Werewolves - Are They Real? - Where Did the Legends Come From?
David Slone
July 18, 2007
Legends of lycanthropes, or werewolves, have been around for thousands of years. Tales of men or women who could metamorphize into wolves, or even other beasts, have been told for generations in nearly every culture.
One of the most famous images of a werewolf comes from Hollywood. Lon Chaney's snarling, two legged wolfman has been indelibly imprinted on the minds of people since the late 40s and early 50s. But, with the advent of computer graphics, the idea of what a werewolf looks like has changed. But, the idea that a werewolf walked on two legs is purely Hollywood. The legends of werewolves paint an entirely different picture of this fearsome monster.
In the old tales and legends of werewolves, a werewolf looked like a regular wolf, except it was bigger, and was a bit more intelligent that the average wolf. The transformation from human to werewolf could be done by a few different routes. One could use a variety of spells, wear an enchanted wolf skin, or one could be bitten, or cursed. Once this transformation was complete, the werewolf would roam the countryside killing whoever had the bad luck to cross the werewolf's path.
But, where did the legends of werewolves come from? There is a clinical name for a psychological disease where the person afflicted imagines they are a wolf. This disease is called Lycanthropy. There is also a disorder that causes excessive growth of body hair. This strange disorder is called Hypertricosis. It gives the person an appearance very similar to the character made famous Lon Chaney Jr. Could this medical disorder explain where legends of Werewolves originated? Or perhaps there is another, much stranger, explanation for the appearance of Werewolves in legend and lore.
If Werewolves existed in the depths of history why would they not still exist today? Is it possible that Werewolves are still around? Or could it be that they were all killed out many years ago?
The truth about werewolves is very elusive. Most everyone has their opinions and ideas about these strange creatures, but facts are veritably impossible to come by. This is especially so when we try to uncover secrets from the past.
Read more about Werewolves and other strange creatures such as Bigfoot, Vampires and the Chupacabra at True Ghost Tales. You will also find lots of scary ghost stories and interesting things to read about the paranormal world which surrounds us. http://www.trueghosttales.com/stories/
One of the most famous images of a werewolf comes from Hollywood. Lon Chaney's snarling, two legged wolfman has been indelibly imprinted on the minds of people since the late 40s and early 50s. But, with the advent of computer graphics, the idea of what a werewolf looks like has changed. But, the idea that a werewolf walked on two legs is purely Hollywood. The legends of werewolves paint an entirely different picture of this fearsome monster.
In the old tales and legends of werewolves, a werewolf looked like a regular wolf, except it was bigger, and was a bit more intelligent that the average wolf. The transformation from human to werewolf could be done by a few different routes. One could use a variety of spells, wear an enchanted wolf skin, or one could be bitten, or cursed. Once this transformation was complete, the werewolf would roam the countryside killing whoever had the bad luck to cross the werewolf's path.
But, where did the legends of werewolves come from? There is a clinical name for a psychological disease where the person afflicted imagines they are a wolf. This disease is called Lycanthropy. There is also a disorder that causes excessive growth of body hair. This strange disorder is called Hypertricosis. It gives the person an appearance very similar to the character made famous Lon Chaney Jr. Could this medical disorder explain where legends of Werewolves originated? Or perhaps there is another, much stranger, explanation for the appearance of Werewolves in legend and lore.
If Werewolves existed in the depths of history why would they not still exist today? Is it possible that Werewolves are still around? Or could it be that they were all killed out many years ago?
The truth about werewolves is very elusive. Most everyone has their opinions and ideas about these strange creatures, but facts are veritably impossible to come by. This is especially so when we try to uncover secrets from the past.
Read more about Werewolves and other strange creatures such as Bigfoot, Vampires and the Chupacabra at True Ghost Tales. You will also find lots of scary ghost stories and interesting things to read about the paranormal world which surrounds us. http://www.trueghosttales.com/stories/