In Search of Werewolves

In the German town of Wittlich, a werewolf is said to have been caught and killed.

For centuries, several people claim to have seen one (even as recently as 2007) In the German town of Wittlich, a werewolf.

A shrine was set up close to the town in the belief that if the shrine’s candle ever extinguished, the werewolf would return. there’s an airforce base close to Wittlich. In 1988, a couple of security policemen were making their way to the base when they noticed that the candle had gone out. They made light of it, joked about it and shrugged it off. But then, when an alarm was set off later on that night, and they went to investigate it, they claim to have come face to face with the legendary creature. It’s said the werewolf escaped over a high foot fence, which was lucky for them as it could have been a whole different story if it had decided to make sushi out of the men.

In France, in 1598, a beggar known as Jacques Roulet was locked up in a mental asylum after confessing to the murder and eating of several women and children …as a werewolf. He believed he was able to change to the creature with the help of an ointment his parents had given him. He also claimed that his brother and cousin were werewolves too. He was apprehended after the body of a teenage boy was found being devoured by two wolves (his brother and cousin, perhaps?)  The men who caught Jacques found him close by – half-clothed - his hands drenched in blood.

Other tales of werewolves abound such as in Greek mythology where Lycaon was turned into a werewolf after eating a human. In Armenian lore, a spirit was believed to punish certain women for grave sins committed by turning them into werewolves for 7 years. The Greek historian, Herodotus, believed there was a tribe called the Neuri who turned into werewolves once a year for a few days. In 18th century Wales (Denbigh), there were reports of werewolf attacks on humans and livestock. And in 2007, a werewolf was spotted twice in Stafford (England). It was described as very big, very tall and very hairy, standing on its hind legs before making its getaway.

Everything we know (or think we know) about werewolves is arguably based on hearsay, myth, misunderstanding, exaggeration and an overflowing imagination. After all, the truth can often be less exciting, mundane, rather bl-ugh. Take one witch, claim that she made a deal with the devil to shape-shift into a werewolf, and all of sudden life seems terribly more exciting - keeps village tongues and minds fuelled with gossip-fever. Same goes for a medical condition such as Hypertrichosis in which the sufferer is covered from head to toe in so much hair that even their hair’s covered in hair. Place that person back in the 16th century and hey presto, they’re werewolves. Today we know they’re just like the rest of us – just that their hair follicles are working overtime in a major major way.

Apart from mental/physical conditions and witch hunts, the other explanation given is the consumption of contaminated grains (in bread) which brought about a hallucinogenic effect when eaten and made people imagine they were being attacked by all manner of dangerous creatures. Known as Ergot poisoning, many people suffered from this back in the middle ages.

On the flipside, let’s say werewolves really DO exist. And that some people really have seen them as they claim. There are many creatures out there that we’re yet to discover. What if these werewolves aren’t werewolves at all? Yes, they might be big and hairy and terrifying and howl to the moon, but what if they’re not werewolves but an extremely secluded member of the animal kingdom? There are some animals out there that look very odd and pretty scary anyway. What did humans think when they first saw a star-nosed mole or a male Narwhal? Weren’t they scared? Did they not think these animals looked otherworldly?