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Anthony North: A werewolf is said to be a person who, at times, turns into a wolf-like beast. Often occurring during the full moon, the term "lunacy" is closely associated with the state. But is there a reality to the werewolf? We actually know a great deal about them. This is because there have been many trials of werewolves in the past, usually executed for attacks on young children or lonely travelers in the forests. Misidentification is an obvious possibility here.: Wolves used to roam our forests, and it would be easy, in superstitious times, to come to the conclusion that real wolf attacks were carried out by some person, particularly if he was socially excluded. There is also acultural inheritance to the werewolf.
From prehistoric cave art we know of the chimera -a half man, half beast image. The shaman was thought to go on quests in the spirit world as an animal-form, and various hunting cults are thought to have dressed as the animal they hunted. The witch"s familiar is an obvious extension of this. But there are other possibilities. : I find it interesting that most executed "werewolves" were loners, poor, and on the fringes of society. Indeed, their psychology is very similar to what we would call a serial killer today. Another important theme of werewolfery is the inclusion of a salve or potion taken, usually given to the "werewolf" by a strange black horseman. If we take away the "culture" of such episodes, do we see signs of a drug user and his pusher? Thewerewolf suggests, to me, crime.: Are we simply dealing with criminal mentalities that are obvious today, but possibly having a deep influence in our historical past? But if so, why invent such "supernatural" tales around them? Perhaps the answer is that in a predominantly Christian society it was not believed that the human soul could be evil and depraved. The authorities simply could not accept such behaviour from a human being. Hence, it had to be the beast that did such things. Of course, this isn"t the whole story.
View: Full Article | Source: Beyond the Blog
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