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Folklore paranormal Uncategorized

The Legend and Origins of the Werewolf

The alpha werewolf springs from the dark shadows of the car park, his fierce yellow eyes lock with yours! His enormous jaws open showing rows of shark-like fangs, saliva drips from his lips and then as you quake in your shoes he growls,  “Ever consider doing it in the dark with a total stranger?”

So what is the undeniable dangerous sexual allure of a bloodthirsty werewolf creature that can’t control his lust? 

I remember when I was growing up watching fantastic flicks like Wolfen, American Werewolf in London, The Howling, Teenwolf, and The Wolfman 2010. 

There is absolutely a sexy vibe to all werewolf movies and the whole atmosphere of the films is a juxtaposition of terror, fear, and sensual horror! 

What is it that fans find so compelling and appealing about this vicious, superhuman creature? 

Is it the Hungry Like The Wolf idea of being chased by a huge ravenous beast who may or may not be crushing on you? 

Whatever the psychology behind Werewolf-themed films, stories and songs it is not a new fixation. 

Origins of The Legendary Werewolf:

Some scholars believe that the werewolf made its legendary appearance in The Epic of Gilgamesh in which Gilgamesh jilted a potential lover because she had turned her previous mate into a wolf.

A Greek legend featured a werewolf scenario in the story of Lycaon, according to legend Lycaon the son of Pelasgus angered the God Zeus when he served him a meal made of the remains of a sacrificed young boy!

As punishment, Zeus turned Lycaon and all his sons into wolves.

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Historical EyeWitness Testimony, True Stories, and Local Accounts: 

France seemed to have more than its fair share of truly bizarre historical werewolf stories. In 1521 in a small town, two Frenchmen Pierre Bergot and Michel Verdun claimed that they could transform themselves into wolves and they also confessed to killing multiple children and young women. 

These serial killers were burned at the stake for their crimes.

Giles Garnier a Frenchman and the professed Werewolf of Dole who confessed to murdering and then consuming numerous children in his home town also claimed to be able to shape change into a werewolf.

He was also burned at the stake for his monstrous crimes.

Germany has one of the most striking documented werewolf cases. 

The Bedburg Werewolf was the most disturbing one by far as it was reported that the authorities saw the creature transform itself at the scene of the crime!

Peter Stubbe, a wealthy 16th-century farmer was tracked down, hunted, and cornered like an animal after it was found that he had killed numerous people in the city. After being arrested and tortured he admitted to savagely murdering animals, children, and women. He also confessed to eating their remains. According to folklore, the men who captured him stated that he had shape-shifted from wolf to man in their presence.

One of the most fun and well-known peculiarities about werewolf lore is that they can only transform during the full moon and here we have some even weirder facts to add to our fascination for werewolves.

This odd occurrence seems to coincide with Australia’s Calvary Mater Newcastle hospitals study which found that a full moon brings out the “beast” in many humans. The study found that out of the 91 violent inmates, acute behavior incidents at the hospital went up by 23 percent during a full moon!

During these periods the patients exhibited wolf-like behaviors such as biting, spitting, and scratching. Although many were under the influence of drugs at the time, it’s unclear why they became intensely violent when the moon was full.

American Werewolf Sightings: 

If you are a thrill seeker looking for werewolf action in the US the hot spot for this seems to be in Elkhorn Wisconsin where The Beast of Bray Road has become legendary. Multiple sightings have occurred on Bray Road a 4-mile stretch of highway between cornfields that seems to be a hub of activity. They even have a marker there warning of werewolf sightings.

Doris Gipson—hit something with her blue Plymouth Sundance on a foggy October night in 1991. Gipson was driving down Bray Road between stretches of dark cornfields when she felt a bump. She got out to see what she had hit, and then, in her words, “Here comes this thing,” running toward her. She leaped in her car, gunning the gas pedal as the creature pursued her. “The way it was running, you could suggest that it was on two legs because you could see the chest so well and it was pulsating as it was coming toward me,”. Gipson said it was bigger than any dog she had ever seen, covered in long, straight hairs. She drew a picture of the werewolf creature crouching over a piece of meat.

Jon Fredrickson, a Walworth County humane officer has heard from several sources about local sightings—including some on Bray Road—of two-legged wolf creatures. Jon has been collecting information about the alleged werewolf incidents and has extensive knowledge about the history of the sightings.

Cold Hollow Vermont is another weird location for werewolf lore and they call this creepy creature the Hound of Cold Hollow. Supposedly they have been experiencing werewolf events since they founded this town. Surrounded by snowy mountains and dense forests this remote village has plenty of stories to tell. The tales of vanishing hunters, hikers and townsfolk abound. Especially around the time of the full moon!

Werewolf Springs, Tennessee has an incredible story about a half-werewolf half-man creature that escaped from a train wreck back in the 1860s that was carrying animals from an old-time circus. Supposedly two animals escaped and afterwards, the murders and the cattle mutilations began! This creature also appeared to prefer the dark and the full moon to do its killings! Both hunters and townspeople were unable to capture or kill this monster.

The chilling part of this legendary story is that the creature walked on two legs and had a long muzzle like a wolf was covered in hair and was described by the circus as a half man half ape beast. Whatever this thing was it definitely wasn’t friendly and continues to be sighted even now!

Roanoke Island a S. Carolina swamp area is another hotspot for werewolves, it is also the site of the mysterious lost colony. Historical fact states that a British colony was established there and the whole community disappeared unexplainably a year later. Since then many unsettling urban legends have arisen to substantiate the existence of werewolves on the island. Locals and campers swear they have had sightings and some felt hunted and followed by a strange dog-man creature.

In the dark, wet swamplands and ancient forests, legends of the dog man have existed for decades.

I live on a heavily forested lakeshore that has very little population, just a few houses and tiny boat docks. About 5 years ago I and my youngest daughter were driving along the forest just before dark and we both saw something very strange trotting just outside the tree line. It was much too lean and big to be a bear but way larger than any dog I’ve ever seen and I own Saint Bernards! This thing had a dangerous look to it, definitely a top predator whatever it was. I turned to my daughter and said, “ I think we just saw a werewolf! “ The creature was behind us now and when I glanced in my rearview mirror it was gone. 

Freaky!

Werewolves in cinema are portrayed as terrifying yet sexy, werewolf porn novels are A BIG THING in the book market industry. 

Whatever it is that makes people howl for more werewolf content it is apparently here to stay!

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