The wolf feast

 

One of the many interesting wolf traditions used to involve the Wolf Feast. A long time ago during the Middle Ages in places like Serbia, during Yuletime and Christmas, people left food outside their houses to invite wolves to join them at the celebration feast! Food for the wolves from feasts were also placed at the crossroads. Doorsteps and crossroads were believed to be haunted by spirits of the dead. 

A lot of Serbian traditions involve wolves, such as when a baby was born, the father would stand on the doorstep and make the announcement, saying "A she-wolf has given birth to a wolf cub!" Then the mother would sometimes sing a lullaby that says "Sleep my child, my wolf, a she-wolf gave birth to you in the mountain." 

People in Serbia wore amulets in the shape of wolves to protect them from evil. They believed that when a person dies, they become a wolf.  In Serbia wolves have always been respected among people there. So it was believed that they would become wolves after they died, while also spending their lives offering wolf feasts, wearing wolf amulets and making wolf chants.

Wolf Girl Night

Lycanthropous water

Lycanthropous water is different to other water. It gives off a strange and unknown smell. The ripples of the lycanthropous stream shines very bright with a supernatural quality to it. The sound the lycanthropous water makes is wrong to anyone who's heard it before. It's described as sounding eerie like whispering voices even during the daytime. Sometimes a lycanthropous stream is noisy and more chilling, which sounds like screaming and howling. Animals including dogs and horses are terrified of it.

It's believed that a person sipping from the lycanthropous water will turn them into a werewolf. There is a folk story of a peasant in Scandinavia who did just this:

"Tis night! Tis night! and the moon shines white over pine and snow capped hill. The shadows stray through burn and brae and dance in the sparkling rill.

Tis night! Tis night! and the devil's light casts glittering beams around. The maras dance, the nisses prance on the flower enameled ground.

Tis night! Tis night! and the werewolf's might makes man and nature shiver.

Yet it's fierce grey head and stealthy tread are nought to thee oh river! 

River, river, river

Oh water strong, that swirls along I prithee a werewolf make me. 

Of all things dear, my soul, I swear, in death shall not forsake me."

Saying the above is followed by the peasant's head touching the shore of the stream three times, and then lowers under the water three times, while swallowing it. This is supposed to work and make that peasant a werewolf. It's not known how long it will take to work, or how many have tried the ritual. The above quote is from a book called "Werwolves" by Elliott O' Donnell. 

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Magical wolf prints

 

A belief that if someone sipped rain water from a wolf's paw print, they would become a werewolf. This is one of the strangest folklores about werewolves. However, it isn't as simple as that. The person would not only turn into a wolf, but remain that way for the rest of their life. They would also become forgetful of their own human identity, losing their memories and all of their human form would be replaced by the body of a wolf, especially one that left the original paw print. This idea comes from the legend of the Beast of Gévaudan in 18th century France, a story that I shall be covering in the future.

Wolf Girl Night