Werewolf

folklore · shapeshifting · mythology · creatures

Shape-shifting beings. In old stories, werewolves are people who can turn into wolves or part-wolf, part-human creatures. Some do it on purpose, while others are forced to transform because of a curse or magical affliction.

Full moon myth. In modern movies and books, werewolves usually transform when the full moon rises. However, this is a newer idea that came from fiction, not from the oldest folklore stories.

Spreading the curse. In today's stories, werewolves can pass their curse to other people through a bite or scratch. This makes them similar to how vampires spread their abilities in popular tales.

Ancient origins. People have believed in lycanthropy (the ability to become a werewolf) for thousands of years. Writers like Petronius in ancient Rome and Gervase of Tilbury in the 1100s recorded these early beliefs.

Why people believed. Long ago, people may have created werewolf stories to explain strange animal attacks or unusual behavior they didn't understand. These tales helped them make sense of the mysterious and scary things in nature.