Vale

The future of this blog is to say Vale, which is Latin for goodbye. Sorry but I shall no longer be posting on this blog Path of Werewolves from now on. Running blogs and writing stories, doing classes, finding research, more writing activities on and offline, motherhood as well as health problems such as asthma is too much of a strain on my wolf senses. I have had too many demands. Now all of my research and writings will be found posted up on She Wolf Night's blog. I shall continue to keep posting my film reviews on my Blood Strawberry blog, which will stay and is an entirely different subject. Blogs that I, and friends, will be found on are over at She Wolf Night, Blood Strawberry and Storm Valkyrie. 

I hope you enjoyed Path of Werewolves. 

See you on Blood Strawberry, She Wolf Night and Storm Valkyrie.  

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The undead werewolf woman

In Romanian folklore is the Pricolici, a malicious shapeshifter. It's often considered a type of werewolf entity but it's more than that. It's undead, or the manifestation of a soul transported into a Pricolici, a shapeshifter that could appear either as a human being or an animal, mostly a wold. Their purpose is to cause dangerous serious harm and fulfil a curse. Other Romanian versions believe the Pricolici was once a deceased werewolf but came back as a vampire. It helped to explain the belief that vampires could transform into animals. A Pricolici is nocturnal. People fear these entities and some have sought protection against them. It's understood that a Pricoloci is different to the average wolf, because it attacks quietly and alone, it has a connection to a particular victim such as a person who was cursed, or who is a member of the same family, while curses can attack the same bloodlines. 

As recent as the 1950's a certain family was targeted by the same "wolf" who savagely attacked all of the relatives including a woman named Maria. They lived in a remote village near the Banat Mountains. There had not been any wolves in the area for over a century. Yet this strange wolf appeared out of nowhere, and attacked several members of this family. Some of the survivors were left with terrible scars, and others were killed. Only the little daughter was spared as though the dangerous wolf purposely didn't want to hurt the child. One day this wolf was tracked down and then killed by a hunter. It turned out that this wolf was female with only two mammary glands. There was no trace of the she-wolf to be found to indicate where she had been living. It was said that a long time ago, a relative of the family were given a curse by an old woman before she died. Some believe that this she-wolf was the old woman who returned from the dead to fulfil the curse on the family. 

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King Lycaon

 

The very first known werewolf is in Greek mythology and his name is King Lycaon. He was a king of Arcadia, a land appearing in both ancient legend and modern times. He had many children with his wives including Nonacris and Cellene, beautiful nymphs. Among the countless children of King Lycaen and Queen Nonacris was their daughter Callisto, who later would become a sorceress. One of the sons of Lycaon was Nyctimus, who became the first victim of werewolf cruelty. He was killed by his own father and then cooked. King Lycaon wanted to test if the god Zeus was all knowing, and then the king served his roasted son to the god as an offering. Zeus was so angry and horrified that he turned king Lycaon into a wolf. Then Nyctimus was given back his life and body fully restored. In memory of King Lycaon was the city of Lycosura, now a ruin, and the Lycaean Games, held at Mount Lykaion, which itself has two peaks that resemble a wolf's ears, and it's also called "Wolf Mountain". 

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Blood rage of lycanthropes

There are tales of werewolves in Prussia, Latvia and an old kingdom of Livonia, experienced troubling times with werewolves. Huge packs of wolves threatened livestock, and killed cattle anytime of the year. Around 7th January was a traditional feast of the nativity of Christ, when people were active and gathering with food and drink in towns and villages. However, it was on that day that werewolves made themselves known and turned violent towards people. According to Swedish writer and traveller, Olaus Magnus, men turned into wolves and "spread to rage with wondrous ferocity against human beings, and those animals which are not wild, that the natives of these regions suffer more detriment from these, than they do from true and natural wolves." These werewolves could break into houses and kill all people and animals inside, even eating them.  

Many people today blame it on rabid dogs, wolves ect but stay clear from the notion that these were men who were full of lycanthrope urges and transformed into wolves, or wolflike almost. That werewolves exist outside of cinema makes ordinary people laugh, but history is full of massacres like this. In that place, Olaus Magnus continues that the werewolves helped themselves to drinking beer during the atrocities! They had "burst into the beer cellars and there they empty the tons of beer or mead, and pile up empty casks one above another in the middle of the cellar, thus showing their difference from natural and genuine wolves."  

Thousands of werewolves gathered outside the walls of a certain ruined castle between regions of Lithuania, Livonia and Courland. They all crowded there at night on a certain date and time, and attempt at climbing the wall by jumping or leaping. Those not fit enough or capable of doing this are set upon by the others. 

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Moon born

The moon plays a part in someone's life and this includes werewolves. Its always been believed that those who were born during a full moon would become werewolves. Another belief is that those conceived on a new moon would be werewolves, which is another link of moon and werewolves. We all know the legend of the full moon turning people into werewolves but those very people would have to be marked to begin with. One of the most oldest ways to become a werewolf is to be born one, and this includes being conceived at the new moon and born during a full moon.

This is a form of astrology. Belief in the stars, moon and planets influencing us is best known through zodiac signs, star sings, sun signs and more. To find out what star sign, planet, moon phase, ect you were born under means looking at a chart. A lot are familiar with the horoscopes in magazines, and many people feel a sense of connection and bonding with their particular sign. Some people don't, however, because some are born on a cusp (half and half). Others don't follow this tradition, and prefer either the Celtic or Native American astrological signs, because it's to do with nature, animals and plants instead of the cosmos. 

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Werewolves and Christmas

There is a very old belief that someone who was born on Christmas is a werewolf. In many European countries it's believed that if a child is born during Yule and on Christmas eve and Christmas day, they would most likely become a werewolf when they grow up. Certain rituals would have to occur early on while the person is still a baby to prevent this curse developing. 

This may be linked to the idea that the Winter Solstice was connected to pre-Christian beliefs in the old gods, and so Christmas time became linked to werewolves and other supernatural creatures and spirits. Most of all, the festive season today reminds everyone of elves, gnomes, fairies, angels and even ghosts. Monsters like werewolves are not just confined to Halloween period but tend to reveal themselves over Christmas. 

During the 15th century, a Swedish explorer named Olaus Magnus, travelled to places like Lithuania, Latvia and Prussia, and in those places he encountered packs of werewolves. He described them as gathering together at Christmas as though they were having a party! He found that they resembled wolves but had transformed this way from men. They were responsible for the many killings of humans and livestock in nearby villages. He mentioned they were different to regular wolves in many ways, because they could speak and drank beer. When these werewolves attacked villages, they also raided beer cellars. 

What else Magnus wrote about his travels, was the story of a disabled boy in Livonia, who travelled alone on Christmas, making friends with people, who were followers of Satan and there was many of them. It was believed violence occurred among them with an iron whip, and they revealed themselves to be wolves, that descended upon livestock animals and even people with bloodshed.  

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Skin changers

One of the most ancient ways to becoming a werewolf is believed to be wearing a wolf pelt. This was the case in ancient times, when warriors wore the pelt of a wolf that made them take on the traits of the wolves during battle. In Scandinavia, the Norse had a term for this, Berserkers, and most specifically Ulfhednar, which means "wolf head". The men wore the pelts of wolves and bears to enter a war, and this made them extremely aggressive. It isn't always warriors that became wolf mad while dressed in the skins of wolves. 

A married couple wore wolf pelts and became wolves. They encountered a priest, and the woman was dying of an illness while in the form of a she-wolf. The husband wolf spoke to the priest and described that both of them were under a curse and so the priest gave the she-wolf viaticum. Both satisfied the werewolves were grateful to the priest and helped him on his travels. This was referenced by Gerald of Wales (1146-1223) in Ossory, Ireland. 

Such stories like these are rife in the past, most of them passed down, but this is mainly because wolves were common and considered a threat. Wolves were everywhere in Britain and Ireland until they were wiped out in the 18th century. In ancient times, it was said that wearing anything belonging to wolf, including its skin, bones, teeth and it's skull, gave the person the supernatural ability to become a wolf. Pliny the Elder mentioned it as versipellis which means "skin changer."

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Werewolves and rabies

One of the most obvious ways to become a werewolf is to get attacked by a werewolf. It seems the most common in films and literature. A person who survives being attacked by a werewolf becomes infected by the same curse. A werewolf is mostly treated like a contagious disease and also a condition. The whole concept is very similar to how viruses behave, but mostly it's part of modern werewolf lore. It almost parallels the idea of getting bitten by a vampire that will turn someone. Yet the bite from a werewolf isn't just that alone, it can also be from the saliva or a scratch from a werewolf. The origins may come from reality and the most horrible of all diseases passed from animal to human, which is rabies. 

There was an article in the Brooklyn Daily Eagle, written in 1855, about a young woman in France who was mauled to death by her husband on their wedding night. The groom died soon afterwards. It was mentioned that sometime before the wedding, the man was bitten by a "strange dog" who passed on the infection. This was a tragic case of a man with rabies, who caught the disease after being attacked by an infected animal. There are many stories about people infected by rabies, which wasn't fully understood in times passed, so there was once the supernatural attached to it.

The historian Eugen Weber has said that the French peasantry feared "wolves, fire and mad dogs". The latter meaning dogs with rabies. For those living in the countryside it would've been one of the most terrifying things to encounter. Some scholars believe that the myth of werewolves was inspired by frightening true events about rabies because of its behaviour. The disease itself is fatal. Once a person has been infected with rabies, they go through various incubation phases, before declining in health and losing all sense of humanity, drooling, fevers, breathing problems, hallucinations and violent outbursts. Its as though a person loses a part of themselves. When rabies is too progressed, the victim won't be responsive to medicine. Its as though the rabid person became a werewolf.

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Full moon wolf flowers

One of the most oddest ways to become a werewolf is by using special flowers called lycanthropus flowers. These are found in the Balkans, and can be white and yellow. This superstition has a lot of background in modern culture, although it's been accepted as werewolf lore. The idea of these flowers is found in "Teen Wolf" belief system. There is an interesting page about the Lycanthropus flowers on the Teen Wolf Universe Wikia, which shall be linked below.

Lycanthropus flowers

In the previous decade, scientists discovered a "werewolf plant" or Ephedra Foaminea. These are golden coloured flowers shaped like tiny wolves with pointed ears looking as if they're ready to pounce. These awesome werewolf plants are active during the full moon, because it's that time when they turn sweet and attract nocturnal insects. The pollen looks like sugar crystals at night, or the gleaming eyes of wolves! 

There are more different commonly known flowers associated with wolves and werewolves both. Lupine is considered a wolf flower, named after Lupus, a Latin name for "wolf". It's often a bright blue flower and looks pretty but its so poisonous. For centuries people blamed the death of their livestock on both wolves and eating lupine plants. While it's a noxious flower, it's also healthy for the soil and gives life back into the earth. 

There is another poisonous plant often associated with werewolves and this is Wolf's Bane or Aconitum. Other names for this deadly flower is "blue rocket," "leopards bane," "women's bane," "monkshood," "devil's helmet" and "queen of poisons." It's got dark green leaves with a lot of tiny sharp fangs/ The flowers range from white, cream, blue, red, yellow, grey and purple. It's believed that wolf's bane grew from the drooling mouth of Cerberus, monstrous dog of the Underworld. The foam from dogs infected with rabies is said to be as deadly as the flower, and then linked with werewolf lore as it's been one of the weapons to use against werewolves.     

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Halloween and werewolves

Halloween is here and a time when some people like to dress up as monsters and watch horror films. There are pre-Christian origins that honour the dead, as it's a thinning of the veil when ghosts and spirits are more active. People light pumpkins and turnips to keep evil spirits away, so they carve mean faces to ward off evil. Does this keep werewolves away? So far yes. 

According to folklore, werewolves are cursed as it's believed they're humans that change into wolves on a full moon night. It's then that they go hunting, usually looking for people to eat! This terrified many people so much that both witches and werewolves were considered a real threat to society. In Europe during the Middle Ages, anyone accused of being either werewolves or witches were taken away to be tried and executed. It's still debated if a lot of them were actually innocent or guilty. There's still a number of horrific cases of true werewolves like Peter Stubbe (1525-1589), Jacques Roulet (1598) and Gilles Garnier (1573).  

There's always been fear of werewolves even today. Films have played on these fears and so have books and computer games. Werewolves are just scary, bloodthirsty and evil so they're one of the most favourite monsters during Halloween. Stories about them always frighten children and there are plenty of scary fairytales that create nightmares. 

Enjoy a HOWLING HALLOWEEN!

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The grim habits of werewolves

One of the most gruesome ways some people believe makes them a werewolf is to devour the brains of a wolf. Werewolves themselves in folklore like to eat the flesh of humans, which makes them so terrifying. Animals that are known to be the prey of wolves are also mainly eaten by werewolves too so werewolves can eat other animals such as deer, boar, fish and rabbits. Some people who believe they're werewolves may have gruesome habits and be into cannibalism. 

In Florida, a teenager suffering from Clinical Lycanthropy was arrested after killing a man and a woman. He was found by police eating the flesh of his victims. This was a young man of 19 with delusions that he was an animal. There was also 18 year old Wolfie Blackheart who mutilated a neighbour's dog and boasted that she was a canine. There are many more real werewolves throughout history that are dangerous criminals and serial killers. 

According to legends, werewolves eat the flesh of humans to become werewolves in the beginning. The idea of a person turning into a werewolf by eating human flesh goes back to ancient Greece. A man named Lycaon was the king of Arcadia who made the god Zeus very angry with him, for eating human flesh. So Lycaon was cursed into becoming a wolf for the rest of his days.

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Gallery of werewolf trials

A werewolf relief at Charente, France. 

 

It was brought to my attention of a web page showing a gallery of infamous werewolf trials that happened during the 15th and 17th centuries. While the witch trails are well known and infamous, little is known of the werewolf trials. 

The gallery page is on "The dark history of Europe's werewolf trails" by msn. Click here to view.

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The wolf strap

 

In legends from central Europe, especially in countries like Germany and Poland, it was believed that someone could become a werewolf by wearing a special girdle or belt. This was called a Wolf Strap. It was a magical garment, but also cursed. Whoever owned it wouldn't be able to get rid of it, no matter how. Those who accepted a magical wolf strap would be connected in body and soul to the dark forces, including the Devil. 

A witch could turn a bride and groom into wolves at the wedding feast by leaving a wolf strap, human flesh and wolf pelts. Dressed in furs would encourage them to transform willingly. Wolf straps were potent more so if made from wolves or hanged men! But the wearer would be more successful changing into a wolf properly if they were a witch and were the ones who made the strap! 

Here is a quote from A. Wuttke Der Deutsche Volks und Aberglaube der Gegenwart (1920):

“People (men, women, even boys) change, mostly just for several hours, into wolves by wearing a wolfbelt on the naked body (sometimes also on clothes). [this belt is made of] wolf’s leather or human skin, especially the skin of a hanged man, often adorned with the zodiac, and with seven tongues on the buckle [which must be put] into the ninth hole; if they want to return to their human form, they open the buckle.” 

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Lycanthrope tricks of Transdanubia

There are many ways of turning into a werewolf, and some I've already mentioned on posts before. There is another method found in the folklore of Transdanubia, a region in Hungary, the country of Bela Lugosi, Harry Houdini, and the infamous Countess Bathory, who was said to have bathed in the blood of virgins to keep herself beautiful. Nestled in the Alps, between rivers such as Danube, Drava and Mura, Trandanubia is believed to be full of werewolf legends. 

It was always believed that a werewolf has been cursed, either since infancy or as a child. It could happen to boys and girls. This werewolf growing baby would've been mistreated and neglected by parents because of the curse, so by the age of seven, the child would experience transformation into a wolf and run off into the wilderness. Most of the times the werewolf curse isn't always on children but can be given to adults. It can happen when a man and woman passes through an arch of a birch tree up to three times, while holding wild roses, or even wearing these flowers.

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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.

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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.

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Facts on wolfsbane

 

One of the most strongest repellent against werewolves is a plant named wolfsbane. Here are some facts about it:

Wolfsbane has other names such as monkshood, aconite, leopard's bane, women's bane, blue rocket, devil's helmet and queen of poisons.

Wolfbane is a very toxic perennial plant that grows tall stems with beautiful flowers. Most of them are bright blue, violet and pink but sometimes white and yellow. 

Wolfsbane is from the Ranunculaceae family. The poisonous wolfsbane is related to the buttercup!

Wolfsbane is harmful to humans and animals, so it isn't only dangerous to werewolves.

Wolfsbane has been used by hunters to poison weapons.

Wolfsbane can be fatal if consumed but it can be very bad if touched.

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Welcome

 Howls! This is my PATH OF WEREWOLVES blog here. A new home and a new domain. I guess this place uses cookies, and no I don't mean biscuits leaving crumbs that way! This blog is a branch from another one of the same name hosted elsewhere but lost it. If you like creepy things, book theories, horror, the full moon, mysteries, stories and more, then stick around.

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