Werewolves.The myths and the truths.

All you want to know about these horrible beast.

Even why we say werewolf/wolves + a scientific point of view on these werewolves that we fear so much, esppecially when we see a full moon.

The word werewolf is a contraction of the old-Saxon word wer (which means "man") and wolf--werwolf, manwolf.

A very complete site. Link

[Edited on 14-7-2003 by ultra_phoenix]

Werewolves do exist, to a point. Hairy men, bloodthirsty men, insane men who howl at the moon, so forth. But the actual myth of being bitten and becoming one? No.

It is my belief that werewolves as they are portrayed in horror movies do not exist. There is no mammal on this planet capable of transforming from a man into a wolfman. This does not however mean that a wolf like bipedal creature could not exist. I am simply saying that the idea of a man "transforming" is ludicrous. One theory on werewolf sightings is that they are either a missing link or a none used evolutionary branch that are on the verge of extinction.

Didn't most contribute the rash of werewolf sightings in Europe to the same cause as repeated vampire sightings? (i.e. that periodic flooding caused mold to grow on the wheat crops-the same mold as '___', and when this was consumed...you basically had a lot of people hallucinating. The flooded areas corresponded exactly with the sightings over periods of years...)

Originally posted by ultra_phoenix
All you want to know about these horrible beast.

Even why we say werewolf/wolves + a scientific point of view on these werewolves that we fear so much, esppecially when we see a full moon.

The word werewolf is a contraction of the old-Saxon word wer (which means "man") and wolf--werwolf, manwolf.

A very complete site.

Link

[Edited on 14-7-2003 by ultra_phoenix]

This link comes with far too many pop ups.

Originally posted by groingrinder

This link comes with far too many pop ups.

Use a pop-up killer. Link

Do any of you think that medeival seiral killers might have contributed to the legands?

Hey guys, this is my first post, but i am not entirely new to the concept of paranormal activities and related topics, especially on Cryptozoology, which i have been a fan of for as ever since i can remember.

This post isn't realy on Werewolves, but i watched a documentary a few years back on how the full moon affects how animals behave because of its affects on gravity and our blood, much like tides and the oceans behaviour. The Documentary had a theory on OJ Simpson and how he was influenced by the moon and his zodiac patterns. (But I for one fail to understand or believe zodiac.)

So the full moon isnt just a made up factor in the werewolf myths, that, at least has truth in it.

Originally posted by Gazrok
Didn't most contribute the rash of werewolf sightings in Europe to the same cause as repeated vampire sightings? (i.e. that periodic flooding caused mold to grow on the wheat crops-the same mold as '___', and when this was consumed...you basically had a lot of people hallucinating. The flooded areas corresponded exactly with the sightings over periods of years...)

excellent point, beat me to it!,

a good friend of mine is a psychiatric nurse who has worked in many institutes in the north-west uk. Both normal and high security. She told me that she always noticed a drastic change in behaviour during a full moon. The patients would become more violent and noisier, also they appeared to be a lot stronger, taking more sedatives and restraining to calm them down than usual. Found these accounts fascinating. I'd be loking forward to hearing from her the morning after a full moon. I think the lunar cycle has very strange effects on some of us (maybe all of us subconciously).

Maybe this would explain some werewolf encounters?

I think some WW sightings may be exotic animals. For example, the Beast of Le Gevaudan was almost certainly a hyena. A hyena wandering around western Europe is certainly a monster.

Originally posted by James the Lesser
Werewolves do exist, to a point. Hairy men, bloodthirsty men, insane men who howl at the moon, so forth. But the actual myth of being bitten and becoming one? No.

I dunno, you get bit by some hairy psycho, you might lose it and kill him...

Most werewolves did not come out during full moons they turned at will.


I still think medeivel serial killers were at fault SOME of the time. like demon possision was a way to explain mental illness I think it was a way to explain why your kindly neighbor down the road had twenty half eaten bodies buried in his back yard.

People disappearing on a regular basis, bodies turning up that have been savagely torn apart and eaten. Seemingly normal people comiting the acts.

What does that sound like to you?

People used myths about dragons, vampires, and werewolves to explain that which their science and logic could not. It was a simple solution to what was most likely a complicated problem. I do not see why certain members of this board still clinging to the beliefs that the aforementioned legends still do or ever did exist. If any of them did they would have easily shot to the top of the food chain and we would be seeing a great deal more of them then we currently do (zero). Not to mention if these creatures died out as many have suggested there would be skeletal remains and as of now none have ever been found.

If werewolves are just a legend and not real, who said ( and why ? ) silver bullets are necessary to kill them ?

Possible answer : " May be the ones who said cross were necessary to kill Vampyres "

Originally posted by ultra_phoenix
If werewolves are just a legend and not real, who said ( and why ? ) silver bullets are necessary to kill them ?

Possible answer : " May be the ones who said cross were necessary to kill Vampyres "

It is probably the same idea as crosses/vamps which is the idea of some sort of purity will kill them. Pure silver because it has a cleanly apperance to it. Just an idea.

Originally posted by Jonna

It is probably the same idea as crosses/vamps which is the idea of some sort of purity will kill them. Pure silver because it has a cleanly apperance to it. Just an idea.

How do you know it's pure silver ? I never wrote it was pure silver. I just wrote silver. You, you're in touch with a werewolf.

Silver and crosses are a production of holywood. However, the cross would have some basis in fact, inasmuch as the Power of God (tm) was supposed to protect you from all sorts of nasty beasties.

I do not see why certain members of this board still clinging to the beliefs that the aforementioned legends still do or ever did exist.

I agree, thats why I mentioned serial killers which along with mental illness,certain diseases and real wolf attacks I think explain most if not all of the legands.

To the Vampire legands you can also add premature burial and the fact that when the skin shrinks on a corpse it appears that the hair and nails have grown.

Werewolves have always intrigued me. A lot of what makes up the public perception of werewolves comes from Hollywood's imagination, with 1941's 'Wolf Man' making a big influence.
Personally, I doubt they exist, but I won't totally rule out the possibility, but not so much the bi-ped examples that dominate fiction, but more those in the true form of wolves - shapeshifters.

Herodotus wrote of the Neuri people of Scythia as shapeshifters, changing into wolves once a year. And I believe that the Native American culture involved shapeshifting. And maybe still does.

Besides, one can easily underestimate the power and depth of witchcraft or sorcery, whether it be 'white' or 'black' magic - who can 100% say that shapeshifting is impossible via this avenue?

We live in a weird, wild and wacky world. I'm not prepared to completely rule out the possibility of werewolves existing.
A part of me kinda hopes that they do...

Full Moon, anyone?