What is the name of the werewolf disease? Lycanthropy is a werewolf disease. Lycanthropes. What is lycanthropy? The disease is lycanthropy. Lycanthropy - real cases today

The disease of werewolves or werewolves is commonly called lycanthropy. This term first appeared in 1584 in the book of the English researcher R. Scott, “Unmasking Witchcraft.” He introduced this concept after carefully studying the works of ancient physicians who considered werewolf a disease and tried to treat it.

The works of the Alexandrian physician Pavel Eginet contain a detailed analysis of the disease and the causes that cause it. This physician believed that the disease could be caused by various types of mental disorders and the use of certain hallucinogenic drugs.

He also describes the symptoms characteristic of people suffering from lycanthropy. He included weakened visual functions, pale skin, complete absence of saliva and tears, increased thirst, and wounded lower limbs.

In addition, patients with lycanthropy had an irresistible desire to go to the cemetery at night and howl at the moon until sunrise.

As a treatment for lycanthropy, the doctor recommended cleansing the stomach, a special nutritional system, and bloodletting. To prevent night walking and ensure restful sleep, the patient was recommended to rub the inner surfaces of the nostrils with opium.

The appearance of a person suffering from lycanthropy began to change very quickly. According to the stories of the patients, at the beginning of the attack they experienced mild chills, gradually turning into fever. At the same time, a severe headache and unquenchable thirst arose. The patient also suffered from difficulty breathing and perspiration appeared. The arms lengthened and became noticeably swollen, the skin on the face and limbs became blurred and roughened. The toes became very curved, becoming like claws. At the same time, the lycanthrope could not wear shoes and tried to get rid of them. The consciousness of the lycanthrope also changed: he developed signs of claustrophobia - the person felt fear of closed spaces and tried with all his might to get out of the house and onto the street.

Then nausea appeared and stomach cramps began. The lycanthrope man felt a strong burning sensation in his chest. His speech became slurred, and a guttural mutter came out of his throat. At this phase of the attack, the patient with lycanthropy tried to free himself from clothes and got up on all fours. The skin began to darken and became covered with matte fur. Coarse hair grew on the head and face, making a person look like an animal.

The werewolf awoke a wild thirst for blood, unable to overcome which he ran away in search of a victim. The soles of his feet and palms hardened so much that he could run on sharp stones without causing himself the slightest harm.

The lycanthrope attacked the first person he came across, bit through an artery in the neck with sharp teeth and drank the blood. Having satisfied his thirst, the werewolf lost strength, fell to the ground and fell asleep until the morning. At dawn he became human again.

The werewolf sensed the approach of an attack in advance, but was unable to prevent it - the speed of the transformation did not allow him to take any special measures.

Some of the lycanthropes tried to hide in the basements of their houses and survive the attack of werewolves there. Others went into the thicket of the forest and tried to take out their aggression on the plants, rolling on the ground, growling loudly and scratching tree trunks.

Many beliefs about werewolves existed in Russia. Here they have always believed that a sincere word, a wish expressed from the bottom of the heart, has a certain power and can come true. This also applies to curses.

People believed that a curse released in a state of anger could cause the person to whom it was sent to turn into a werewolf.

According to Orthodox priests, Satan will definitely hear curses and take advantage of this to take the soul of the damned into his nets.

Thus, there is a known case of a werewolf appearing in the suburbs of Moscow. In one area, attacks on livestock have become more frequent. The shepherd said that he saw his dog attacked by a huge bear. A hunt was announced for the animal, but it was not possible to catch it. People suspected that the matter was connected with evil spirits, and turned to the local priest for help.

With the help of prayers, the bear was lured into a trap and killed with a silver bullet. It turned out that an ordinary woman was hiding under the bear skin.

In the vicinity of Moscow there were werewolves who turned into bears, wolves and even rats. There is a legend that the famous guardsman of Ivan the Terrible, Malyuta Skuratov, turned into a wolf and robbed the courtyards of the boyars.

The vast forests and ice-covered lands of Skyrim harbor many guarded secrets: perhaps one of the most obvious of them is the secret group of werewolves better known as the Companions. By joining this group, you will be able to transform into a huge beast of the night, but this power has its drawbacks, and you may decide that it is better to return to your original state. There are only two ways to cure lycanthropy: the first is available by following the Companions storyline, and the second is to become a vampire lord.

Steps

How to cure lycanthropy following the Companions storyline

Activate the quest “Cleansing”. After completing the radiant quest “The Last Duty”, talk about working with either Farkas or Vilkas (you can find both of them in the chambers that are located in the basement of Jorrvaskr. They will be a little out of sorts. Show sympathy and ask what is bothering them.

They will share with you that they would like to make the same choice as Kodlak and be cured of lycanthropy. Offer your help.
Radiant quests can be taken from Vilkas or Farkas when your character asks the Companions for a job; most of them can be repeated several times to accumulate money. However, by completing the final quest of the Companions main storyline, you will be able to receive the “Purification” quest.

Obtain the head of the Glenmoril Witch. If you already have the Glenmoril Witch's head in your inventory from previous quests, the brothers will direct you to Ysgramor's Tomb (proceed immediately to the next step); otherwise they will offer you help in killing the witches.
- Travel to the Glenmoril Coven. After completing the quest “Blood and Honor” this place should be available on the world map. The Glenmoril Coven is located northwest of Falkreath.
- Enter the coven and you will see the Glenmoril Witches. Kill the witches and search their bodies to collect at least two heads (one for the quest giver and one for you).
Head to Ysgramor's Tomb. Go to Ysgramor's tomb with the quest giver. You can fast travel or follow the active quest marker on your compass. Ysgramor's Tomb is located in the far northern region of Skyrim; The closest major possession to the tomb is Winterhold (the possession icon on the map looks like a crown with three prongs on a shield).
- To reach Ysgramor's Tomb from Winterhold, head north and cross the open water. The tomb is located just on the shore of a small island.
- The walk to Ysgramor's Tomb from Whiterun is much longer. The tomb is located northeast of Whiterun. After leaving the city, walk along the city walls to the north and continue in the same direction. You'll pass many mountains along the way, but don't stop until you reach Dawnstar. After Dawnstar, head northeast and cross open water to reach the shore of the island where the tomb is located.
Enter the tomb. Open the tomb doors and go down the stone steps. Head straight past the torches until you reach a wooden spiral staircase that goes even lower into the tomb.
- Go down the stairs, which will lead you to a large room with a blue flame (called the “Harbinger Flame”) burning in the center.
Activate the Flame. Approach the Harbinger Flame and activate it with the corresponding button on the screen.
Kill the ghost wolf. After activating the flame, a ghostly wolf will emerge from the altar and begin to attack you. Kill the ghost to rid your quest giver of lycanthropy.
- The ghost behaves in the same way as the wolves that can be found in Skyrim; just keep him at a distance by casting fireballs or shooting him with a bow and you can easily get rid of the ghost.
- This wolf cannot be called a particularly formidable enemy. His most insidious trait is his speed, which is why he needs to be kept at a distance. If you prefer close combat, the heavyweights will quickly kill the wolf with a few blows of the war hammer.
Talk to the quest giver (Farkas or Vilkas). After the wolf is defeated, you will have to talk to the quest giver. He will ask if everything is over and say that he now feels like a real warrior.
- After you talk to your quest giver, the radiant quest “Purification” will be completed.
Cure yourself from lycanthropy. Approach the flame and activate it again by pressing the button that appears on the screen. A window will appear asking: “Should I throw the witch’s head into the fire to be cured of lycanthropy forever?” Select “yes” (keep in mind that the decision cannot be reversed).
- Another ghost of a wolf will appear from the flames, which you must destroy in order to heal yourself. To kill the wolf, use the same techniques as last time.
- Once you defeat the wolf, you will be cured of lycanthropy.
How to recover from lycanthropy, following the storyline of “Dawnguard”
1. Download the Dawnguard DLC. If you have not been cured of lycanthropy in the tomb of Ysgramor, then thanks to the Dawnguard add-on (which can be purchased on Steam, or by purchasing the Skyrim game with all the additions in the computer game store) you will have three options on how to get rid of the blood curse The beast.
  - The plot of the add-on is based on the confrontation between vampires and their hunters, and you will have to choose the side on which you will fight in this war. If you side with the vampires, you will become a vampire lord - a stronger version of the regular vampire you may encounter in the game.
  - If you become a vampire lord, you will be cured of lycanthropy, since it is impossible to be both a vampire and a werewolf.
2. Accept Lord Harkon's gift. The first time you have the opportunity to become a Vampire Lord is during the quest “Bloodline,” one of the initial quests in the Dawnguard expansion.
  - After completing the Awakening quest, Serana will ask you to accompany her to Castle Volkihar, home of the first vampires of Skyrim. You can get to the castle by boat: either hire a ferryman to take you there, or cross Icewater Dock (a small dock near the Northern Watchtower). By boarding a boat you will reach the castle.
  - Walk up the hill to the stone bridge that leads to the ghostly castle. The vampires will be waiting for you, but they will let you pass once they recognize Serana.
  - Enter the castle to find Serana's father. As soon as Serana meets her father, he will approach you and give you an ultimatum: you continue to work with the Dawnguard, and you will be prohibited from visiting the castle, or you join the Volkihar vampires, becoming a vampire lord.
  - Agree to become a Vampire Lord, and Lord Harkon will explain to you that this will cleanse you of lycanthropy (note that becoming a Vampire Lord will make you an enemy of the Dawnguard, who will send thugs to you from time to time).
3. Let Serana turn you into a vampire lord. If you do not accept the gift of vampirism from Lord Harkon, you will have another chance later - during the quest “Chasing the Past”, which is the sixth quest of the Dawnguard storyline. During this quest, you and Serana must travel to the Cairn of Souls, a dark alternate plane of reality where lost souls are doomed to wander.
  - The Soul Cairn is located in a secret part of Castle Volkihar, which Serana will guide you to. A living person cannot enter the Cairn of Souls, so Serana herself will offer to turn you into a vampire lord.
  - Select the “Turn me into a vampire” answer, Serana will bite you and you will fall unconscious. Some time later, you will wake up as a vampire lord and, therefore, be cured of lycanthropy.
  - If you refuse, your soul will be temporarily trapped in the Soul Gem, severely damaging your health, stamina, and magicka while you're in the Cairn of Souls.

A mythical disease, under the influence of which metamorphoses occur in the body, making a person a wolf. It should be noted that lycanthropy is not only mystical or magical. There is a mental illness called clinical Lycanthropy, in which case the patient is sure that he is a wolf, a werewolf, or some other animal.

The most ancient texts contain descriptions of lycanthropy. In the seventh century, Paul Ogineta, a Greek physician, wrote about this, and he called bloodletting an effective treatment. Such treatment was explained by the spread of a humane theory, which states that one of the four fluids always predominates in the body. These are mucus, blood, black and regular bile.

Each element has a connection with a specific character. An equal amount of these four fluids is ideal for mental and physical health. If one of them is present in excess, then an imbalance occurs that can cause mental and physiological abnormalities.

All scientists recognize that in lycanthropy, black bile is predominant, and with its excess, various mental disorders arise, including depression, mania, and insanity. As you know, over time, melancholy began to be called a pathological state of mind.

At different times, the description of lycanthropy was presented differently, for example, in the work of Aetius, written at the beginning of the sixth century. It is said that with the onset of February, a person runs away from home at night and wanders around the cemetery. There he howls, digs up the bones of the dead from the graves, and then walks through the streets with them, terrifying everyone. Who will you meet on the way? Such melancholic personalities have pale faces, dim eyes, sunken eyes, and a parched tongue. They constantly have the need to spit, and with lycanthropy there is thirst and an acute lack of moisture.

Some doctors considered the humoral theory to explain lycanthropy as the basis. In addition, it was believed that the devil was hunting for melancholic people, and he was able to distort their perception of the surrounding reality.

Descriptions of lycanthropy, lively and vivid, were compiled by the historiographer Goulard, the basis of such descriptions were medical stories taken from the works of Donatus, Aetius, Aegineta, Bodin, and others. Analyzing his research, he drew the appropriate conclusion. For example, if a person’s brain is only “damaged,” then he suffers from melancholy. Others, imagining themselves to be werewolves, were “weakened” people afflicted by Satan.

Additionally, Gular mentions mass lycanthropy. There is a known case that happened in Livonia, when people were beaten by thousands, they were forced to join the actions of lycanthropes and their sadistic-machochistic entertainments. They pursued their tormentors and took part in orgies, while their behavior was on an animal level.

While in a trance, people suffering from lycanthropy are sure that the body has become different, it has been reincarnated. Further, having come to their senses, the patients had no doubt that, with the help of Satan, they left their bodies to inhabit the wolves. This was always followed by lycanthropic demonic rampages. According to the patients, the onset of the attack was marked by mild chills, which quickly turned into fever. The condition was accompanied by a severe headache and severe thirst.

Other signs included difficulty breathing and heavy sweating. The arms became longer, they swelled, the skin on the limbs and face blurred and became rougher. The toes were strongly curved, their appearance resembled claws. It was difficult for the lycanthrope to wear shoes; he tried to get rid of them in every possible way.

Changes also occurred in the consciousness of the lycanthrope; he began to suffer from claustrophobia, that is, he was afraid of enclosed spaces, so he tried to leave the house and find himself on the street. After this, stomach cramps occurred and nausea appeared. The human lycanthrope felt a pronounced burning sensation in the chest area.

At the same time, speech became slurred, and the throat emitted a guttural muttering. This phase of the attack is characterized by the fact that the person tried to take off all his clothes and got up on all fours. The skin began to darken, matte fur appeared. Coarse hair grew on the face and head, so the person looked like an animal.

After such changes, the werewolf was wildly thirsty for blood, and this desire was impossible to overcome, the lycanthrope rushed in search of a victim. The palms and soles of the feet acquired amazing hardness, the werewolf easily ran over sharp stones, and at the same time absolutely without harm to himself.

The attack was carried out on the first person they managed to meet. Using sharp teeth, the wolf-man bit through an artery in the neck, drinking blood. After the thirst was satisfied, the werewolf fell asleep exhausted on the ground until the morning; the transformation into a human occurred at dawn.

Throughout the history of the existence of this mysterious disease, lycanthropes often admitted that they used drugs and rubbed their bodies with special ointments that promoted transformation. Obviously, in such cases they experienced an expansion of consciousness, a feeling appeared that they were incredibly strong, both physically and mentally.

In real life, such sensations are not available to a person. Modern psychiatrists use the term lycanthropy to designate a form of delusion when the patient considers himself an animal. Psychiatric practice knows many examples of lycanthropy, when people consider themselves not only wolves, but also cats, bears, and so on.

Lycanthropy is quite rare in modern industrial societies, so doctors dealing with such cases must turn to ancient medicine to obtain descriptions, prognoses, and even cures. Currently, psychotherapeutic techniques, hypnosis, and sedatives are used to treat lycanthropy using modern means.

Lycanthropy is a disease in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim that gives the character the ability to turn into a beast.

Some consider this a gift descended from Hircine himself. Others consider lycanthropy a terrible curse and try to recover from it so that the soul does not end up in the Hunting Grounds, the plane of this Daedric Prince, where the souls of werewolves end up after death.

The main carriers of this curse in Skyrim are the warrior guild Companions, whose headquarters, Jorrvaskr, are located in the city of Whiterun. Unlike previous games in the series, where werewolves could not control the transformation into a beast, the curse of the Companions is milder in nature, allowing them to transform at any time of the day and anywhere. To acquire a normal form, it is not at all necessary to kill someone and satisfy hunger. This became possible thanks to the fact that one of the Harbingers, Terrfig, entered into an agreement with the Glenmoril coven, the servants of Hircine. Thus, one can agree with Aela the Huntress and Skjor, who consider lycanthropy more of a gift than a curse. All other werewolves of Skyrim, such as Sinding, are classic lycanthropes and do not control their transformations.

Beast Form

The main character can receive the “Turn into a Beast” ability as a kind of reward when he proves that he is worthy of becoming a member of the Circle of Companions. This ability can be used once per day. After transforming into a beast, the camera automatically switches to third-person mode. The duration of the transformation is 2.5 minutes of real time, but eating the corpses of other characters extends the time spent in this mode by 30 seconds per corpse. In the Dawnguard add-on, it becomes possible to feed on the corpses of other creatures after acquiring the corresponding ability.

In beast form, the following changes occur to the character:

Health increases by 50 units and stamina by 100.
Load capacity increases to 1500 units.
The base damage from werewolf claws is 20 points (at levels 1–10) and increases by 5 points every four levels from 11 to 45. Thus, the maximum is 70 points at level 45.
All racial talents are disabled for the duration of the transformation, but the effects of some abilities and spells continue to apply. These include: Mark of the Lord, Blessing of Mara, the Magic Resistance ability of the Alteration skill, as well as the effects of long-term spells such as Stone Flesh or Frost Cloak, which will continue to operate in Beast Form.

Advantages

The werewolf's powerful attacks knock down and throw aside any victim, with the exception of the largest ones, such as mammoths and dragons. For this reason, one-on-one combat with most opponents does not present any particular difficulties for a werewolf.
A werewolf's sprint is faster and much longer than a horse's gallop, which can be useful.
A werewolf cannot be stunned by a blow from a weapon or shield.
Fines for any crimes committed in the form of a beast do not count if there were no witnesses to the transformation. If the transformation was noticed, then a fine of 1000 septims is immediately imposed on the player character, which, however, can be removed by getting rid of witnesses. This feature can be very useful when completing some quests of the Dark Brotherhood and the Thieves Guild.
Wolves accept a werewolf in beast form as an ally and can help in battle.
If Dovahkiin is in the form of a beast, then savage werewolves will not attack him and his companion.
The werewolf has 100% resistance to disease, even to vampirism. Therefore, while a character is sick with lycanthropy, it will not be possible to become a vampire.

Flaws

The biggest drawback is that health does not regenerate in beast form. The only way to restore it is to devour the corpses of other characters, which restores 50 health units. But, as mentioned above, with the release of the Dawnguard add-on, it became possible to acquire the ability to devour corpses and other creatures. In addition, if the Dragonborn add-on is installed, then on Solstheim, on Frostmoon Crag, you can buy the Ring of the Hunt from Maini, one of the local hunters who turn out to be werewolves. Thanks to the enchantment placed on this ring, health will be restored in beast form.
In the form of a beast, it is impossible to sneak around, pick up objects, use the map, open doors with locks and use spells, talents and Shouts, open the stats menu and inventory.
A character infected with lycanthropy does not receive the rest bonus from sleep.
Most characters, with the exception of the current companion, housecarls, members of the Circle, Thieves Guild and the Dark Brotherhood, will try to kill the werewolf or flee.
The armor rating in beast form is 0 units.
Prior to version 1.3.10, the armor indicator in beast form depended on the level of development of the Light Armor skill and its Defensive Agility ability.
All equipped equipment is removed and placed in the inventory. After returning to normal form, you have to equip everything back.
There is no way to reverse transformation before the duration of the transformation into a beast expires. In order for the character to return to normal, the only way is to quickly wait for 1-2 hours.

Werewolf attacks

The werewolf can use both paws to quickly deliver a variety of simple attacks: the attack and block buttons alternately. Also, when using certain key combinations, special power attacks are available:

1.Hold attack or block button- a series of three strikes with both paws alternately, starting with the one for which the key was pressed.
2.Hold down the attack and block buttons at the same time- fast power attack.
3.Hold the movement key and the attack or block button- a strong blow with the left or right paw (the only difference is in the animation) with the victim being thrown a fairly large distance, after which he cannot get up for a long time.
4.Hold attack or block button while sprinting- the most powerful attack, which is a leap forward and knocking over the enemy who comes under attack. At level 46 and with Feral Strength fully developed, this attack can deal 960 damage, which is enough to instantly kill all but the strongest creatures. However, it is very difficult to hit the target with this attack, since when sprinting, the werewolf changes direction of movement very slowly.

The werewolf has special finishing moves: he pounces on the enemy and tears him apart with his claws and teeth, or lifts him off the ground and bites off his head. However, after this there will be an even cut on the neck, as if the head was cut off with a sword or chopped off with an ax. During the finishing animation, other opponents can move and attack the werewolf, but the werewolf himself is invulnerable until the end of the scene.

Artifacts of Hircine

The Ring of Hircine allows the werewolf to additionally change form once per day.
The cursed ring of Hircine causes even healthy humans, mer and beastmen to spontaneously turn into beasts.

How to become a werewolf

Whiterun has Companions, I think you can find them without problems, we join their ranks, and complete quests for them, and when you are asked to go down to lower forge(after completing the next quest), this will mean that the moment has come when you will finally become a werewolf.

Healing

Healing from lycanthropy through a special purification ceremony will become available at the end of the Companions storyline. The ceremony involves burning the head of one of the witches of the Glenmoril coven in the fire of the altar in the depths of Ysgramor's tomb. After this, the wolf spirit of the one over whom the purification ritual is performed appears. You need to fight the ghostly wolf and win. From this moment on, the soul is considered purified and the mortal will never again become a lycanthrope.

In order for Dovahkiin to cleanse his soul, he will first have to help other members of the Circle who want to get rid of the curse, namely the brothers Vilkas and Farkas, with this problem.

If the Dawnguard add-on is installed, the character can be re-infected with lycanthropy. Aela the Huntress will help with this. However, this can only be done once - after repeated healing, there will no longer be an opportunity to become infected again.

Note: You can restart Eila's miniquest using the console command resetquest XX00F899. This will make it possible to become infected with lycanthropy again.

An alternative to the purification ceremony is to accept the gift of the vampire lord from Harkon, after which the soul falls under the curse of vampirism. The curse of lycanthropy is removed.

Bugs

If the Ring of Hircine is removed after using the additional transformation and put on again, the transformation will be available again. This allows for an unlimited number of shape changes per day.
There is a reverse bug, in which, during transformation into a beast, the effect of the Hircine ring is taken into account first. And since after the reverse transformation it ends up in the inventory, you can change the form only once a day.
Using a bug, you can fast travel when the character is in beast form.
It happens that a character gets stuck in the form of a beast - the effect does not stop over time.
Solution: Wait a long time (about seven hours). After a few seconds of quick waiting, the normal form should be restored.
The wolf spirit may never appear during the purification ceremony, which will prevent healing from lycanthropy.
In-game statistics may continue to count down days as a werewolf, even if the character is already healed. Also, other characters will refer to him as a werewolf, citing a wolfish grin and fur sticking out of his ears. In this case, all the effects of lycanthropy will disappear, as expected.
Solution: use the console command Set PlayerIsWerewolf to 0 . After this, the statistics will work as expected, but the guards may still suspect the character is a werewolf.
Sometimes, after being re-infected with lycanthropy, guards and some other characters will ignore Dovahkiin in beast form. This can lead to unexpected consequences such as guards attacking civilians who will attack the werewolf. The guards will seek to protect the player character by killing attackers.
Solution: use the console command Set PlayerIsWerewolf to 1 .
If the transformation into a beast was carried out in water, then the equipped one-handed weapon may remain in the paws of the werewolf. At the same time, the damage from the weapon and the effects of enchantments cast on it are preserved.
Sometimes, even in the case of transformation on land, the equipped one-handed weapon remains in the character’s hands, but in this case it does not affect the damage.
If a torch or one-handed weapon with a fire damage effect was equipped at the time of transformation, the werewolf's tail may burn. This does not cause damage to the character.
In older versions of the game (up to 1.3 inclusive), a bug is possible when rings and necklaces remain on the character after the reverse transformation, but the effects of the enchantments placed on them cease to work.
Solution: Remove decorations and equip them again on the character.
In older versions of the game (up to and including 1.6), there may be a bug, when used, after cleansing, you can retain all the lycanthropy bonuses and get rid of some disadvantages, such as not receiving the rest bonus from sleep. To do this, the character must be equipped with the Ring of Hircine during the purification ceremony. After the expulsion of the wolf spirit is completed, the ring must be removed, but additional transformation will remain from it.
Sometimes after several sleep attempts the rest bonus can be obtained.
It happens that the effect of 100% disease resistance stops working if the character is overloaded in beast form. In such cases, he may become infected with some simple disease like stone gout. For healing, as usual, you can pray at the altar of one of the deities or take a potion of healing diseases.
If the character's race was changed using console commands, then after the reverse transformation it will change to the original one.
Sometimes the animation for finishing off an enemy does not start for 1-3 seconds, while the character is immobilized.
If the game has not been turned off for a long time, the skin texture of the werewolf in areas devoid of fur may become shiny.
Solution: Restart the game.
If you press the Scream/Talent key while devouring a corpse, the animation of the devouring process will be interrupted, which can be useful in battle.

Lycanthropy (from the ancient Greek λύκος - "wolf" + ἄνθρωπος - "man") is a magical or mythical disease that causes metamorphosis in the body, due to which the sick person turns into a wolf; is one of the variants of therianthropy. Along with mythical lycanthropy and therianthropy, there is also clinical lycanthropy - a real mental illness in which the sick person believes himself to be a werewolf, wolf or other animal.

Descriptions of lycanthropy and its treatment are found in the most ancient medical texts. Back in the 7th century, the Greek physician Paul Aegineta wrote about this. This doctor suggested bloodletting as an effective treatment. This was due to the fact that at that time the humoral theory was quite widespread, which implied that one of four fluids (blood, bile, black bile (melancholy) or mucus) could predominate in a person. Each of these elements is associated with a specific character. For mental and physical balance, the ideal amount of all four fluids in the human body was considered ideal. An excess of any of them causes an imbalance, which entails mental or physiological abnormalities. It was believed that lycanthropy was caused by a predominance of black bile. Its excess can cause various types of mental disorders: insanity, mania, hallucinations and depression. Over time, the word “melancholy” began to be used to denote a pathological state of mind.

Of course, there were also doctors who accepted the humoral theory as an explanation for lycanthropy and believed that the devil hunts melancholic people and distorts their perception of the environment.

Today, the term “lycanthropy” is officially used in psychiatry to refer to a form of delusion during which a person imagines himself to be an animal. In psychiatry, there are examples of lycanthropy in which people felt like supposed wolves, dogs, cats and many other animals. These people experienced the following symptoms:

Change in state of consciousness;

Acute psychological stress and anxiety;

Losing oneself and withdrawing from society (frequent visits to deserted places, forests and cemeteries);

Possession (Satanism, evil eye);

Indefinable bestial aspirations (appetite for human flesh and wolfish sexual habits).

Signs of lycanthropy

The diagnosis of lycanthropy can be made if the patient experiences at least one of the following symptoms:

The patient behaves very much like an animal, for example, barks, howls or crawls on all fours;

The patient himself says that sometimes he felt or feels that he had turned into a beast.

Lycanthropy: treatment

Since lycanthropy is a fairly rare case in our industrial society, doctors who deal with modern lycanthropes are forced to turn to ancient medical literature for diagnoses, descriptions, prognoses and treatments.

Many cases of lycanthropy are associated with drug use. If signs of lycanthropy are detected, a person is indicated for psychiatric treatment.