Legends about Werewolves

 

Werewolf legends are overwhelmingly found in old stories common crosswise over Europe. On account of Vlad Tepes III, the fantasy of Dracula has a source point, however a long way from approved. Be that as it may, nobody can state with assurance when in history the legend of the werewolf began. History specialists commonly call attention to that Greek folklore is the wellspring of this fantasy. Yet, Montague Summers, in his 1928’s generally acclaimed book The Werewolf, specified that the Greeks may have received the possibility of lycanthropy from the old Phoenician faction. The religion began in 1200 BC and had existed until 539 BC. With summer’s case and the clique’s age, taken together, we discover the inception of the werewolf fantasy follows back a couple of thousand years. Starting points aside, in addition, one of a kind is the means by which each culture has its very own interpretation of the werewolf legend. This legendary animal really is a global verifiable puzzle.

I have managed to collect the myths about werewolves from all over the world, which I will mention here.

 

 

 

Iceland and Norway

Though the countries are very far from each other yet they share a similar myth. The most celebrated werewolf story in the Volsunga Saga is the account of dad and child, Sigmund and Sinfjotli. While meandering in the forested areas, Sigmund and Sinfjotli happen upon a cabin where they discover two entranced wolf pelts. Whenever put on, either pelt will transform a man into a wolf and will have the power, cleverness, and valor of wolves. Be that as it may, the pelt must be removed each tenth day. Having put on the pelts, Sigmund and Sinfjotli transform into wolves and start meandering about the woods together. Before they split up, they consented to yell to one another if both of them experiences seven men to battle at any given moment. Sinfjotli, the child, breaks the assertion and kills 11 men at one time. Irritated, Sigmund lethally harms his child. Be that as it may, at that point a raven, the flag-bearer of Odin, expedites a recuperating leaf to put Sinfjotli’s injury. After Sinfjotli is recuperated from his injury, he and his dad remove the charmed wolf pelts as the tenth day arrived. They consumed the pelts to fiery remains and liberated themselves from the scourge of lycanthropy.

 

Mexico

Werewolves in Mexico are known as the Nahual or Nagual. Both are articulated Na’wal. Despite the fact that Mexico was a province of Spain for a long time, the werewolf legend pervasive in the nation did not coexist with the European werewolf legend. The legend stays in its unique shape right up ’til today. That being stated, the confidence in Mexican werewolfism or nagualism shifts from area to the district. It is accepted by some Mesoamerican Indians that the nahual is a gatekeeper soul that dwells in a creature, for example, deer, panther, bird, wildcat, mountain lion, et cetera. In different locales, and in a more unpropitious variant of nagualism, it is trusted that intense men can change themselves into a creature to cause hurt. A relationship exists between the last conviction and the word ‘nahual’, which started from the word ‘nahualli’, signifying “mask”. This alludes to the witchcraft by which mystical performers change their physical structures into that of a creature.

 

Greece

The Greek cause of the werewolf legend has numerous variations. One of the soonest and the best-known emphasis is found in the Roman artist Ovid’s sonnet Metamorphoses, which was distributed in 8 AD. As per Ovid: King Lycaon was the despot of Arcadia. One day Zeus went to Lycaon’s castle taking on the appearance of a customary man. After Zeus had uncovered his actual character, the ruler secretly conceived an arrangement to test whether he really was a divine being. Ruler Lycaon murdered one of his prisoners named Epirus, bubbled and broiled the injured individual’s substance, and served it to Zeus. Zeus did not eat it. Totally incensed, he set the ruler’s castle ablaze and executed his 50 children with lighting jolts, reviled the lord, and sent him into the wild where he changed into a yelling wolf.

 

North America

With regards to genuine werewolf legends in America, they are predominantly acquired from the European pioneers. At the point when these pioneers started settling North America (referred to then as the New World), they saw a significant populace of wolves – genuine wolves. At the point when their legends blended with those of Native American werewolf legends – as of now in presence before the European entries, America made the werewolf fantasy we see today.

 

South America

The Luison, or el lobizon, is the South American werewolf. Its portrayal has just been canvassed in another article on Listverse. Before we start diving into its inception, we should talk somewhat more about the luison. The fantasy of the luison basically wins in Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay. It was trusted that the seventh child of a group of all young men would transform into a lusion the evening of a full moon, particularly on the off chance that it fell on a Friday. The conviction was particularly solid in Argentina. So solid was this conviction that the Argentine President, Juan Domingo Perón, declared that every single seventh child of a family should be sanctified through the water.

The inception of the lusion legend is found in Guarani folklore. The Guarani are the indigenous individuals of Paraguay whose folklore expressed there were seven beasts. Of the seven beasts, the last one, known as lusion, was awfully disfigured in appearance (yet had no obvious likeness with a wolf) and came to known as the God of Death.

At the point when the Europeans colonized South America, luison’s relationship with death started to melt away after some time. The lusion fantasy in the end blended with European werewolf legends. Presently the luison is viewed as an animal that is half man and half wolf.

 

Germany

An officer expressed this story happened to his own granddad. His granddad went into the timberland to cut wood with a companion and a third man. There was something bizarre about the third man, yet the granddad couldn’t tell without a doubt what it was. After they had done their activity and had turned out to be worn out, the third man suggested they sleep. In like manner, the three men set down on the ground and shut their eyes.

The granddad claimed to nod off, however really kept his eyes somewhat open. He was quick to discover the explanation for the third man’s bizarre conduct. The third man hoped to check whether the other two men were resting. When he was sure they were, he put on (or removed) a belt and turned into a wolf. Be that as it may, he didn’t take after a characteristic wolf. He looked rather changed. He rapidly kept running off to an adjacent field where he trapped a pregnant female steed and ate up it totally. The man returned, took off (or put on) his belt, and set down again in human frame close to the others. While coming back to town, the third man grumbled about having a stomach hurt. As they entered the town door, the granddad whispered into the man’s ear, “When one eats up an entire steed… “But before he could complete his sentence, the third man intruded, “Had you said this to me in the woods, you would not have the capacity to state this now.”  The story, distributed in the second 50% of the nineteenth century, is one of the most seasoned and most mainstream werewolf legends in Germany.

 

France

The earliest reported case on French lycanthropy was found in 1214. In a report, Gervaise of Tilbury revealed to Emperor Otto IV that individuals in Auvergne, France supposedly transformed into wolves amid the full moon.

 

Rome

A hireling, named Niceros, describes, One day he was on a stroll with his host. When they happened upon a burial ground, the host all of a sudden removed his garments, urinated around them around, and changed into a wolf. Instantly after, the host (now a wolf) kept running off to the field toward a rush of eating sheep. Niceros could barely trust his very own eyes until the point that a sheep proprietor said to him that his worker had harmed a wolf with a pitch-fork. The following day, Niceros saw an injury on the neck of his host. The injury check on his neck was in the correct position where the pitchfork harmed the wolf.

 

 

 

So, here are the well-known 8 werewolf legends that work into totaling this legendary shape shifter’s sources. What are your thoughts on them, which myth did you like the most? Let us know in the comments.

I’ll get back to you again with something new. Till then Stay safe and Take Care.

20 thoughts on “Legends about Werewolves”

  1. Ah, good old Ovid. I remember having to read the Metamorphoses for a Junior Seminar at Berkeley in the English department. It’s funny where these myths begin. I found it fascinating the way his humans turned into animalistic creatures depending on the behavior they exhibited. Fascinating read.

  2. For a huge fan of paranormals like me, I fell in love with werewolf stories. Actually, I have a couple of movies and novels about werewolves that I watch or read when I’m free.

  3. I have read a lot about the Nordic werewolves that has fascinated me to no end along with the Mexican and Greek ones. I wish they were there in the modern day, which has become too rationalist to believe in these legends.

  4. Lyosha Varezhkina

    so interesting! I love legends, it is always nice to know about the people of the past through what they believed in. I loved knowing more about werewolves! Never knew South America also shared the ‘passion’

  5. Wolves feature greatly in Japan’s myths and legendary tales, but I don’t think werewolves are as prevalent. I have heard a couple of ancient stories of creatures that are similar to werewolves. I have always found it fascinating how there is an overlap between many countries ancient stories and legends. Lynda Hogan

  6. I didn’t know any specifics about any of these tales. I figured there were several different tales from different countries but it was cool seeing them all in one place. Werewolves are a bit scary for me. LOL However, this is a cool post!

  7. Waren Jean Go

    This is very interesting, but what interest me the most is the South America story. This is an amazing read.

  8. I never knew there are myths about werewolves and how many countries have got their different view of myths. All I can see them is in the movies to play a negative role.

  9. physio-sports

    it’s the story of the wolf man, I think it’s just fiction to scare kids who do not obey their parents.

  10. I didn’t know that werewolves were so popular in different countries! But I do like reading novels about them because of love and loyalty that they represent.

  11. Iceland may be far from Norway but they are vikings that settled there 😉 So not far apart from culture.
    I love myths. I always think there is a kind of truth in them since you find often core of a myth in different cultures. Makes one wonder about all the things that are hidden from us and is so much fun thinking and talking about it.

  12. Catherine Santiago Jose

    I have never knew about it but a werewolves stories is really interesting and now my mind asking myself it is true or not?. LOL!

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