The story of werewolves has been in existence since the early medieval times. The captivating change of beast to man has been a source of fascination to the masses for many years. Many audiences all over the world have been moved by this captivating phenomenon of the beasts which are also referred to as the lycanthrope (Bennett, 2014). These animals have been featured in ancient literature with the stories being transmitted through oral traditional mythical stories, story books and other forms of art. The transformation is mainly associated with a full moon and is primarily as a result of sorcery, magic or a spell cast upon an individual. In the current world, the werewolves are captured in movies and novels where they either take the form of ferocious beasts terrorizing humans or the sexy and deceitful blood sucking vampires. This latest metamorphosis has continued the contemporary use of these characters in arts with the question of whether such beasts existed or it was just a mere creation for the purpose of entertainment.
In the ancient times, the land was covered with thick vegetation and large parts of the land comprised of thick forests that were inhabited by wolves among other animals. Cases of people being attacked by wolves were common and, as a result, the animals were feared. Giant wolves such as the beast of Gedauvan gave people the perception that the beasts possessed satanic powers which made it impossible for people to kill them unless they used a silver bullet. The satanic forces also drove the perceived werewolves to attack people because it made them thirsty for human blood. This is a notion that was passed on through generations and became part of the society because at this time people were very superstitious and rational thinking was not common until the enlightenment age. This means that an ordinary wolf attack would be taken to be a human sacrifice to unknown forces. This line of thought got a boost from religious writers such as St Augustine who continually stated in his works that there existed witches in the community who possessed the power to transform human beings into wolves.
According to Bennett (2014), the earliest mention of werewolves in ancient literature dates back to 2000 BC. Some of the first tales include the epic of Gilgamesh where a king known as Gilgamesh refused sexual advances from a goddess of love referred to as Ishtar. The king reminded Ishtar of her previous lover whom she had cast a spell on and turned him into a wolf. This tale primarily shows how malicious women used lycanthropy in their evil missions. Another example was in the Satyricon where a former slave is invited to a feast where he gives the story of his encounter with a werewolf transformation. What is important to note is that the werewolves of ancient times were very common in terms of transformation and behavior (Bettini, 2011). Most of them transformed to fit life in the woods and rarely attacked people. They also transformed for purposes of feeding.
The modern times werewolves are not only represented in movies and dramas but are also recorded in books and current magazines. In mid-1989, a woman claimed to have seen a werewolf in Wisconsin while driving near Delavan along bray road (Bettini, 2011). She stated that she saw a humanlike creature which had a long snout-like mouth and the body completely covered by fur emerging from the woods. This ordeal was recorded later in 1991 when another driver driving along the same road reported having hit something accidentally and stopped to check what it was. As she went back, she saw a hairy figure approaching prompting her to ran back to the car and drove off. The approaching creature jumped to the back of the car but luckily for the driver, it was slippery, and it fell off. Another case involved a soldier who had been taken ill after portraying animal-like behaviors. The patient believed that he was a werewolf and had started hunting for rabbits and eating them raw. It later turned out that he had ingested LHD, which is a powerful hallucinogen. Despite all this modern werewolf encounters, there is not clear explanation of how this beasts look like and their discovery based on credible sources. The transformation from a human being to a wolf probably occurred in the individual's mind and did not involve a physical change. This is because modern day study has shown that was a standard procedure in the transformation process whereby particular rubbed some form of ointment to facilitate the change. The salve is said to cause hallucination because it was made from nightshade and belladonna plants which are highly hallucinogenic as they are related to drugs. There is no one case where a perceived werewolf transformed without applying this magical ointment. Basically, the salve made an makes an individual drugged and in the process they would view themselves as wolves or any other animals and, as a result, act in a beastly manner. In some cases, the culprits would get into a coma while hallucinating or start attacking people. A good example is that of Jacques Roulette who was caught by the authorities hunched over a person’s dead and badly mutilated body in 1598 and when asked he claimed that he was not in the right state when he committed the heinous act. His testimony stated that he had taken the form of a wolf after applying a certain salve, and he devoured the victim as a werewolf. Similar cases were recorded during this period. The hallucinations that resulted in the creation werewolves stories were not only self-induced but could accidentally take place. The greater population comprised of peasants who toiled hard to makes ends meet and their main meal comprised of bread that would sometimes be exposed to the point of contamination. There were many cases of fungal infestation in the bread consumed by this group of people with the most common being Claviceps purpurea or the ergot fungus. This fungus contains a chemical known as lysergic acid which is used in making one of the most powerful hallucinogens called Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (LSD). With such exposures being widely spread in the community, possibility of people creating fictional characters such as the werewolves in their mind was high. Moreover, the werewolves’ tale is not clearly explained or documented in real photographs or films, and no one has ever given a clear account of an encounter with the beast. Another possible contributor to the tales of werewolves is mental ailments. Some ancient stories were linked to psychological problems which made people commit inhuman acts. For instance, a case involving one man known as Peeter Stubbe who was a serial killer proved that lycanthropy can be connected to psychology challenges. Stubbe claimed that he had sold his soul to the devil and was possessed by demons which made him commit acts that he was not aware of. He stated that he had been given satanic powers that enabled him to transform into a wolf and, as a result, he became a murderer and practice cannibalism. Due to the superstitious nature of the society at the time, the story was readily believed by people further promoting the tale of werewolves. Lack of rational thinking among the people is, therefore, one of the greatest contributors to this belief. During the ancient times, people believed everything told to them especially by their leaders and sorcerers without thinking critically and analyzing the information to determine its authenticity. The story of werewolves has existed since the ancient times with the first cases dating back close to 2000 BC. It is believed that creatures that have the powers to transform from human beings to wolves existed and lived among people. However, a precise recording and documentation of this claim is not available. Despite the numerous tales of werewolves that have made people believe in their existence, there is no single testimony of encounter with a werewolf the gives a clear and pictorial explanation of how they look like. Some of the modern day encounters happened in the era of technology, but there is no single photo of the beasts that exist to support the claim. With globalization and advancement of communication, journalists are able to uncover many issues in the world, and it would not be difficult to discover where the werewolves are found. There is also no support for credible sources other than individuals who claim to have seen the creature without producing any tangible proof to substantiate their allegations. It is, therefore, right to say that werewolves only exist in the mind of people and have been developed as a character for the entertainment sector.
References
Bennett, F. (2014). Encounter with the Aberdeen Wildman. London: Author House.
Bettini, J. (2011). The Rage of the Wolf: Metamorphosis and Identity in Medieval Werewolf Tales. Retrieved from http://dc.etsu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2493&context=etd
Browning, R. (1983). Medieval and Modern Greek. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
Edwards, K. (2002). Werewolves, Witches, and Wandering Spirits: Traditional Belief & Folklore in Early Modern Europe. Kirksville: Truman State University Press
Ingham, P & Warren, M. (2003). Postcolonial Moves: Medieval Through Modern. London: Palgrave Macmillan
