlds: aliens, extraterrestrials, and Men in Black.

Even the legendary monsters of Loch Ness, in Scotland, are believedin certain monster-hunting quartersto be paranormal beasts that have the ability to alter their appearances at will. As are legendary vampires, who, the old legends suggest, can transform into the likes of bats and wolves.

Collectively, all of these things amount to an absolute army of otherworldly creatures and half-human monsters that have plagued and tormented us since the dawning of civilization. And, they show zero signs of slowing down anytime soon. The things you thought were only fit for campfire tales, late-night stories intended to thrill little children, and entertaining monster-movies are, in actuality, creatures of the real world. Of our world. Shapeshifters are everywhere: they lurk in the shadows, in the deep woods and expansive forests, in dark and dank caves, and in the murky waters of our lakes and rivers. Maybe even, after sunset, in the recesses of your very own backyard, patiently waiting to pounce. And many of them like nothing better than to terrorize and torment us, the human race.

With that all said, its now time to take a wild and weird road-trip into the mystery-filled domain of creatures that so many will assure you simply do not exist. Im here, however, to tell you otherwise. Shapeshifters are disturbingly real. And youre about to meet them, in all their savage and sinister glory.

As you read Shapeshifters , and as day becomes night, keep those silver bullets close at hand. Very close. You know, just in case

Werewolves of the Past

Taking into consideration the subject matter of this book, its only appropriate that we start with the worlds most famous shapeshifter of them all, the werewolf. A full moon and monstrous mayhem are part and parcel of both legend and reality when it comes to this particular breed of supernatural monster.

There is no doubt that many of the centuries-old reports of werewolves originated specifically in Europe. One person with a particular interest in such tales was Alexander Schppner. In the latter part of the nineteenth century he published a fascinating tale that fits right into the pages of this book. It was in 1874 when the story surfaced, in the pages of Schppners book The Legend of the Bavarian Lands: From the Mouths of the People, the Chronicles, and the Poets ; however, it told a story that dated back centuries. The location was Bavaria, Germany, and specifically the Fichtel Mountains, which cover Germanys Red Main River to the border of the Czech Republic.

So Schppners story went, the mystery began when a local shepherd realized that day by day his flock of sheep was growing smaller and smaller. Something deadly and predatory was on the loose. But what? That was the big question the shepherd wanted answeringand before he lost anymore of his flock.

Finally, there was an answer: the shepherd caught sight of a massive wolf that emerged from the nearby woods and seized and killed one of his baby lambs. He knew all too well that the wolf was clearly not going to stop, and regular attacks and killings were likely to continue. Unless, that is, the shepherd decided to take matters into his own handswhich he did.