The mythology described during the Middle Ages gave rise to two forms of werewolf folklore in early modern Europe. In one form, the Germanic werewolf became associated with European witchcraft; in the other, the Slavic werewolf (vьlkolakъ) became associated with the revenant or vampire.
In popular legend, a werewolf is a human who can shape-shift into a wolf or a hybrid wolf-human form. In many werewolf stories, this transformation occurs at night, often under the influence of a full moon.
The werewolf is a mythological animal and the subject of many stories throughout the world—and more than a few nightmares.
Folklore often has roots in real events, fears, or unexplained phenomena, and the legend of the werewolf is no exception. From chilling stories in medieval Europe to strange encounters reported in modern times, history is full of accounts that kept the myth alive.
But in some werewolf lore, becoming a werewolf isn't a punishment — it's a gift and a source of power. Stories describe articles of clothing like belts or straps that allow the wearer to become a wolf [source: Historic Mysteries].
What is a Werewolf? A werewolf is a man that has been cursed or charmed into a beast that hunts at night and craves human flesh. The word ‘werewolf’ literally translates to man-wolf (‘were’ meaning man). There are many ways in which this transformation could occur.
The earliest surviving example of man-to-wolf transformation is found in The Epic of Gilgamesh, from around 2,100 BC. But the werewolf as we now know it first appeared in ancient Greece and...
A werewolf, also known as a lycanthrope ("wolf-man"), is a mythological or folkloric human with the ability to shape shift into a wolf or an therianthropic hybrid wolf-like creature, either purposely or after being placed under a curse or affliction (e.g. via a bite or scratch from another...