Why be a werewolf? According to legend, half-wolves often attacked ordinary people, killed them, destroyed livestock and posed a danger to residents. This mystical race has long been known, even ways to turn into an entity on their own have been preserved.

In the article:

How to become a werewolf at home

It's simple, but it takes a strong desire. Let's consider .

If you are not ready to take responsibility for the ritual or do not believe in werewolves - do not anger the higher Dark forces.

One old rite allows you to turn into a werewolf for a while. The advantage is that you can become one when needed. You will not depend on the phases of the moon or on other factors.

The ritual was used before by dark magicians so that they could gain strength and.

Understand what animal you want to turn into - a wolf, a bear, a fox. You need to acquire the blood of the one you will reincarnate into.

It is undesirable to buy such an ingredient in magic shops - it is not known what will be slipped. In ancient times, the ancestors killed the animal on their own - they were sure that its spirit would inhabit them when necessary.

When you get the main element, proceed. Held . At this time, the power of the werewolf increases. Prepare a potion. For this you will need:

• the blood of the selected animal;
• some water (necessarily spring);
• red glass bottle
• three black candles.

three black blood candles some water in a red glass bottle

Wait until midnight. Exactly at 12 o'clock, light the candles, mix blood and spring water in one container. Do not make the elixir liquid or thick. Say a spell:

Blood of a wolf (or other animal), give me strength, enter me. Wake up your master in me. Give me all the qualities, strengths, power that you have. Make me invulnerable to enemies. Give me strength to fight, give me endurance, endurance, absolute power.

Repeat the spell 5 times. Pour the liquid into a pre-prepared red glass bottle. Place the container with the elixir away from prying eyes.

He must stand in a secluded place for seven days. During this time, every day, take out the bottle and read the already known conspiracy over it. After the time has passed, you can use the potion. It is used only in emergency situations.

If you feel very threatened, drink some liquid. In a few seconds, get the power of an animal and become invulnerable.

Signs of werewolves - how to recognize evil spirits

It all depends on how the power of the animal is acquired. If you drank a potion - do not distinguish a werewolf from an ordinary person.

Most likely, he will not stand out externally, and his behavior will not arouse suspicion in any way. It can be determined in other ways.

Pay attention to the appearance of the alleged werewolf. Usually people who turn into a werewolf have a rough appearance, tall, broad shoulders, thick hair on the body.

In dealing with others, werewolves are cautious and rude. They do not talk about abstract topics, do not express their opinion. However, calm can be replaced by sharp outbursts of unbridled anger.

This happens periodically. Some days people get out of control. They try to restrain themselves, to fight with themselves.

A simple greeting can piss off a werewolf, and an innocently thrown joke will lead to a scandal. With the manifestation of aggression, a person tries to hide so that he is no longer noticed.

Appearance doesn't change much. The hairline will slightly increase, the nail plates will lengthen and thicken, the eyes become bloodshot, the face acquires coarser features. Sometimes it may seem that a person is getting taller and bigger.

This is more of a myth than a reality. It is impossible to turn into a werewolf in such a way as to take the form of a wolf, fox, bear, or other animal.. The art of reincarnation is to give yourself the power of animals without losing your human form.

How can you become a werewolf

Perform a ritual to transform. You will need:

• bat blood;
• animal fur (wolf and fox);
• fresh blood of a young lamb;
• some opium.

some opium
bat blood
animal fur
Blood

Put all the ingredients in a container, say a spell:

Dark forces, I call you. Fulfill my request, my command! Make me a werewolf - powerful, omnipotent, capable of slaying my enemies with a single glance. Make me master of the animal world so that no one can stand in my way and harm me. Grant me unparalleled strength and power. So that no enemy could step on my path and be afraid of me, and know that his death awaits, if he wants to harm me. Give me the wisdom to use my strength for good, so as not to harm those who do not deserve my punishment.

Over the liquid 13 times, then the finished potion is poured into a small dark glass vessel. Cover with a dense light-tight cloth. You can not touch the contents before the full moon.

On this day, take out the finished potion and go outside. Take a large piece of fur (for example, wolf). Stand up so that the light of the moon illuminates you completely.

Dip the fur in the elixir and completely rub the body. When covered with magical liquid, say:

The dark power is now in me. From now on, I became a werewolf, sanctified by the moon, baptized with blood, from now on I am a brother to wolves and not a brother to ordinary people. As he said, so be it.

Destroy the signs of the ritual. Remove container. Hide the wool in the house or carry it with you so that no one sees the attribute.

From now on, you are initiated into werewolves, and there is no turning back. Therefore, before conducting the ceremony, weigh all the pros and cons.

Remember that although you have asked the higher powers of wisdom not to harm your family and friends, this does not mean that you can control rage. Be careful with the ceremony and spend only in the most extreme cases.

How easy it is to turn into a werewolf

You can become this creature, if.

Do you have a pale face, do you sleep like a dead man, and do you have unibrows? Maybe you are a werewolf! In the fact that a person turns into a wolf, people believed in ancient times and continue to believe until now ...

It would seem that stories about werewolves should have faded into oblivion over time. But this is absolutely not true. Volkolak is also present in modern culture, he became the hero of literature and cinema. The famous film "Wolf" in 1994 with Nicholson to this day excites the imagination and generates fear. Moreover, for many people this is not fantasy at all!

When a survey was conducted in Tuscany in the 80s of the last century, it turned out that almost all respondents - regardless of age and education! They believe that a person turns into a wolf, and vice versa. Moreover, many of the respondents said that they themselves witnessed such unusual metamorphoses.

Wolves, snakes, horses, foxes...

The belief that a person can turn into various living creatures, including wolves, has deep roots. The myths of Ancient Greece speak of the transformation of Harmony and Kadmos into snakes. Odysseus, under the influence of magic, became a horse, Iphigenia - a cow, and Callisto - a bear. In Abyssinia, to this day, people believe that blacksmiths turn into hyenas and suck the blood out of people. In Siberia and Altai, according to folk beliefs, people can turn into foxes and bears, and in Malaysia - into tigers. The Scandinavian god of war and magic Odin and his warriors had the gift of turning into wolves.

But the most famous story is the story of King Nebuchadnezzar. It was the result of delusions of a sick imagination or witchcraft spells, but the legendary ruler felt like a wild beast, left the palace and wandered through the forest. His hair covered him like the feathers of an eagle, and his claws grew like those of birds - something like this was said about this man-beast, invested with power, in the biblical book of Daniel.

Interestingly, back in the first half of the 19th century, in some southern regions of Europe, it was believed that everyone who was conceived during the full moon becomes a werewolf. In Romania, some believe to this day that a person conceived on Christmas or Easter night turns into a werewolf. And it was in these days that the church recommended sexual abstinence, since it was believed that children were overtaken by "punishment for the sins of their parents."

From the time of Virgil to the present day, there has been a belief in Italy that wolves cast spells on people: whoever they looked at became dumb. However, for Italians, the wolf is already a magical animal. Protective properties are attributed to his teeth, they are worn as amulets. Often powdered wolf bones are added to herbal medicines prepared to treat various diseases.

But the same Italians also demonstrate common sense, because they always believed that wolf people could be “not real”, but just victims of lycanthropy. What it is? With this rare mental disorder, the patient imagines that he is a wolf (or other animal), runs away from home, wanders through forests and roads, attacks animals and people.

How is lycanthropy treated? In the folk piggy bank there is a recipe for this case. It is believed that the lycanthrope is still in the role of a wolf man (another animal) until he dives into the water. Therefore, in front of the houses of the unfortunate, affected by this disease, there was always a barrel of water, immersion in which restored the human soul.

How to recognize a werewolf?

In the Slavic lands, they also willingly believed that a person has the ability to turn into a wolf or other animal. There are many chilling stories about the so-called Volkolaks. It was said that such a metamorphosis could happen due to spells cast by a witch, or putting on a wolf skin. The inhabitants of Lower Brittany are still convinced that volkolaks, putting on a wolf skin, turn into animals, thirsting for blood and wandering at night in the forest, attacking people they meet. With the onset of dawn, they take off their wolf skin and return home.

So, how to recognize a werewolf in a person? Folk beliefs have an answer to this as well. Volkolak gives out a pale face, dry skin and a deep sound sleep. They also recognize him by the fact that after a night spent in the forest, he will shiver from the cold all the next day, even in the heat. In Denmark, it is believed that children who have fused eyebrows over their noses will become wolf people in adulthood. Well, one can only sympathize with such kids. Fortunately, tweezers can solve this problem...

We can say that France became the birthplace of werewolves, since it was in those parts that the most stories about the transformation of a person into a wolf circulated. For example, the story of Bisclaveret, a wild beast devouring people in Brittany. The history of Auvernia from 1588 has been preserved in the chronicles. During the hunt, one of the hunters chopped off and took a wolf's paw during a night fight. The animal ran away. And in the morning the paw turned into a woman's hand with a ring on her finger. She was immediately identified, and a group of interested persons went to a noble lady, to whom she was supposed to belong. On the spot, it turned out that the woman had no right hand. She was accused of being a werewolf and burned at the stake.

Love conquers the curse

It is noteworthy that in folk stories there are very few women who turn into she-wolves. One of these stories (of Polish origin) has survived to this day. It tells the story of a young man who spent the night at a mill in order to catch a werewolf that lives in it. When he took off his skin, he turned into a beautiful girl. The young man immediately fell in love with her. He hid her skin and soon took the ex-wolf as his wife. A few years later, the wife found a wolf skin, put it on and again became a werewolf. To return the human soul and appearance, it had to be recognized in a wolf pack. The loving husband had no problems with this. And then the wife forever ceased to be a werewolf.

When do people most often turn into wolves?

Of course, during the full moon, but there are other days that have exceptional power. In some areas of France, it is believed that this specific transformation occurs at a magical time - on the night of Good (Good) Friday, on the night of May 1 (Walpurgis Night), on the night of St. John (April 23-24), on the night of before All Saints' Day, as well as every night from Christmas until February 2.

Werewolves have their own holiday!

It was celebrated in ancient Rome. For women and animals, these rites were designed to ensure fertility, fertility, and they were supposed to protect shepherds and a flock of sheep from the attack of wolves. The celebrations were held in a sacred cave on the Palatine Hill. The priests, dressed in wolf and sheep skins, first hit the women with leather belts, and then played scenes in honor of the faun Lupercus, who protected the sheep from wolves. Over time, this holiday was associated with the belief that a person can turn into a wolf.

Eventually, the "wolf" rituals faded into oblivion, but belief in this strange transformation has survived in many places in Europe today.

Briefly about the article: Man is a wolf to man Myths and legends of different - sometimes even completely isolated from each other - peoples have many surprisingly similar features that manifest themselves at all levels of knowledge: from the theory of the creation of the world and the expectation of the apocalypse to sincere conviction in the existence of unprecedented magical creatures. One of the most characteristic examples of the stereotypical human worldview is the universal belief in werewolves - that is, people capable of taking on the appearance of an animal (less often an inanimate object), for example, a tiger (India), a leopard, a hyena (Africa) or a jaguar (South America) .. .

Man to man wolf

Wolf People: Truth and Fiction

“The devil replaces other bodies, and while they are absent or hidden somewhere in a secret place, he himself takes possession of the body of a sleeping wolf, being formed from the air, and, enveloping it, performs those actions that people believe are performed by an absent malicious witch, who looks asleep."

Francesco Maria Guazzo. Compendium Maleficarum (1626)

Myths and legends of different - sometimes even completely isolated from each other - peoples have many surprisingly similar features that manifest themselves at all levels of knowledge: from the theory of the creation of the world and the expectation of the apocalypse to sincere conviction in the existence of unprecedented magical creatures.

One of the most characteristic examples of the stereotypical human worldview is the universal belief in werewolves - that is, people who can take on the appearance of an animal (less often an inanimate object), for example, a tiger (India), a leopard, a hyena (Africa) or a jaguar (South America). However, in our time, the word “werewolf” is most often associated with a single monster from the European fairy tale tradition, replicated throughout the vast expanse of world culture with the help of three “Ks” - Kodak film, airy Corn and caustic Coca-Cola, which has lost its most important ingredient - cocaine - in 1903. This article is dedicated to this monster - the wolf man.

Entertaining Volkology

Popular rumor usually identifies werewolves with animals that have some positive qualities (nobility, strength, cunning) or inspire superstitious fear. Here you can recall the variety of Japanese werewolves: raccoon dogs (tanuki), foxes (kitsune), cats (neko), dogs (inu), monkeys (saru), cranes (tsuru), rats (nezumi), spiders (kumo), carps ( Koi) and other animals revered for their outstanding abilities. Rare exceptions to this rule are cases of forcibly casting some kind of discriminatory spell on a person, turning him into an ugly creature (a good example from Russian fairy tales is the frog princess) or an object (the biblical salt pillar into which Lot's wife turned during her flight from a burning Sodom).

Among many other animals, one of the most ancient neighbors of man is the wolf - canis lupus (common wolf), living in Europe, Asia and North America. It is believed that our best friends, dogs, descended from this predator. He inspired people with admiration for his magnificent hunting qualities. He was feared for the ferocity and determination with which he attacked the enemy. That is why the image of the wolf served as a morphological basis for the creation of numerous European legends about the werewolf - the lycanthrope.

To live in Mexico - howl like a wolf

A few decades ago, science completely rejected the possibility of the existence of lycanthropes. However, the views of modern medicine have changed significantly - it recognizes the existence of werewolves, understanding as such not only people suffering from exotic mental disorders, but also documented phenomena of a purely physical nature.

In Guadalajara (Mexico), there is a center for biomedical research dealing with lycanthropy. Dr. Lewis Figuera has been studying the Mexican Aciv family of 32 for many years. All of them suffer from a rare genetic disease that is inherited and causes a strong change in human appearance. The surface of their body, including the face, palms and feet, is covered with thick hair (even in women). Some family members have thicker coats than others. Their posture, voice and facial expressions also underwent noticeable deviations from the norm.

According to Dr. Figuera, this disease is caused by a genetic mutation that is inherited (Acivas have only intermarried for many years) through the X chromosomes of their parents. In the course of research, it was found that this mutation arose among members of this family in the Middle Ages, but until recently it did not manifest itself.

Atsivas now live in the mountain town of Zacatecas (known to us from the 6th book of Carlos Castaneda “The Gift of the Eagle”, which tells about the ability of shamans, popularly called “naguales”, to turn into animals to achieve the inner Nagual) in northern Mexico. The locals treat them with contempt, if not even hostility, refusing to maintain any connection with the "damned family".

Doctors from the biomedical research center cannot cure this disease, which they call "lycanthropy syndrome". But sooner or later they will be able to isolate the lycanthropy gene and give the future descendants of the Atsivs a full life.

It is possible that the study of “real” (scientifically proven) lycanthropy will help shed light on the true nature of the myths about wolf people - after all, all the stories about werewolves that have survived to this day may well be based on real cases of some rare disease - mental or genetic .

lycanthrapy

The term "lycanthropy" is of Greek origin: "lycoi" - "wolf" and "anthropos" - "man". Today it is officially used in psychiatry to refer to a form of insanity in which a person imagines himself to be a wolf. It should be noted that this disease most loudly declared itself in the 19th century, when the number of patients went to hundreds. In the Middle Ages, such people were very unlucky - after all, it was believed that only witches and sorcerers using black magic had the ability to turn into animals. When the auto-da-fé went out of fashion, the lycanthropic theme moved from the sphere of religious delusions to the boundless literary space, where the image of the “werewolf” quickly acquired many additional features that formed the final image of the mythical “wolfman”. Ultimately, medieval cryptozoology not only summarized a huge array of unsystematized folklore, but also created the basis for the further development of formal zoology.

Many faces of lycanthropy

The myths of different peoples endow lycanthropes with a fairly similar set of extraordinary properties. Some believe that werewolves can “transfer” as a wolf at will, no different in this sense from other fictional creatures capable of transformation (for example, Bram Stoker first described Count Dracula turning into a bat, wolf or fog). Others believe that lycanthropes change their shape under the influence of external factors (a wolf howl, the onset of a full moon, taking any potions, etc.), which are a prerequisite for turning into a beast or greatly facilitate it.

In the vast majority of werewolf stories known to us, only male monsters appear (the film “Underworld” / “Underworld” is a recent example). There is nothing surprising here, because a woman is a completely unsuitable candidate for transferring the basic qualities of a wolf to a person. Exceptions are rare (think of movies like Warrior Dogs or An American Werewolf in Paris).

The ability of werewolves to regenerate is well known. Wolf people are not subject to aging or disease. Their wounds heal right before our eyes. Thus, lycanthropes have physical immortality, which, however, is not absolute. They can be killed, causing serious damage to the heart or brain. Any method of causing death associated with the cessation of the functioning of these organs is suitable here (cutting off the head, a severe chest wound, as well as drowning, suffocation and other actions that cause oxygen starvation of the brain). In many beliefs, lycanthropes are afraid of silver (silver weapons), less often - obsidian, which causes them non-healing wounds. This is another common weakness attributed to both werewolves and vampires.

The speed of transformation of a man into a wolf is also noteworthy. The myths of different peoples show rare solidarity in this matter - the process of transformation takes a very short time, ranging from a few seconds to one minute, and can be quite painful.

A werewolf from the Slavic epic - a volkolak (volcja dlaka - wolf hair growing on the human body and indicating that he is a lycanthrope) changed his shape by jumping over a knife stuck in the ground (according to other beliefs, they also threw themselves over a yoke, stump, hoops, twelve knives, a rope, a branch of a tree, a fire on a stove hearth, through the core of a fallen tree, or simply turning somersaults "against the sun"). It is assumed that the term "ghoul" (bloodthirsty dead) came from a distortion of the word "wolf".

Quite interesting is the way the Australian werewolf irrinja is transformed. Being in human form, he comes to people shortly before the sandstorm. When a strong wind begins to blow, the irringa falls to the ground, and sand quickly fills it up. At the end of the storm, the song of the butcher bird is heard - the sandy hill that buried the irrinja begins to crumble, and a huge wolf appears from there, attacking the nearest settlement.

And he is in Paris (1997).

There is power - no mind needed

Previously, it was believed that the lycanthrope from a physical point of view is absolutely equivalent to an ordinary wolf. According to modern ideas, a werewolf differs from a wolf primarily in its supernatural strength, which exceeds the human minimum by several times. He is unusually hardy, cunning, has excellent eyesight, scent and the ability to see in complete darkness.

Once upon a time, people believed that a werewolf who took animal form was no different from an ordinary large wolf. However, over time, other opinions appeared on this subject - for example, that the transformation into a wolf is incomplete. At the intermediate stage, the lycanthrope looks like a severely deformed person (huge growth and strong build), with some wolf features - thick hair, an elongated muzzle, sharp teeth, claws, backward bending of the knee joints, a squat gait. It is assumed that in this state he moves on two legs and can perform rather complex actions with the help of hands, the fingers of which retain their former flexibility. There are numerous testimonies of ancient historians and discoverers (Herodotus, Pliny, Christopher Columbus, Marco Polo), who wrote about some “dog-heads” - mysterious people with the heads of dogs or wolves living at the end of the world.

It is believed that most werewolves who take the form of a wolf lose their human mind and turn into ordinary wild animals. However, it is possible for a theriomorphic (therion - beast, monster; morphe - form) lycanthrope to retain some mental abilities that allow him to avoid traps, consciously use the simplest devices (open doors, press buttons, etc.), recognize his victims in the face and perform other simple actions aimed at satisfying predatory instincts. It should be noted that the loss of mind after transformation is attributed only to “bad” werewolves - that is, only to those who serve the forces of evil (kill people, steal cattle), experiencing an irresistible thirst for blood. At the same time, the image of a “good” lycanthrope, selflessly helping people, has every right to exist (the Russian fairy tale about Ivan Tsarevich and the Gray Wolf, the Portuguese fairy tales about the sad wolf Brooks).

awakening of the beast

There are three ways to become a lycanthrope - through magic (or a curse), from being bitten by another werewolf, or by birth (lycanthropy hereditary transmission).

Magical transformation into a wolf most often occurs at the behest of the sorcerer (witch, shaman) himself, who casts a transformation spell on himself (less often on others). Such treatment is temporary (for example, the Scandinavian god Loki and the Limikkin sorcerers from the Navajo tribe of American Indians were able to turn into any animal by throwing on its skin) and is not inherited.

Similar in essence, but opposite in direction of intent, is the acquisition of the appearance of a wolf as a result of a curse: the punishment of the gods or the spell of evil wizards. It is permanent, or at least difficult to overcome, and, unlike a magical transformation, significantly worsens the living conditions of a lycanthrope. The most famous example of this method of conversion is the Greek myth of the curse of Lycaonia (lit. - “the country of wolves”, mentioned in the book of the Acts of the Apostles: 14,6). According to him, Lycaon - the son of Pelzag, the king of Akkad - offered Zeus food from human meat, for which he was turned into a wolf. According to legend, Lycaon became the ancestor of the inhabitants of Lycaonia, an ancient region in Asia Minor. Finnish legends say that a child cursed at birth by a witch turns into a wolf - vironsusi (a common Finno-Finnish and East Slavic motif).

Lycanthropy transmitted to a person through the bite of a werewolf or as a result of being born from a werewolf is hereditary and incurable. However, it should be noted here that the paranormal properties received by the child from the parents (most often this applies to the case when only one of them is a werewolf) do not appear immediately. Lycanthropy can sleep inside such a person for many years and manifest itself at the most unexpected moment (during a solar eclipse, a parade of planets, mortal danger, or under other unusual circumstances).

Other ways of address are less known and most likely are a compilation from the folklore of various peoples. For example: being born on Christmas Eve (Europe), eating wolf meat (an option is to eat the brain of a wolf), wearing clothes made from the skin of a wolf (Norwegian belief about a berserker - literally “a man in a skin”), quenching thirst with water from a wolf track ( or the reservoir from which the wolf pack drank), the birth of the seventh child in the family (Mexico), falling asleep on the steps of his house on Friday night (Italy).

What are the external signs of lycanthropy and how can you recognize a wild monster in a simple-looking person? It should be remembered that the conversion never goes unnoticed - the werewolf becomes unusually aggressive and even cruel. It is characterized by sudden outbursts of rage, painful perception of harsh sounds, insomnia, gluttony, inexplicable anxiety, suspicion and other variants of unnatural behavior.

It should not be forgotten that the lycanthrope is able to varying degrees to control the manifestation of these symptoms, so they should be considered only as indirect signs of the wolfman. They also do not apply to “good werewolves”, whose behavior is practically devoid of signs of aggression and can only reflect some of the neutral “human” properties of the wolf described in fairy tale literature: pride, unsociableness, love of freedom, etc. (with certain reservations regarding the variety of werewolves, we can recall the theme of our issue - the famous cycle of S. Lukyanenko “Night Watch”, “Day Watch” and “Twilight Watch”).

We should also mention the pronounced collectivism of lycanthropes, which is very clearly described in the story by V. Pelevin “The problem of the werewolf in the middle lane”. He completely copies the social life of wolves, differing from it only in some mystical features of relationships within the “pack”. Being strong individualists, werewolves, however, are in dire need of communication with their own kind. Thus, every lycanthrope sooner or later tries to join the pack or create it himself. The latter happens as follows: people bitten by a werewolf turn into the so-called "beta wolves", having a magical blood connection with the one who gave them the treatment - the alpha wolf. He becomes the leader of the pack and cannot directly harm his relatives (all wounds inflicted on the beta wolf by the alpha wolf immediately appear on the latter - thus, having killed the beta wolf, the alpha wolf will kill himself). At the same time, the beta wolf can get rid of lycanthropy by killing the alpha wolf. People who turn into werewolves after being bitten by a beta wolf acquire the same alpha wolf blood and join the pack as ordinary beta wolves. They have nothing to do with the beta wolf that gave them form, and can (like other beta wolves) kill their kind without any damage to their own health.

Toy wolves

Today, wolf people are widely used as characters in popular books, films and games (computer, board and role-playing).

The most famous role-playing game in the world, Dungeons & Dragons, in its early editions described the lycanthrope (wolfwere) as a minor monster that takes the form of a man or a wolf of its own accord, but, unlike a regular werewolf, does not able to transmit the infection of lycanthropy through a bite. As conceived by the developers of the game, the werewolf was supposed to sit in ambush and wait for random travelers. Seeing them, he either turned into a wolf (the rules allowed for partial transformation) and attacked his victims, or - if the forces were unequal - he used his special ability “Song of Lethargy”, introducing opponents into a kind of trance. In addition, a werewolf could ask for a human, elf or other humanoid fairy-tale creature as a companion, taking the form of a face of the opposite sex - beautiful and inspiring confidence. Naturally, such a journey could not end in anything good.

The most recent, “three-and-a-half” edition of D&D uses a much more advanced and elaborate image of a lycanthrope (lycanthrope), which generally corresponds to the mythological standards described above (unfortunately, the term “lycanthrope” there means a person capable of taking on the appearance of not only a wolf , but also any other predator - from a rat to a tiger). Every playable character can now become a werewolf by contracting lycanthropy from the bite of this monster. You can also play as a born werewolf, but in this case, alas, it is impossible to get rid of this curse (the rules say that if you eat a sprig of belladonna within an hour after being bitten by a lycanthrope, or if you seek help from a priest or magician as soon as possible, then the chances of recovery will be quite high).

Another cult role-playing game entirely dedicated to the life of lycanthropes is "Werewolf the Apocalypse" ("Werewolf: Apocalypse") - a product of the White Wolf Games line of games dedicated to the other side of our daily life - the amazing and frightening World of Darkness (World of Darkness ). Its inhabitants live among us, carefully hiding the fact of their existence - vampires, ghosts, fairies, mummies, demons and, of course, werewolves who call themselves "garou" (borrowing the French term "werewolf" - loup-garou). Born by mother Earth Gaia, these fearless warriors wage a millennial war against one of the three great powers of the Universe - the Wyrm, representing the forces of destruction and chaos. They protect their patron - Nature (Wyld) from the Worm. The third great power - the Creator (Weaver), the embodiment of science and progress, is neutral in this ancient conflict, but the Worm has long learned to use its technical achievements for its own purposes.

Werewolves are divided into 13 tribes (tribes), whose representatives differ from each other in their mystical abilities. All Garou can communicate with spirits and go to Umbra (Umbra) - the astral, revealing the true essence of every thing.

Nature has almost lost this battle. Nuclear tests, world wars, ozone holes, shallowing of the seas, extinction of animals are clear signs that the Apocalypse is inevitable. Garou - the last defenders of Gaia - are well aware that they are doomed to defeat. The only thing they can do is die in a hopeless battle with their pride and honor intact.

Unfortunately, White Wolf Games has announced the cessation of further work on the main product lines for the World of Darkness. However, I would like to believe that these books (game manuals and fiction on the World of Darkness) will still be translated into Russian and will be on sale, taking pride of place in the developing industry of domestic role-playing games.

I believe because it's absurd

The image of a lycanthrope is the same age as a stone ax and a shaman's tambourine, combining a person's fear of nature, the naive animalism of primitive tribes and the patriarchal way of developing human society. The werewolf appeared in folklore long before many other fabulous creatures - vampires, harpies, pegasi, demons, basilisks, gnomes, genies, minotaurs, angels, hippos, unicorns, elves, dragons - in a word, those incredible inhabitants of our fantasies and dreams that we we know from childhood. But even though the recent discovery of the genetic “lycanthropy syndrome” has completely destroyed the mystical charm of ancient legends, we still want to believe in the existence of mysterious and powerful wolf people stalking their prey by the light of the moon. After all, a dream is the breath of our mind, and a person cannot live without air.

Some cases of lycanthrapy in the 19th century

1824 - Antoine Leger is committed to a psychiatric hospital for killing a 12-year-old girl, drinking her blood and eating her heart. 1828 - in Paris, at the age of 40, Victor from Aveyron died - the first of the “wild” people recognized by science, found in the forest and leading an animal lifestyle without any manifestations of the human mind. 1849 - Sergeant Francois Bertrand tore up graves, ate the flesh of corpses and had sexual intercourse with the dead. A similar practice was allegedly characteristic of the limikkins (see above - “walking in the skin”) Navajo - necrophiles who copulate with dead women and eat them after the end of sexual intercourse. 1886 - “The Werewolf of London” Henry Blot dug up two graves and gnawed the soft tissues of the corpses, after which he fell into a hypnotic trance and was caught by the police.

Volkodlak, volkolak, volkulak, vovkulak, in Slavic mythology wolf man; werewolf; a sorcerer who can turn into a wolf and turn other people into wolves. Legends about the werewolf are common to all Slavic peoples. The ideas about the wolkolak combined features of a folklore image and borrowings from ideas about Christian demonology.

The exceptional archaism of ideas about werewolves is clear from the fact that in other Indo-European traditions (in particular, in the Hittite) the transformation of the groom into a wolf is associated with a common form of marriage - kidnapping (forced removal of the bride).

The antiquity of this image is also confirmed by the chronicle of 1282, which tells of a volkolak who “drives the clouds and eats away the moon” (the Slavs for a long time kept faith in the volkhvs-clouders, who turned into wolves, rose to the sky and called for rain or dispersed the clouds).

According to F. Buslaev, “the rest of this legend is still preserved in the proverb: “The gray wolf catches stars in the sky.” Unlike the mythology of the peoples of Europe, among the Slavs, the werewolf was initially a positive character, and the fact of werewolves was perceived in principle as a normal phenomenon. Unusual - yes, but by no means - not terrible and terrible.

This is indirectly confirmed by the ancient Russian conspiracy recorded by Sakhorov:

“On the sea, on the ocean, on the island of Buyan, in a hollow clearing, the moon shines on an aspen stump, in a green forest, in a wide valley. A hairy wolf walks around the stump, he has all the horned cattle on his teeth, but the wolf does not enter the forest, and the wolf does not wander into the valley. Month, month - golden horns! Melt the bullets, dull the knives, blunt the clubs, cast fear on the beast of man and the reptile, so that they do not take the gray wolf, do not tear the warm skin from it. My word is strong, stronger than sleep and heroic strength.

Turning into a wolf was likened to one of the most revered and powerful animals endowed with supernatural powers. The name of this beast was so sacred that it could not be pronounced aloud, so instead of "wolf" they said "fierce", and the men of some tribes were called "lutichi".

The ability to turn into a wolf from ancient times was attributed to "especially strong" sorcerers and, apparently, was a necessary part of certain rituals. “Turn around”, “turn around” (turn) often literally meant “roll over”, that is, roll over, “throw over oneself” or over a conditional border.

“Turning around”, a person, as it were, turned over with that side of his being, which is attached to the higher forces of the world, to revered animals, birds, fish - “ancestors, relatives and patrons”.

In stories about werewolves, the line between man and beast is a narrow strip of a knife, rope, branches, in fact, it passes through the werewolf himself: he is both a man and an animal at the same time. The practice of shapeshifting was so widespread among the Slavic tribes that Herodotus describes the annual transformation of the neurons (a Slavic tribe supposedly living on the territory of Belarus) into wolves for several days as a matter of course.

And the Slavic heroic epic, in general, characterizes the main character of the werewolf as a being of divine origin. At the birth of the Russian wolf hero Volga Vseslavovich:

And the moon shone bright in the sky,
And in Kyiv a mighty hero was born,
How young Volkh Vseslavevich would be.
The damp earth trembled,
Stressed the glorious kingdom of the Indians,
And the blue sea swayed
For the sake of the birth of a hero,
Young Volkh Vseslavevich.

Similar cataclysms and natural phenomena accompanied the birth of elemental Slavic deities. Many researchers draw parallels (albeit very conditional), according to which Volkh is the Kyiv prince Oleg, who was considered prophetic (another word for volkolak was a word derived from the verb vedati - “to know”: Ukrainian vischun - “werewolf”, other Czech vedi - "werewolves", Slovenian vedomci, vedunci, vedarci - "werewolves").

However, Vseslav of Polotsk (second half of the 11th century), who was no less famous, was such a werewolf prince, who “... dressed up the princes of the city, and himself prowled like a wolf in the night ... Cherson the great wolf roamed the path ...” (The Word about Igor's regiment).

Another Slavic werewolf, the hero of the Belarusian and Serbian epics, was the Fire Wolf Serpent. His image also goes back to the common Slavic myth of the wolf hero. He is born from the Fire Serpent, is born in human form, "in a shirt" or with "wolf hair" - a sign of a miraculous origin. Can turn into a wolf and other animals, including a bird; performs feats, using the ability to turn himself (and his squad) into animals.

Many of the creatures of lower mythology also had a penchant for werewolves, for example, the goblin very often turned into a white wolf (white king) or into a wolf shepherd.

With the adoption of Christianity, all former deities were overthrown and declared demons. This fate did not bypass the werewolves, who from helper deities and heroes-heroes became terrible monsters of nightmares. Among Russian peasants of the 20th century, belief in werewolves is generally fading, although stories about werewolves - wolves and bears are still popular in some parts of Russia.

SIGNS OF THE WEREWOLF

The main feature of the Volkolak, as well as the wolf hero, is the “wolf hair” (Serbohorv. Vuchka dlaka, Slovenian Volcja dlaka) noticeable from birth on the head (compare the identical Old Norse sign - vargshar, “wolf hair” of a werewolf).

You can also recognize a werewolf by the fact that their knees of their hind legs are turned forward, like in a person, and not back, like in an animal. Forced werewolves do not harm people, except for those who "spoiled" them. Those should not be seen by them.

When a werewolf approaches the water to get drunk, it is not a wolf that is reflected there, but a human image.

Werewolf animals were distinguished by unusual behavior, less often by some features in their appearance (a white stripe on the neck of a wolf, white skin, lack of a tail).

METHODS OF CONVERSION

The very first known method of transformation was wrapping with the help of conspiracies and rituals (“wisdom”):

Vtapory learned Volkh to wisdom:
And I learned the first wisdom
Wrap yourself in a clear falcon,
To another wisdom he studied Volkh
Wrap yourself in a gray wolf
To the third wisdom Volkh studied
Wrap around bay tour - golden horns.

Throwing. The most common way. A person endowed with "supernatural" abilities becomes a wolf, "spreading over" (turning over) through a knife or ax stuck in a smooth stump or ground. They also threw themselves over a rocker, a stump, hoops, twelve knives, a rope, a tree branch, a fire on a stove hearth, through the core of a fallen tree, or simply turning somersaults “against the sun”, etc.

Ordinary people could become wolves by stepping over a thing spoken by a sorcerer. Also, in order to turn a person into a wolf, a sorcerer or witch throws an animal skin, ribbon or belt on him (tying them).

Wearing a wolf skin. One of the oldest methods of transformation, was practiced by the Magi.

Transformation at weddings. It was believed that especially strong sorcerers could "let wolves" entire wedding trains. To do this, the sorcerer takes as many belts and basts as there are people on the train, whispers a spell over these things, and whoever he then girds with such a belt becomes a wolf. Sometimes the witch digs up the road for the train traveling from the crown with a small ditch: as soon as the train hits this recess, the horses fall dead, and people run away in animal form, etc.

Transformation "at the word of the mother." Same thing as cursed transformation. Werewolves transformed at the word of their mother should not in any case eat raw meat, otherwise they will remain wolves forever.

Werewolves are children kidnapped by evil spirits.

WAYS TO RETURN TO HUMAN APPEARANCE

Jump over a magical item in the opposite direction.

Pull the magic ax out of the stump.

The wolf will become a man after the time specified by the spell.

Cover the wolf with human clothing.

Some sorcerers impose special conditions for the return of the human form: in the bylichka, the soldier forces the dead priest, who turned the wedding train into wolves, to show the way to their salvation; for this you need to collect the werewolves: “I will give you a tube. Blow this tube - they will all come to you. I'll rip off your cloak from your shroud. Smoke them with this - they will be people again. (Pskov region).

Feed the werewolf "blessed food", i.e. such food, which is blessed.

Tie the werewolf with a belt with knots, tying which whispered "Lord, have mercy."

WAYS OF PROTECTION AGAINST WIZARDS AND WEREWOROPS

Newlyweds and wedding trains were always guarded by a specially invited sorcerer - a polite man and friend, "the groom's best man", called the "wolf" in the south.

It was possible to protect oneself from a werewolf (first of all, from a werewolf-sorcerer) by hitting him backhand, crippling (injuring a werewolf, shoeing a witch-horse).

The "serpent ax" (the ax that killed the snake) protected from werewolves.

If you steal the clothes of the sorcerer or the object through which he turned around, then the werewolf will not be able to take on human form.

So that the werewolf would not become a ghoul after death, his heel tendons were cut, and his eyes (or mouth) were clamped with coins.

An image similar to a werewolf, a wolfman, a werewolf exists in the beliefs of many peoples (English Beowulf, German Werewolf, etc.). Belief in volkolaks dates back to an era when it was possible to represent a person in the form of a beast and when people, being in constant communication with animals, were able, according to a proverb, to howl like a wolf with wolves: strange as it may seem, but the chroniclers really attributed this art to some persons.

So, in the Laurentian Chronicle we read: “... and as if it was midnight, and Bonyak got up and departed from the howl, and began to howl like a wolf, and the wolf rose to him, and began to howl howl many.”

One way or another, the idea that a man or a woman can be under the skin of a wolf reflected the belief in the kinship and unity of all living things: here the wolf is the “owner” of the forest, animals and at the same time the “senior” relative, patron, ancestor of man, “strong » sorcerer, wolf-sorcerer. Man, in turn, is a “transformed wolf,” who (especially the sorcerer) draws strength from this kinship, and at critical moments in life can again become a wolf.

The subject of werewolves will be discussed forever. The very concept of "werewolf" is available to all peoples of the world and means approximately the same thing - a person who can turn into an animal. The most interesting thing is that in the legends of some peoples of the world, werewolves are treated with respect, they are considered the likeness of a deity and excellent warriors. In the modern world, werewolves have become regular characters in horror films.

Official science has always been skeptical of creatures of this kind and tried in every possible way to refute information about them. But, it should be said that scientists failed to refute the fact of the existence of werewolves, since in the world there is a lot of evidence of the existence of werewolves. News about unidentified creatures resembling both humans and animals periodically comes from different parts of our planet, and the descriptions of the behavior of these creatures are almost the same. Eyewitnesses from different countries, and not always civilized, describe the appearance of werewolves in the same way, which makes you wonder.

How does a human become an animal?

A werewolf can transform from a human into an animal in a fraction of a second. This happens to him at regular intervals in a certain period, or rather, every full moon. After a night walk under the moon, the creature returns to the shape of a man. Werewolves in legends were gifted with incredible strength and endurance, as well as invulnerability. You can deal with such a creature with the help of silver or obsidian.

The transformation of the werewolf occurs uncontrollably, so the man-beast himself after the transformation does not remember or understand anything. Often people with this gift have no idea who they are.

Where did werewolf legends come from?

Werewolves have been talked about for almost the entire existence of mankind. Such creatures exist in all cultures. In Europe, werewolves were called sorcerers who, with the help of magic, could turn into any animal. In addition, ordinary people were accused of werewolves, who were allegedly cursed, after which they turned into wolves during the full moon.

In African countries, it is believed that werewolves turn into leopards (there is even a tribe of werewolves), in India werewolves become tigers, in South America - jaguars. And only in Greece has it always been believed that werewolves turn into wolves.

In one of the legends of Ancient Greece, a mysterious island is told, which is supposedly located in Arcadia among the marshes. It is from there that the werewolves originate, since before only a group of special people lived there, capable of transforming into a wolf at night. It was possible for an ordinary person to join these unusual people, but only on the condition that he undergoes a special initiation ritual. By the way, the inhabitants of Hellas considered epileptic seizures to be signs of werewolf or lycanthropy (another name for werewolf).

The Bavarians (inhabitants of Bavaria) believe that a werewolf can be recognized in a crowd of people by the pupils that he has a narrow shape. Such superhumans often look intently into the faces of ordinary people, trying to find a victim who can be turned into a similar one. The Danes believed that the shape of the eyebrows was a sign of werewolf. And in Ireland, they believed that werewolves were a disease, so the families in which werewolves lived were considered sick and dangerous. Perhaps that is why werewolves lived separately from people, hiding from them in dense forests and swamps.

In the Middle Ages, people believed that werewolves were created by magic. The unfortunate, who managed to annoy the sorcerer or witch with something, could pay for their actions by turning into a werewolf. Moreover, in some books and documents of that time, recipes for a potion that could turn a person into a werewolf were described, and there were also recipes for a cure for werewolf.

In Central and Eastern Europe from the 15th to the 17th there was a fierce hunt for all kinds of evil spirits, including werewolves. The unfortunate suspects were rounded up and tortured into confessions. The most terrible torture forced him to admit anything, after which the "criminal" was solemnly executed - burned, hanged, and so on. The assortment of tortures of that time was striking in its diversity. As a result, in 1520-1630, about 30,000 people were executed for werewolves.

Fact about meeting with a werewolf in France (in 1521)

Since 1521, there is only one official record of a meeting with a werewolf. According to old documentation, a traveler passing through France decided to stop at the small border town of Poligny. A wolf attacked him at night. Fighting off the predator, the traveler struck him several serious blows with a knife, after which the animal retreated. The traveler decided to pursue the beast, which could benefit him, since the wolf skin in those days had an impressive price. Closer to the morning, the victim followed the trail of the wolf to the hut of Michael Werdung (a local resident). The traveler found the owner of the house at the very moment when his wife was bandaging his wounds, located in the same places as those of the wolf. Verdung was accused of being a werewolf, taken to the city and executed.

During the torture, the werewolf admitted that he used a special ointment for transformation, which he rubbed at night, after which he turned into a wolf. He hunted exclusively on people, as he secretly hated the townspeople of Poligny.

Werewolves among the Slavs

In Slavic mythology, werewolves were called "vovkulak", "wolf lak", "wolf lak". The most interesting thing is that among the Slavs this character was always described as positive. Our direct ancestors considered werewolves a gift, and werewolves themselves were absolutely normal creatures that should be treated with respect. Recently, we talked about a tribe of "neuri" who were considered shifters. You can read the article about "neuras" on this site, which will be interesting and informative.

Slavic shifters at any moment could turn into various animals: bears, wolves, tours, lynxes. These animals helped them cope with the enemy, superior in strength. Slavic werewolves turned into ermine or marten when they needed to get into the enemy camp. They became a bird, mostly a falcon, when it was necessary to inspect the surroundings.

When Christianity came to the Slavic lands, the divine protectors of the werewolves became outcasts and demons. Despite this, stories about majestic werewolves remained in folklore, who often came to the aid of people.

Mowgli children: people raised in animal packs

Stories about Mowgli children cannot be called fiction, as such children continue to be found in the world to this day. One of the earliest such cases is the story of Romulus and Remus - babies fed by a she-wolf. In the fourteenth century, a strange creature with bestial habits appeared in a small town, behaving aggressively and unusually for a person. When he was caught, it turned out to be a human child of 8 years old. Around the same time, another Mowgli child showed up in the Bavarian forests. A feral boy with bestial habits fell into the net of hunters. It was not possible to rehabilitate him, since he was already 12-13 years old, and at that age it is almost impossible to radically re-educate a person.

By the way, feral children are completely different from the fictional character Mowgli. They look strange and even scary. Their physique is formed incorrectly, non-standard due to walking on 4 limbs. The body is often covered with many scars, and the teeth of real Mowglis are far from ideal. Their behavior can be called absolutely inadequate. Such children, at the first contact with ordinary people, begin to growl, bite, and throw themselves at their “saviors”. Mowgli can be retrained up to a certain age (up to 10 years approximately), after which rehabilitation becomes almost impossible. Once in modern society, these wild children are doomed to spend almost their entire lives in psychiatric hospitals and orphanages.

The maximum number of wild children was found in India. In the years 1843-1933, sixteen wolf cubs, several children with the habits of panthers, leopards and other predatory cats, as well as about 10 monkey-like children and an antelope boy were caught in this country. A lot of caught werewolf children died, unable to bear the separation from their usual way of life. A unique case was the story of the wolf cub Dean, who was able to live in civilization for twenty years. During this time, he never managed to learn how to stand on 2 legs normally, walk like ordinary people and behave in the same way.

Lycanthropy is a rare disease that causes people to become werewolves.

The history of the name of the disease "lycanthropy" is as follows: once the gods cursed the Greek king Arcadius Lykaon, who was particularly cruel. The king became a wolf, but not only became wild and changed his appearance, but retained human habits. Thanks to this, he remained the ruler.

Modern doctors call lycanthropy a special insanity - a mental disorder in which a person begins to think that he has turned into an animal. It turns out that the existence of this disease was known even in ancient Greece. In those days, lycanthropy was called "wolf madness."

Psychiatrists work with lycanthropes these days. Some sufferers of this disorder not only think that they are animals, but behave accordingly: they attack people, try to walk on all fours, eat uncooked foods, and so on. This psychological disorder, fortunately, is extremely rare, especially in the severe stage. To date, the existence of a real werewolf, who really takes on an animal form, and then becomes a man, has not been confirmed.