Although it sounds like a story in the Hollywood movie, however, a story about humans who can turn into a wolf can be found in many countries around the world.
In fact, the story of the creature commonly known as Werewolf or Lycan can be found in the records of ancient Greece.
Werewolf in Ancient Literature
Herodotus, in his book ever written about Neuri Histories, a tribe that dwelt in the Scythian north (near the Ukraine) which turns into a wolf population every nine years.
In ancient Greek mythology, king of Arcadia who was named Lycaon called transformed into a wolf by the god Zeus and the result of eating meat sacrificed his own son. Lycaon's name and then lowering the word Lycanthropy that we know today.
Roman scholar, Pliny The Elder, also once told me about a guy who turns into a wolf after eating the entrails of a child.
Then, in the year 60 BC, Gaius Petronius wrote in his book about his friend who witnessed the Niceros turned into a wolf. Niceros recalled:
"When I find my friend, I found it was taking off all her clothes and put them in the street ... and then, while he urinated in a circle with their urine clothes lying around. Suddenly, he turns into a wolf. After that, he began to howl and ran into the woods. "
Although more common in Europe, the story of the werewolf can also be found in regions outside of Europe.
Among American Indians, like creatures known as the Skin Walker. In Turkey called Turkadam, while in Central America known as the Nagual. Believe it or not, in Europe and America, is considered as Werewolfnya Leak Bali Indonesia.
Characteristics of the Werewolf
According to legend, during the full moon, a man, under certain conditions will change into a wolf. His body will be high and strong. Her eyes shone bright like the animals in general and bushy eyebrows meet in the middle. Dry mouth always looks like a thirsty man.
His skin is rough and covered with dense fur. His ears turned into pointed like a dog with gelambir that hangs around his neck. The difference with the wolf, werewolf has no tail.
One method to identify the werewolf in apparently as human beings is to hurt him. If he is a werewolf, then the injured body part should look like the fur of a wolf.
Alternatively, according to Russian legend, a werewolf can be recognized by the presence of fur under her tongue.
Although the Hollywood films mentioned that the werewolf can be killed with silver bullets, these characteristics can not be found in the legend.
How do I turn into Werewolf
In Italy, France and Germany, stated that a person can turn into a werewolf by sleeping outdoors during the spring full moon which falls on Wednesday or Friday particular.
Then, there is also believed that a person can turn into a werewolf being bitten by another werewolf. This makes it the same as Vampire legend. There is another who believes that a person can turn into a werewolf as cursed.
However, most of the legend believe that the transfiguration of a human into werewolf mainly caused by activities associated with the activities of satanic or witchcraft.
This view was widespread in medieval Europe, accompanied by hunting werewolves, vampires and witches. In France alone, between the years 1520 to 1630, there were about 30,000 people who were arrested for being a werewolf. Most of the suspects are then subjected to cruel torture and interrogation to death.
Although often considered a satanic activity, there is a story that is quite confusing.
In 1692, a 80-year-old man from Livonia named Thiess testified under oath that he and some other friends is a werewolf-called "dog hunters of the Lord".
He claims that they are a soldier who was sent by God to hunt down the worshipers of the devil and the witches. Thiess also said that the werewolf as he was also present in Russia and Germany.
Thiess testimony is considered to be blasphemous against God and he was sentenced to 10 lashes for that.
Werewolf and Vampire
How the relationship between the werewolf and the vampire? We see them as hostile in the Underworld movies, is it like that?
Apparently not. In medieval times, Europe's growing belief that the bodies of those killed for being a werewolf be cremated. If not, then the body will rise from the grave as a vampire.
This indicates that people believe that time is a werewolf and vampire elements.
In Serbia, Bulgaria and Slovakia, Vampire and Werewolf are also considered to be the same creature known as Vulkodlak.
Significant sightings
One of the reasons why the story of the werewolf can last for thousands of years is due to the many reports of sightings that occurred during that time span.
For example, in 1790. Two people were nomads in North Wales when a large animal attacking their horses. One horse was killed. This event occurs when the full moon visible in the sky. Many believe that the creature that attacked them is a werewolf.
More than 200 years after the event, precisely in 1992, also in Wales, local newspapers reported about the strange creatures that look for the bear hanging around the place. A farmer had seen the creature during the full moon and he found two dead sheep tail.Some people also believe that the creature was a werewolf.
Beast of Gevaudan legend that terrorized France in 1760an also often regarded as a classic case of the Werewolf.
Witnesses who saw the creature describe it as being similar to a dog or wolf.
Beast of Gevaudan was recorded doing 11 times the attack in which most victims are women and children. The victims were found dead and mutilated bodies showed signs of predation.
France to deploy military forces to hunt for the creature. However, do not bring results.
From among all the modern appearance of the werewolf, perhaps the most remarkable appearance is what is experienced by Mrs.Delburt Gregg of Texas.
One night in 1958, Mrs.Gregg was alone in her room when she heard a noise like scratching at the window. At first glance, he could see a big hairy creature like the wolf who was staring at him with shining eyes. Mrs.Gregg can also see the white fangs.
Aware of its presence known, then the creature ran into the bushes.
Mrs.Gregg recalled:
"After a while, I saw a figure out of the bushes. But, I do not see any hairy wolf. Figure who looks out of a man who is very high and then hurried up to disappear in the darkness of night."
Mrs.Gregg apparition is in accord with the werewolf version of Holywood.
If so, whether there was a werewolf creature as depicted by Hollywood movies?
The alternative explanation
It seems difficult to ignore the existence of this creature. If a werewolf is just a folktale, fairy tale or fiction Holywood, why is the story of the appearance of these creatures can spread throughout the world since thousands of years ago?
If the new werewolf stories emerged in recent decades, perhaps we could argue that television and the media who have spread it. But, like every region of the world, had a story werewolfnya respectively.
So, is called werewolf creature really exist?
Before going in there, maybe it helps us look at some alternative theories that try to explain about this creature.
This alternative theory is based on the premise that no human being can turn into a wolf.That there is a wrong interpretation or a hyperbolic story is told from generation to generation.
These are a few:
Men dressed in wolf
There is a terrible event occurred in the town of Bedburg, Germany, in 1591. One day, a group of people encircled a wolf into the village. Then they began to attack it with a timber wolf. Surprisingly, the wolf does not attempt to flee or fight.
Suddenly, the residents saw the animal's feet and being considered as the wolf was in fact a middle-aged man wearing a wolf skin. They recognized him as Peter Stubbe, one Bedburg population as well.
The residents then took him to the village and began to interrogate him. Stubbe admitted that he had killed 16 people, including two pregnant women and 13 children.
Then, he began to tell further.
At the age of 12 years, Stubbe was interested in witchcraft and began to study it. Years later, he learned the more serious and even he began his pact with the devil. It did not take long, Stubbe gets filled with wishful thinking to kill. When targeting prey, he would hide in the woods while disguised as a wolf.
Murders committed by Stubbe is quite sadistic. He used to tear the throat and suck their blood victims. Slowly, his desire for the blood becomes unbearable, so he continues to kill to satisfy them. In many instances even eat the flesh of his victims Stubbe.
The most horrific of crimes Stubbe was a crime he did to his own son.
One day, he brought his son who was a child into the forest, breaking his skull and brain eating.
Peter Stubbe listed as one of the most sadistic serial killers in world history. His crime was so horrific that the court decided to punish his death in a way that is not less cruel.His body was tied to a wheel, then, his flesh torn with a hot iron. Feet and hands were then broken and finally he was beheaded. The rest of his body was then burned to ashes.
Peter Stubbe murder occurred during the Middle Ages when Europe is at a time when superstition was rampant. It may be that this story was widespread and caused rumors about the existence of imitation being called Werewolf.
Hallucinations
The first author to link with disease is a werewolf Sidetes Marcellus (2nd century AD), a Greek who lived in Turkey and wrote books on medicine.
He mentions that there are cases where the person experiences feelings that led him to believe that he is a wolf who then makes the person wandering in the cemetery.
Sidetes argument was later confirmed by modern science that supports this possibility.One of these is ergot poisoning (a set of fungal genus Claviceps). Those with this type of mushroom poisoning may experience hallucinations and severe enough to think of themselves as animals, or feel you are being attacked by animals.
One of the worst cases of Ergot poisoning occurred in 1951 in the town of Pont St.Espri in France. Approximately 135 people were hospitalized and six of them died. Case is due to the population eat bread that has been infected with ergot. This fungus has made their experience hallucinations that make them believe that the tiger and the snake was attacking them.
Of course, this theory can not explain why in a place that has never been found ergot are also reports of werewolf sightings.
Therefore, we entered into a an other, more popular theories. This theory believes that the werewolf is actually the exposed condition called Hypertrichosis or werewolf syndrome.
Hypertrichosis (Werewolf Syndrome)
If the werewolf is simply defined as a human being hairy like a wolf, it seems we have to get an explanation by a disorder called Hypertrichosis, sometimes called werewolf syndrome.
Those who suffer from this disorder in body hair growth in unusual amounts. Anyone experiencing this disorder since birth and some are experiencing due to external factors such as side effects of treatment.
For that to get it since birth, has not found the treatment that could cure him. Can do is shave regularly.
Hypertrichosis congenital cases arguably very rare since the Middle Ages there were only 50 cases recorded.
But, the thing is, people never change Hypertrichosis of the human into a wolf and vice versa. Thus, even this explanation does not seem to fit with the werewolf legend.
So, what the creature is actually a werewolf?
Werewolf and witchcraft activities
Are these creatures came from the activity of witchcraft?
Or is it a cryptid creatures that have not known?
However, the most important question is, whether humans can turn into animals?
If all the above theories can not explain it, then I think, answers the most "reasonable" is: Werewolf does exist and yes, humans can experience the transfiguration into animals to perform certain magic.
But, if you do not believe in the existence of magic that could lead to a transfiguration of human experience into animals, then I do not have to put forward another theory.
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