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Werewolf (Image Source: Canva.com)
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This blog has covered a variety of monster tales in the past. Every culture has some sort of definition of
what it means to be a monster, along with specific types of monsters. There are numerous reasons for why monsters in
any given culture exist, which have been covered throughout previous blog
posts. Ultimately, though, the most common theme revolves around addressing
various aspects of what monsters mean within any given society and how they
reflect morals, values, and beliefs within the cultural group. Today’s blog post will continue within this
vein of inquiry to discuss the meanings and values of werewolves as they
concern European and modern Western cultural groups.
Werewolves are defined in multiple ways, although a review
of these different definitions will turn up some commonalities. Ultimately, a werewolf is a human being of
any gender or age who either voluntarily or involuntarily changes into a wolf. This change can be a full physical,
psychological, or spiritual change, which can be induced through magic or curse,
demonic possession, animal bite, the commission of an immoral or sinful act, or
unfortunate genetic/birth circumstances.
Regardless of the type of change the human undergoes it is agreed upon
that the individual takes on the characteristics of the wolf, which include but
are not limited to ferocity, brute strength, and exceptional speed.
It is through the analysis of the divergent definitions of werewolf
that social values, beliefs, and ideas about this monster come through. Among very early European populations (e.g.,
Bronze Age populations, followed by the ancient Greeks and Vikings) the concerns
about werewolves were based in fears of wolves.
Individuals having the ability to physically or psychologically change
into werewolves was both awe inspiring and terrifying, particularly as there
was such great fear in actual wolves.
These creatures were known for destroying livestock, thereby threatening
the livelihoods of humans. Human-wolf beings
were feared and revered, particularly among the Vikings who may have believed
that their fiercest warriors were able to channel the spirit of wolves (and
bears) to be triumphant in battle.
Throughout early European history werewolves were associated
with deviant individuals, meaning anyone who committed devious acts or were in
some way viewed as deviant (e.g., reclusive individuals, individuals who were
sick and/or deformed, those who did not follow the rules of society) was
labeled a werewolf and treated accordingly.
This could and did result in various types of formal sanctions, the most
common of which was execution. This was
the result of the close association of the werewolf with Satan, and as the soul
was ultimately damned the only relief for the individual (and society) was to
put the werewolf to death.
In the 1600 and 1700s there was a change in the werewolf
narrative, due in large part to the rise of science and psychology. There was a shift from associating the
werewolf with deviance and the Devil to instead concluding that an individual
who took on “werewolf” like traits was sick. The accused were institutionalized
rather than executed. This period of
time also coincides with a drastic reduction in wolf populations throughout
Europe, the result of high bounties being imposed by various individuals in
power throughout Europe. By the 1700s wolves were largely eradicated
across Europe. Once the real wolves were
gone and no longer a serious threat there were fewer stories and fears of
werewolves.
Today, views regarding werewolves are not that different
from the past. They are still largely
viewed as scary and uncontrollable monsters that have insatiable hunger. There are, however, some additional dimensions
to modern werewolf tales. First, the
monster is redeemable in some cases, matching modern Western cultural views
that no one person is completely bad and that they can change, be it by choice
or with appropriate social and environmental circumstances.
There is also the association of the werewolf with the adolescence and puberty. The ideas of bodily transformations
tied to puberty, sexuality, or menses/female periods and the attitudes
that go with “that time of the month”.
Western beliefs pertaining to puberty causing drastic and unexpected changes
in mood and the documented physical transformation that occurs during puberty
match up with the ideas of psychological and physical changes that occur when a
human becomes a werewolf.
We also begin to see the sociological aspects of werewolf
tales. There are those that focus on individuals
who feel like outsiders and their conflicts with the mainstream, which links
back to notions of reclusive individuals being deviant throughout previously
discussed European history. In this same
vein there is the fear of others/xenophobia which modern werewolf tales allow
us to explore. Ecologically there is the
werewolf as an analogy of nature and either protecting or returning to
nature.
The most consistent theme that has and continues to persist
among all werewolf stories is the psychological aspects of the werewolf:
getting a glimpse into the internal conflicts we all feel, specifically how we must
fight to give into our deepest, darkest desires. Werewolves kill indiscriminately. They are animals. We can see what happens when those dark
desires are indulged unchecked, and why we need to not overindulge in them. These tales provide a safe space for humans
to explore the deviance without actually participating in it, while also simultaneously
assessing the costs of indulging in those deviant desires and why one
ultimately should not. This is why the
werewolf myths will continue to exist because they allow us to explore the
darker sides and successfully reinforce why we should be go that way. Because even though the werewolf myths and
imagery may change, it ultimately stays the same in that it is an untamable
beast, and ultimately the opposite of an untamable beast is to be human.
References
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