The term werewolf is used to describe men who turn into wolves on full moon nights.
The legends about this transformation are numerous. In antiquity, there were convictions of certain men who were accused of being werewolves. In reality, this animal would have a shape close to that of the wolf, and would be endowed with supernatural strength, which would make it a very ferocious and dangerous being, capable of killing men.
What are the origins of this legend, is it a myth or a reality? We go around the question in this article.
How does the legend define the werewolf?
Lycanthropy is the word used to qualify the phenomenon of the transformation of a man into a wolf during the full moon. This term from Greek mythology would have been used the first time when Zeus had changed the king of Arcadia Lycaon into a wolf. This was as a punishment from the latter for serving human flesh at a banquet. Moreover, King Herod had related that in antiquity, the Greeks were perceived as magicians, because they then had the possibility of metamorphosing into wolves.
The werewolf is therefore a creature - whose form is similar to that of the wolf - into which certain men are transformed at nightfall. This creature living only at night attacks men and more specifically children. At daybreak, he resumes his human appearance and has no memory of the events that took place during the night.
In reality, it is difficult to shed light between fabrications and real facts. But still, many ancient civilizations have integrated the existence of the werewolf.
A myth that has become a religious superstition
The transformation of man into animal ( not just the wolf ) is deeply rooted in Roman and Greek mythology. The term werewolf first appeared in the 12th century. It derives from the term garou or warou which in old French meant " man-wolf ". Regarding the causes of transformation, there are various reasons.
For some, a man may be able to transform after being bitten by a wolf or another lycanthrope. But before being bitten, you must be cursed. Cursed for committing a serious sin or transgressing a prohibition. These theories have been the basis of certain beliefs. As for example the transmission of vampirism by bite.
What about the timing of the transformation?
According to the myth, man transforms during the full moon, that is to say when he is exposed to this star. But where does this theory come from?
In his book of wonders published in the 12th century, Gervais Tilbury establishes a link between lycanthropy and the moon. According to this author, the werewolf is a person cursed for having committed an abominable sin.
It would, in fact, be established that the first transformations of the werewolf occur at the appearance of the new moon . This is when the myth became a religious superstition. The Church indeed wanted to abolish paganism. This is how the Moon goddess named Selene in Greek mythology and Diana in Roman mythology was now seen as a witch.
It was said that she had made a pact with the devil who then attributed evil powers to her.
Superstition spreads to the Middle Ages
Claims about the existence of the werewolf did not remain in the past. In the Middle Ages, the populations believed more and more in the existence of these wolf men, in particular with regard to the carnage that these creatures created in the forest. They attacked other animals as well as people. It was then allowed to execute men when it was proven that they were werewolves. Any evidence of cannibalism or murder led to a conviction.
In Europe, around 30,000 people were convicted of lycanthropy between 1520 and 1630 . Some were even forced to confess under torture. One of the most famous cases was that of the Werewolf of Dole, a certain Gilles Garnier who had confessed in 1574 to having eaten 4 children. He then claimed that a ghost had instilled in him the art of transfiguration. This is how he transformed himself into an animal during the night to commit his crimes. The latter then claimed to have acted in order to escape the wave of famine that was raging.
What made his actions unforgivable was his admission of murdering a 10-year-old boy on Good Friday. This day is declared a day of fasting in the Church, which is why his condemnation was irrevocable.
Are we still afraid of the werewolf today?
Years have passed, centuries have passed, but is the legend of the werewolf still relevant?
We still talk about lycanthropy, but more in the sense of transformation. Scientists define it as a psychiatric pathology. Which means that anyone who says they've turned into a wolf is suffering from a hallucination.
It is also described as zoopathy: a mental disorder associated with hallucinations, suggesting that one has found oneself in the body of an animal. Theoretically, the werewolf is just a myth in today's society. But is it still so scary?
In ancient civilizations, many people no longer left their homes after dark, for fear of finding themselves face to face with a werewolf, which is no longer really the case today.
There are many other scary and chilling icons these days that are used a lot more in horror movies.
Indeed, if the very first appearance of the werewolf on the screens was, in 1930, in the film The London Monster, which had been very successful, we subsequently saw the appearance of other creatures such as monsters, ghosts, aliens or even zombies, which are today the center of many cinematographic fictions, the most in view being the vampires...
In the end, it is obvious that if the legend of the werewolf has been a source of fear in many civilizations, today it is much more a myth than a reality.
On the other hand, you will easily find werewolf costumes for special occasions such as Halloween party . You will also see it in the cinema or in the TV series, for lovers of thrills.
