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 Posted: Sun Jan 08, 2012 7:03 pm
Tomorrow is the full moon so I thought I'd open the door on this topic. Do you believe in werewolves? If you do what do you believe about them?
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Posted: Mon Jan 09, 2012 6:04 pm
I believe there's usually a grain of truth to tales like that.
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Posted: Tue Jan 10, 2012 5:04 pm
Obscurus I believe there's usually a grain of truth to tales like that. I believe that the legends of shape shifters like werewolves are the combination of a lot of old superstitions and ancient fears. The fear of a natural dangerous animal (the wolf) and fears of the enemy with-in. "Even a man who is pure in heart and says his prayers at night, can become a wolf when the wolf bane blooms and the autumn moon is bright". I have said before that I believe that there is some truth in the belief that a part of the basis for these fears is the medevel fear of demonic possession. It was widespread in those times, the devil was blamed for every thing bad that happened. The modern legends try to give some scientific answer for the change but I don't think you can explain the total transformation without magic. Of course there were also shaman and various sorcerers who believed that they could assume the forms of animals through magic, potions and talismans. Any thoughts?
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Posted: Tue Jan 10, 2012 5:08 pm
I remember reading one theory that vampires and werewolves were used to explain the behavior of serial killers. Before people knew serial killers actually existed. Mythology and folklore usually picks up right where scientific knowledge leaves off.
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Posted: Tue Jan 10, 2012 6:57 pm
bearcatthorin Obscurus I believe there's usually a grain of truth to tales like that. I believe that the legends of shape shifters like werewolves are the combination of a lot of old superstitions and ancient fears. The fear of a natural dangerous animal (the wolf) and fears of the enemy with-in. "Even a man who is pure in heart and says his prayers at night, can become a wolf when the wolf bane blooms and the autumn moon is bright". I have said before that I believe that there is some truth in the belief that a part of the basis for these fears is the medevel fear of demonic possession. It was widespread in those times, the devil was blamed for every thing bad that happened. The modern legends try to give some scientific answer for the change but I don't think you can explain the total transformation without magic. Of course there were also shaman and various sorcerers who believed that they could assume the forms of animals through magic, potions and talismans. Any thoughts? I don't really think that it was literal transmogrification going on but I think that there must have been some basis to the myth of a man becoming a wolf. Whether it was the insane or feral humans or people practicing rituals or people using mind-altering substance I don't know. It could actually be magic. I just think that it came from somewhere and was real enough to someone that the whole thing took off.
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Posted: Wed Jan 11, 2012 7:24 am
Obscurus bearcatthorin Obscurus I believe there's usually a grain of truth to tales like that. I believe that the legends of shape shifters like werewolves are the combination of a lot of old superstitions and ancient fears. The fear of a natural dangerous animal (the wolf) and fears of the enemy with-in. "Even a man who is pure in heart and says his prayers at night, can become a wolf when the wolf bane blooms and the autumn moon is bright". I have said before that I believe that there is some truth in the belief that a part of the basis for these fears is the medevel fear of demonic possession. It was widespread in those times, the devil was blamed for every thing bad that happened. The modern legends try to give some scientific answer for the change but I don't think you can explain the total transformation without magic. Of course there were also shaman and various sorcerers who believed that they could assume the forms of animals through magic, potions and talismans. Any thoughts? I don't really think that it was literal transmogrification going on but I think that there must have been some basis to the myth of a man becoming a wolf. Whether it was the insane or feral humans or people practicing rituals or people using mind-altering substance I don't know. It could actually be magic. I just think that it came from somewhere and was real enough to someone that the whole thing took off. Possibly, I've been to a few pagan gatherings where people invoked spirits and took on the semblance of animals, or at least their behavior. You can also see such behavior at rock or heavy metal concerts. If done in the midst of a primitive, superstitious culture it could easily lead to a belief in shape shifters.
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Posted: Wed Jan 11, 2012 2:13 pm
seidkonacat I remember reading one theory that vampires and werewolves were used to explain the behavior of serial killers. Before people knew serial killers actually existed. Mythology and folklore usually picks up right where scientific knowledge leaves off. Interesting idea. Very possible.
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Posted: Wed Jan 11, 2012 7:01 pm
bearcatthorin seidkonacat I remember reading one theory that vampires and werewolves were used to explain the behavior of serial killers. Before people knew serial killers actually existed. Mythology and folklore usually picks up right where scientific knowledge leaves off. Interesting idea. Very possible. Still, I wouldn't be surprised if there was a grain of truth in the legends. They could be throw-backs to Shamanic-type trances. And there are the Berserkers (bear-shirts) and Ulfhedinn (wolf-coats)--warriors who wore animal skins into battle and (supposedly) either became the animals, or at least became possessed of their power and strength. That could easily give rise to legends. I think I read somewhere that there were boar-warriors too, but I can't find any info and I could be imagining it. @_@
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Posted: Wed Jan 11, 2012 8:15 pm
bearcatthorin Obscurus bearcatthorin Obscurus I believe there's usually a grain of truth to tales like that. I believe that the legends of shape shifters like werewolves are the combination of a lot of old superstitions and ancient fears. The fear of a natural dangerous animal (the wolf) and fears of the enemy with-in. "Even a man who is pure in heart and says his prayers at night, can become a wolf when the wolf bane blooms and the autumn moon is bright". I have said before that I believe that there is some truth in the belief that a part of the basis for these fears is the medevel fear of demonic possession. It was widespread in those times, the devil was blamed for every thing bad that happened. The modern legends try to give some scientific answer for the change but I don't think you can explain the total transformation without magic. Of course there were also shaman and various sorcerers who believed that they could assume the forms of animals through magic, potions and talismans. Any thoughts? I don't really think that it was literal transmogrification going on but I think that there must have been some basis to the myth of a man becoming a wolf. Whether it was the insane or feral humans or people practicing rituals or people using mind-altering substance I don't know. It could actually be magic. I just think that it came from somewhere and was real enough to someone that the whole thing took off. Possibly, I've been to a few pagan gatherings where people invoked spirits and took on the semblance of animals, or at least their behavior. You can also see such behavior at rock or heavy metal concerts. If done in the midst of a primitive, superstitious culture it could easily lead to a belief in shape shifters. I can relate to the shift in mindset. That could be the origin.
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Posted: Thu Jan 12, 2012 8:44 am
seidkonacat bearcatthorin seidkonacat I remember reading one theory that vampires and werewolves were used to explain the behavior of serial killers. Before people knew serial killers actually existed. Mythology and folklore usually picks up right where scientific knowledge leaves off. Interesting idea. Very possible. Still, I wouldn't be surprised if there was a grain of truth in the legends. They could be throw-backs to Shamanic-type trances. And there are the Berserkers (bear-shirts) and Ulfhedinn (wolf-coats)--warriors who wore animal skins into battle and (supposedly) either became the animals, or at least became possessed of their power and strength. That could easily give rise to legends. I think I read somewhere that there were boar-warriors too, but I can't find any info and I could be imagining it. @_@ I'm glad you brought up the Berserkers and the Ulfhedinn, I believe that they and others like them played a large role in the development of the legends. But let's not forget the other half of the legends, that when not in wolf form the lycanthrope could be your neighbor, someone who you grew up with. I also wonder if anyone was ever accused for economic or political reasons, land grabs and the like, I have heard it happened in some of the witch hunts, I wonder if it ever happened that people were accused of being werewolves for the same reasons?
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Posted: Thu Jan 12, 2012 1:50 pm
bearcatthorin seidkonacat bearcatthorin seidkonacat I remember reading one theory that vampires and werewolves were used to explain the behavior of serial killers. Before people knew serial killers actually existed. Mythology and folklore usually picks up right where scientific knowledge leaves off. Interesting idea. Very possible. Still, I wouldn't be surprised if there was a grain of truth in the legends. They could be throw-backs to Shamanic-type trances. And there are the Berserkers (bear-shirts) and Ulfhedinn (wolf-coats)--warriors who wore animal skins into battle and (supposedly) either became the animals, or at least became possessed of their power and strength. That could easily give rise to legends. I think I read somewhere that there were boar-warriors too, but I can't find any info and I could be imagining it. @_@ I'm glad you brought up the Berserkers and the Ulfhedinn, I believe that they and others like them played a large role in the development of the legends. But let's not forget the other half of the legends, that when not in wolf form the lycanthrope could be your neighbor, someone who you grew up with. I also wonder if anyone was ever accused for economic or political reasons, land grabs and the like, I have heard it happened in some of the witch hunts, I wonder if it ever happened that people were accused of being werewolves for the same reasons? Most people accused of werewolfism (?) were the poor...HOWEVER, it wasn't uncommon for someone to be tried as a witch AND a werewolf. :/ Outside of France, werewolf trials weren't all that common except in combination with a witch trial. My question would be--if you thought someone could turn into a psycho wolf-creature AND perform spells that make one's p***s fall off, WHY WOULD ANYONE ATTACK THEM?
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Posted: Fri Jan 13, 2012 7:42 am
seidkonacat bearcatthorin seidkonacat bearcatthorin seidkonacat I remember reading one theory that vampires and werewolves were used to explain the behavior of serial killers. Before people knew serial killers actually existed. Mythology and folklore usually picks up right where scientific knowledge leaves off. Interesting idea. Very possible. Still, I wouldn't be surprised if there was a grain of truth in the legends. They could be throw-backs to Shamanic-type trances. And there are the Berserkers (bear-shirts) and Ulfhedinn (wolf-coats)--warriors who wore animal skins into battle and (supposedly) either became the animals, or at least became possessed of their power and strength. That could easily give rise to legends. I think I read somewhere that there were boar-warriors too, but I can't find any info and I could be imagining it. @_@ I'm glad you brought up the Berserkers and the Ulfhedinn, I believe that they and others like them played a large role in the development of the legends. But let's not forget the other half of the legends, that when not in wolf form the lycanthrope could be your neighbor, someone who you grew up with. I also wonder if anyone was ever accused for economic or political reasons, land grabs and the like, I have heard it happened in some of the witch hunts, I wonder if it ever happened that people were accused of being werewolves for the same reasons? Most people accused of werewolfism (?) were the poor...HOWEVER, it wasn't uncommon for someone to be tried as a witch AND a werewolf. :/ Outside of France, werewolf trials weren't all that common except in combination with a witch trial. My question would be--if you thought someone could turn into a psycho wolf-creature AND perform spells that make one's p***s fall off, WHY WOULD ANYONE ATTACK THEM? More to the point; HOW WOULD ANYONE ATTACK THEM? They probably reasoned that "THE POWER OF CHRIST WILL PROTECT US FROM THESE EVIL CREATURES" or some other such BS. I am quite certain that the ones in charge were to intelligent to believe that the ones being accused were either werewolves or witches. The probably did it for a combination of political and economic reasons. (The church paid a bounty for every witch killed) The peasants probably went along with the whole thing out of combination of superstition, blood lust, and fear, (If you don't go along with it you could be the next one accused.)
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Posted: Sun Jan 15, 2012 2:22 pm
Werewolves, similar beings in Native American, more so in the Navajo were called skin-walkers. There isn't much information on them manly because they are still very much believed in to this day.
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Posted: Sun Jan 15, 2012 2:38 pm
Nyx Reborn Werewolves, similar beings in Native American, more so in the Navajo were called skin-walkers. There isn't much information on them manly because they are still very much believed in to this day. Do you have any more information at all? Were they perhaps shamans who used magic to effect the change or were they said to be monsters cursed with a form of lycanthropy? I guess what I would like to know is were they feared or revered?
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Posted: Tue Jan 17, 2012 2:31 pm
Skin-walkers supposed to be evil witches who took the forms of animals, usually as a wolf. They were greatly feared by the natives. Thats about all I can remember at the moment.
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