When looking at the history of mankind, we’ve evolved. Our beliefs, how we work, and how we act in the world has greatly changed. Many of the myths and lore that terrified us in ancient times have since been explained by science and reason. Yet, there are a few legends that have remained steadfastly. They are constantly present in our society, and keep us completely fascinated.
One such legend is that of the werewolf. For example, take a look at how many books and movies have been inspired by the werewolf lore. While mainly a plot device for fiction, there was a time when werewolves were very much believed to be real. And it affected how people lived their lives and what they believed in.
Today, the movie “I Am Lisa” comes out, and it had me thinking about how werewolf lore is sill dominant in our society to this day. Let’s take a look!
What is a Werewolf?
According to most legends, werewolves are people who transform into vicious and powerful wolves. They usually transform on the night of a full moon. Today, we know that these creatures are mythological. But for a time in human history, they were very much thought to be real. With any legend, there are variations. There are accounts that believe that werewolves could be a mutant variation of a human and wolf. Either way, werewolves are very much feared to this day and are one of the most popular plot devices in books and movies.
Where Did the Legend Come From?
Many believe that the legend of the werewolf may have come to fruition as early as 1800 BCE in “The Epic of Gilgamesh.” In the poem, Gilgamesh rejects a potential lover. Why? She had turned her previous partner into a wolf. That’s a mood killer. But it’s not clear whether or not she turned the poor man into a werewolf, or just a wolf. Yet, it’s been used to support the ancient origins of the legend.
“The Epic of Gilgamesh” isn’t the only place where you can find supposed werewolf lore. Greek mythology has its share as well. Let’s take a look at Lycaon. Zeus gets angry after Lycaon serves him the remains of a boy that was sacrificed. For his punishment, Zeus turned Lycaon and his sons into wolves. You may have noticed that the name Lycaon is awfully similar to “lycan.” We’ll get into that in a moment.
Another early werewolf legend is written by Petronius. Satyricon was written around 62-63 CE, and depicts the story of a werewolf or shapeshifter that takes the form of a wolf.
In Saga of the Volsungs, a father and son find wolf pelts that possess the power to turn people into wolves for ten days. The father and son go on a killing rampage. However, the father mortally wounds his son. But don’t worry, the son makes a full recovery after a raven gives the father a leaf with healing powers.
Is There a Difference Between a Werewolf and a Lycan?
This is one of those questions that is discussed a lot in the world of the paranormal, anthropology, horror enthusiasts, the list goes on. There are consistent similarities. For example, both werewolves and lycans become so when they’re bit. They both possess supernatural strength and expert tracking abilities.
The main difference is that a werewolf’s transformation happens during the full moon, and they have no control over the process. A lycan’s transformation occurs anytime and can be triggered by emotions or simply willing it to happen. So, it seems like the lycan has more control over whether or no it transforms.
Also, a werewolf looks like a bigger version of a wolf, while a lycan looks more like a wolf humanoid-type creature. Lycans are also said to be smarter than werewolves. Given that lycans seem to have more control in their process, they seem to be more conscious of their humanity than the werewolf.
While silver can kill a werewolf, a lycan has to be decapitated. This means that lycans can be much more difficult to kill. Silver can slow down a lycan and wound it, but it won’t kill it.
Real-Life Werewolves
There are folks out there today who do believe that they are werewolves and/or possess lycanthropic powers. This, of course, can be explained by means of mental illness. Accounts of these cases could very well explain why there are so many werewolf legends in the sixteenth-century. But most of the “werewolves” during this time were actually serial killers.
Werewolves continue to play a large role in who we are as a society. Because we have science and the medical field to explain things that people didn’t know about centuries ago, we can simply just enjoy the legend for what it is.
What is your favorite werewolf movie? Why do you think there is still so much interest in werewolves today? Let me know in the comments!
Sources
https://www.history.com/topics/folklore/history-of-the-werewolf-legend
https://www.livescience.com/24412-werewolves.html
https://mythology.wikia.org/wiki/Werewolf