Werewolf: New Age Spirituality Dictionary on Werewolf

Werewolf

A shapeshifter. Also werwolf and lycanthrope. A legendary being who who at night transforms himself or, during the full moon, is transformed into a wolf (a process called lycanthropy) in form and appetite, and roams at night in search of human victims to devour.

This transformation was either temporary or permanent, and was supposedly brought about by supernatural influences, by witchcraft, or voluntarily. The werewolf must return to human form at daybreak by shedding his wolf's skin and hiding it. If it is found and destroyed, the werewolf dies. A werewolf who is wounded immediately reverts to his human form and can be detected by the corresponding wound on his body.

Similar creatures exist in folklore worldwide: the tiger, boar, hyena, and even the cat, are 'wereanimals' in areas where wolves are not found. Belief in wer (or man) animals was common in the Middle Ages, and was probably a relic from early cannibalism. In 16th century France the superstition regarding werewolves seems to have been widespread and prevalent, as evidenced by the numerous trials in which it was shown clearly murder and cannibalism, all attributed to lycanthropy. This belief is now all but extinct.

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For more articles related to Werewolf , see: Werewolf , New Age, New Age Spirituality, Body Mind and Soul.

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