As the month of October falls upon us and Halloween draws near, thoughts of candy and costumes fill the minds of people of all ages. The fall holiday also allows us to explore the scary and fantastical side of culture with the more mythical creatures that, while may not exist, all provide stories that fuel our imagination.
One of the most popular of these Halloween creatures is the werewolf, the story of a human that becomes a wolf-like creature when the moon is full. The werewolf is one of the three most iconic horror culture icons outside of Dracula and Frankenstein's creature, and stories about the monster are still popular today.
The origins of the werewolf date far back in human history and storytelling. One of the earliest known references to the creature is said to have dated as far back as 1800 B.C.'s The Epic of Gilgamesh, where the hero spurns a potential lover due to her having turned a previous mate into a wolf.
Nordic culture also references humans turning into wolves in The Saga of the Volsungs, and The Legend of Lycaon in Greek mythology references a werewolf creature.
The word “werewolf” comes from a background of Old English (wer(e)wulf – A compound of “wolf” and “man”) and Old High German (Weriuuolf) and Old Middle German (werwolf) phrases. The phrase didn't start gaining popularity until the 15th century, and has remained consistent since.
Those affected by the curse of the werewolf are said to have a condition known as lycanthropy, an Ancient Greek phrase that means turning from a human into a wolf. While primarily European in origin, the “were” condition has been adopted by other cultures such as Asia, which has legends of weretigers and wereleopards.
But what is a werewolf? While origins vary throughout history and culture (including putting on a belt made of wolfskin), the most popular of legends (a myth that first made its appearance in 1943's “Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man”) say that when the moon is full, those affected by lycanthropy (often caused by the bite of another infected werewolf) will undergo a temporary transformation, either becoming a wolf with human-like proportions, or becoming a full wolf in its entirety, adopting the animal's instincts in search of prey. When the sun rises, the wolf again becomes human, and may or may not remember the night's previous activities.
The most common way to stop a werewolf in popular culture is silver, more specifically a silver bullet, which was introduced in fiction in 1935. The silver material is said to be the easiest way to stop a werewolf's heart and end its nocturnal rampages.
The silver aspect also has real-world connotations dating as far back to 1764. Reports of the “Beasts of Gévaudan” plagued the French province of Gévaudan, where man-eating wolf-dog hybrids attacked the locals until 1767.
A hunter by the name of Jean Chastel is credited for slaying the final “Beast” during the summer of 1767 with bullets that he forged from silver. The cultural belief idea that werewolves have a weakness to silver likely credits that origin to this historical event.
For those who lack a readily available supply of silver, there are more conventional methods to stopping the werewolf, ranging from having the creature fall from a great height, using melee weapons (though far less effective), or hitting one with a car. Despite their enhanced strength and abilities, they retain the physical limitations of animals.
Audiences have thrilled to being scared by werewolves in film since 1941's “The Wolf Man” starring Lon Chaney Jr., though the creature has managed to transcend a variety of genres including the frightening “An American Werewolf in London” with David Naughton, the musical “Thriller” with Michael Jackson, and the comedic “Teen Wolf” with Michael J. Fox.
The legend of the werewolf has been a part of human storytelling for centuries and while the stories are created from simpler beliefs, cultural myth, or just the love of a good scare, if the moon is full, and a chilling howl is heard across the moors, it is a wise suggestion to keep a bit of silver close by.
