In fact, the story about the creature commonly known by the name or Lycan Werewolf can be found in the records of ancient Greece.
Werewolf in Ancient Literature
Herodotus, in his book ever written about Neuri Histories, a tribe living in northeast Scythia (near Ukrainian) whose inhabitants turned into a wolf every nine years.
In ancient Greek mythology, king of Arcadia named Lycaon is transformed into a wolf by the god Zeus due to sacrifice and eat his own flesh. Name lycanthropy Lycaon then lowering said that we know today.Roman scholar, Pliny the Elder, was also never told about a man who turns into a wolf after eating the innards of a child.
Then, in the year 60 AD, Gaius Petronius wrote in his book about Niceros who watched his friend turn into a wolf. Niceros recalled:
"When I look for my friend, I found it was off all her clothes and put them in the street ... and then, while he urinated in a circle with a urine clothes lying around. Suddenly, he turned into a wolf. After that, he began to howl and ran into the woods. "
Although more commonly found in Europe, the story about the werewolf can also be found in regions outside Europe.
Among American Indians, a similar creature known as the Skin Walker. In Turkey called Turkadam, whereas in Central America known as the Nagual. Believe it or not, in Europe and America, regarded as Werewolfnya Leak Bali Indonesia.
Werewolf Characteristics
According to legend, when the full moon, a human being, under certain conditions will change into a wolf. Her body will be high and strong. Her eyes shone bright like animals in general and bushy eyebrows that meet in the middle. His mouth looks always dry, like a thirsty man.
Her skin was rough and overgrown with dense fur. Turn into pointy ears like a dog with gelambir that hangs around her neck. The difference with the wolf, werewolf has no tail.
One method to identify the werewolf in apparently as a human being is to injure his body. If he is a werewolf, then the injured body part will look like a wolf fur.
Alternatively, according to Russian legend, a werewolf can be recognized by the fur under his tongue.
While in Hollywood films mentioned if a werewolf can be killed with silver bullets, these characteristics can not be found in the legend.
How do I turn into Werewolf
In Italy, France and Germany, mentioned that a person can turn into a werewolf by sleeping outdoors during the spring full moon which falls on Wednesday or Friday particular.
Then, there is also a believe that someone could turn into a werewolf by being bitten by another werewolf. This makes it the same as Vampire legend. There is another who believes that someone could turn into a werewolf because cursed.
However, most legends believe that the transfiguration of a man into a werewolf mainly caused by activities associated with satanic activity or witchcraft.
This view was widespread in medieval Europe that accompanied the hunt for the werewolf, vampire and witch. In France alone, between 1520 until the year 1630, there were about 30,000 people who were arrested for being a werewolf. Most of the suspects was later to undergo the cruel torture and interrogation to death.
Although often considered a satanic activity, there is a story that quite confusing.
In 1692, a 80-year-old man named Thiess from Livonia to testify under oath when he and some other friends is a werewolf he describes as "dog hunters of God. "
He claims that they are a soldier who was sent by God to pursue the worshipers of demons and witches. Thiess also said that groups such as the werewolf he is also available in Russian and German.
Testimony Thiess considered a blasphemy against God and he was sentenced to 10 lashes for it.
Werewolf and Vampire
How is the relationship between a werewolf and a vampire? We see their enemies as in the movie Underworld, is it true that?
Apparently not. In medieval times, Europe's growing confidence that the bodies of those killed for being a werewolf should be cremated. If not, then the body will rise from the grave as a vampire.
This indicates that the time was believed werewolf and a vampire is a person.
In Serbia, Bulgaria and Slovakia, Vampire and Werewolf are also regarded as the same creature known as Vulkodlak.
Significant sightings
One of the reasons why the story about the werewolf can last for thousands of years is due to the many reports of sightings occurred during that time span.
For example, in 1790. Two people were nomads in North Wales when a large animal attacked their horses. One horse killed. This event occurs when the full moon seen above the sky. Many believe that the creature that attacked them is a werewolf.
More than 200 years after the event, precisely in 1992, also in Wales, local newspapers reported mengenai strange creature that looks at the bear loose in the place. A farmer saw the creature during the full moon and he found two male sheep was dead. Some people also believe that the creature was a werewolf.
Legend of Beast of Gevaudan that terrorized France in 1760an also often regarded as a classic case of Werewolf.
Eyewitnesses who saw the creature describe it as being similar to a dog or wolf.
Beast of Gevaudan was recorded doing 11 times the attack where most victims are women and children. The victims were killed was found with the bodies mutilated and showed signs of prey.
French military to deploy troops to hunt down the creature. However, do not bring results.
From among all the modern appearance of the werewolf, perhaps the most extraordinary appearance is what is experienced by Mrs.Delburt Gregg from Texas.
One night in 1958, Mrs.Gregg was alone in her room when she heard a sound like scratching at the window. At first glance, he could see a big hairy creature like the wolf that was staring at him with eyes shining. Mrs.Gregg can also see the white fangs.
Realizing his presence known, the creature then ran into the bushes.
Mrs.Gregg recalled:
"After aa while ,I saw a figure out of the bushes .But I do not see any hairy wolf .figures that look out is a verytall man who then walked in a hurry to disappear in the darkness of night ."
Mrs.Gregg sightings were in line with Hollywood version of the werewolf picture.
If so, whether there really werewolf creature as depicted by Hollywood movies?
Alternative explanationsIt seems difficult to ignore the existence of these creatures. If a werewolf is just a folklore, fairy tales or imaginary Hollywood, why the story of the appearance of these creatures can spread throughout the world since thousands of years ago?
If the new werewolf story emerged several decades later, maybe we could argue that television and media have been spreading. But, like every region in the world, have a story werewolfnya respectively.
So, is called a werewolf creature really exist?
Before you go in there, perhaps we could see some alternative theories that try to explain about these creatures.
An alternative theory is based on the premise that no human being can turn into a wolf. That there is a wrong interpretation or hyperbolic story is told for generations.
These are a few:
Men dressed in wolfThere was a terrible event occurred in the city Bedburg, Germany, in 1591. One day, a group of residents successfully laid siege to a wolf who came into the village. Then they started attacking it with a timber wolf. Surprisingly, the wolf does not attempt to flee or fight.
Suddenly, the residents saw the animal standing and being regarded as the wolf was in fact a middle-aged man wearing a wolf skin. They recognize him as Peter Stubbe, one resident Bedburg too.
The residents then took him to the village and began to interrogate him. Stubbe admitted that he had killed 16 people, including two pregnant women and 13 children.
Then, he began to talk further.
At the age of 12 years, Stubbe was interested in witchcraft and began to study it. Years later, he became seriously study it and even he began his pact with the devil. It did not take long, Stubbe began to fill with wishful thinking to kill. When eyeing its prey, he would hide in the forest while disguised as a wolf.
Murders committed by Stubbe is quite sadistic. He used to rip his victims throat and suck their blood. Slowly, his desire for blood becomes unbearable, so he continued to kill to satisfy it. In many instances the victim Stubbe even eat meat.
The most horrific of crimes Stubbe is the real crimes against his own son.
One day, he brought his son who was a child in the woods, breaking his skull and ate his brain.
Peter Stubbe was recorded as one of the most sadistic serial killers in world history. Crimes they have committed so heinous that the court decided to punish her death in a way that is not less cruel. His body was tied in a wheel, then, torn flesh with hot iron. The feet and hands and then broken and finally he was beheaded. Time body was then burned to ashes.
Peter Stubbe murder occurred during the Middle Ages when Europe is at a time when superstition is rampant. It may be that this story is widespread and causing rumors about the existence of so-invented creature named Werewolf.
Hallucinations
The first author to link between the werewolf with the disease is Marcellus Sidetes (2nd century AD), a Greek who lived in Turkey and wrote books on medicine.
He mentioned that there are cases where a person experiences feelings that led him to believe that he is the wolf which then makes the person wandering in the cemetery.
Argument Sidetes later confirmed by modern science that supports this possibility. One is the ergot poisoning (a collection of fungal genus Claviceps). Those with this type of mushroom poisoning can experience hallucinations are quite severe and can consider themselves as animals, or feel is being attacked by animals.
One of the worst cases of ergot poisoning occurred in 1951 in the town of Pont St.Espri in France. Around 135 people admitted to hospital and 6 fatalities. The case is due to the population ate bread that had been infected with ergot. This fungus had caused them to have hallucinations that make them believe that the tiger and the snake was attacking them.
Of course, this theory can not explain why in a place that never found ergot also reported sightings of a werewolf.
Therefore, we entered into a an other, more popular theory. This theory believes that the werewolf is actually the man who exposed disorder called Hypertrichosis or werewolf syndrome.
Hypertrichosis (Werewolf Syndrome)If a werewolf is only defined as a human being hairy like a wolf, it seems we have obtained an explanation through disorder called Hypertrichosis, sometimes called werewolf syndrome.
Those who suffer from this disorder experience hair growth on the body in unnatural quantities. Anyone experiencing this disorder since birth and some are experiencing due to external factors such as medication side effects.
For those who get it from birth, has not been found treatment that can cure it. All I can do is shave your hair regularly.
Cases of Hypertrichosis congenital birth arguably very rare since the Middle Ages there were only 50 cases recorded.
However, the problem is, people with Hypertrichosis has never changed from human into a wolf and vice versa. So, even this explanation seems inconsistent with the werewolf legend.
So, if the creature is actually a werewolf?
Werewolf and witchcraft activities
Is this creature from the activities of magic?
Or is it a cryptid creatures that have not known?
However, the most important question is whether humans can turn into animals?
If all the above theory can not explain it, then I think, the answer to most "reasonable" is: Werewolf do exist and yes, humans can experience the transfiguration into animals by performing a certain magic.
But, if you do not believe in magic that can cause a transfiguration of human experience into animals, then I do not have to put forward another theory.
(wikipedia, hellhorror.com)
