The Complete Idiot's Guide to Werewolves

by Brown Robert

  Belief in a similar figure called the Nahual (or Nagual), which is a shaman practice believed to originate from the Toltec peoples, exists among the Pueblo peoples and in rural Mexico. The relationship between the Nahual and the people they live among is similar to that of skinwalkers.

  Unlike the naturally malevolent perception of skinwalkers, however, the Nahual are not often considered especially evil or unnecessarily violent. They are, however, said to be extremely lazy by nature. Having one living nearby can turn out to be a real headache, according to the lore. As a result of their laziness, the Nahual are said to misuse their powers in order to steal food or money from the homes of their neighbors. Anyone who lives alone and does not work but never seems to have trouble paying bills or getting food is often suspected of being a Nahual.

  The Ya Ya Ceremony (Hopi)

  At one time, the Hopi people of the Pueblo tribes took part in a ritual called the Ya Ya Ceremony. This rite was believed to grant the participants the abilities of certain animals, which commonly included the wolf. The details are not well known, but the gist of the ritual is understood. Basically, the participants would first gather a collection of skins from the animal whose spirit they wished to invoke, thereby receiving that animal spirit’s abilities. Once the skins were gathered, a shaman would lead the participants through a ceremony that involved rubbing the skins on the areas of the body where the individual wanted to receive power. For example, if the speed of a wolf was desired, then the skins would be rubbed on the feet and legs. If strength was desired, then they would be rubbed on the major muscle groups. If one wanted to have the eyesight of a wolf, then one would rub the skins against one’s eyes. And this was where the Hopi ran into a problem.

  These days, the Hopi no longer perform the Ya Ya Ceremony because the entire group was afflicted by an eye disease epidemic that remains officially unidentified. Some Hopi believed that the animal spirits had cursed them for abusing this sacred ceremony.

  Bark vs. Bite

  The Hopi believed that the eye disease was a form of divine retribution. However, there is another, far more likely explanation. Apparently, animal eyesight was one of the more popular abilities. This meant that many participants would have been rubbing animal skins up against their own exposed eyeballs, which (as one might imagine) would have easily led them to contract any number of infectious diseases in their ocular areas.

  The Ya Ya Ceremony is currently forbidden, and it appears unlikely that its practice will ever be resumed (at least, not in its original form).

  Wendigo

  Before you begin this section, it is very important that you understand one important fact. The Wendigo, technically speaking, is not a werewolf. The Wendigo is more like a demon or spirit than a physical creature. Of course, it could be a werewolf, and there are some who believe it is. However, most people are of the opinion that it is some species of Sasquatch (better known as “Bigfoot”), which is something entirely different.

  Beastly Words

  Wendigo literally translates as “cannibal.” Originally, the term referred to those who had been possessed by the Wendigo, meaning they had resorted to cannibalism in order to survive. Over time, inhabitants of the region have claimed that the Wendigo is, in fact, a very real creature that looks somewhat like a Sasquatch with antlers.

  No one is quite sure where the stories of the Wendigo first began or how the word came to be considered the name of a creature. In truth, the word “Wendigo” roughly translates as “cannibal.” The native tribes of Canada and northern Minnesota created this word to refer to a person who had resorted to cannibalism in order to survive. During the winter months, they were often short on food and cut off from travel. Therefore, cannibalism became a concern, and this likely led to the creation of the Wendigo myth. When a person turned cannibal to survive, it was said that they had been possessed by the Wendigo. In such cases, these people were no longer seen as humans, and it was believed that they had the potential to undergo a physical transformation.

  Over time, certain members of the tribe took on the task of being professional Wendigo slayers. The last known case of this took place in October of 1907. A Wendigo slayer of the Cree tribe by the name of Jack Fiddler had a very successful career, proudly claiming to have slain no less than 14 Wendigo. His last Wendigo slaying was of an elderly Cree woman, whom Fiddler vehemently claimed had been possessed by the Wendigo. He insisted that she had been on the verge of undergoing the physical transformation, after which there would have been no stopping her. She would have turned and, according to Fiddler, slaughtered the entire village had he not intervened. Unfortunately for him, the courts did not see the situation in the same light. Jack Fiddler and his son, Joseph Fiddler, stood trial for the woman’s murder. Interestingly enough, neither man ever denied having killed her. In fact, they both pleaded guilty but claimed the killing was necessary in order to protect the rest of the village. Both men were imprisoned for her murder. Jack Fiddler was 87 years old at the time.

  Over the last few centuries, witnesses have been seeing some sort of very large creature in the area, which many people claim to be the Wendigo. Descriptions vary, but it is commonly said to be about 15 feet tall, often covered in fur, with what appear to be rather large moose antlers protruded from its head. Some local lore claims that to lay eyes on a Wendigo is a bad omen and that afterward a death always occurs in the region it was sighted. Other lore claims that the Wendigo is the protector of the forests, and its wrath is reserved for those who harm the forest or do not pay nature the proper respect.

  The Least You Need to Know

  • The wolf stands as a universal totem spirit and is in the lore of nearly all Native American tribes.

  • The tribes of the Pacific Northwest are known to still teach spirit lycanthropy, though almost nothing is known about the details.

  • Skinwalkers are primarily therianthropes, not lycanthropes.

  • Performance of the Ya Ya Ceremony of the Hopi is forbidden. Rubbing animal skins against your eyeballs is not a very good method for lycanthropy, but it’s a very good way to contract a nasty eye disease.

  • The Wendigo is not a werewolf. In fact, if it is a creature at all … no one knows what it is.

  Chapter 3

  Werewolves in the Old Country

  In This Chapter

  • The ancient Greek myth of King Lycoan

  • The hairy ritual of the Anthus clan

  • The wolf-warriors of the Norse berserkers

  • Sigmund’s wild experience with lycanthropy

  • The reason Romanians are so nice to beggars

  • An Arthurian legend of lycanthropy

  • Armenian lore regarding a lycanthropy curse that afflicts negligent mothers and wives who commit cardinal sins

  Whereas Native Americans viewed lycanthropy as a form of spiritual or magical power, most European cultures primarily viewed it as a curse. In European werewolf lore, tales of lycanthropy are often associated with murder, tragedy, infidelity, witchcraft, curses, and the demonic. Lycanthropy was rarely portrayed as a power one should desire or pursue (except by the Norse), but as something to be avoided.

  The Curse of Lycoan (Greek)

  King Lycoan, according to most versions of his myth, was once a ruler of the Greek Arcadians. Lycoan is thought by many to be the first werewolf, and some werewolf enthusiasts claim that his myth tells of the origins of lycanthropy. The truth of such claims is, of course, debatable. However, his myth is definitely of significance to the body of werewolf lore. It is an example of the tragedies that befell a king who was so evil that, because of his savage behavior, the gods stripped him of his humanity.

  The Curse

  The name Lycoan (also spelled Lykoan, Laocan, or Lycan) is often mistakenly thought to be the origin of the term “lycanthropy.” His name does, however, survive in the classification of the grey eastern timberwolf species, called canis lupius Lycoan.

  According to Greek myth, there was a perio
d long ago, during the times of the earliest race of men, when humanity was for the most part ignored by the gods. During this forgotten period, humans were left to their own devices without the slightest aid from divine intervention. Some humans still chose to make sacrifices and appealed to the gods for help. Other humans, primarily those with more evil dispositions, took advantage of the opportunity to commit terrible blasphemies and crimes against nature and the gods. This led to a period of untold horrors and cruelty, when most people found themselves ruled by the evilest of despots. The worst among them was a man named King Lycoan, who maintained a bloody reign over his subjects. He was bloodthirsty, twisted, psychotic, immoral, and thought nothing of taking human lives. What was worse, however, was that Lycoan considered himself above the gods.

  Eventually, the terrible blasphemies of certain humans caught the attention of Zeus, lord of the Olympians and God of Thunder. He came down from Olympus and assumed the form of a man. It didn’t take long for him to hear of Lycoan’s terrible deeds, which led him to visit Lycoan’s kingdom in Arcadia. When he arrived, the Thunder God revealed his true form to the Arcadians, who all began to bow and worship him. The arrogant king, however, doubted the power of Zeus and plotted against him. Lycoan feigned homage, inviting Zeus to stay in the palace and attend a feast in his honor. Lycoan’s true plan, however, was to slit Zeus’s throat that night as he slept.

  After a recent victory, Lycoan had taken a hostage from the Molossians. He had the prisoner brought to him, slit the poor man’s throat, and cooked his flesh. When Zeus sat down at the banquet table, Lycoan presented him with a plate of cooked human flesh. Zeus, the all-knowing god, immediately knew what had been placed before him. He was disgusted by what Lycoan has done. Enraged by this blasphemy, he brought Lycoan’s entire home crashing down. Everyone within its walls was killed—all but Lycoan. Zeus had an even worse fate in store for Lycoan.

  The Savage Truth

  According to one guide manuscript that was written in the second century C.E. by Pausanias, a Greek travel writer, Lycoan brought a baby as a sacrifice to the altar of Zeus. As a result, Zeus cursed him for his savagery by turning him into a wolf.

  The king fled from the presence of Zeus. As he ran, however, grey hair began to sprout all over his body. Zeus transformed him into a giant wolf (though some later versions claim he became half-man and half-wolf). For his violent and savage behavior, Zeus cursed Lycoan to live as a beast for the rest of his days.

  The Curse

  Most versions of the Lycoan myth state that Zeus transformed the cruel king Lycoan into a large wolf. However, many artistic depictions of the myth portray King Lycoan during the middle of his transformation. As a result, such depictions show Lycoan as a man with a wolf’s head or in some other half-man, half-wolf state. It is not impossible that such depictions have influenced the common portrayal of the man-wolf hybrid that we now consider when we think of a werewolf.

  Lycoan’s Legacy of Lycanthropy

  According to the writings of a Greek physician and part-time travel writer by the name of Pausanias, the Arcadian people, the descendents of Lycoan, were required to hold ritual sacrifices to Zeus for many years. However, these sacrifices were in no way designed to appease the anger of the Thunder God. Apparently, they were only designed to keep Zeus’s wrath somewhat at bay. This ritual sacrifice was called Lykaian (also spelled Lycaean) Zeus, roughly meaning “The Lycoan to Zeus.”

  First the Lykaians, presumably descendents of King Lycoan, were presented before an altar on Mount Lycoan. Once certain rituals and sacrifices were completed, Zeus would show that he had accepted the offering by inflicting the curse of Lycoan upon one of the present Lykaians. Unlike their terrible ancestor’s curse, however, there appears to have been a method for reversing the transformation. If the cursed individual, while a wolf, abstained from eating human flesh for no less than nine years to the day of the initial transformation, he or she would turn back into a human being.

  The Anthus Family

  Pliny the Elder, also known as Gaius Plinius Secundus, was a writer and Roman officer who lived from around 23 C.E. to 79 C.E. In his manuscript Historia Naturalis, Pliny wrote of the Anthus family, quoted from an encounter that had originally been documented by a man named Euanthes. The Anthus clan lived in Arcadia (the same home as the Lykaians), and they were the descendents of a man named Antaeus. According to one myth, Antaeus was eaten by his father’s horses, which had gone mad from hunger. However, it is uncertain if this myth had anything to do with the Anthus family’s cyclical lycanthropic rites.

  The Curse

  The story of the Anthus family is strikingly similar to that of the Lykaians. In truth, this may be an account of a similar Arcadian lycanthropy ritual. Some believe it is possible that Pliny, who was a Roman and thus spoke Latin, somehow confused or attempted to Latinize the name Lykaian and, as a result, landed on the name Anthus. However, it is also important to note that the two stories also bear striking differences. Therefore, it is highly unlikely that the Lykaian and Anthus clans were one and the same.

  According to Pliny’s tale, the male members of the Anthus family drew lots every nine years. Whoever was chosen by these lots was sent away to a nearby lake to perform a ritual that would transform him into a wolf. In this ritual, the chosen individual would first hang his clothes on the branches of an ash tree. He would then swim to the other side of the lake. By the time he reached the other side, he would be completely transformed into a wolf.

  The Savage Truth

  It is interesting to note that Canis Anthus is the proper title for a species of canine, the jackal.

  He was then bound to wander in this wolf-state for the next nine years. If during nine years he did not attack a single human being, he was free to swim back across the lake. When he reached the other side, he would once again be fully transformed into a man.

  The Ulfheðnar (Norse)

  Among the Norse tribes, a group of warriors called the Berserkersgang (also called berserkers), or “those who act as bears,” were feared for their savagery and aggression. As a result, they were coveted and hired by many of the tribal chieftains. Originally, another similar group called the ulfheðnar (pronounced ulf-heth-nar), or “Wolf wearers,” were also sought out by the chieftains. Over time, the ulfheðnar merged with the berserkers and were called by the same name, despite their differences.

  Unlike the berserkers, who are thought to have originated solely as a warrior group, the ulfheðnar are thought to have originally been part of some ancient religious rites. Wolves, for example, are sacred to Odin, Norse god of poetry, mead, and battle. Whereas berserkers were considered men who fought and behaved like bears, the ulfheðnar were considered to be men who became wolves. The ulfheðnar dyed their skin black and covered themselves with wolf skins. They then performed chants and dance rites that worked them into a frenzied mental state. They went completely mad and abandoned their human natures. This allowed them to fight without fear. The Norse believed that such rites also made the ulfheðnar nearly unstoppable in battle.

  As a Norse conquest party approached a foreign shore, the ulfheðnar were posted at the front prows of the ships, howling and snarling. When they hit the shore, they rushed straight at the defenders, wearing no armor, carrying no shields, and wielding only basic weaponry. Their psychotic trance was so strong that they seemed to ignore even the most serious of injuries. To those they fought, death seemed the only way to stop them.

  According to Norse legends of the ulfheðnar, arrows had no effect on them, swords could not wound them, and they were immune to fire. The only way to kill the ulfheðnar, claimed the Norse, was to crush their skulls in with a club. This was a scary idea indeed for those who had to battle the ulfheðnar. Crushing in an ulfheðnar’s skull meant you had to engage him at close range, which meant you had to be brave enough to stand your ground and let him get near you. On numerous occasions, the initial, first-wave charges of berserkers and the ulfheðnar were so demoralizing to d
efending forces that they turned tail and ran, giving up ground to the main invading force that followed without so much as a fight.

  Sigmund’s Wild Side (Norse Legend)

  In the Germanic epic the Volsung Saga, the main hero, Sigmund, has an encounter with lycanthropy.

  Sigmund had recently come across a young and eager warrior named Sinfjötli. Though he was eager to join him, Sigmund doubted the young man’s prowess and felt that he might be too inexperienced. In order to test Sinfjötli, the two went into the woods and began to pick fights with any warriors they came across, soon taking a fortune in plundered gold and other treasures. Eventually their excursion led them to a cottage where two ulfheðnar princes were sleeping. Their wolf-skin garments hung from their bedposts. Sigmund and Sinfjötli stole the magical garments and put them on. They were immediately transformed into wolves and could not figure out how to change back.