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History/Mythology of Werewolves
Werewolf and his wolf pack
For as long as man has had conscious thought there has been a fascination with the supernatural. Vampires, fairies, witches, sprites and werewolves are just a few of the creatures that populate stories dating back to our oral tradition. What many people fail to realize is the fact that people were tried and executed around the world for lycanthropy, (being a werewolf) in much the same manner as witches and in some places vampires.
Since stories of the werewolf are so widespread and begin before written records were kept it is impossible to pinpoint the exact time or story that started it all. However, you can get a sense of where and why such stories may exist in the first place.
Wolf Connection
One thing that has been noted about the reports of werewolves is the presence of real wolves. If you look at the myths and legends, you will find areas not populated by wolves have stories about humans changing into hyenas (Africa), tigers (China) and foxes (Japan).
Early civilizations were primitive and did not afford the protections we enjoy today, which means if wolves were present people lived in constant danger. In some areas, it has been said villagers commonly awoke to find the fields strewn with body parts of neighbors and friends. Grizzly scenes such as this were likely fodder for the imagination and resulted in a variety of werewolf story beginnings.
Man’s Base Nature
Wolf howling at the moon in the midnight
It has been hypothesized by some that the idea of the werewolf came about to explain the baser nature of humanity. In fact, in the 16th century teenagers who wandered around breaking curfew and getting into trouble on the island of Guernsey (off the coast of France) were referred to as werewolves. The fact that some would disguise themselves as animals to travel to different communities likely fueled the stories of real werewolves, and it is probably no coincidence that we are talking about adolescence.
Think about the transformation that takes place during puberty. Young men and women experience both physical and psychological transformations, over which they have no control. Is the myth of the werewolf simply a way to understand the human struggle to come to terms with and overcome a more primitive nature? One other interesting tidbit is the lunar shifting. It is commonly held that a female truly begins her journey to womanhood with the onset of menstruation, a monthly occurrence. Is it significant that many times in folklore the werewolf transformation occurs on a full moon, which occurs monthly?
Fun Werewolf “Facts”
The facts about werewolves will vary depending on the originating myth, but here are a few of the most popular beliefs:
Transmitted via a bite from a werewolf
Can be a curse for bad deeds or reward for good
Silver may kill or merely impair a werewolf
Wolfs bane – mildly irritating
Werewolves are born via a mating including at least one werewolf parent
Deals with the devil can garner a belt which allows shifting to wolf form
Supernaturally strong
Uncontrollable rage when in wolf form
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Alpha werewolf, Jared Kohl, wakes up in a vampire’s dungeon, swearing revenge upon the wily Siamese werecat who lured him there with her sultry lips and the sweetest tail. To escape his undead captor, all he has to do is seduce the skittish puss and show her that trust is often a hot and hard lesson to learn.
Enslaved feline shifter, Josephine Young, has learned the hard way not to believe in anything or anyone—not men, not love, and certainly not the blood-sucking mistress who tossed her into the cage with the hungry beast she’d betrayed. But Josephine does what she must to survive, including tempting the dominant werewolf to give her more than promises.
Imprisoned for their blood, Jared and Josephine fight for survival and discover a passion that neither can walk away from. Can these two predators survive long enough to prove that cats and dogs can be more than enemies?
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