Where are the Werewolves?

They prowl in the night and howl at the moon. They transform into the form of a bloodthirsty beast when the moonlight touches their skin. They tend to produce either completely fantastic or utterly awful TV and movies. That's right, today lets forget science for a bit and delve into the realm of monsters and magic with the topic of werewolves.

Ever since man has lived alongside wolves, there have been legends of a crossover between the two. Legends have sprung up all over the world from Norway to Mexico about men who turn into wolves, whether it's because of magic, a gift from the Gods or a disease, many different cultures around there world have their own version of this tale of human - canine combinations.

Firstly Norway - the Norse belief system was widespread across the northern regions due to the large amount of colonies in areas such as Iceland. As a result, places like Iceland and Norway both had the same legends about werewolves despite the 1500km gap between then. Northern Europe had a lot of wolves, like anywhere else, and as a result legends sprung up like wildfire. Norse mythology includes many wolf based creatures such as Fenrir, the monstrous wolf which was bound up to prevent it from becoming a threat. The respect for wolves is shown as Fenrir in fact bites off the hand of the god Týr in the process and it was said that he would kill Odin in the events of Ragnarök (the end of the world). However Norse werewolf tales stem from the tales of the Ulfhednar. In the same way that beserkers were considered to be warriors who became bears, the Ulfhednar were warriors who "became wolves". This is as close as the Norse got to werewolves - angry guys running around wearing wolf pelts, however some other culture took a more direct approach.

Native Americans (American Indians) have a hell of a lot of wolf legends because they weren't so much people - as they were a lot of smaller tribes with slightly varying belief systems and different legends in each tribe. Also there were wolves absolutely everywhere in North America. A lot of the legends involve the Gods granting humans gifts or curses brought upon people. However there is another legend which isn't specifically about wolves that has drastically contributed to the Hollywood image of werewolves. This is the legend of skin-walkers or the yee naaldlooshii. Seen as evil creatures, skin-walkers were said to be able to change into any animal that they wished at will. Sound familiar? This was generally associated with black magic and taboo, meaning that they were generally seen as evil and dark beings and were widely associated with death and fear. This legend probably arose from the culture being in constant close contact with the world of nature and the deep spiritual respect which they had for the Earth and animals around them.

Finally lets look at a completely different culture in a completely different area. Some of the oldest myths about werewolves aren't from the deep forests of native america, or the frosty north of Scandinavia, but instead from the picturesque Caribbean landscape of ancient Greece. Greek werewolf legends stem from the story of king Lycanon who, for reasons that scholars can't agree on, attempted to feed Zeus human meat, some say it was the meat of his son, some say that it was an attempt to kill Zeus. However what scholars do agree is that in the legend, Zeus discovered the attempt and turned king Lycanon and all of his offspring into wolves as punishment. The word Lycanthorpy (werewolfism) is actually thought to have come from this legend.

So there you have it, werewolf legends from across the globs. Inspired by the ferocity of nature and the begrudging respect that man had for the wolf. However some doctors have attempted to find medical explanations for possible cases of Lycanthorpy, refusing to accept that it is a figment of our imagination. 

One possible explanation, proposed by Dr Lee Illis is that historical werewolves were in fact sufferers of a type of disease known as Porphyria. Symptoms of this disease include reddish teeth, psychosis and photosensitivity which, to superstitious and religious people, could seem like and undeniable case of Lycanthorpy.

So ironically, looking to the past to find evidence, is more of a witch hunt. Originating separately in several cultures, and then twisted and romanticised by Hollywood, the story of the werewolf is one of sorcery and Gods. Nevertheless it may not exactly be science but it really is interesting.

Once again thanks so much for reading guys, see you all again soon! :)