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Feature: Werewolf mythology
Its yellow eyes glow in the dark as it silently treads forward, stalking the silent night. It crouches low, every muscle alert, every nerve alive ... watching its prey. Its movement, like the slightest whisper of the wind blends with the wild shadows. All night long, the moon silently glows behind the clouds ... watching the predator’s moves.
Picture the werewolf
In mythology, werewolf is a creature, which can change form from a human to a wolf and back. The change can be voluntary or involuntary. However, in most mythologies, the change from man to wolf is involuntary. It is in fact the lunar aspects, which trigger the conversion from a man to wolf.
The term “Werewolf” means, “Man-wolf”. i.e. a creature which is partially human and partially a wolf.
Today, the idea of the existence of real Werewolves seems to be quite fictitious indeed. Most of us don’t believe that beings of this sort ever existed. However, it is surprising to know that many people do believe in them or in creatures like them in various parts of the world.
A look at the beast
So what does a Werewolf look like anyway? Well, his physical appearance is not something extraordinary ... he looks exactly like any other ordinary wolf. But if you have seen movies like An American Werewolf in Paris, you will note that it is the change from man to beast that is most captivating. That is the part which fascinates and terrifies the audience the most.
Many people who believe in the Werewolf also believe that these changes occur when a man changes into a wolf. So you can imagine how creepy it must be to think of something like this actually happening ...
Lycanthropy
Talking of Werewolves, the term “lycanthropy” also comes to mind. Lycanthropy is the practice of turning into a werewolf. In fact, it is a psychological condition in which a person believes that he can change into a wolf, although nothing happens physically.
The myth
So what exactly are the myths related with the werewolf and lycanthropes? Well, first of all, werewolves are not normal beings... they’re related to the supernatural. That means you’re talking about a being that can be categorized with beings such as vampires and witches. Well, since they are supernatural, they are virtually immortal, like vampires. In fact, the only two factors which can do mortal harm to a werewolf are silver bullets and direct head wounds. Another interesting belief is that when a werewolf dies, it turns into a vampire. So even if you kill him, he can very well appear in another form.
Coming back to lycanthropy, in the Middle Ages, it was believed that witches practice lycanthropy. People who believed in werewolves believed that it was actually witches who practised lycanthropy that changed themselves into wolves. They would then roam around cities and towns, frightening people, killing and devouring humans as well as cattle and spreading evil in general. In fact, although werewolves as such are not believed to follow any particular diet, they prefer tender stuff. For example, it is believed that they generally prefer to eat babies and children.
Lycanthropes were even considered to be minor demons, affiliated with Satan.
How to turn into a werewolf
Now suppose, one fine day, you decide that you want to turn into a werewolf as well. How do you go about doing it? Well, most werewolves are believed to be ordinary people under a curse. But you could turn into one too if you were bitten by a werewolf, or if you were born to a werewolf or if you were given the power of shape-shifting. In all of these cases, the blood becomes tainted, and well ... what happens next is pretty obvious.
How to recognize a werewolf
But what happens if you do come across a werewolf? Will you recognize him? Famous superstition has devised certain common grounds, on which it is possible (superficially), to recognize a werewolf. For example, having hairy palms is surely considered a sign of being a werewolf. In fact, it is believed that werewolves ‘shave’ their palms to get rid of the fur on their palms. So if you have any friends with rough palms, then... ditto ... you’re officially in contact with Mr You-Know-Who.
Besides, someone with an extra left thumbnail is also considered a Werewolf. A werewolf has an unusually long third finger on his hand. Also, if the person has a crescent shaped tattoo somewhere on the body, then there is a possibility that he/she is a werewolf.
But even though all this information might sound ridiculous at present, the fact remains that the belief in such superstition was very real in the past. During 1520 to 1630, there took place a number of werewolf trials in France alone! Phew or what!
If we look at the situation logically, however, it is easy to see that such transformations or the existence of such creatures is not possible. It is true that people in the past did believe in them ... but their fears were pointless. And until clearer signs are available to us, the substantiality of such mythological creatures is just a figment of the human mind.
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