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Although most people know werewolves as simply creatures of nightmares
and horror movies, they were once viewed as real beasts who killed
savagely. The creatures are less feared in today's society but the
sheer terror can still be inflicted; fear of wolves and things that
go bump in the night is almost natural.
The history of the werewolf can be traced back to Greek mythology,
when the god Lykaon was turned into a wolf after serving Zues human
flesh. This myth helped fuel a cult in Arcadia which involved human
sacrifice and the thought of transformation into wolves. Although
lycanthropy is usually associated with the metamorphosis into a
wolf-human hybrid, different legends include the mutation into bears,
cats and birds of prey.
During the medieval times, the fear of werewolves took grip of
Europe. Wolves were known to attack man, as wolves during those
times had no reason to fear man; guns were unheard of. In most of
Europe, the fear of werewolves included wolfmen ("berserkers")
who wore wolves skin and killed savagely. Germans, however, viewed
the wolf with honor. Names such as Wolfgang and Wolfhard were common.
As Christianity slowly gained prominence, such beliefs were condemned
as Satanic.
Philosophers and religious thinkers contemplated the theory that
perhaps the person did not physically change into a wolf but had
been tricked by Satan into acting like the creatures. Generally,
though, most believe that only God has the ability to change the
body or mind of man.
Means of Metamorphosis
Most werewolves claim they change into the hybrid by rubbing salve
on themselves. Today, we know salve has hallucination producing
characteristics when mixed with certain plants such as henbane and
nightshade. Those who participated in the witch trials of the Renaissance
concluded the only transformation took place in the victims mind.
In most cases those who believe they can change into werewolves
are considered mentally ill. In 1589 a German man named Stubbe Peeter
was put to trial for the murder of twenty five adults and children,
including his own son. Peeter said he had not only killed the victims
but also ate their flesh. Peeter also claimed he committed incest
and violence against animals. Peeter also claimed to have made a
pact with Satan.
Sightings of Wolfmen
Perhaps one of the most famous and recent cases of a werewolf is
told by Delburt Gregg of Greggton, Texas. During a stormy night
when her husband was away in July 1958, Gregg moved her bed close
to a screened window to catch the breeze of an approaching storm.
Deep in the night, Gregg awoke to the sound of scratching at the
screen next to her face. When the lightening flashed in the rumbling
sky, Gregg saw a "huge, shaggy, wolf-like creature" that
was "clawing at the screen and glaring ... with baleful, glowing,
slitted eyes." As she jumped from the bed to grab a flashlight,
the creature quickly dashed into a large collection of bushes. Gregg
later saw a tall man walk down the road and into the darkness.
Mark Schackelman claimed to have seen a six foot tall, hair covered
creature digging in an Indian mound in 1936 near Jefferson, Wisconsin.
Schackelman claimed the creature had a large muzzle and included
both ape and dog characteristics. With pointed ears and human-like
hands, the creature stunk of dead meat. The next night, Schackelman
saw the same creature making a strange "three-syllable growling".
When he began to pray, the creature quickly turned and dashed away.
On October 31, at about 8:30 PM, a young woman was driving along
Bray Road near Delavan, Wisconsin when she felt her car jump as
if the right tire had hit an object. Stopping the car, the young
woman saw a dark and hairy figure running towards her. She sped
away only to have the creature jump onto the car's trunk. Due to
the slick metal, the beast was unable to gain a hold of the vehicle.
When returning with a friend, the duo saw a large shape standing
near the side of the road.
When the report got out, several other people also claimed to have
seen the strange creature. In 1989, Lorianne Endrizzi was traveling
along the same road when she caught site of a figure kneeling at
the side of the road. When she slowed the car, Endrizzi claimed
to have seen the creature staring through the passenger window.
She estimated the beast was about six feet away and had grayish
brown hair with large fangs and pointed ears. She also claimed the
creature had a snout and human-like hands. A local farmer also saw
the creature, but took it to be a gigantic dog.
An Unsolveable Mystery?
It seems with so many reports, separated by so many years, werewolves
seem to allude capture due to lack of evidence. Without the solid
proof that science requires, these strange beasts will be little
more then myth and movies.
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