Do you think werewolves are just the stuff of legends? You may be correct. Yet there’s always the chance that those thousands of eyewitness accounts may be true, in which case you want to be prepared for the worst case scenario. We’ve already covered the true “facts” about vampires. Let’s discuss the lore of men turned wolves.
1: Origins: Norse legends spoke of Fenrir, the son of Loki and a wolf-like being. Fenrir was father of both the wolves and werewolves. The gods learned of prophecies that forecasted terrible things about Fenrir, so they tied him up. In retaliation, Fenrir ripped off the hand of the god Tyr. Delish.
2: Historical texts: Werewolves appeared in ancient Greek texts. Herodotus referred to a group known as the Neuri, who lived in Scythia (which extended from East Europe into Asia). The Neuri were capable of changing from human to wolf and back again.
3: Greek mythology: Greek lore also spoke of the king Lycaon, who murdered a child and ate human flesh. Zeus punished Lycaon by turning him into a wolf-man. Elsewhere in Greek lore, a boxer named Damarchus enjoyed a reputation of secretly being a werewolf.
4. The Roman way: The poet Virgil discussed a man named Moeris, who could transform from human to wolf form through the use of herbs.
5: French outbreak: Back in the 1700s, southern France fell under siege by a werewolf epidemic. Over 100 people were killed by a pack of creatures known as the Beasts of Gevaudan. The French Army was called in to fight this threat, although many suspected the bloodlust was carried out by dog-wolf hybrids.
6. How to turn into a werewolf: If you’re looking to wolf out, here are some ways to do so: (a) Be born as the seventh son of a seventh son; (b) Eat wolf meat; (c) Enter into a pact with the devil; (d) Be murdered under a full moon; (e) Avoid practicing Catholic sacraments for 10 years; (g) Be cursed to become a werewolf; (h) Have sex with a werewolf.
7: An unbreakable curse: If a werewolf bites you and you don’t die, then you’re pretty much screwed. Prepare to wolf out. (If you aren’t brave enough to be bitten, you can slurp up water from a werewolf paw print and achieve the same result.)
8. No immortality: Becoming a werewolf will not cause you to live forever. But you’ll age much more slowly and enjoy the benefit of self-healing without a doctor.
9. Holy water doesn’t work, man: The methods of warding off a vampire don’t work on werewolves. You cannot exorcise a werewolf because they’re not one of the undead. Religious talk and holy water only make them angry and wet.
10: Werewolf disease: If you suspect yourself of being a werewolf, then you probably are. Werewolves remember their exploits even after returning to human form. The werewolf disease is known as “lycanthropy” and involves rapid hair growth, an insatiable hunger for raw meat, and fully turning into a wolf. Rapid mood swings, insomnia, and violent behavior are other indicators.
11: Or it could be hypertrichosis? Historically, people feared this condition, which caused hair to sprout all over the sufferer’s body and face. These people were often suspected of werewolfism.
12: Proof not needed. Just like the Salem witch trials, little proof was needed in order to kill someone suspected of being a werewolf. One accusation was enough for a death sentence.
13: Silver or mercury? Modern folklore holds that silver bullets are strong enough to kill werewolves. The true element used to kill werewolves throughout history is quicksilver, which is the liquid form of Mercury, which is the liquid form of quicksilver.
14: Salt works as a preventative measure: If you suspect a werewolf invasion, sprinkle some salt around the perimeter of your home. Salt will suck the water right out of a werewolf’s body, so they won’t dare cross your threshold.
15: Other ways to kill a werewolf: If you wait on old age to escape a werewolf, you’ll be waiting a long time. They aren’t quite immortal, but they live unabated for centuries. You must destroy the heart of the brain of a werewolf, and decapitation is the one foolproof way to do so.
16: Telepathic wolves: Werewolves are telepathic, and they share a pack mentality. If one wolf feels pain or dies, the others can feel their pain. At least Twilight got one thing correct, right?
17: Werewolves & full moons: Legend has it that werewolves are only active during full moons, but this isn’t true. Shape-shifting can occur at any time of the month. Once a werewolf has control over his capabilities, he can wolf out whenever he damn well pleases.