Part I The Basics 1) What is alt.horror.werewolves? ------------------------------------------ Welcome to alt.horror.werewolves! This newsgroup is probably a little different than most groups you've come across in Usenet. If you're reading it based on the name, then chances are you have an interest in werewolves and horror-genre fiction. So do we... but there's more to it than that. We do discuss werewolves in movies, literature, and art... but we also discuss windigos, werebears, wereleopards, weretigers, ravens, werebats, wererats, polymorphs... any shapeshifter at all. We talk about theriomorphs, both physical and spiritual; about methods of changing, about personal philosophies, and about fun. What were all those terms up there? Read on; everything will be explained in time. But be aware that AHWW is more than is seems at first glance! A little ettiquette before we continue: Whenever entering a new newsgroup, it's a good idea to lurk for a while, and try to fathom from posts by folks who have been there a while what sorts of things are okay to talk about and what topics are forbidden. By reading this FAQ, you've taken a big step in that direction: A FAQ is the group's official declaration of being; it tells everyone who read it what the group is about. Most all usenet newsgroups have a FAQ of some sort; asking for it before you post is considered good manners. Also: Even if you don't agree with a group's purpose, flaming them is generally a very bad idea. Especially a group like AHWW. *toothy grin* 2) A little history.... ------------------------ AHWW was originally grouped November 16, 1992, as a logical extension of the alt.horror heirarchy. As such, it was intended for discussion of horror-genre movies and books dealing with werewolves. It received very little traffic; on the order of 2 or 3 posts a day, if that. It began to attract folks with an intense interest in werewolves and shapechangers in general. Gradually, the conversations shifted to discuss what werewolves meant to these people personally, and how they entered into their worldview. Some of the original posters resented the change and left... which is unfortunate, because we have had many detailed discussions about werewolf flicks in the past three years. As the discussions grew more and more philosophical, a concept known as spiritual therianthropy was formed. (more on this later) More and more folks joined in, and soon AHWW was enjoying almost a hundred posts a day. This led to some confusion... especially during the "winter of our discontent" recently, when some nasty words were exchanged and confusion reigned. This revised FAQ is one of the positive things to come from that. What does the future hold? AHWW, its participants, and its discussions will always stay with me, personally. Who knows what will happen to the Internet, and the alt. groups, as time goes by? But the friendships started here will last, I suspect; even if the "information superhighway" decides it no longer needs us. 3) What is a lycanthrope? A theriomorph? --------------------------------------------------- Lycanthrope \'li-ken-throp\ n (NL lycanthropus, fr. GK lykanthropos werewolf, fr. lykos wolf + anthropos man) 1:a person displaying lycanthropy 2:a werewolf Lycanthropy \'li-kan(t)-thra-pe\ n 1: a delusion that one has become a wolf. 2: the assumption of the form and characteristics of a wolf held to be possible by witchcraft or magic - lycanthropic adj. Theriomorphic \'thir-e-o-'mor-fik\ adj (GK theriomorphos, fr. therion beast + morphe form - more at treacle): having an animal form <~gods> -- Webster's New Collegiate Dictionary This is lifted verbatim from the encyclopaedia credited below, without authorisation. 'Belief in the werewolf, or "spirit-wolf," probably began with early medieval wolf clans who worshipped their totemic gods in wolf form, as did some people of the Greco-Roman world centuries earlier. Zeus Lycaeus, or Lycaeon, was a Pelasgian wolf-king who reigned in a nine-year cycle as spouse of the Ninefold Goddess, Nonacris. Virgil said the first werewolf was Moires, spouse of the trinitarian Fate- goddess (Moera), from whom he learned secrets of magic, including the necromantic knack of calling up the dead from their tombs. Lycanthropy (werewolfism) was named for Apollo Lycaeus, "Wolfish Apollo," who used to be worshipped in the famous Lyceum or "Wolf-temple" where Socrates taught. Apollo was mated to Artemis as a divine Wolf Bitch at Troezen, where she purified Orestes with the blood of nine sacrificial victims. Pausanias said Apollo was originally an Egyptian deity, deriving his name from Up-Uat (Ap-ol), a very ancient name of Anubis. Another Roman version of the wolf god was Dis Pater, Soranus, or Feronius, consort of the Sabine underground Goddess Feronia, "Mother of Wolves." A certain Roman family claimed descent from her Sabine priestesses, and annually demonstrated her power by walking barefoot over glowing coals during the festival of the Feronia. She was also identified with Lupa the She-Wolf, whose spirit purified Palatine towns through the agency of young men in wolf skins, consecrated by participating in the Lupercalia or Festival of the She-Wolf. The She-Wolf was another aspect of the Triple Goddess, as shown by her triadic motherhood. She gave three souls to her son, the legendary King Erulus or Herulus, so that when he was overthrown by Evander, he had to be killed three times. The Amazons, who worshipped the Triple Goddess, incorporated a tribe called the Neuri, who "turned themselves into wolves" for a few days each year during their main religious festival, presumably by wearing wolf skins and masks. The same story was told of a certain Irish tribe in Ossory, who became wolf-people when attending their yuletide feast, devouring the flesh of cattle as wolves, and afterward regaining their human shape. "Giraldus Cambrensis relates this great wonder in detail, as in operation in his own time, and believed every word of it." The heathens' devotion to ancestral wolf gods in Teutonic Europe is evinced by the popularity of such names as Wolf, Wulf, Wolfram, Wolfburg, Aethelwulf, Wolfstein, etc. "Beowulf son of Beowulf," hero of the Anglo-Saxon epic, was called Scyld by the Danes, who said he came from the waters in a basket like Romulus and Remus, foster-sons of the She-Wolf. Irish tribes said their spiritual fathers were wolves, and for that reason they wore wolf skins and used wolves' teeth for healing amulets. Celtic folksongs tell of children or wives transformed into wolves. One whole tribe was said to assume wolf shape (every) seventh year. As Germanic "berserkers" could become bears by donning bearskins, so it was thought that people could become wolves by donning wolf pelts. In Mercia during the 10th century A.D. there was a revival of pagan learning under two druidic priests, one of whom was named Werwulf. This name of "spirit-wolf" seems to have been applied to opponents of Christianity in general. About 1000 A.D., the wolf "werewolf" was taken to mean an outlaw. South Slavs used to pass a newborn child through a wolf skin, saying that it was thus born of the She-Wolf. After their conversion to Christianity, the people claimed this ceremony would protect the child from witches. But its real purpose, obviously, was to assimilate the child to the wolf totem via a second birth from the wolf. Livonians said witches routinely transformed themselves into wolves by passing through a certain magic pool, another instance of baptismal rebirth in animal form. Polish legend said a witch could transform a bride and groom into wolves by laying a girdle of human skin across the threshold at their wedding feast. Later they would receive dresses of fur and would regain their human shape at will. Against such totemic ceremonies the 7th-century Council of Toledo issued severe denunciations of people who put on the heads of beasts or "make themselves into wild animals." Italian peasants still say a man who sleeps outdoors on Friday under a full moon will be attacked by a werewolf, or will become one himself. Friday was the night of the Goddess, and the warning against her lunar influence probably dated back to the myth of Endymion ("Seduced Moon-Man"), who fell asleep on her holy moon-mountain and became her enchanted bridegroom, never to wake up again, so that the Goddess could shower her kisses on him each night. Another story traceable to wolf-clan traditions was "Little Red Riding Hood." The giveaway details are the red garment, the offering of food to a "grandmother" in the deep woods - a grandmother who wore a wolf skin - and the cannibalistic motif of devouring and resurrection. In Britain, "a red woven hood" was the distinguishing mark of a prophetess or priestess. The story's original victim would not have been the red-clad Virgin but the hunter, as Lord of the Hunt. Like Snow White, Little Red Riding Hood was part of a Virgin-Mother-Crone trinity, wearing the same red garment that Virgin Kali wore; as the red moon of a lunar eclipse she prophesied catastrophe and inspired much fear. Romanian churchmen declared that the eclipsed moon was reddened by her own blood, shed when her wolves attacked her, to "make men repent and turn from evil." The Gaulish Diana had numerous wolf-cultists among her votaries, in both ancient and medieval times. Under her totemic name of Lupa she was a mother of wild animals, and certain women seem to have impersonated her in southern France. A Provencal troubadour named Pierre Vidal wrote a love poem to a lady of Carcassonne, whose name was Loba, "She-Wolf": "When loup-garou the rabble call me, When vagrant shepherds hoot, Pursue, and buffet me to boot, It doth not for a moment gall me, I seek not palaces nor halls, Or refuge when the winter falls; Exposed to winds and frosts at night, My soul is ravaged with delight. Me claims my she-wolf so divine; And justly she that claim prefers, For, by my troth, my life is hers More than another's, more than mine." Lovers of the She-Wolf sometimes found her on a holy mountain, which the gypsies called Monte Lupo, Wolf-Mountain. Young men could learn the secrets of magic by celebrating the sacred marriage: masturbating over the Goddess's statue and ejecting semen on it. She would guide and protect them, provided they never again set foot in a Christian church. Her votaries' shape-shifting followed the phases of the moon, which was another form of the Goddess herself. In the 12th century, Gervais of Tilbury noted: "In England we often see men changed into wolves at the changes of the moon." Sacharow quoted an old Russian charm, to be spoken by one who wished to invoke the Moon-goddess and become a werewolf: "On the sea, on the ocean, on the island, on Bujan, on the empty pasture gleams the moon, on an ashstock lying in a green wood, in a gloomy vale. Toward the stock wandereth a shaggy wolf, horned cattle seeking for his sharp white fangs; but the wolf enters not the forest, but the wolf dives not into the shadowy vale. Moon, moon, gold-horned moon, check the flights of bullets, blunt the hunters' knifes, break the shepherds' cudgels, cast wild fear upon all cattle, on men, on all creeping things, that they may not catch the gray wolf, that they may not rend his warm skin! My word is binding, more binding than sleep, more binding than the promise of a hero." This charm has a ring of peasant magic, suggesting a hungry poacher hoping to steal some fresh meat from the baron's herds, under the protection of a wolf skin. Poaching the overlord's cattle or game was punishable by death, which may account for the cruelty meted out to those accused of lycanthropy. One captured "werewolf" in France was so mauled that, a witness said, "he bore hardly any resemblance to a man, and struck with horror those who looked at him." The inquisitor, Pierre Boguet, explained that terrible injuries were common among werewolves, due to the many lacerations they suffered while running through bramble bushes. Another werewolf captured by the Inquisition in 1598 was "possessed by a demon" while in prison, which gave him such a thirst that he drank a large tubful of water, so his belly was "distended and hard." He refused to eat or drink any more, and soon died. Translating this official report into its probable reality, one would assume the unlucky werewolf was subjected to the water torture and died of a ruptured stomach. Another unfortunate werewolf was Peter Stubb of Cologne, tortured until he confessed having transformed himself into a wolf by a magic girdle given him by the devil. The judges couldn't find the girdle where Stubb said he hid it, but they explained this by saying it had "gone to the Devil whence it came, so that it was not to be found." Though his case was unproved, Stubb was nastily executed for the crime of lycanthropy: he was sentenced to have the flesh pulled off his bones in ten places with red-hot pincers, then to have his legs and arms broken with a wooden axe; finally to be beheaded and burned. Yet another werewolf in 1541 never even lasted long enough to go to prison. His captors hacked off his arms and legs, claiming to be searching for the wolf-hair that he wore on the inside of his skin. The hair was not found, so the victim was declared innocent of lycanthropy - which did him little good, as he was already dead. An often-repeated story concerned a lone man attacked at night by a lone wolf, which he wounded, usually by cutting off a forepaw. Next day a woman would be found with her hand missing, which identified her as the werewolf. Such an incident was reported as fact by Jean de Nynauld in 1615; the woman in the case was burned alive. The story probably recommended itself to some men as a perfect way to dispose of a woman they had mistreated, such as a rape victim. On December 14, 1598, a tailor of Chalons was sentenced to death for lycanthropy, having confessed to luring children into his shop, murdering and eating them. Methods by which these confessions were extracted from the man can only be guessed, because the judges ordered the court records burned. In 1521 at Poligny, three men were induced by torture to say they had made themselves wolves with a magic salve given them by the devil, and in wolf shape they had eaten several children, and enjoyed sexual relations with wild she-wolves. Gilles Garnier was a famous "lycanthrope" caught by the Inquisition, tortured and executed for having devoured children. The charge was not murder or cannibalism, but lycanthropy. Whatever was left of the pagan wolf cults, it seems the Christian church molded the material into the enduring legend of the werewolf.' --- From 'The Woman's Encyclopedia of Myths and Secrets' by Barbara G. Walker - Harper & Row, 1983. In this context, lycanthrope would appear to include only werewolves. However, it has come to refer to any shapeshifter, whether it be were- bear, wolf, bat, panther, raven, fox, what have you. A more accurate term, and one that's being used more and more, is theriomorph; as it doesn't connote any specific animal. Both lycanthrope and theriomorph are used interchangably, though. 4) Do you actually believe you're a werewolf? ------------------------------------------------------- You'll find that there is no one answer to any question on AHWW. The concept of lycanthropy is held by some to be just an interesting myth, and to others as a means of explaining their worldview; with many gradations of belief inbetween. I personally have never seen a man transfrom physically into an animal, and cannot do it myself; but I'll never rule that possibility out. When folks here call themselves werewolves, they generally mean that they find the characteristics of lycanthropy intriguing and see examples of such in themselves. What those characteristics are and the extent to which they manifest themselves are, again, very personal and will no doubt vary from individual to individual. The next section will deal with this in more detail... patience! 5) Are you guys for real, or are you just role-playing? ---------------------------------------------------------------- Oh, my, yes; we are very much for real. Many of us like to role-play. We enjoy D&D, or Whitewolf's Werewolf: The Apocalypse, or live role-playing games. But we do not role-play on AHWW... we reserve that for groups where it's expected and condoned; like on a good MUD or FurryMUCK. We may talk about arcade or RP games that deal with shapeshifters, but we don't bog the group down with the minutae of rules and such: that's best left to groups like alt.games.whitewolf and the like. And while many of us are "furries", and enjoy good anthro artwork; alt.fan.furry and related groups are best for that. (More on furries in a later section) What we discuss here, fun and games aside (because we DO like to have fun as much as the other were), is very serious and real to us. For some of us (not all; again, it's a very personal thing) it's tantamount to discussing a religion. It's not a role, it's real. 6) Well, then, how does one become a werewolf? ----------------------------------------------------------- The group has collected a number of ways, outlined in legend and literature, held to effect the Change. There are no guarantees that any of this will work... especially if your heart's not really in it. Some of them are downright bizarre, and a couple possibly dangerous: Swim at your own risk. There are quite a few different legends and theories on how one becomes a werewolf; at least as many as there are different werewolf legends-and almost every country in the world has some sort of shape-changing myth. Most of them, predictably, involve demonic possession or enchantment via witchcraft. A few ways to become a were, from Native American mythology: (Note: This uses wolves as an example. Any other animal may be substituted, however.) * Be called by the wolf spirit. * Transformation by the Gods (also appears in Greek myth of Lycan, hence the term "lycanthrope".) * Have a vision of the wolf spirit on a dream-quest. * Have a Dreaming that one is a wolf or running with wolves. * Have a dream of the wolf spirit. * Perform a ritual taught by one's animal spirit. * Be cursed by a shaman. * Perform a ritual invoking the wolf spirit. (There is a similar ritual in Khaos Magick involving hunting dogs where one mentally becomes a dog) A few more ways to become a were, from Native American mythology: (Note: This uses wolves as an example. Any other animal may be substituted, however.) I posted a long list of the methods from folklore I was aware of along with their various sources a long time ago, but I can't seem to find it anywhere now. Anyway, here are a few I am sure were on it or added to it, but I can't find a source list for them at the moment. Some I am fairly sure are relatively recent fabrications, or regional variations on an older method. 1.) Get bitten by a werewolf. 2.) Wear the enchanted skin of a dead wolf or werewolf. 3.) Drink water from a wolf's footprint. 4.) Eat dust from a wolf's footprint. 5.) Drink water from certain springs, especially in the Harz Mountains in Germany. 6.) Drink downstream from wolves. 7.) Possess and wear a moonstone (supposedly not all would do it, perhaps an extra enchantment was required?) 8.) Eat a wolf's brain. 9.) Sleep outside on a Friday night when the light of a full moon can shine on your face while you sleep. This one seems to have originated in Italy. 10) The 7th of 7 consecutive daughters was supposed to carry the werewolf strain (from Germany). 11) Pluck and wear a rare white marsh flower (the flower's name is supposedly lost, but this method comes from the Balkans so it is probably a species that either grows or grew there). 12) Children born on the winter solstice or Christmas eve supposedly had a good chance of becoming a werewolf when puberty was reached. 13) Get cursed by a powerful witch or wizard or god (eg Zeus doing so to Lycaon). 14) Have sex with a werewolf and survive. (This is one of those methods that I believe is a recent addition, but many werewolves seem to vouch for it as being valid. I wonder why? ;-) 15) Participate in the rituals of a secret society, such as one among the Nootka Sound natives. 16) In shamanistic ritual, gain the wolf as your totem animal (or guardian or familiar or whatever applies to the tradition in question) and from this the ability to assume its form. This method would also proably include those who gain such a spirit through meditation or dreams. This is the source for many "spiritual werewolves". That is all I can remember right now. I am sure there are a few more, but they were even more obscure than some of these, I think. Not included above is the method of just being born with the genetics, since you can not do much about this one way or the other. -Snowlock {*} I found this stuff while browsing our university and couldn't resist sharing it with you, although most of you old wolves already know this trivia. The source is A.Wuttke: "Der Deutsche Volks- und Aberglaube der Ge- genwart", published in 1925, and I'll translate a part dealing with belts rumored to enable their wearers to change. It is, as the rest of the book, a compilation of several German folklore sources. "People (men, women, even boys) change, mostly just for several hours, into wolves by wearing a wolfbelt on the naked body (sometimes also on clothes). [this belt is made of] wolf's leather or human skin, especially the skin of a hanged man, often adorned with the zodiac, and with seven tongues on the buckle [which must be put] into the ninth hole; if they want to return to their human form, they open the buckle." Phew, I don't think I got the translation quite right. But those intent on manufacturing such a belt should have gotten the picture on how it is supposed to look like. And when you're trying this at home, don't forget: one hit to your belly'd loosen the belt and leave you reverted and stark naked. -Holger There are medical cases of dementia in which the victim believes he or she is a werewolf; and a disease called congenital porphyria whose symptoms are very similar to those ascribed to lycanthropy. Science seems to be catching up with it: The following appeared in the London "Times" newspaper, Wednesday 31 May 1995. Scientists hunt down the "wolfman" gene ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ [by our science correspondent] "Scientists have pinpointed the gene responsible for "Werewolf" syndrome, an extremely rare genetic condition in which patients are covered in dense hair. A team from Texas, which studied a family of Mexicans suffering from congenital generalised hypertrichosis, say that the precise identification of the gene could provide useful information about the normal distribution of human hair, and could eventually have significant application in the treatment of baldness. Many of the victims of the condition have spent their lives performing in circuses. Four years ago, two Mexican boys aged 9 and 14 were banned from appearing in a circus in Blackpool after protests from child welfare groups. There have been only about 50 known cases since the Middle ages. The scientists report in "Nature genetics" that they have isolated the gene responsible to the X chromosome. Members of the Mexican family volunteered to provide tissue samples, from which the rough position of the gene was identified". In addition, it should probably be noted that among many societies, the werewolf has a very negative connotation. The Navajos, for example, fear werewolves as evil witches, bent on causing harm for no reason other than pure malice. To them, the intent to do evil is enough to make one a Navajo Wolf. Which brings us to: 7) Aren't werewolves bloodthirsty killers? --------------------------------------------------- Wolves in general have had a bad reputation. Seen as evil killers, used to embody the worst traits of men, harassed and eradicated as dangerous menaces. Is it at all surprising, then, that humans who can turn themselves into wolves face the same bad press? In a lot of cases, that's exactly what it is: Bad press. Hollywood, especially, has done more to distort and villify the werewolf than any church. While a lot of original legends and myths hold the werewolf to be a savage, animalistic killer; there are, in fact, many legends that portray him as a kindly soul... although they generally view lycanthropy as a curse rather than a blessing. The impetus behind such labeling is probably fear: Fear of the unknown, the unexplainable, the unthinkable. Were I to be faced with a snarling, fur-covered manlike shape, I would be enthralled... but I doubt the general public would. Shoot first, ask questions of the corpse later. When the farmer loses his livestock to predation, better to blame the wolf; and by extension, the were. So what is it? Are shapeshifters vicious animals? I suppose that depends on the personality of the shifter and how his mind functions while shifted. Listen to Ron the Werebat, while I go refill my drink... 8) What are werewolves like, mentally, while transformed? ------------------------------------------------------ This question has been the topic of many discussions here on A.H.W., and although each of us probably has our own answer to this question that we are most comfortable with, we are all able to accept other viewpoints on the myth (although most of us don't like the "ravening beast" idea, I think...) The major ideas given for the mentality of the werewolf (and werebat, and other lycanthrope) while transformed are presented here. I believe all have been supported or at least posted by members of A.H.W. in the past. 1. "Mind of a Wolf" - when the werewolf transforms (for whatever reason) he loses his human mind and takes on the mentality of a normal wolf. This means that while the werewolf would not go out of its way to commit heinous acts of evil, it might for example attack a small child and eat it if it were hungry enough. Similarly, the noise and confusion of the city might scare a werewolf into a frightened frenzy, where it leaps about ripping out throats... It is more likely that a werewolf in wolf form with this mentality would flee to the woods, however, if any were available. The territorial nature of the wolf might prove interesting here - should transformation occur in the house or apartment of the werewolf's human form, it might (if it retains any of its human memory) stick around and "guard" its "territory." Should the transformation occur while walking through unfamiliar territory, the werewolf might be extremely cautious, as it knows that it may well be on someone else's (read: "another territorial wolf's") land. Exactly how much of the human form's memory is carried over to the wolf form's memory is debatable. Subsets of "Mind of a wolf" might include "memory wiped" (the wolf form has no memory of the human form, no recognition of familiar places/faces), "vague memory" (enough to give the wolf a sense of security in the human form's house or apartment, a sense of trust and connection with one's spouse and loved ones, etc.), and "complete memory" (albeit interpreted through the mind of a wolf). The movie _Ladyhawke_ portrayed a werewolf (and werehawk) with this mentality. 2. "Mind of a Beast" - Similar to the Stevenson tale "Dr. Jeckyll and Mr. Hyde," the werewolf (while transformed) loses all inhibitions and goes on a wild ID-spree, expressing as many repressed urges as possible before reverting back to human form. This werewolf could be the "ravening beast" who slaughters her cheating husband, her whining children, and her abusive parents in one fell night, or perhaps the disgruntled lawyer who stalks parks on the nights of the full moon to rape and mutilate attractive young women. As with "Mind of a Wolf," the werewolf may or may not remember his or her actions in wolf form after the change. This is the werewolf of classic Hollywood horror. All of us generally repress violent and sexual urges throughout the course of our lives, although there might be plenty of other things held back by our Egos (or Superegos? I keep forgetting...) regarding those two. Perhaps the homosexual werewolf, repressing his true nature for years and years due to the pressures from his family or church, finds the change enabling him to break free and express his love interest in a co-worker or close friend. Of course, given the fact that all other barriers are down as well, this poor fellow might find himself raping his love interest... Oh, well. This is not the kind of werewolf mentality any of us on A.H.W. would WANT to have, I think. These lycanthropes are typically violent and destructive, more so than normal humans or animals. Name a Hollywood werewolf film (_An American Werewolf in London_, _Silver Bullet_, etc.) and you can bet it will portray werewolf mentality in this manner. 3. "Super-hero" - this is the lycanthrope who remains completely human in mentality after the change occurs. It could just as easily be labelled "Super-villain," since not all humans would use lycanthropic powers for good... Still, it is probably the least horrific of lycanthrope mentalities (at least for the individual lycanthrope). The White Wolf game _Werewolf - the Apocalypse_ seems to portray werewolf mentality this way, although werewolves are slightly affected by their wolf nature depending on what form they are in and can still frenzy on occasion... a better example of a lycanthrope with this mentality would probably be Kirk Langstrom as Man-bat, after he perfected his formula and could retain his sanity while he changed (before this, Man-bat had possessed a "Mind of the Bat" mentality). It is not one of the more exciting mentalities to talk about, since we already know it in human form - however, even a normal person's psyche may be considerably altered on looking into the mirror and seeing the reflection of a wolf, having to walk on all fours, and recieving a cornucopia of sensory stimulii in the form of new scents and sounds. These are the three main viewpoints, although I must stress that rarely do we find a lycanthrope that expresses only one of these mindsets. Usually, the lycanthrope is primarily one of the three types, with aspects of one or both of the others apparent from time to time. A "Super-hero" werebat might use his sonar to hunt live pigeons and eat them on the wing (Who? Me? Nah... Well, maybe...). A "Mind of the Wolf (Bear)" werebear might be outside eating berries when he catches his wife making love to another man on a grassy knoll, and fly into a rage (Mind of the Beast), killing them both. You get the picture. - Ron the Werebat ^*^ Thank you, Ron! *fresh Coke fizz sounds* Well, if that old saw is mostly just legend, what about the others? Like: 9) How does the full moon effect werewolves? (and other legends) ---------------------------------------------------------------- Again, this is going to have MANY different interpretations. The moon didn't always figure into the equation in a lot of myths, and silver is a fairly recent adaptation... The moon has long been held to cause insanity or otherwise effect human thinking. Many of us feel energized on nights of the full moon, and spend long hours gazing at its face. In legend, the effects of the moon range from nil to being the only time a were can change; and often forcing that change. I prefer somewhere in the lower middle: It can facilitate the change, but isn't necessary. Silver is one of those metals that's held to have mystical properties, for various reasons; not the least of which is its relative scarcity and value. It's generally regarded to hold religious significance, being a "pure" metal; and therefore be able to effect such "satanic" creatures as werewolves. It's appearence in werewolf mythology, not surprisingly, seems to be after the rise of the catholic church. Again, it's influence ranges from zero to being the only thing that can injure or kill a were. If you still want to try it, silver bullets can be made; but casting them is reported to be difficult. So what about longevity and health? Some hold that werewolves are invulnerable to mortal insults; that it would take some supernatural influence to injure or kill one. Others say that a werewolf is no tougher than a human to kill. I personally like the idea of increased healing ability and slightly lengthened lifespan... Some also hold that werewolves turn into undead (ie, vampires) upon their expiration: the group has decided that this is a fairly rare idea; based on a slavic myth. Finally, there's some thought that werewolves naturally hate vampires. Again, this is probably mostly Hollywood myth. In real life, however; just as we call ourselves werewolves, there are folks that call themselves vampires... some weres find that the very idea of being a living dead creature is an anathema; werewolves are the very embodiment of energetic vitality. Having met many vampires, both on AHWW and groups like alt.vampire, I can proudly say that some are my friends. There are some vamps, yes, that would get on anybody's nerves; but there's no real reason why a were HAS to dislike a vamp. Virtually every culture has some sort of mythos regarding shapechanging. Specific animal mythos are covered in the individual mini-FAQ's later on. As I collect different culture's views on therianthropy, I'll add them in. Here's some info on how the Egyptians viewed shapechanging, collected from the group: I just bought a copy of the Book of the Dead/The Papyrus of ANi, which is a text on the preparation for the afterlife. In it, there are two main gods i have found that have ties to the wolf. The first is ANpu, also known as Anubis. He is depicted as a dog headed man or a dog, the son of Osiris or RA, sometimes by Nephthys or Isis. He was the guard and protector of the dead, the Embalmer, and the messenger of Osiris. The second god is Up-uat. He is depicted in the form of the Wolf. He was the Opener of the WAys, and a member of the Tchatchau, the taskmasters of Osiris in the Underworld. Of greater interest, however, are chapters in the actual text concerning transformations. In order, the chapters describe the following transformations, into a swallow, a golden Hawk, a divine hawk, the Prince of the Tchatchau Chiefs, the serpent Sata, the Crocodile God Sebak, Ptah,Tem, a Benu bird(?), a heron, and a lotus. The chapters are for presenting onself to Osiris, and true transformation may not actually work(ihaven't tried yet). The Prince of the Tchatchau Chiefs may be the closest i have found to a wolf. The chapter wasn't very specific as to what chief you become(there are 12). The book of the Dead that i have is properly, The Theban Recension of the Book of the Dead. There are two other Recensions, the Heliopolitan, and the Saite. I have never seen a translation of the latter two. They may have different transformations. The Heliopolitan is believed lost. As an aside, and relating to ways of becoming a werewolf, here's some information regarding ergot and lycanthropy: Ergot and Lycanthropy ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ By MegaDog and his brother (who has a BS in Organic Chemistry)] How many of you ever thought of your local bakery as a possible source of werewolf beliefs? Or of hallucinogenic drugs? In medieval times, it could have been both. Ergot [Claviceps purpurea] is a parasitic fungus that can be found growing on rye or other cereal grasses. Rye grass is by far the most widespread species parasitized, though wheat and barley are also commonly affected. The 'ergots' appear as a blackish-purple club- shaped growth [sclerotia] on the tops of the rye where the seeds are, and are referred to as "heads of ergot"; from these heads sprout the Claviceps purpurea fungal fruiting bodies. They have long stems with bulbous heads when seen under a strong glass or microscope. See reference [1] for more information. Ergot naturally produces a wide range of chemical compounds, the ones of relevance here are collectively known as the "Ergot Alkaloids", and include ergotamine, ergosine and beta-ergosine, ergonine, ergovaline, ergostine, ergotine and beta-ergotine, ergocornine, ergocristine, ergocryptine and beta-ergocryptine. These compounds all have some degree of psychoactivity; indeed LSD was first synthesized from ergot compounds. Their other major medical effect is vasoconstriction [narrowing of blood vessels], which, if severe, can lead to gangrene of the extremities. Ergotamine has medical uses; for example it is frequently prescribed [often in combination with caffeine] as a therapy for migraine headaches. Ergot was a widespread parasite of cereal grains in europe in the middle-ages, growing particularly well during excessively damp summers. The psychoactive components of ergot are *not* broken down by heat, so it is fair to assume that they would be present in bread baked from flour milled from ergotized grains. There was a significant outbreak of ergot-poisoning in France in the early 1950's; this outbreak gives a good insight into what may have been experienced in medieval times. Symptoms of ergot poisoning include hallucinations [the 1950's French victims reported 'being chased or attacked by horrible beasts', 'terror of the dark', and 'feeling that my body was not mine'] together with tingling/burning sensations in the extremities & the scalp. These tingling sensations were known in medieval times as "St. Anthony's Fire", after the saint to whom sufferers prayed for relief. It is not hard to imagine how an outbreak of ergot-poisoning, or, IMHO, more likely, an ongoing low level of ergotisation, could lead to the development of a werewolf-legend, the 'pursuit by horrible beasts' hallucination being probably the most likely cause, however the 'tingling & loss of sensation in the extremities' effect could possibly have been interpreted as shapeshifting? For those interested in more detail of such things, see references [2] and [3]. WARNING ~~~~~~~ If any of you are thinking of experimenting with Ergot at home, I would discourage this most strongly! To back this up, here is an abstract from a medical toxicology file I just happened to have to hand.... Ergotamine: ~~~~~~~~~~~ Acute effects: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ May be fatal if inhaled, swallowed, or absorbed through the skin. Exposure can cause: Nausea, dizziness and headache, stomach pains, vomiting, diarrhea. Other symptoms include: Thirst, changes in blood pressure and heart rate, tingling in the extremities and confusion. Chronic effects: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ An Oxytocic; in pregnant women may result in abortion or fetal harm. Can cause menstrual dysfunction and sterility. Other effects include peripheral circulatory disturbances and gangrene. Possible mutagen. References:- ~~~~~~~~~~~~ [1] "Collins Guide to Mushrooms and Toadstools" by Morten Lange and F. Bayard Hora. 1978 Description of characteristics of ergot, its distribution & life cycle. [2] Fuller, John Grant,_The Day of St Anthonys Fire_, NY: Macmillan, 1968. This is a look at outbreaks of hallucinations and other bizarre behavior believed to have been caused by ergot infections. [3] Matossian, Mary Kilbourne, _Poisons of the Past: Molds, Epidemics & History_, New Haven: Yale Univ Press, 1989. This book covers more ground, from the Middle Ages to witchcraft scares in Europe. She has charts, maps and graphs to illustrate her findings. 10) So, how would I "exorcise" someone who's a werewolf? ---------------------------------------------------------------------- - Why would you want to? *grin* If, in any case, you still want to, here's some thoughts on the subject... All this time we have been talking about how one may become a werewolf....I am going to take a walk on the flip side of things for a bit. But before we get going, I must make the following statement: <<> In NO WAY, shape form or manner shall I claim resposibility for what information follows, especially if you edeavor to persue this interest. The following post covers potentialy disturbing material and can and will cause physical harm. Caveat emptor, Your mileage may vary, and return your seats to their normal upright position....some material has been changed to protect the innocent. You have been warned. That said and done, let's get to the meat. Common means for exorcising a werewolf: A common thread among all exorcisms is that the person is believed to be possesed of some malevolent spirit. So many folks eploy the use of some sort of potion and or prayer, or spinkling of holy water, and calling the person by thier given christian name..... Boring! Here's one from legend.. "Cast a circle of 9 feet, and a smaller one only 4 feet in diameter. Place a sieries of candles at equal intervals, and place a wooden altar in the south. Within the inner circle, place the werewolf....(you are on your own to figure out how to get a hold of him/her) Build a small fire exactly oposite of the altar, and 1 1/2 foot away from the inner circle. Place a pot over the fire, containing 2 pints of clear water. To this add: 1/2 oz. camphor 3/4 oz. ammonia 1/2 oz. hypericum 2 drachms sulfur 1/2 oz castorium 6 drachms opium (!) 3 drachms asafoetida *(!)* Mix thoroughly and then add a protion of mandrake root, 1 live snake, 2 live toads in a linen bag, and a fungus. (Guess any kind will do...mushrooms, that old pizza that needs a shave that has been in the 'fridge for an epoch) Bind togehter with red ribbon a wand of three sprigs, each from ash,white popular, ans birch. (The magickal connotations could easily fill a volume, so I will refrain from explaining) When the toads cry out from being immersed in the now boiling water, the mixture is ready. Take a cupfull of the searing liquid and douse the werewolf, as well as lashing him/her with the wand....exclaiming "Foul spirit release this persons' soul, return to the great unknown!" Repeat 3 times." (Lather, rinse, repeat..;) ) Some forms of expulsion use a boiling mixture of baneful materials, tar, and sulfur. If that does not get rid of a werewolf, it will certainly rid one of thier hide. That was legend.... Now What follows is mostly theory, and have yet to prove any of it. Look in any dictionary, Look for the word lycanthropy. Most likely you will find the same I have. The Greater Webster Encyclopedic Dictionary has this entry : "A kind of insanity in which the patient supposes himself to be a wolf." Go ahead, take a look, you may have an entry that sounds alot like that too. Lycanthropy *seems* to fall into several categories... "Infective Lycanthropy": The Hollywood version of the werewolf. This creature goes about, with an insatiatable appetite for human flesh, and those that survive the attack become werewolves themselves. Basically, place your favorite story here. If there is an ifectious vector, it has yet to be discovered. "Wolfen": Probably the most dangerous phenotype there is. The lycanthropic condition is cause by some demonic expression of a creature through a host body. Outward shapes/manifestations vary, but usualy the creature takes the form of a higly feared creature, and can be an expression of a deeply rooted fear or phobia. It can be placed either by magickal rite or curse...and similarly dispelled. Because of the supernatural nature of the creature, it is quite possible for the creatue to perfom amazing feats of strength and literally be bound by no known physical laws. (ie. changing to mist, and sliping through a crack under the door) "Inherent Lycanthropy": Most likely the most common form of lycanthropy. In this case the "condition" seems to be hereditary. Passed on from generation to generation, and sometimes skipping one, it manifests itself after the person reaches puberty. Sometimes it is not a full blown case and certain behaviors are the only clues that this person may be an inherent. Most of the time it is the poor soul who gets locked away because he imagines himself to be a wild ravening creature, or wanders aimlessly, imitating the actions of the creature. "Astral Lycanthropy": Prehaps the most misunderstood form of all. It is not the physical manifestation of a creature, nor is it a mental condition, but rather more akin to the Dream quests that a shaman may take. It is believed that the spirit of a person projects apart from the body, and takes the shape of one's totem animal/spirit. This is the most freeform of all shifters, because it is only limited to the imagination of the individuals mind. "Magickal Lycanthropy": Like wolfen it entails the use of powers from outside one's self. But in this case the ability to shift forms is brought on by the use of elemental forces, or alowing one to be taken over by an entity... voulentarily. And although different regions tell different stories, they all have a common thread. Like the "rite of exorcism" dipicted above..... Except the wording is different. All involved baneful materials, a clearing of some sort, and a chant. Some are quite simple, like sleeping under the full moon on a friday night....drinking blood or water from a wolf's footprint....drinking from a river know to be frequented by wolves.... But by far the most interesting.... "The History Of Magick" -By Paul Christian 1870 A.D. Book II pp.450-451 "....Little can be reliably written on Voodoo, the African magick, and the reader must be referred to the few works that exist. One aspect of it however links with similar phenomena reported elsewhere and is worth note. West Africa has a number of animals said in different disrticts to be were or *wir*, that is to be a demon or human elementary transformations: there are the weretiger, the werejaguar and the werealigator. Now India also has a weretiger, and in Australia amongst certian tribes is the weredingo. In America there is the werecyote, and in Europe the evidence for the werewolf....." It goes on to say "Ancient Egypt is said to have a werejackal, and nearer home the werecat is reported from Scotland" -Rich A.K.A. Trafalgar of #ahww 11) Do these thoughts mean I'm crazy? ----------------------------------------------- Aaah, I see you've hit upon another bit of the werewolf mythos... relatively recent, "scientific" mythos. Lycanthropy has long been held to be a sign of insanity; a precursor to psychosis and/or schizophrenia. Indeed, there are documented cases of individuals who claimed to be werewolves who were extremely mentally ill. But was their lycanthropy due to their illness or vice-versa? With modern psychology and society holding such a view, it's not uncommon for someone who feels they are a werewolf to be uncomfortable with those thoughts, and to think themselves crazy. I don't think it has to be so, however. I'm pretty sure I don't have the corner on sanity... I'm pretty eccentric, if I do say so myself... but insane? No. Certainly not by the legal definition of the word. Read on, you may find section II enlightening; and don't short-change yourself. Judge for yourself if the cyber-pack is insane... 12) What is the "cyberpack"? ------------------------------------ I don't know where the term first came from. The cyberpack is basically anyone who reads AHWW and finds a bond with the others there. It's an extended friendship circle, a source of moral (and sometimes physical) support. It's a bunch of people who like each other's company and find common traits amongst themselves. It's the social and emotional side to AHWW. There is no leader of the pack, no alpha, no heirarchy. There's no need for it. There's also no entrance exam or secret handshake... if you find you get along with the group on AHWW, and feel a kinship with them... well, then, you're a member. Welcome, friend. End Part I Part II Spiritual Therianthropy The first thing to remember when reading this part is that the ideas expressed here aren't necessarily held by every reader of AHWW. This subject is a very personal one, and opinions on it will vary from individual to individual. The second thing to remember is to keep an open mind... 1) What's Spiritual Therianthropy? ------------------------------------------- Physical Therianthropy has been defined as the ability to shift from human to animal form and back again. Spiritual Therianthropy, then, is the ability to mentally transform from the normal human mode of thinking and reacting to an animal one. Each one of us identifies with an animal whose characteristics we feel reflect our own. For example, I feel strongly attracted to both the wolf and the cougar... one is a pack animal, truly comfortable only in a group setting, relying on its packmates for everything. The other is a solitary hunter, only meeting others of its kind to mate. I feel that there are aspects of both animals in my psyche. Humans are animals. Most of humanity, however, has tried to deny this fact. Humanity has sought to remove all aspects of animalistic traits from its behavior; to the point that being called an animal is considered an insult. It evokes images of uncivilized, impulsive, hedonistic behavior; acting completely without thought or restraint. Humanity has attempted to remove itself from nature as well as remove nature from itself; by subverting and subduing the land, bending it to suit humanity's purposes, attempting to conquer it rather than coexist with it. As a result, humanity has had to deal with a number of ecological problems caused by it's attempts to kill the very thing that sustains it. All humans are animals, but very few these days can look into themselves and find the animal remnants. We who believe in Spiritual Therianthropy feel those animal remnants very strongly. We exist in the human world, but long to seek connections with the animal one. It contacts us through totems, through dreams, through our very souls. We cannot completely leave the human world, nor completely enter the animal one. We are in-between, half animal and half human in psyche... mental, or spiritual, shapechangers. We seek to balance the two halves of our nature, so that someday we can teach the rest of humanity how balance its drive to conquer with the reality that it needs nature to survive. 2) What are Totem animals? ----------------------------------- Totem animals are animals that best reflect the qualities and needs of a person. How totems are used varies greatly... some shamanic traditions place great importance on totems and have many different totem animals, colors, directions... some barely mention them in passing. Most commonly, it's believed that their are two kinds of totems... the central totem, the one that defines who you are; and "outside" totems, spirits that surround and guide you. The central totem is the animal you most strongly identify with, that reflects who you are. As I mentioned above, I strongly identify with the wolf and the cougar... reflecting the two sides to my nature. Outside totems are commonly called upon to guide a person. How they are called and how they manifest themselves, again, depends a lot upon the particular tradition you follow and what you believe. 3) What do Dreams have to do with anything? -------------------------------------------------------- Dreams, with a capitol D, are messages from your soul, or sub- conscious, or whatever you wish to call it. Not everyone Dreams.... scientists say that everyone has dreams; but not everyone remembers them upon waking. The Dreams that we're talking about here are dreams that are exceptionally vivid and memorable, that make a strong impression upon the dreamer, and seem to have something to impart of importance. A lot of my experiences with therianthropy are through my Dreams. I don't have them every night; sometimes it's months between them... but the really vivid, technicolor, interesting dreams I try to remember and write down and decipher. Sometimes I shift into different animals in the dreams. Sometimes I just know that they have something important to say. I chereish every one of them as a message from my elusive animal spririt. It sounds like I'm attatching a lot of importance to these Dreams... and I am, really. But one can feel a strong pull to know their animal side without having them. They are not a pre-requisite for being a were-creature. They are, however, a valuable tool for discovering what that spirit has to tell you. I usually rely on my Dreams to come on their own. There are ways to go looking for them, however. One involves autohypnosis; Asikaa has volunteered to tell us more about it: >How do you Dream? Asikaa, I was told by Rimblesah that >you< can enter Dream quite easily by "spacing out". Is your natural affinity for that learnable? [rip] Yes, I enter a state of autohypnosis called by some a "dreamtrance". It's really quite easy to do, and is simply a form of extremely deep relaxation of the mind and body. You might like to print the rest of this article, starting from here: It is a learned skill, and fairly easy to learn at that. First you need to learn how to relax physically. It's best to get hold of a compact disc (or continuous tape cassette) and put the player on infinite repeat. Oh sorry, I forgot to mention what should be on the CD! Not Iron Maiden or Aerosmith! You can get relaxation soundtracks from health stores and similar places. They contain "nice" sounds, such as birdsong, the gentle trickle of riverwater over rocks, the wind through the trees... Now all you have to do is put the CD player on infinite repeat like I said, and lie down flat on your back, with your legs out straight, arms by your sides. Let your hands curl slightly into their natural relaxed position, and make sure you are absolutely comfortable. Breathe in slowly and steadily, filling your lungs completely. Hold the breath for two seconds then release it. Don't blow it out, just let the weight of your chest gently descend, emptying your lungs. Try to breath like this for the rest of this "session". It doesn't matter if you forget the breathing later on, just do whatever feels comfortable. Now you can start relaxing your body. Start at your face, and work down. Breathe in, concentrate on the muscles of your face and neck, *feel* the muscles, explore them with your mind. Let the breath out, and as the air leaves your body, imagine all the tension being drawn from the muscles of your face and neck and floating away. Do this a couple of times for each part... your chest, your arms and shoulders, your stomach, thighs, legs and feet. Once you've got down to your feet, mentally check for any feelings of tension left behind, then go back to that part of your body and relax it a little more. By now your body should be fully relaxed... a nice warm feeling of wellbeing. This is the first stage of autohypnosis, and will take a little practice to master. Now we concentrate on the mind. Imagine yourself lying warm and comfortable in your favourite place. Perhaps lying on warm sand, or on the edge of a forest next to a lake. Clear your mind of all unnecessary thoughts, and concentrate on that place. Let your mind enjoy the feeling of total isolation, with no worries or stress. Float along with your calm thoughts, and you should notice that you have no awareness of your physical self. Honestly, you really cannot feel your body any more. You have become just your consciousness, nothing more. Your body is so relaxed it may as well not exist. Now you should be able to start Dreaming. You mind is free of all physical restraints, and your body has assumed the type of deep relaxation usually found only in alphawave sleep. It is up to you what you do with this mental freedom, but with practice the possibilities are endless. 4) Isn't this some kind of New-Age Psuedo religion? ---------------------------------------------------------------- No. Not on it's own. The concept of Spiritual Therianthropy means a great deal to me, personally; and might be seen as my religion.... it certainly forms the core of my belief system. But we have no intention of starting a church or cult here. Most of us have an intense dislike of any _organized_ religion, in any case. But not all... there are christian werewolves out there. This sounds like an impossability; but the basic tenets of christianity aren't so far from many other religions... and nowhere in the bible does it condemn werewolves! Spiritual Therianthropy should work well with many different beliefs; even atheism. So there'll be no cups of spiked kool-aid at the Howls, and stop looking for the BATF. *grin* 5) How does someone shift mentally? ---------------------------------------------- I can tell you how I "shift". It may not be this way for others. I welcome any additional comments on this subject for addition here. What I mean by "shifted" is the state of mind that I'm in when I feel closest to my animal spirit. It's a feeling of heightened awareness, a sense of prowess and well-being. It's what defensive-tactics instructors call "Condition Orange"... that state of hyper-readiness and alertness that means one is ready to handle whatever crisis might get thrown at him. It's the state that I envision a healthy animal being in at any given moment... ready to fight or flee, ready for anything a hostile world might conjure up. I might add one additional thing that I'm ready for.. fight, flee, or party. :) I achieve this state unconciously whenever I'm in an area or situation that might prove to be harmful to me. Most all humans have felt this at one point in their lives or another... whether they admit it or not, it's a wonderful feeling. Adrenalin junkies spend their lifetimes looking for this feeling and beyond. I noticed this feeling accidentally and connected it with my fascination for animals and began looking for a way to bring it on voluntarily. I found that if I concentrated on visualizing myself as an animal, those thought patterns would return to me and I'd get the ol' predator feeling again. Now I find myself slipping into it at odd moments... when I'm driving, under particular full moons, while listening to evocative music. Most people can sense an outward change when I'm shifted inwardly. Perhaps this is the first step, for me, to physical changeing... we shall see. End Part II Section III Shapeshifter Multimedia 1) Songs about shapeshifters ----------------------------------- There are generally very few songs specifically about shapeshifters per se; but there are LOTS of songs that either evoke a certain mood that some find conducive to shifting, or seem to deal with the subject in some manner. Everybody's got their favorites... here's the list we've come up with so far, in no particular order, and far from final: Warren Zevon - "Werewolves of London" (the classic. If this isn't on the *Wolf* soundtrack, somebody screwed up) Metallica - "Of Wolf and Man" (overplayed album, but great song) Cure - "The Hanging Garden" (from *Pornography*, easily their best album; dark and really creepy) CCR - "Bad Moon Rising" ('nuff said) Belly - "Low Red Moon" (Tanya Donnelly. sigh...) Joe Satriani - "Big Bad Moon" (vocals almost a growl. Cool.) Golden Earring - "Clear Night Moonlight" (showing my age, I guess, but it is a cool song) Sisters of Mercy - "This Corrosion" (on days like this/ in times like these/ I feel an animal deep inside / heel to haunch on bended knees...) Rush - "By-Tor and the Snow Dog" (distorted growling sounds & and an epic battle. What more could you want?) Grateful Dead - "Dire Wolf" (don't murder me) Sam the Sham and the Pharoes - "Little Red Riding Hood" -- Wolfshadow (afta@midway.uchicago.edu) There are several songs by Glenn Danzig that deal with werewolves/lycanthropy, such as "Am I Demon" ("Am I beast or am I human/Am I just like you?"). Also, Glenn Danzig's "Black Aria"... one particular song deals with shapeshifters; the whole album is fantastic for setting a dark mood. Instrumental. There is a Venom song called "Cry Wolf" that deals with werewolves. Sting - "Moon over Bourbon Street" from the Dream of the Blue Turtles album. Liner notes say that it's inspired by Anne Rice's "Interview with a Vampire", but there's a wolf howl there right in the last few seconds... and it sets a great mood. Duran Duran - "Hungry Like the Wolf" A-Ha - "Cry Wolf" Ozzy Osborne - "Bark at the Moon" Nine Inch Nails - "Closer" Genesis - "White Mountain" The group The Cult put out a lot of stuff that captures the flavor of werewolves, if not the actual subject. However, two songs cut close: 1. She Sells Sanctuary, Howling Mix--one of oodles of remixes of this well worked song, it is almost eight minutes long. It begins with electronic howls and has two of those howls inserted into the song at varying points. No other wolf connections directly, but still a neat song, and the howls are great. The lyrics are hard to make out, and just as hard to understand even when you do read them printed out. This song is not on any album, but is available in England on a single off She Sells Sanctuary, or on a CD entitled "The Love Mixes." In the US, it is only available as an import, so be ready to special order and shell out. 2. Brother Wolf, Sister Moon--of the _Love_ album, this song is a must- hear for any lycanthrope out there. --Jon ====================================================================== I know of a few werewolf songs not listed, but the only one I can think of the top of my head is called "Full Moon Fire" by Walter Egan (of "Magnet and Steel" fame). Mtv used to show it around '82 or so. Pretty typical crappy video, but has the singer watching "The Wolf Man" in a movie theatre and turning into a Lon Chaney Jr. type o' wolfman. Also, although the song has nothing to do with werewolves, Real Life's "Send me an angel" featured a wolfman riding around in the woods on a horse (note: this is the original, not "Send Me an Angel '88" or whatever it was). Oh, here's another one. "I'm a Werewolf Baby" by the Canadian band the Tragically Hip. also pretty obscure and only noteworthy due to the title. -- Ryan Bassler Please add the Seraphim Gothique to the were mvsic list in the FAQ. After all, the singer is qvite therianthropic. "Jane Mary cry one tear" and "Mother/father" (and others) by Swans. Even though everyone knows Michael Gira is an ancient vampire, he's written a few songs about werewolves. Also, Jarboe's howl on "Mother/father" is rather nice. "Let it come down" also mentions shapeshifters in one verse. "Rats" by Syd Barrett. A bit of creative interpretation, not hard to do since the man was way off his rocker, and this is all about werewolves. Btw "Wolfpack", like at least half of Syd's songs, is about vampires. "Leaves of summer" by Cranes. I can't understand a word of it, bvt it's the best song I've ever heard, and therefore has to be about werewolves. "Is there" (and most everything else) by Sunshine Blind. There's no need to explain this to anyone who has heard it, and if ya haven't, ya shovld. "KillyKillKilly (a fire sermon)" by Current 93. This is all about militant misanthropic weres. The rant in it has caused me to shift before. Other C93 pieces may also be on lycanthropic themes ("To feed the moon", perhaps?) bvt it's very hard to tell. "Doppelganger" by Curve. It doesn't make too much linear sense, but with all these shapeshifting - related lines, it's more than a bit difficult to ignore. "Tarantula" by Colourbox (also covered to good effect by This Mortal Coil.) Take the word 'tarantula' out of the chorus (maybe it was planted there for deception...) and the song is applicable to all shapeshifters. "Brute" by KMFDM. I won't vouch for this one, but a friend of mine who's listened to it many more times than me maintains it's about lycanthropy and the accelerated healing powers of weres. - Darkening (pmk2838@rigel.tamu.edu) * Como un lobo (Like a wolf), Miguel Bose. Romantic (Yuk!) but good for you were girlfriend: A Werewolf fall in love and describe him girlfriend like only a wolf know. * Un hombre lobo en Paris ( A werewolf in Paris ), La Union. This song is based in the novel "The wolf-man" and talks about a imaginary trip of Denise (a wolf that can convert in human) to Paris. **If you know of some music that should be added to this list, email me!** 2) Books about Shapeshifters ------------------------------------ Non-fiction first; then the fiction stuff. Like all the lists, this is far from complete; feel free to email me and suggest new entries. **Phaedrus's excellent list of transformation stories, available from ftp.halcyon.com as /local/phaedrus/translist/translist.text; and a much nicer HTML version at "http://www.halcyon.com/phaedrus/translist/translist.html"; not included in this shortened FAQ due to space limitations.** Non- Fiction ---------------- Transformations / by the editors of Time-Life Books. (I know, I know; just trying to be thorough.) Time-Life Books, c1989 A Lycanthropy Reader : werewolves in Western culture Edited by Charlotte F. Otten Syracuse University Press, 1986 Were-wolf and vampire in Romania Harry A. Senn East European Monographs, 1982 The werewolf : in legend, fact, and art Basil Copper St. Martin's Press, 1977 Human-wolves among the Navajo William Morgan Human Relations Area Files Press, 1970 The Werewolf Montague Summers University Books, 1966 Man into Wolf: an anthropological interpretation of sadism, masochism, and lycanthropy (Sounds interesting, eh?) Robert Eisler Philosophical Library, 1952 Angelo de Gubernatis (1978 reprint of an 1872 text) _Zoological Mythology or The Legends of Animals_ New York: Arno Press LC Call #: GR825.G9.1978 El perro negro en el folklore Rafael Jijena Sanchez Ediciones Dolmen, 1952 Greek Wolf-lore Richard Preston Eckels Philidelphia, 1937 Vampires, werewolves, and demons : twentieth century reports in the psychiatric literature Richard Noll Brunner/Mazel, 1991 The Werewolf of Ponkert H. Warner Munn Grandon Co, 1958 The Story of Werewolves Thomas G. Aylesworth McGraw-Hill, 1978 Adam Douglas The Beast Within (1992, London) PY: 1989 LA: FRENCH; NON-ENGLISH CP: FRANCE AB: After a short historical review of the contemporary medical literature, the authors analyze a new and original observation of lycanthropy. He is a 28 years old man, imprisoned for deadly violence, who has been showing, for many years, the belief of being transformed into a werewolf during depersonalization episodes when he presents a lycanthropic behaviour. Our observation is closer to hysteria and mythomania on an antisocial personality, although it seems difficult to place the mental pathology of this alcoholic recidivist delinquent into a nosographical frame. MESH: Adult-; English-Abstract; Psychosexual-Disorders-psychology MESH: *Delusions-psychology; *Personality-Disorders-psychology TG: Case-Report; Human; Male PT: JOURNAL-ARTICLE; REVIEW; REVIEW-OF-REPORTED-CASES AN: 90054739 UD: 9002 TI: The social biology of the werewolf trials [letter; comment] CM: Comment on: J R Soc Med 1989 Jan;82(1):37-9 AU: Russell-WM; Russell-C SO: J-R-Soc-Med. 1989 Jun; 82(6): 379-80 ISSN: 0141-0768 PY: 1989 LA: ENGLISH CP: ENGLAND MESH: Great-Britain; History-of-Medicine,-16th-Cent.; History-of- Medicine,-17th-Cent. MESH: *Delusions-history; *Mythology- TG: Human PT: COMMENT; HISTORICAL-ARTICLE; LETTER AN: 90040618 UD: 9002 TI: Werewolves down under--where are they now? [see comments] CM: Comment in: Med J Aust 1990 Apr 16;152(8):448 AU: Yellowlees-PM AD: Broken Hill Base Hospital and Health Services, NSW. SO: Med-J-Aust. 1989 Dec 4-18; 151(11-12): 663-5 ISSN: 0025-729X PY: 1989 LA: ENGLISH CP: AUSTRALIA MESH: Anthropology,-Cultural; Australia-; History-of-Medicine,- Ancient; History-of-Medicine,-Medieval; History-of-Medicine,-16th- Cent.; History-of-Medicine,-17th-Cent.; History-of-Medicine,-19th- Cent.; History-of-Medicine,-20th-Cent.; Porphyria-psychology; Psychotic-Disorders-history MESH: *Psychotic-Disorders-psychology PT: HISTORICAL-ARTICLE; JOURNAL-ARTICLE AN: 90081505 UD: 9003 TI: Werewolves, vampires and cannibals. AU: Fahy-T; Wessely-S; David-A SO: Med-Sci-Law. 1988 Apr; 28(2): 145-9 ISSN: 0025-8024 PY: 1988 LA: ENGLISH CP: ENGLAND MESH: *Cannibalism-; *Mental-Disorders; *Superstitions- TG: Human PT: JOURNAL-ARTICLE; REVIEW; REVIEW,-TUTORIAL AN: 88260757 UD: 8810 TI: Werewolves down under--where are they now? [letter; comment] CM: Comment on: Med J Aust 1989 Dec 4-18;151(11-12):663-5 AU: Berkley-R SO: Med-J-Aust. 1990 Apr 16; 152(8): 448 ISSN: 0025-729X PY: 1990 LA: ENGLISH CP: AUSTRALIA MESH: Australia-epidemiology; Mythology- MESH: *Art-; *Delusions-epidemiology TG: Human PT: COMMENT; LETTER AN: 90231210 UD: 9008 TI: Another case of lycanthropy [letter] AU: Jackson-PM SO: Am-J-Psychiatry. 1978 Jan; 135(1): 134-5 ISSN: 0002-953X PY: 1978 LA: ENGLISH CP: UNITED-STATES MESH: Guilt-; Middle-Age MESH: *Aggression-; *Delusions-psychology; *Libido-; *Psychotic- Disorders-psychology TG: Case-Report; Human; Male PT: LETTER AN: 78058473 UD: 7803 SB: AIM TI: A case of lycanthropy. AU: Rosenstock-HA; Vincent-KR SO: Am-J-Psychiatry. 1977 Oct; 134(10): 1147-9 ISSN: 0002-953X PY: 1977 LA: ENGLISH CP: UNITED-STATES MESH: Body-Image; Delusions-therapy; Middle-Age; Projection-; Schizophrenia-therapy; Sex-Disorders-diagnosis MESH: *Delusions-diagnosis; *Schizophrenia-diagnosis TG: Case-Report; Female; Human; Male PT: JOURNAL-ARTICLE AN: 77264354 UD: 7712 SB: AIM TI: Lycanthropy revisited. AU: Surawicz-FG; Banta-R SO: Can-Psychiatr-Assoc-J. 1975 Nov; 20(7): 537-42 ISSN: 0008-4824 PY: 1975 LA: ENGLISH CP: CANADA MESH: Adult-; Delusions-drug-therapy; Delusions-history; Depersonalization-Disorder-drug-therapy; Hallucinations-drug-therapy; Lysergic-Acid-Diethylamide; Schizophrenia,-Paranoid-complications; Superstitions-; Thioridazine-therapeutic-use; Trifluoperazine- therapeutic-use MESH: *Delusions-etiology; *Depersonalization-Disorder-etiology; *Organic-Mental-Disorders,-Psychotic-complications; *Psychoses,- Substance-Induced-complications TG: Human; Male PT: JOURNAL-ARTICLE AN: 76090124 UD: 7605 TI: Lycanthropy: a review [see comments] CM: Comment in: J R Soc Med 1989 Jun;82(6):379-80 AU: Fahy-TA AD: Bethlem Royal and Maudsley Hospital, London. SO: J-R-Soc-Med. 1989 Jan; 82(1): 37-9 ISSN: 0141-0768 PY: 1989 LA: ENGLISH CP: ENGLAND MESH: Delusions-history; History-of-Medicine,-Ancient; History-of- Medicine,-Medieval; History-of-Medicine,-15th-Cent.; History-of- Medicine,-16th-Cent.; History-of-Medicine,-18th-Cent.; History-of- Medicine,-19th-Cent.; History-of-Medicine,-20th-Cent.; Mythology- MESH: *Delusions- TG: Human PT: HISTORICAL-ARTICLE; JOURNAL-ARTICLE; REVIEW; REVIEW,-TUTORIAL AN: 89178392 UD: 8907 TI: Multiple serial lycanthropy. A case report. AU: Dening-TR; West-A AD: St Crispin Hospital, Northampton, UK. SO: Psychopathology. 1989; 22(6): 344-7 ISSN: 0254-4962 PY: 1989 LA: ENGLISH CP: SWITZERLAND AB: A case is described who exhibited lycanthropy during an acute psychotic illness. During a short period she experienced herself as four different species of animal, an occurrence not previously reported. The phenomenon of lycanthropy is most appropriately regarded as a delusion, but the abnormal subjective experience is stressed, not just the falsely-held belief. MESH: Adult-; Affective-Disorders,-Psychotic-diagnosis; Animals-; Diagnosis,-Differential MESH: *Affective-Disorders,-Psychotic-psychology; *Delusions- psychology; *Hallucinations-psychology TG: Animal; Case-Report; Female; Human PT: JOURNAL-ARTICLE AN: 90311541 UD: 9010 TI: A lycanthropic murderer [letter] AU: Benezech-M; De-Witte-J; Etcheparre-JJ; Bourgeois-M SO: Am-J-Psychiatry. 1989 Jul; 146(7): 942 ISSN: 0002-953X PY: 1989 LA: ENGLISH CP: UNITED-STATES MESH: Adult-; Antisocial-Personality-Disorder MESH: *Delusions-; *Depersonalization-Disorder; *Homicide- TG: Case-Report; Human; Male PT: LETTER AN: 89300931 UD: 8910 SB: AIM TI: Lycanthropy: alive and well in the twentieth century. AU: Keck-PE; Pope-HG; Hudson-JI; McElroy-SL; Kulick-AR AD: Epidemiology Laboratory, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA 02178. SO: Psychol-Med. 1988 Feb; 18(1): 113-20 ISSN: 0033-2917 PY: 1988 LA: ENGLISH CP: ENGLAND AB: Lycanthropy, the belief that one has been transformed into an animal (or behaviour suggestive of such a belief), has been described by physicians and clerics since antiquity, but has received scant attention in the modern literature. Some have even thought the syndrome extinct. However, in a review of patients admitted to our centre since 1974, we identified twelve cases of lycanthropy, ranging in duration from one day to 13 years. The syndrome was generally associated with severe psychosis, but not with any specific psychiatric diagnosis or neurological findings, or with any particular outcome. As a rare but colourful presentation of psychosis, lycanthropy appears to have survived into modern times. MESH: Adolescence-; Adult-; Delusions-complications; Delusions-drug- therapy; Electroencephalography-; Factitious-Disorders-complications; Psychotic-Disorders-complications MESH: *Delusions-psychology TG: Case-Report; Female; Human; Male PT: JOURNAL-ARTICLE AN: 88204005 UD: 8808 TI: Lycanthropy lives on. AU: Coll-PG; O'Sullivan-G; Browne-PJ SO: Br-J-Psychiatry. 1985 Aug; 147: 201-2 ISSN: 0007-1250 PY: 1985 LA: ENGLISH CP: ENGLAND MESH: Aged-; Aggression-; Delusions-therapy; Electroconvulsive- Therapy MESH: *Delusions-diagnosis; *Depersonalization-Disorder-diagnosis TG: Case-Report; Female; Human PT: JOURNAL-ARTICLE AN: 86001205 UD: 8601 TI: [Animal metamorphosis (lycanthropy) still exists] AU: Sirota-P; Schild-K; Ben-Zui-Levi-Y; Elitzur-A SO: Harefuah. 1994 Jan 16; 126(2): 88-91 ISSN: 0017-7768 PY: 1994 LA: HEBREW; NON-ENGLISH CP: ISRAEL MESH: Animals,-Wild; Carnivora- MESH: *Delusions- TG: Animal; Human PT: JOURNAL-ARTICLE; REVIEW; REVIEW,-TUTORIAL AN: 94193070 UD: 9407 TI: A partial form of lycanthropy with hair delusion in a manic- depressive patient. AU: Verdoux-H; Bourgeois-M AD: University of Bordeaux, France. SO: Br-J-Psychiatry. 1993 Nov; 163: 684-6 ISSN: 0007-1250 PY: 1993 LA: ENGLISH CP: ENGLAND AB: A 45-year-old man was admitted with a hair growth delusion and depressive symptoms. The delusion persisted for three years and disappeared after a manic episode. This odd delusion has some similarities with lycanthropy. MESH: Antipsychotic-Agents,-Phenothiazine-administration-and-dosage; Antipsychotic-Agents,-Phenothiazine-therapeutic-use; Delusions-drug- therapy; Depressive-Disorder-drug-therapy; Hypochondriasis-drug- therapy; Lithium-Carbonate-administration-and-dosage; Lithium- Carbonate-therapeutic-use; Manic-Disorder-drug-therapy; Middle-Age; Phenothiazines-administration-and-dosage; Phenothiazines-therapeutic- use; Psychiatric-Status-Rating-Scales MESH: *Delusions-complications; *Depressive-Disorder-complications; *Hypochondriasis-complications; *Hypochondriasis-diagnosis; *Manic- Disorder-complications TG: Case-Report; Human; Male PT: JOURNAL-ARTICLE RN: 0; 0; 3546-03-0; 554-13-2 NM: Antipsychotic-Agents,-Phenothiazine; Phenothiazines; cyamemazine; Lithium-Carbonate AN: 94129957 UD: 9405 TI: [Anorexia and lycanthropy ++: grandiosity and fall] TO: Anorexie et lycanthropie: grandeur et decadence. AU: Vedie-C; Poinso-F; Hemmi-F; Katz-G AD: Hopital La Colombiere, Montpellier. SO: Ann-Med-Psychol-Paris. 1993 Mar; 151(3): 285-9 ISSN: 0003-4487 PY: 1993 LA: FRENCH; NON-ENGLISH CP: FRANCE MESH: Anorexia-classification; Anorexia-diagnosis; History-of- Medicine,-19th-Cent.; History-of-Medicine,-20th-Cent.; Mythology-; Psychiatry-history; Psychotherapy- MESH: *Anorexia-history; *Delusions-history TG: Female; Human; Male PT: HISTORICAL-ARTICLE; JOURNAL-ARTICLE AN: 94079209 UD: 9403 TI: Psychopharmacology of lycanthropy. AU: Davis-WM; Wellwuff-HG; Garew-L; Kydd-OU AD: Orphan Drug Research Institute, Jefferson, Miss. SO: Can-Med-Assoc-J. 1992 Apr 1; 146(7): 1191-7 ISSN: 0008-4409 PY: 1992 LA: ENGLISH CP: CANADA AB: OBJECTIVE: To develop pharmacotherapies for the orphan disease lycanthropy through the pursuit of the etiologic hypothesis of a genetically determined hypersecretion of endogenous lycanthropogens. DESIGN: Quadruple-blind, Rubik's Cube matrix analysis. SETTING: Community practice and malpractice. PARTICIPANTS: Subjects selected from inbred Ruficolla populations in Mississippi, Georgia, North Carolina and Minnesota. All who entered the study finished it. INTERVENTIONS: Chemical screening of blood samples over a hypothesized secretory cycle of lycanthropogen peaking on the day of maximum lunar illumination. Administration of synthetic lycanthropogens for behavioural testing. Experimental lycosomatization through the illumination method of Kirschbaum. OUTCOME MEASURES: None were post hoc, but some are still in hock. MAIN RESULTS: Two putative lycanthropogens were isolated from the blood samples. Structural elucidation and synthesis permitted animal and clinical trials; in each of these, behavioural dysfunction was observed. Antilycanthropogen strategies included application of the principle of caged compounds and generation of a therapeutic immunoglobulin. The effects of a newly developed antihirsutic agent seemed promising. An interaction of the lycanthropogen-secretion system and ethanol was noted, which may explain behavioural aspects of alcoholism. CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of lycomania in North America is underestimated. Soon-to-be-available pharmacotherapies should promote its early detection and treatment. Full control may depend upon advances in gene therapy. MESH: *Delusions-; *Wit-and-Humor TG: Human PT: JOURNAL-ARTICLE AN: 92208802 UD: 9207 SB: AIM TI: [The delusion of lycanthropic transformation] TO: El delirio de transformacion licantropico. AU: Rojo-Moreno-J; Rojo-Moreno-M; Valdemoro-Garcia-C; Rojo-Sierra-M AD: Facultad de Medicina, Valencia. SO: Actas-Luso-Esp-Neurol-Psiquiatr-Cienc-Afines. 1990 Sep-Oct; 18(5): 327-31 ISSN: 0300-5062 PY: 1990 LA: SPANISH; NON-ENGLISH CP: SPAIN AB: The authors describe one case of Lycanthropy and revise the literature about this theme. They observe that Lycanthropy has received scant attention in the modern literature, but appears to have survived into modern times. In some cases the patient (as a Delusion) has the belief that he has been transformed into an animal. In other cases there appears only what seems to be behaviour of an animal. About the first group, the authors make a phenomenological analysis and present a clinical case of Lycanthropic delusion. MESH: Adult-; Antidepressive-Agents-therapeutic-use; Antipsychotic- Agents-therapeutic-use; Delusions-drug-therapy; Delusions-psychology; Depression-etiology; English-Abstract; Hirsutism-psychology; Self- Concept; Social-Isolation MESH: *Delusions- TG: Case-Report; Human; Male PT: JOURNAL-ARTICLE; REVIEW; REVIEW-OF-REPORTED-CASES RN: 0; 0 NM: Antidepressive-Agents; Antipsychotic-Agents AN: 91150521 UD: 9106 TI: Lycanthropy and demonomania: some psychopathological issues. AU: Koehler-K; Ebel-H; Vartzopoulos-D AD: University Psychiatric Clinic, Bonn, West Germany. SO: Psychol-Med. 1990 Aug; 20(3): 629-33 ISSN: 0033-2917 PY: 1990 LA: ENGLISH CP: ENGLAND AB: Modern reports on lycanthropy mainly concentrate on the content of patients' beliefs in being transformed into an animal. By contrast, an interest in the form of the symptomatology is usually minimal. This paper draws on Karl Jaspers' phenomenological views and focuses on some important albeit neglected psychopathological issues related to form which are relevant to any comprehensive consideration of lycanthropic phenomena. MESH: Awareness-; Reality-Testing; Self-Concept MESH: *Delusions-psychology; *Depersonalization-Disorder-psychology; *Magic-; *Manic-Disorder-psychology TG: Human PT: JOURNAL-ARTICLE; REVIEW; REVIEW,-TUTORIAL AN: 91046496 UD: 9102 TI: Lycanthropy and self-identification. AU: Kulick-AR; Pope-HG Jr; Keck-PE Jr AD: Department of Psychiatry, McLean Hospital, Belmont, Massachusetts 02178. SO: J-Nerv-Ment-Dis. 1990 Feb; 178(2): 134-7 ISSN: 0022-3018 PY: 1990 LA: ENGLISH CP: UNITED-STATES AB: Lycanthropy, an unusual psychiatric syndrome involving the delusion of being an animal, usually occurs as a transient symptom of severe psychosis. A review of the historical and modern medical literature, as well as of contemporary anthropological reports, suggests multiple etiologies for lycanthropy, including seizure disorders and use of psychotomimetic drugs. A clinical illustration is presented in which the delusion of being an animal in human form has persisted for over 15 years and has been refractory to treatment. The authors speculate that disturbances of self-identity may combine with neurological abnormalities to produce some cases of this syndrome. MESH: Adult-; Delusions-drug-therapy; Delusions-etiology; Delusions- therapy; Psychotherapy-; Psychotic-Disorders-complications; Psychotropic-Drugs-therapeutic-use MESH: *Cats-; *Delusions-; *Ego- TG: Animal; Case-Report; Human; Male PT: JOURNAL-ARTICLE; REVIEW; REVIEW-OF-REPORTED-CASES AN: 90132623 UD: 9005 SB: AIM Title: The Beast Within - Animals in the middle ages Author: Joyce E. Salisbury. Publisher: Routledge, 1994 ISBN: 0-415-90769-1 Cost me about 12 pounds sterling [make that $20]. It's basically an analysis of the human perception of animal forms since about the 10th century, from religious, sexual, social and economic standpoints. The bit at the end 'humans as animals' and "what is a human", are IMHO really rather good; certainly changed *my* way of looking at myself in the traditional sense as a human, to the way I feel now, which is much more animal-centred. Ed Warren - *Werewolf: a true story of demonic possession* Apparently about a man who was "possessed" by a wolf spirit, which is exorcised by a Catholic priest. On the back cover, they describe seeing him change, yet with the included photos, there is not one picture of said change. Methinks they were just trying to sell books with a little hype. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1992 Tim Kelly - *Curse of the Werewolf* (?) Dramatic Pub. Co., 1990 Terry Crawford - *The werewolf miracles* Oberon Press, 1976 Title: Animal Spirits Author: Nicholas J. Saunders Publisher: Macmillan/Duncan Baird Publishers, 1995 ISBN: 0-333-63846-8 Price: 9.95 pounds sterling. A strange book; at first it starts with a discussion of "the shared world" the way animals have been perceived by humans, discusses soul- flight, animals in heraldry, hunter and hunted, food, animal-related beliefs, shamanism etc. Then the second part has specific sections on animals [bat, jaguar, wolf, dog, shark, fish, bear etc]. The third part is a gazetteer of animal beliefs from around the world. But this book's 2-page definition of Werewolves is in the section "Imaginary Beasts". Huh! So *I* am a figment of somebody's imagination, am i?? Anyway, the picture to go with the Werewolf ('Cannibal, or Werewolf' by Cranach the Elder) is worth it, just for all those severed limbs, heads etc! A useful introduction.... and a good list of references at the back too! !Raised Tails! -:MegaDog:- > An excellent way to acquire basic knowledge is to read. The > Native Book Centre has several excellent books about herbal and >spiritual healing and medicine. If you have access to the WWW please visit >our WWW site at http://www.9to5.com/9to5/NBC/ where you will find our >complete catalogue. Look under the topics of Health and Medicine, and >Spirituality. There you will find 40-50 titles on these topics. If you >cannot access the Web, we can send you our print catalogue for $3.00 >(refundable with your first order). Fiction --------- "Naked came the Sasquatch" by John Boston, published by TSR but amazingly good for a first novel. VERY humorous, although alas Mr Boston sometimes repeats characterization to the word, and there is a gap in the storyline. Still worth the reading. And yes, despite the title, there are werewolves in it. BTW, I thought of a book we should add to the FAQ. Really it should have been on my werecard in the category of Fav Were Lit -- _Steppenwolf_, a novel by Herman Hesse. It's fiction, but man does he have the anguish of a dual soul thing down. Vlad seconds this motion too...actually I mentioned the book to her, and then she asked me if it was in the FAQ, and we agreed that if it wasn't, it oughta be. Moon of Three Rings Year of the Unicorn The Jargoon Pard -all by Andre Norton In the first, a space trader gets transformed into the body of a wolflike creature called a barsk at the hands of a woman of a Gypsy- like people. The second features a were-snow leopard, a half-breed of a shape- shifting people who falls in love with a witch, and the third is about a were-leopard who turns out to be the witch's and snow leopard's son. Everything works out in the end -- Andre Norton is addicted to happy endings. Darker Than You Think -by Jack Williamson An old but classic science-fiction novel in which shapeshifters are the last remnants of an ancient race that once ruled humans. Jennifer Roberson - Chronicles of the Cheysuli (a series about a people who are bound to one animal, or more, into which they can transform, and with they are in close psychic contact. The first was *Shapechangers*, and I think there were a total of 8.) Robert Jordan - Wheel of Time Series (I think he's up to 4 or 5 books in the series now. One of the main characters, Perrin, is a lycanthrope of some sort. He can communicate with wolves, sees through their eyes, and is in constant danger of turning into one permanently...) Stephen King - *Silver Bullet* (as you say, for completeness only...) J.R.R. Tolkien - Lord of the Ring series (Beornings are werebears) Tanya Huff - *Blood Trail* (second in a series of fantasy/murder mysteries, this one involves something that's been killing all of Canada's werewolves...) *The Ultimate Werewolf* (I think Dell published this excellent collection of modern short fiction about werewolves.) Whitley Streiber - *Wolfen* (they made a movie out of this too. The main creatures aren't quite were, but they're not quite wolves, either, and there's some cool stuff about Native Americans performing shapechanging rituals) Will Shetterly - *Elsewhere* (part of the Borderlands shared world series, in a place where Faery and the modern world meet. This one's about a boy who ends up getting cursed into becoming a Weredog.) *Drums Around the Fire* (from White Wolf; a book of legends & tales told to the Garou of the Werewolf game around the sacred fire by a number of authors) BTW, Nancy A. Collins' "Wild Blood" does have several hot scenes, and some sexual stuff also appears in S.P.Somtov's "Moondance". I wondered anyhow why they didn't show up in KatmanDu's info collection (the one with the large number). [ed. note: Wonder no more! *grin*] Nyx Smith - "Striper Assassin" One of the main characters, Striper, is a weretiger, and a hired assassin for a Mage named Adama. Point of interest: at one time, she goes to a club run by Werewolves. To prove she's Were, she cuts herself, then heals it with her saliva. Very good portrayal of Weres, IMO. Esp. the Wolves :), even if they are only featured once. R.L. Stine - *The werewolf of Fever Swamp*. (adolescent) Eric Wilson -*The St. Andrews werewolf: a Liz Austen mystery* (adolescent) Peter Haining - *Werewolf: horror stories of the man-beast* (a collection) John Gardner - *The werewolf trace* *Werewolf!* edited by Bill Pronzini Seon Manley - *Ladies of horror; two centuries of supernatural stories by the gentle sex* (adolescent) Anthony Boucher - *The compleat werewolf, and other stories of fantasy and sf* Clifford Simak - *The werewolf principle* (adult/adolescent) _The Wild_ by Whitley Strieber. Essentially about a man whose desire to escape the Kafkaesque nature of his life is the catalyst for his transformation into a sentient wolf. Also, one of the best endings of a werewolf novel I've read. _Saint Peter's Wolf_ by Michael Cadnum. A psychiatrist whose life is falling apart discovers hope in the form a mysterious new lover and a strange pair of silver fangs. Extremely good book that questions every assumption people have about lycanthropy. [NB I wrote a paper on this book and it snagged me an "A" :)] _Wilderness_ by Dennis Danvers. The story centers around a young woman learning to control her life and her lycanthropy for the first time when she falls in love with her new neighbor. This books actually more of a love story than a horror novel. _Animals_ by John Skipp and Craig Spector. The crown princes of splatterpunk pull out all the stops in this surpisingly good novel with one overriding theme: "Lycanthropy is no excuse for being an asshole." The story and the characters have a refreshingly blusey feel to them, aided and abetted by the Pennsylvania rust-belt setting and the blues music that permiates everything. _Lycanthia_ by Tanith Lee. Very very hard to find but an excelent book. A young lord retuns to his family estate and discovers that the "horrible monsters" living in his woods are neither, but graceful and very sensual werewolves. Quietly erotic book with a sad ending. _Heart Beast_ by Tanith Lee. Her "raving beast" book, here a young man is cursed to become a werewolf after gaining posession of a diamond with a flaw shaped like a running wolf. The werewolf here acts as a symbol of male sexuality, which simultaneously awakens and oppresses the main female charcater's own sexual nature until it's destruction. ---0tt0 The Wilding, by Melanie Tem. (1992; ISBN 0-440-21285-5; Abyss line of Dell Publishing). Follows a family of matrilineal werewolves outside Denver. Focus is on coming-of-age ritual where youngest member learns what she is and what it means. Really cool! Peter David. Howling Mad. ISBN 0-441-34663-4. This book has a thoroughly marvelous premise: a wolf gets bit by a werewolf and turns into a man at every full moon and is completely pi**ed off about it! It's a *lot* of fun to read. Thomas Tessier. The Nightwalker. ISBN 0-330-26225-4. This is one of my favourite novels about a very sympathetic character who happens to be a werewolf. Highly recommended. Angela Carter. The Bloody Chamber. ISBN 0-14-012837-9. This collection of short stories is notable for including the very Jungian tale, "The Company of Wolves", which the movie of the same name was based on, as well as another short story, "The Werewolf". Leslie Whitten. Moon of the Wolf. ISBN 0-380-00285-X. Whitten wrote good old-fashioned, straight-ahead horror stuff. This is a fairly classic and somewhat predictable Hollywood-style werewolf tale, but it's entertaining. Eileen Datlow & Terri Windling (eds.) Snow White, Blood Red. ISBN 0-380-71875-8. This is one of those books that's becoming popular nowadays where a bunch of writers get together and do up modernized, adult versions of classic fairy-tales. This volume includes a pretty good story by Wendy Wheeler called "Little Red". The Lays of Marie de France. Penguin Classics edition. ISBN 0-14-- 44476-9. This is a collection of late 12th century French poetry which includes the classic tale of lycanthropy, "Bisclavret". Serling, Rod, ed. _Rod Serling's Triple W: Witches, Warlocks, and Werewolves_ New York: Bantam Books, 1963. Hey, Kat, add _Prince of Wolves_ by Susan Krinard to the fiction section of the FAQ. hmmm, guess i should write a short critique, eh... hmmm Prince of Wolves is a standard "Romance" novel. If you aren't in to the feisty heroine, broody hero, "heat of their passion was like a thousand suns burning" sorta soft-porn prose then stay clear. On the other paw, it's a well written example of the genre and the brooding hero is quite a fine example of a "good" werewolf. I recommend the book but good luck finding it... romance novels have a short shelf life. (Her second book is also a romance, this one with some untraditional vampires. _Prince of Dreams_. Not as good and void of weres but okay for a romance...) for all that... Is _The Beast WIthin - Erotic Tales of Werewolves_ listed in the FAQ? I didn't think they were all that erotic actually but the last of the four stories was pretty good. I recently read a Were story that wasn't listed on the FAQ. Its called 'The Wild One' by Marion Zimmer Bradley in a collection of shortstories called "The best of Marion Zimmer Bradley, edited by Martin Greenberg...pub. 1985". ShadowFox "The Orphan" by Robert Stallman, New York, Pocket Books, 1980 "The Captive" by Robert Stallman (surprise!), 1981 "The Offspring" _The_Jaguar_Princess_ and was written by one Claire Bell. It's "a Tor Book/published by Tom Doherty Associates, Inc." and was copywrighted 1993. The ISBN number is 0-812-51516-1. The Library of Congress Card Catalogue number is 93-25920. _Thor_, by Wayne Smith. (Ballentine Books, 1992) Primarily aimed at mass adolescent market, but still interesting to older folk. Werewolf character is, alas, straight out of ravening Lon Chaneyesque I-just-can't-help-myself-gotta-rend serial killer mold, but what makes book interesting is that it's told from perspective of family dog. Nice stab at canine psychologizing, dog/human/were interaction. Definitely worth a read, if only for the immortal line, 'I'm the moon's indentured servant'. Nice, eh? I believe there's a Tanith Lee werewolf story (can't remember title off-hand, alas) in _Don't Bet on the Prince_, edited by Jack Zipes. Feminist Fairy Tales. The story might be reprinted elsewhere, perhaps in another were-story anthology. Nice little twist (with the accent on the 'twist') to Red Riding Hood. And of course, being Tanith Lee, gorgeously tactile writing. It's mentioned in movie list, but I'm still a bit surprized that _Werewolf of Paris_ by Guy Endore seemed to be missing from book list. Very well-written, tho' again the unfortunate were in question is of the reluctant Jack-the-Ripper type. Lots and lots of werewolf lore distributed in rather scattershot fashion throughout--alomst as tho' the guy (Guy) is telling us, 'look, I did my homework!' Still, a fab read for the gothic fan particularly. Kind of the 'Dracula' of werewolf novels. _The Crossing_, Cormac McCarthy (Vintage, 1994). Not technically a werewolf story, but might be interesting to weres. First part of the book (set in New Mexico in the 1930's) deals with a boy who is responsible for trapping wolf that is killing cattle on family ranch. He ends up trying to return her to her original range in Mexico. Along the way he bonds with her in a very visceral fashion. Funny, heartbreaking, ravishingly lush prose/poetry a la Faulkner--almost *too* much sometimes, but who doesn't like to get a bit intoxicated on words? I know I do ('so much so, that truth to tell, I'm rarely sober'--thank you, Lord Peter Wimsey). IMHO, McCarthy should have ended the book after the first part with the wolf, but the rest of it makes for interesting reading as well. _Favorite Folk Tales from Around the World_, edited by Jane Yolen (Pantheon, 1986) has an entire section on Shapeshifter stories. *Wonderful* for telling, which is a special passion of mine. And of course, who could forget the Wolfriders in _Elfquest_? (WARP Graphics) Classic example of the spiritual-bond -ejackson@nwu And, of course, Cheri Scotch's werewolf trilogy... Either/Neither/Unknown ------------------------------ "The Book Of Werewolves" by Sabine Baring-Gould. 266 pages, paperback, published by:- Senate Books, Princess House, 50 Eastcastle Street, London, England ISBN 1-85958-072-6 Prince of Darkness Gerald Verner Rider and Co., 1946 Werewolves Elliot O'Donnell Methuen, 1912 3) Shows and Movies About Shapeshifting ---------------------------------------------------- "Werewolves on the Silver Screen" compiled by Wolfshadow (aka Dave Aftandilian) MAIN SOURCES (first two provided most of the info): _The Scream Factory_ #15 (Autumn 1994) -- werewolves in film review article by Lawrence McCallum [top-notch stuff!!] Donald Willis -- _Horror and Science Fiction Films: A Checklist_ (Scarecrow Press, 1972)[thorough, if opinionated, film notes] _Fangoria_ #s 129 & 134 (July 1994) Pierre Benichou -- _Horror et Epouvante dans la Cinema Fantastique_ (Collections Tetes d'Affiche PAL, 1977) Adam Douglas -- _The Beast Within_ (Chapmans, 1992) Stephen Jones (ed) -- _The Mammoth Book of Werewolves_ (Carroll & Graf, 1994) (introduction only) _Imagi-Movies_ Vol. 1, #4, Summer 1994 ANNOTATED LIST OF FILMS: The Werewolf (Canadian; 1913, Bison) DIRECTOR: Henry McRae NOTES: loosely based on Henry Beaugrand's story "The Werewolves". Short in which a Navajo witch-woman transforms her daughter into a werewolf to seek revenge against invading whites. Real wolf used in transformation scene. The Wolfman (1915, Reliance-Mutual) NOTES: lost film Le Loup Garou = The Werewolf (French; 1923) STARS: Jean Marau, Madeleine Guitty NOTES: a priest curses a murderer, who becomes a werewolf The Wolfman (1924, Fox) STARS: John Gilbert, Norma Shearer, Eugene Pallette, etc. DIRECTOR: Edmund Mortimer NOTES: non-supernatural dual-personality melodrama Wolf Blood (1925, Lee-Bradford) STARS: George Chesebro, Marguerite Clayton, Ray Hanford, etc. DIRECTOR: George Chesebro, George Mitchell NOTES: man turns "half-beast" after transfusion of wolf blood The Werewolf (German; 1932) STARS: Magda Sonja, Vladimir Sokolov DIRECTOR: Friedrich Feher NOTES: first talkie to feature a werewolf. From the novel _Der Schwarze Mann_ by Alfred Machard. The Werewolf of London (1935, Universal) STARS: Henry Hull, Warner Oland, Valerie Hobson, Lester Matthews, Spring Byington, etc. DIRECTOR: Stuart Walker MAKE-UP: Jack Pierce SPECIAL FX: John Fulton NOTES: based on Oliver Onion's 1929 story "The Master of the House". First mention of "moon-flower" (Mariphasa) in film (?); but here it is the only antidote for lycanthropy, not its cause The Wolfman (1941, Universal) STARS: Lon Chaney Jr., Claude Rains, Evelyn Ankers, Bela Lugosi, Maria Ouspenskaya, etc. DIRECTOR: George Waggner MAKE-UP: Jack Pierce NOTES: the biggie. Gotta love those crazy gypsies. "Even a man whos is pure in heart..." The Undying Monster (1942, Fox) STARS: James Ellison, Heather Angel, John Howard, etc. DIRECTOR: John Brahm NOTES: from the 1922 novel by Jessie Douglas Kerruish Terror House (UK; 1942, PRC/Pathe Pictures) STARS: James Mason, Wilfrid Sutherland, Mary Clare, etc. DIRECTOR: Leslie Arliss NOTES: from a novel by Alan Kennington The Mad Monster (1942, PRC) STARS: George Zucco, Anna Nagel, Johnny Downs, etc. DIRECTOR: Sam Newfield NOTES: man turned to werewolf by transfusion of wolf blood Le Loup des Malveneur = The Wolf of the Malveneurs (French; 1943) STARS: Madeleine Sologne, Pierre Renoir, Gabrielle Dorziat DIRECTOR: Guillaume Radot Frankenstein Meets the Wolfman (1943, Universal) STARS: Lon Chaney Jr., Bela Lugosi, Patric Knowles, etc. MAKE-UP: Jack Pierce DIRECTOR: Roy William Neill Return of the Vampire (1943/1944, Columbia) STARS: Bela Lugosi, Matt Willis, Nina Foch, etc. DIRECTOR: Lew Landers SPECIAL FX: Aaron Nadley NOTES: werewolf is the hero who kills vampire House of Frankenstein (1944, Universal) STARS: Lon Chaney Jr., Boris Karloff, John Carradine, etc. DIRECTOR: Erle C. Kenton SPECIAL FX: John C. Fulton NOTES: first film use of a silver bullet to kill the werewolf Cry of the Werewolf (1944, Columbia) STARS: Nina Foch, Stephen Crane, Osa Massen, etc. DIRECTOR: Henry Levin NOTES: first female werewolf in film House of Dracula (1945, Universal) STARS: Lon Chaney Jr., John Carradine, Onslow Stevens, etc. DIRECTOR: Erle C. Kenton SPECIAL FX: John C. Fulton She-Wolf of London (1946, Universal;= UK The Curse of the Allenbys) STARS: June Lockhart, Don Porter, Lloyd Corrigan, etc. DIRECTOR: Jean Yarbrough Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948, Universal) STARS: Bud Abbott, Lou Costello, Lon Chaney Jr., Bela Lugosi DIRECTOR: Charles T. Barton MAKE-UP: Bud Westmore SPECIAL FX: David S. Horsley, Jerome H. Ash The Werewolf (1956, Columbia/Clover) STARS: Steven Ritch, Joyce Holden, Don Megowan, etc. DIRECTOR: Fred F. Sears NOTES: serum turns accident victim into a werewolf I Was a Teenage Werewolf (1956/7, American International/Sunset) STARS: Michael Landon, Yvonne Lime, Whit Bissell, etc. DIRECTOR: Gene Fowler, Jr. The Daughter of Dr. Jekyll (1957, Allied Artists) STARS: Gloria Talbot, Arthur Shields, John Agar, etc. DIRECTOR: Edgar G. Ulmer NOTES: vampire-like, scientifically-created werewolf How to Make a Monster (1958, American International/Sunset) STARS: Gary Clarke, Robert H. Harris, Paul Brinegar, etc. DIRECTOR: Herbert L. Strock NOTES: sequel to I Was a Teenage Werewolf The Curse of the Werewolf (UK; 1961, Hammer) STARS: Oliver Reed, Richard Wordworth, Clifford Evans, etc. DIRECTOR: Terence Fisher MAKE-UP: Roy Ashton NOTES: Hammer's only werewolf film. Based on Guy Endore's 1933 novel _The Werewolf of Paris_. Werewolf in a Girl's Dormitory (Italian/Austrian; 1961/3, MGM/Royal; original Lycanthropus; UK I Married a Werewolf) STARS: Barbara Lass, Carl Schell, Maurice Marsac, etc. DIRECTOR: Paolo Hensch (aka Richard Benson) La Loba = The She-Wolf (Mexican; 1964, Sotomayor/Azteca) STARS: Kitty de Hoyos, Joaquin Cordero, etc. DIRECTOR: Rafael Baledon Face of the Screaming Werewolf (1965, ADP/Diana; merged footage from Mexican originals La Momia Azteca, 1957 and La Casa del Terror, 1959) STARS: Lon Chaney Jr., Yolanda Varela, Yerye Beirute, etc. DIRECTOR: Gilberto M. Solares (Jerry Warren -- US) NOTES: first mummified werewolf in film (!) Dr. Terror's House of Horrors (UK; 1965, Paramount/Amicus) STARS: Peter Cushing, Christopher Lee, Roy Castle, etc. DIRECTOR: Freddie Francis MAKE-UP: Roy Ashton SPECIAL FX: Ted Samuels NOTES: multi-story format; one has werewolf Dr. Terror's Gallery of Horrors (1967, American General) STARS: Lon Chaney Jr., John Carradine, Rochelle Hudson, etc. DIRECTOR: David L. Hewitt The Maltese Bippy = The Incredible Werewolf Murders (1969, MGM) STARS: Dan Rowan & Dick Martin (Laugh-In) DIRECTOR: Norman Panama NOTES: minor character werewolf on motorcycle Blood of Dracula's Castle (1969, A & E Film Corp.) STARS: John Carradine, Paula Raymond, Alex D'Arcy, etc. DIRECTOR: Al Adamson The Ancines Woods OR The Wolfman of Galicia OR The Wolf's Forest = El Bosque de Ancines OR El Bosque del Lobo (Spanish; 1969, Amboto) DIRECTOR: Pedro Olea NOTES: from a novel by Carlos M. Barbeito. Epileptic murderer believed to be a werewolf. Night of the Werewolf (1969) NOTES: in Daninsky series (see next) Frankenstein's Bloody Terror (1970; original Spanish 1967/8 La Marca del Hombre Lobo OR El Hombre Lobo cut for US release) STARS: Paul Naschy, Manuel Manzaneque, Aurora de Alba, etc. DIRECTOR: Enrique Eguiluz NOTES: begins series of films involving Waldemar Daninsky, a scientist afflicted with lycanthropy Assignment Terror (1970, American-International) NOTES: released direct to TV. In Daninsky series. The Werewolf's Shadow (original La Noche de Walpurgis German/Spanish; 1970, Atlas International/Plata) STARS: Paul Naschy, Gaby Fuchs, Barbara Capell, etc. DIRECTOR: Leon Klimovski = Leon Klimowsky NOTES: in Daninsky series Fury of the Wolfman (original Spanish La Furia del Hombre Lobo; 1970, Maxper) STARS: Perla Cristal, Veronica Lujan DIRECTOR: Jose Maria Zabalza NOTES: in Daninsky series Dr. Jekyll and the Wolfman (original Spanish Dr. Jekyll y el Hombre Lobo; 1971) NOTES: in Daninsky series Werewolves on Wheels (1971, Fanfare Films) STARS: Stephen Oliver, Severn Darden, D.J. Anderson, etc. DIRECTOR: Michel Levesque NOTES: werewolf biker gang -- 'nuff said Moon of the Wolf (1972, ABC TV) STARS: David Janssen, Barbara Rush, Bradford Dillman DIRECTOR: Daniel Petrie The Vampires Are Coming! The Werewolves Are Here! (UK; 1972) Curse of the Devil (original Spanish El Retorno de Walpurgis; 1973) STARS: Paul Naschy, Fabiola Falcon, Vidal Molina, etc. DIRECTOR: Carlos Aured NOTES: in Daninsky series The Boy Who Cried Werewolf (1973, Universal) STARS: Kerwin Mathews, Scott Sealey DIRECTOR: Nathan Juran The Werewolf of Washington (1973, Diplomat) STARS: Dean Stockwell Scream of the Wolf (1974 ABC TV) DIRECTOR: Dan Curtis (Dark Shadows) The Beast Must Die (1974, Cinerama) STARS: Peter Cushing, Anton Diffring NOTES: script based on James Blish's "There Shall Be No Darkness"; 1989 video release titled Black Werewolf Legend of the Werewolf (UK; 1974) STARS: Peter Cushing, Ron Moody, Roy Castle, Hugh Griffith DIRECTOR: Fred Francis Night of the Howling Beast (original Spanish La Maldicion de la Bestia; 1975) STARS: Paul Naschy DIRECTOR: Miguel Iglesias Bonns NOTES: another in the Waldemar Daninsky series. Daninsky meets the Abominable Snowman. The Werewolf of Woodstock (1975, ABC TV) Daughter of a Werewolf (Italian; 1976, Dialchi) STARS: Annik Barel, Frederick Stafford DIRECTOR: Rino diSilvestro Wolfman (1979, EO Prod.) STARS: Earl Owensby Wolfen (1980/1981) STARS: Albert Finney, Gregory Hines NOTES: from a book by Whitley Strieber The Howling (1981, Avco-Embassy) STARS: Dee Wallace, Rob Bottin, Patrick MacNee, Chris Stone, Slim Pickins, Dennis Dugan, Robert Picardo DIRECTOR: Joe Dante SPECIAL FX: Rob Bottin NOTES: from novel by Gary Brander An American Werewolf in London (1981, Universal) STARS: David Naughton, Jenny Agutter SPECIAL FX: Rick Baker NOTES: first four-footed werewolf in film The Craving (original Spanish El Retorno del Hombre Lobo; 1981) STARS: Paul Naschy Frankenstein Island (1983) STARS: Robert Clarke, Katherine Vicot, John Carradine, Andrew Duggan, Cameron Mitchell DIRECTOR: Jerry Warren NOTES: werewolf minor appearance The Howling II: Your Sister Is a Werewolf (1984) STARS: Christopher Lee, Reb Brown, Ferdy Mayne DIRECTOR: Philippe Mora MAKE-UP: Steve Johnson The Company of Wolves (UK; 1984, Palace) STARS: Sarah Patterson, Angela Lansbury, Stephen Rea MAKE-UP & SPECIAL FX: Christopher Tucker NOTES: really twisted version of the Red Riding-Hood tale; different video copies said to have different endings Silver Bullet (1985, Paramount) STARS: Gary Busey, Terry O'Quinn MAKE-UP & SPECIAL FX: Rimbaldi (of E.T. fame) NOTES: based on Stephen King's "Cycle of the Werewolf" Teen Wolf (1985) STARS: Michael J. Fox Teen Wolf Too (1987) STARS: Jason Bateman The Monster Squad (1987, Tri-Star) The Howling III (1987) DIRECTOR: Philippe Mora The Howling IV: The Original Nightmare (1988) DIRECTOR: John Hough SPECIAL FX: Steve Johnson The Howling V: The Rebirth (1989) My Mom's a Werewolf (1989) The Howling VI: The Freaks (1991) SPECIAL FX: Steve Johnson Mad at the Moon (1992) STARS: Mary Stuart Masterson, Fionnula Flanagan, Hart Bochner DIRECTOR: Martin Donovan Full Eclipse (1993, HBO) NOTES: digitigrade werewolf (in some scenes) Wolf (1994, Columbia) STARS: Jack Nicholson, Michelle Pfeiffer, James Spader DIRECTOR: Mike Nichols MAKE-UP: Rick Baker NOTES: the proof of the man is the soul within, not the beast without Howling VII (1994) DIRECTOR: Roger Nall SPECIAL FX: Roy Knyrim and Jerry Macaluso (SOTA FX) RELATED FILMS: Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde (various versions) The Island of Lost Souls (1932, Paramount) STARS: Charles Laughton, Bela Lugosi, Richard Arlen, etc. DIRECTOR: Erle C. Kenton NOTES: based on _The Island of Dr. Moreau_ by H.G. Wells. Mad scientist tries to turn animals into humans. Cat People (1942, RKO) STARS: Simone Simon, Kent Smith, Jane Randolph, etc. DIRECTOR: Jacques Tourneur The Leopard Man (1943, RKO) STARS: Dennis O'Keefe, Margo, Jean Brooks, etc. DIRECTOR: Jacques Tourneur NOTES: from the novel _Black Alibi_ by Cornell Woolrich The Curse of the Cat People (1944, RKO) STARS: Simone Simon, Kent Smith, Jane Randolph, etc. DIRECTOR: Robert Wise, Gunther Fritsch NOTES: sequel to Cat People Catman of Paris (1946, Republic) STARS: Carl Esmond, Robert Wilke, Lenore Aubert, etc. DIRECTOR: Lesley Selander SPECIAL FX: Howard and Theodore Lydecker The Island of Dr. Moreau (1977, American International) STARS: Burt Lancaster, Michael York, Nigel Davenport, etc. DIRECTOR: Don Taylor NOTES: remake of Island of Lost Souls The Crow (1994, Miramax) STARS: Brandon Lee, Ernie Hudson, Tony Todd, etc. DIRECTOR: Alex Proyas MAKE-UP: Lance Anderson SPECIAL FX: Dream Quest Images NOTES: tragic film based on James O'Barr's tragic graphic novel. A truly gothic love story. Cat People (1982) STARS: Nastassia Kinski, Malcolm McDowell NOTES: remake of 1942 original "MetalBeast" (??) I do know that there was a British TV series featuring a University professor and an American girl (who was bitten by a werewolf). It was ok; didn't really get to watch it too much. The point was to prevent her from shifting, kinda like Nick Knight on _Forever Knight_. I believe the show was called "Werewolf in London" which is where it took place. The closest I ever saw to a shift was turning her pupils red. Big deal(sarcastically). But it was a kind of X-Files type show that dealt with the paranormal. I'll see if I can find out any more on it, and will forward anything that I discover. --Windrunner >This is the show "She-Wolf of London," which is playing on the Sci-Fi Channel >right now. It does have the occasional so-so transformation scene, just not in >every episode. There's some info about it on the Web... check: > >http://www.nevada.edu/home/4/geno/Web/lc.html -WizardWolf ....and as a special treat, Ysengrin sends us this info on the TV show "Werewolf": Hmmm... somehow the message from ddrake never appeared on the newsreaders here ... USA still runs the 2 hour pilot from time to time (last time was about four months ago), usually on Saturday afternoons. It was part of the Fox network's premire lineup, and was apparently troubled by the censors from day one. Two episodes were delayed for almost two months due to their violent content, and thus were shown out-of- sequence. WEREWOLF EPISODE LIST The dates given are the show dates in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area. This is the first run on the Fox network; episodes were shown in a different order on USA and were re-cut for three commercial breaks instead of two and in many case were also shortened. Tristar (1987) July 11 - Pilot (2 hours) July 18 - NIGHTWATCH July 25 - THE BOY WHO CRIED WEREWOLF Aug 1 - THE BLACK SHIP Aug 8 - SPECTRE OF THE WOLF Aug 15 - THE WOLF WHO THOUGHT HE WAS A MAN Aug 22 - the boy who cried werewolf [R] Aug 29 - NOTHING EVIL IN THESE WOODS Sept 5 - nightwatch [R] Sept 12 - RUNNING WITH THE PACK Sept 19 - pilot [R] ("WEREWOLF - THE MOVIE") Sept 26 - FRIENDLY HAVEN Oct 3 - LET US PREY Oct 10 - A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE (part one) Oct 17 - A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE (part two) Oct 25 - THE UNICORN Oct 31 - ALL HALLOWS EVE Nov 1 - BLOOD ON THE TRACKS Nov 8 - NIGHTMARE AT THE BRAINE HOTEL Nov 15 - WOLF HUNT Nov 22 - BLOOD TIES Nov 29 - BIG DADDY Dec 6 - EYE OF THE STORM Dec 13 - spectre of the wolf [R] Dec 20 - the black ship [R] Dec 27 - spectre of the wolf [R] Jan 3 - the wolf who thought he was a man [R] Jan 10 - the boy who cried werewolf [R] Production changes from Tri-star to Columbia JAN 17 - NIGHTMARE IN BLUE JAN 24 - SKINWALKER JAN 31 - running with the pack [R] FEB 7 - KING OF THE ROAD FEB 14 - A MATERIAL GIRL FEB 21 - TO DREAM OF WOLVES (part one) FEB 28 - TO DREAM OF WOLVES (part two) MAR 7 - BLIND LUCK MAR 14 - GREY WOLF MAR 20 - blood on the tracks [R] MAR 27 - let us pray [R] APR 3 - (no episode) APR 9 - spectre of the wolf [R] the unicorn [R] APR 16 - to dream of wolves parts I and II [R] APR 23 - a world of difference parts I and II [R] MAY 1 - (no episopde) MAY 8 - material girl [R] MAY 15 - big daddy [R] MAY 22 - AMAZING GRACE MAY 29 - wolfhunt [R] JUN 5 - the wolf who thought he was a man [R] 28 half hour episodes (two two-part episodes), plus the two hour pilot. The best episodes (in no particular order) were "The Boy Who Cried Werewolf," "A World of Difference," "Grey Wolf," "To Dream of Wolves," "Let Us Pray," "Nothing Evil in these Woods" and "The Unicorn." The two worst episodes were easily "Blood on the Tracks" and "All Hallows Eve". THE CAST Eric Cord . . . . . . . . John J. York "Alamo" Joe Rogan . . . . Lance LeGault Janos Skorzeny . . . . . Chuck Connors Nicholas Remy . . . . . . Brian Thompson Eric/Werewolf . . . . . . Tony Snegoff Janos/Werewolf . . . . . Alex Daniels Producers . . . . . . . John Ashley & Frank Lupo Created by . . . . . . . Frank Lupo Werewolf makeup crew: (apologies to anyone I missed) Earl Ellis Larry Oden Stuart Artingstall Camilla Henneman Linda Notaro John Vulich Kieth Edmier Tony Rupprecht Mitch Devane Martha Vanek Gino Crognale Anthony Ashly Werewolves designed by Rick Baker (The Skorzeny werewolf was originally to have been the Eric Cord werewolf, but was decided to look too 'evil'. Baker then drew up the Eric werewolf with gentler features. For more info on this, plus some nifty stills, see Fangoria #68) (Rick Baker's sketches were included in a travelling 'makeup effects exhibit' that was making the rounds at museums in the early 90's) Transformations & Makeup by Greg Cannom. Skorzeny werewolf - dark brown/black fur, black skin, left side of muzzle eaten away from just under the eye to the jawline as if by acid - the eye is intact. Upper jaw about 1/2" longer than the lower; single canines. Tall - over 6'6" - in height. Skorzeny rips his skin off to effect the transformation. Skorzeny seems to be both more sensitive of when a transformation is coming and able to force a shift when needed, even to control timing of a "called" shift. Eric werewolf - light brownish-tan fur, brownish skin. Shorter - perhaps 5'4". Pockets under the eyes on either side of the muzzle. Both ears are notched about an inch from the tips. Full form has dual upper canines, although the transitional does not. Is very recognizent of the memories and desires of Eric, although Eric can remember very little of what happens when he shifts, other than the euphoria. This suit does double duty as Terry in the pilot. Remy werewolf - darker brown fur, brownish-black skin. This suit seems to be the same one used whenever a "third" werewolf was needed - the suit is first seen in Let Us Prey, and the only time Remy shifts in To Dream Of Wolves. It is hard to tell this suit from Eric's at a glance. Remy himself seems to shift partially when angry. Remy can force other weres to shift. Shifting seems to fall into two categories - "called" in which there is much foreshadowing of the shift, including the pentagram, without any causative trauma; and, "self-induced" in which either there has been major trauma (being shot, for example) or the desire to shift - these are not always accompanied by the pentagram-blister in the palm. Terry (Eric's roomate in the pilot), Skorzeny, and Eric himself all have foreknowledge of shifting at times ("called"), while Skorzeny, Eric, Remy, Brother Mark, Michelle, Grey Wolf, Marta, and Diane all can also control their shifts ("self-induced"). The appearing werewolves, in order of "birth" ZORA PACK Grey Wolf (Head of Bloodline? Apparently last member, several thousand years old if he is to be believed) HOWARD PACK Nicholas Remy (several centuries old) Diane Janos Skorzeny (300-400 years old) Mary Peterson (around a century old) Terry Eric Cord Bobby [possible?] - THE BOY WHO CRIED WEREWOLF big daddy's girl Brother Mark Michelle Renfield Hank (May have been bitten by a were other than Skorzeny) [unknown] PACK Marta (Head of bloodline) Servan Dumball the 'father' in the Braine Hotel 4) Costuming ---------------- If you ever get a chance, stop by Verdun Manor in Forney, Texas and look at the creations there... Ysengrin has constructed some really incredible werewolf suits. There are also others interested in costuming, as this list of costuming suppliers shows: Larry Lyle wrote asking about costumeing supplies...being the theatre junkie that I am (Technical that is). I have a list of suppliers mostly for make-up but, there might be more in some of the catalogs. I couldnt get your e-mail address to work right Larry, so I'm posting it. So far I havent had any problems.e more in some of the catalogs. Cinema Secrets 4400 Riverside Drive Burbank, CA 91505 818-846-0579 Ben Nye Corporation 5930 Bowcraft Street Los Angeles, CA 90016 213-839-1984 Cinemagic, Inc. 7492 Republic Drive Orlando, FL 32819 407-351-3330 Bill's Trick Shop 6217 West 79th Street Burbank, IL 60459 708-599-4949 Alcone Paramount Company 5-49 49th Avenue Long Island City, NY 11101 718-361-8373 Here are a few the list goes on...If you are really interested in more I can pull out a few more...just E-mail me I also have some for England, Canada, Australia...etc. Almost forgot...I get dental supplies from Burman Ind. you know for making those really convincing canine tooth caps. Caution dental monomers require lots of ventilation. Burman Industries, Inc. 14141 Covello Street, Suite 6-A Van Nuys, CA 91405 818 782-9833 *Fax 818 782-2863 I just write and request catalogs. Alcone Company (718)361-8373 Burman Industries (818)782-9833 Cinefex (magazine) (909)781-1917 Cinema FX 9818)765-4995 National Hair Technologies (I'd think this ones kinda needed) (508)686-2964 Special Effects Supply Co. (801)298-9762 Makeup & Effects Lab (818)982-1483 Polytek Developement (908)534-5990 Sword & Stone (818)562-6548 Quantel,inc (203)656-3100 All of these are in the U.S. You may want to get the July 1994 of Fangoria #134 which boasts "wall to wall werewolves"(Awsome cover!) You can back order from an order form in the back of thier issues. It can be obtained by ordering it form this address Ian(Who's been so lonely without net accsess) End Part III Part IV A Bit of Fun... 1) What do I do if I meet a werewolf? --------------------------------------------- Count yourself lucky; you may the only one who has seen one in the flesh. :) Just in case, we have a handy guide for you: Howls to the cyberpack! Graham and I were contemplating what a potential victim of a Werewolf might do to escape being a late night snack. Feel free to add any new ideas you might have. Enjoy! 1) throw a stick and shout fetch. 2) HOWL! Confuse the bugger. 3) Don't be there. 4) Be kind and nice to all canines, you should be anyway. 5) Don't be a vampire. 6) Don't be human. 7) Definitely don't be a cat. 8) Throw a Frisbee. 9) Be a Wereskunk. 10) Rub the Werewolf's belly and hope for a leg response. 11) Always carry some fresh meat to distract the beast so you can get away. 12) Give the Werewolf a very large, gravy coated, rawhide, chew toy. 13) Point one direction and say "Look it's Elvis!" and run the opposite way. Darren * Respect their territory. :) * DON'T TELL ANYONE as a) they'll think you're a nutter and/or b) they'll dissect the poor fella... * Windigowak: Point in the direction of the nearest well-stocked meat locker (it's nice and cool, and there's LOTS of food :). * Remember who's the boss in the situation. (It ain't you. :) * ASk them (if they shift to homid form) if lycanthropy is contagious (and if so, would they be so kind as to give you a little nip? :) 2) Top Ten Reasons Why Werewolves Make Good Pets ------------------------------------------------ 10. Needs no pet license, walkies, or litter box 9. Sensitive friends unlikely to be allergic to werewolf 8. Werewolf can get outside job and pay part of rent 7. No special bedding required, unlike vampire 6. A good conversation starter at parties 5. Weapons carried by typical burglar ineffective 4. As long as you have neighbors, no need to worry about feeding 3. Easy to fool landlords who have a "no pets" policy 2. If landlord not fooled, werewolf can eat landlord 1. Never lose annual "Biggest Dog in Town" contest again -- 3) Top Ten Reasons Why Werewolves Make Poor Pets ------------------------------------------------ 10.) The mailman is afraid to deliver. 9.) Keeps throwing out your silver jewellery. 8.) The shower drain is ALWAYS clogging with hair. 7.) Uses a whole bottle of conditioner to "de-tangle" after a full moon romp. 6.) Invites the pack over on Friday nights and they drink all your beer. 5.) The 6 month freezer order of meat is always gone in 2 weeks. 4.) Hogs the T.V. to watch nature documentaries. 3.) Howls in his/her sleep. 2.) Always gets blamed when the neighbor's cat disappears. 1.) KEEPS HOGGING THE COMPUTER TO LOG IN TO A.H.W.!!! WARNING: SOME OF THE WORDS IN THIS LEXICON ARE OF AN ADULT NATURE. IF YOU ARE ONE WHO IS EASILY OFFENDED, PLEASE IGNORE THIS MESSAGE. 4) THE LEXICON ------------------------- Words from the Spring Thaw Howl At the recent Spring Thaw Howl, there were a number of words that were introduced into the vocabularies of the folks there. They came from a number of sources, and have even begun to show up in various posts here on Alt.Horror.Werewolves. I was asked by many of the weres who were at the howl to write up this lexicon and post it. Now, so that there can be a reduced level of confusion . . . here are the words and their meanings. If there are any that I have forgotten, or that were given an improper definition, please e-mail me so that I may correct them. The format is simple. A pronunciation guide, usage, definition, and an example sentence. MAD \MAD\ adj: wild, passionate "They were _mad scrumpin_" MUNG \MUHng - to rhyme with dung\ adj: any material which cannot be identified. Usually a liquid, or semi-liquid. "When we added water to the dried remains of Kat's chili, it became a foul mung." SCRUMPIN \SCRUMPIN - to rhyme with pumpin\ a.) v: to engage in sexual intercourse. "No one wanted to go near the tent for fear that they would interrupt _mad scrumpin_." b.) An alcoholic beverage often served in England. Often called, "nicking apples" "Mind if I have some scrumpin?" Scrumpin requires 2 editorial footnotes. It's most common usage is using the adjective mad, simply because sex is frequently impassioned, and therefore often mad -- it is almost never seen without mad, in fact. I was recently introduced to a usage of the word that I was unfamiliar with, namely b.) and therefore it caused a moment of confusion. On IRC one evening, one of the participants was offering "Scrumpin" to anyone who wanted it. Several of the folks on the channel cheerily accepted it. I was appalled. Scrumpin in public? I stated as much, and was soon informed that Scrumpin is an alcholic drink, often served in England. The slang for it there is, "nicking apples." Needless to say, that confusion was quickly cleared up. The use of mad to describe a.) is a good indicator of which the writer means. SPOOGE \SPOOJ\ a.) n.: upchuck, vomit, hurl, the technicolor yawn, selling Buicks to Ralph. "I'm gonna spooge!" b.) slang. to ejaculate. "I'm gonna spooge!" Another editorial note here. Spooge is NOT a romantic word. In it's b.) incarnation it is VERY unromantic, and generally reserved for use in the locker room. TWEE \TWEE -- to rhyme with gee\ adj: _irish slang_ feminine, delicate. "You are a twee little bastard!" The final editorial note is reserved for this word. It is VERY unkind to call a male twee unless you REALLY mean it. Even if someone has NO clue what the word means . . . it SOUNDS feminine. It is one of the few words that one can figure out the meaning PURELY from it's sound. Well, there they are. I hope they provided some enlightenment. I'm certain that future howls and special events will add to this list, and when they do, your faithful lexiconographer will be there to compile them. Cheers, Gary (Werebear @ IRC) End Part IV Part V Wendigo Mini-FAQ This is the Wendigo Mini-FAQ, compiled by our own net.wendigo. Eventually, I'd like to have mini-FAQ's representing all of the were- phenotypes... if you know a lot of folklore and fact about your own were-animal, or just feel an urge to do some research and writing, put something together and mail it to me. Windigowak (that's the proper plural) are Shifters, like werewolves and the like...they tend to take the (natural) form of either a wraithlike being, a 2-3 meter tall skeleton of ice, or an emaciated 2-3 meter tall, hairy, slightly felid-looking-in- the-face critter with _very_ large fangs and claws. They can also go dim, and can (and very often, do) take their original human forms, the sole thing giving them away in the latter guise being the eyes (which tend to glow red). Windigowak have hearts of ice, visible in the ice-skeleton form, and voices that can be alternately soft as a whisper or loud as a tornado. Oh...and they tend to dine on anything they can catch, due to an eternal hunger...including the occasional meal of "long pig", if any of you know what I'm getting at... :) There are variants on this--at least one myth claims that windigowak also have animal-like feet, while another states they have but one toe. Other common names are Kokodjo and Atcen (pronounced AT-shen); the myth was all over, even if the names were different (In fact, the really proper name is _witiko_: it means something to the effect of "He who lives alone". I make no claims on knowing anishinabeg, so if I'm wrong, please correct me on the translation). Even the French-Canadians adopted the myth. AS to how one becomes a windigo, there are several ways. One is to dream of the windigo spirit calling one's name (or even better yet, dreaming one IS a windigo). Another is to be lost in the forest and be called by the windigo spirit. A third is to violate tribal custom of the anishinabeg (Ojibway) by committing a transgression (such as eating human flesh) and being cursed to go windigo by a mide' shaman. A fourth way is to undergo a ritual that will affect the change. As to killing windigowak (note: windigowak are our FRIENDS, even though they eat human flesh...DON'T try ANY of this :), the most effective way (well, the _only_ effective way) is to burn it, the theory being the fire will melt the heart of ice. There are also stories of windigowak being cured; one involved pouring hot suet down the poor windigo's throat till he puked up the heart of ice, the other being one where (upon the first symptoms of vomiting "normal" food and looking upon one's neighbors as snacks) the mide' shaman attempted a cure using migis shells (ritual shells that had curative properties, and were blessed by the gods themselves). Now, to windigowak in myth and folklore: The best book of windigo myths I have seen is a book called _Windigo Psychosis_ (a psychology text that explored "windigo psychosis", which is much like the medical definition of lycanthropy). It lists all the major stories...quite a good book if you can find it. If not, any book on Ojibwa mythology should have a few of the original windigo stories in it. (You could also try Cree, Lakota, or any other northern tribe; it's pretty universal.) As far as fiction goes, the most famous windigo story is Algernon Blackwood's "The Wendigo"; it is one of the wraith stories, and is hands down the most imitated (Derleth's stories of Ithaqua in the Cthulhu Mythos are perhaps the most famous Blackwood inspirations). The Blackwood story ended up in a television show in the 1960s, and was in a comic in the 1940's. Also, recently a children's book was released ("Call OF The Wendigo") that was based heavily on Blackwood. Ogden Nash did a poem about the windigo (part of it goes "The wendigo/the wendigo/it's eyes are ice and indigo/it's blood is thick and yellowish/it's voice is hoarse and bellowish..."), and there are several good stories in the "modern" depiction of windigowak such as "Sins Of The Flesh", "The Unseen", and "Where The Chill Waits" (sorry, can't remember the author's names)...there is supposedly a song about windigowak that someone told me they learned in school, as well. Also, John Colombo put out a collection of windigo stories back in 1980; however, I can't find it, and it may well be out of print. There's crap as well in the fictional realm...the worst is Stephen King's "Pet Sematary", which so bastardized the legend the creature bears little resemblance to a windigo (and I refuse to call it such). I also have a personal beef with stories such as Slade's "Cutthroat" which make windigowak out as nothing more than overgrown apes! Alas, most of the RPG's are, well, crap. Shadowrun makes windigowak out to be vampiric orcs (eukkk!)...White Wolf does something unusual by making a Wendigo clan (tho' in a way they had made windigowak a separate race), and Dark Conspiracy does the finest job of the RPGs that has attempted to do a windigo IMO. For those who like the Blackwood windigowak, Call of Cthulu is quite good as well. (They all need work, tho'... :) And finally, windigowak in comics, and the "They Don't CALL it w windigo, but if it slashes critters to bits like one, and eats people for breakfast like one..." category: In comics, the only two "official" windigowak I've seen were the ones in Eerie Comics #10 (circa 1940), which was a good Blackwood imitation (but weren't they all then? :), and the one in the X-Men comics, which is utter and unmitigated crap. (And doubly inexcusable IMO...the original creators were Canadian, and should have known better.) As for the "walks like a duck, quacks like a duck" category...there are LOTS of contenders. There is a creature in the comic _Poison Elves_ that is called a Doppelganger, that is much like a windigo in many ways; there's Feral Jackson in _Strontium Dogs_, who looks _so_ much like the way I've always pictures windigowak (minus the height and the body hair) that I swear Alan Grant, Garth Ennis, and/or artists Harrison or Pugh _had_ to have heard of windigowak somewhere (and if I ever see 'em at a comics con, you bet yer sweet Aunt Agnes I'm askin' them :); there's the "manitou" in the "Shapes" episode of _The X- Files_ that for all intents and purposes was a windigo (and yes, windigowak ARE considered manitou, or spirits); and I even see some similarity in the story of Grendel in Beowulf (there are reportedly windigo stories as far west as Iceland, and "grendel" means "frost giant")... -Windigo The Feral (NYAR!) End Part V Part VI Werebear Mini-FAQ This is the Werebear Mini-FAQ, compiled by our own Gary Coulbourne. Eventually, I'd like to have mini-FAQ's representing all of the were- phenotypes... if you know a lot of folklore and fact about your own were-animal, or just feel an urge to do some research and writing, put something together and mail it to me. Howdy. Well, over the past few weeks, I have put together--in my spare time-- this MiniFAQ which gives information on Werebears and Bear myths in general. I hope someone gets something from it. Special thanks to Wolfshadow (Dave Aftandilian) for his help in the shamanic references and in editing. *************************************************** Werebear MiniFAQ What are some historical legends associated with werebears? The Scandinavians In Scandinavia, there was a firm belief in the ability of some people to change into or assume the characteristics of bears. Our English word "berserk" comes from this legend. It was thought that if a warrior was to don a bear- skin shirt (called a bear-sark) which had been treated with oils and herbs, that the warrior would gain the strength, stamina, and power of the animal. These people would be driven into a frenzy in battle and were said to be capable of biting through the enemy's shields or walking through fire without injury. No matter how much of the legend is true, the thought of a group of rabid Vikings made up as bears is sobering. The Greeks The pre-Classical Greeks also believed in the ability of men to become bears. One of the most commonly told stories is that of Callisto, who bore a child of Zeus'-- Arcas. Hera, Zeus' wife, became jealous and transformed Callisto into a bear as punishment. Arcas, out hunting, came upon his mother and shot at her. Zeus, taking pity on the mother and son, changed them into Ursa Major and Ursa Minor, the two great bear constellations. From this one myth comes a whole score of others. For instance, Arcas' name comes from the Greek word for bear--Arctos. By extention, the "Arkades" of Arcadia are supposedly decended from Arcas. Their name means bear- people. The Callisto myth also blends very well into the werewolf myth of Lycaon. According to legend, Callisto was Lycaon's daughter. Arcas was the individual who was supposed to have been served to Zeus as a test of the god's divinity, but he managed to escape. Even one of the synonyms for bear used by the Greeks, bee-wolf (for the bear's love of honey), managed to make it into legend. A legend, in fact, which was the first great work of the English language. The English The story is titled "Beowulf". And almost every high school English class reads it. It is basically the story of a Geatish hero who vanquishes several evils from the world. Beowulf supposedly had the strength of thirty men in his left hand. He is a powerful swimmer and has tremendous endurance. All these traits are commonly associated with the bear. The Native Americans These are not the only legends of bear shapeshifters. In fact, one of the earliest legends in human experience concerns a bear-shapeshifter. This legend, that of the Bear Mother, is found in the traditions of many peoples throughout the world, including several Native American tribes. The cleanest version of it comes from the Haida people of British Columbia. According to this version, some women from the tribe were out gathering huckleberries. All but one of them were singing to appease the bears. She chattered on about her own concerns, and it angered the bears--they felt that she was mocking them. So as the berry- pickers headed home, the chatterbox was the last to go, for she had spilled her berries and had to gather them up again. As she worked, she was approached by two men wearing bear- fur robes, who looked like brothers. One of them offered to help her if she would go with him. She agreed. She followed them to a large house. Inside were several people, all of them dressed in bearskins. One of them told her that she had been taken to a bear den and that she was now one of them. She noticed that she too was wearing a bearskin robe. The chief of the bear-people took her as his wife and she gave birth to twins which were half- human and half-bear. One day, her brothers came looking for her. They found her, and murdered her husband. Before the Bear Husband died, however, he taught her the songs that her brothers must use over his corpse to bring good luck and speed his soul to the afterlife. The Bear Sons lived with the tribe as humans until their mother died. Her death ended the twins' connection with humanity; once again they became bears and returned to live with the Bear People. For some peoples, this myth was extended into that of creation itself; some myths went so far as to say that the entire human race was decended from the children of the Bear Sons. And many, many peoples believed in deep spiritual connections with bears. What are some spiritual beliefs about bears? It really depends on whom one asks. Almost universally, the Bear is represented by the constellation Ursa Major, the Great She-Bear. It is composed of fourteen stars, seven of which shine with extreme brightness. Most of us in the west know the constellation better as the Big Dipper--the rump of the bear appears to have a long "tail" extending from it, which looks exactly like the handle of a saucepan. This "tail" no longer exists in modern bears, but the cave bears had them and to the early peoples there was nothing at all strange about the shape of the sky-bear. Many people used these stars as an indication of the seasons. As winter drew near, the Bear would slowly dip lower in the sky, looking for a place to "bed down." These stars would slowly spiral around Polaris, the north star, following the same path night after night. They acted as a clock that was so accurate that many indigenous peoples still use them to tell the time. Many of these same peoples looked at the bear as "brother," or "great grandfather." To them, the bear was very human in its manners and ways. It could stand on its hind legs and walk like a man, it ate the same food they did, walked the same trails, and cared for its cubs in a fiercely protective way. The skeleton of a bear, if stretched out, looked very much like that of a man. The bear became a companion in the path of life and a model for the living of it. This oneness of man and bear is clearly represented in the Grizzly Bear Song of the Tlingit Indians: "Whu! Bear! Whu! Whu! So you say Whu Whu Whu! You come. You're a fine young man You Grizzly Bear You crawl out of your fur. You come I say Whu Whu Whu! I throw grease in the fire. For you Grizzly Bear We're one!" In a spiritual sense, the Bear is seen as a totem of healing, or of strength and introspection. She is the Spirit of the West. She represents rebirth and regeneration. In an imitation of death, the bear goes into her den and is gone through the cold months of winter. Then, as spring comes, she returns, reborn. Usually, she comes out with cubs, serving as a symbol of birth. The Shaman would often dress in the skin of a bear, and call upon Her medicine to heal the sick or guide him to what herbs should be used to cure an ailing tribesman. Today, followers of modern Shamanism look to Bear for the same reasons. As Spirit of the West, She is one of the Four Great Powers. She encourages Her followers to consider their actions, to think about the decisions that they are about to make. What about books about werebears? Well, in the fictional realm, there are several authors who have written of characters who could change into bears into their novels. Most notable is the late J.R.R. Tolkien. He created Beorn, who turned the tide in the last battle of _The Hobbit_. There is also Dennis L. McKiernen. McKiernen wrote _The Eye of the Hunter_, a story about a group of heroes on the trail of an ancient evil. One of the characters, Urus, is called a "cursed one" because he can change but has no guarantee that he will be able to change back. Finally, there is David Eddings. In his Belgariad series, there was a character, Barak, who was fated to turn into a bear whenever the protagonist was in danger. Even in comic books there are characters who can become bears, or at least, bear-like. In the Image title "New Men," there is a character named Kodiak who can turn from a geeky teenager into a huge, bearish humanoid. Marvel has two. The first is Ursa Major, a Soviet government agent who can change into a large bear-man. The second is Ephraim Dees, whose power manifests itself as a spectral bear superimposed over his aura. Neither one of them is well portrayed or even worth the time to look into. They are mentioned here for the sake of completeness. Fiction's good, but what about fact? There are a number of good books on mythology. The non- fiction works make for much better reading. The ones that I recommend, both on bears and werebears, are: *Shepard, Paul and Barry Sanders. The Sacred Paw. New York, NY: Arkana, 1985. This book is, without question, the best book on the subject. It explores, in great detail, the biology of the bear, the spiritualism that many peoples associate with the bear, and bears in literature. A fabulous read with the most complete bibliography on the subject there is. Also has some great stuff on spiritualism and shamanism in general. *Brown, Gary. The Great Bear Almanac. New York, NY: Lyons & Burford, 1993. *Elman, Robert. Bears: Rulers of the Wilderness. Stamford, CT: Longmeadow, 1992. *Savage, Candice. Grizzly Bears. Vancouver, British Columbia: Sierra Club, 1990. *Rockwell, David. Giving Voice To Bear. Toronto, Ontario: Roberts Rinehart, 1991. These four are all very good books on bears in general, with a heavy emphasis on the symbolic. Savage's work is a brilliantly executed photo essay that covers mythology as well as truth. Brown's work is an encyclopaediac reference to little known bear facts including mythology. Elman's work is another photo essay, but the pictures are wonderful. Not quite as nice as Savage's work, but they cover a wider variety. And Rockwell explores Native American beliefs about the bear. *Andrews, Ted. Animal-Speak. St. Paul, MN: Llewellyn Publications, 1994. *Meadows, Kenneth. The Medicine Way: A Shamanic Path to Self-Mastery. Dorset: Element Press, 1990. These two books are good references for information on shamanism. And not just for information about bear as a totem, either. There is information on quite a variety of totems and their meanings. End Part VI Part VII Feline FAQ (edited by Walks-Between-Worlds) Howdy and welcome to the Feline FAQ. I've tried my best to include information on a variety of cats, both great and small. If you've ever felt drawn to cats but thought Werewolves were more up your alley because of their shapeshifting nature, fear not. There are Werecats, and you just might be one of them. This FAQ is divided into two sections: 1.) Legends and myths surrounding normal cats and Werecats 2.) Are you a Werecat? (includes twenty ways to know you're a Werecat) First, though, a list of resources that went into the making of this FAQ: _Werewolves In Western Culture_ edited by Charlotte F. Otten _Animal-Speak: The Spiritual & Magical Powers Of Creatures Great & Small_ by Ted Andrews _Meet The Werewolf_ by Georgess McHargue Part 1: Myths and Legends --------------------------------- As long as transformation stories have existed, so too have stories about humans changing into cats. In 1588, a horseman was passing by the Chateau de Joux in France and saw several cats in a tree. He approached and discharged a carbine which he was carrying, and a ring with several keys attached to it fell from the tree. The horseman took them to the village, and when he asked for dinner at the inn neither the hostess nor the keys to the cellar could be found. The horseman showed the keys to the host, who recognized them as his wife's. Meanwhile she came from the kitchen, wounded in the right hip. Her husband grabbed her and she confessed that she had just come from the Sabbat, where she had lost her keys after being shot in the hip from a carbine. The Inquisitors also tell that in their time villagers saw three large cats near Strasbourg, which afterward resumed the shape of women. In India, Weretigers were believed to house the spirits of the dead who were being punished for evil deeds. I personally don't believe the evil part, but who knows? >;-) In Africa and South America, the power of shape-shifting is often seen as a gift from some spirit or God and is for the purpose of getting revenge. Werejaguars, Wereleopards, etc., don't run around killing for the hell of it, they only attack those who have harmed them in their human form. The following's a Werejaguar story from the jungles of Brazil: A Dutch trader named Van Hielen went on business to an out-of-the- way Native village. He was fond of nature and decided to take a walk toward the forest early in the evening. At the edge of the clearing, far from the village itself, Van Hielen found an isolated hut. He heard shouts of anger and the sound of blows from inside. Suddenly a nine-year-old boy ran out the door. He was followed by a woman who was beating him with a peice of wood. Van Hielen liked children and stepped between the woman and the child. In the Native tongue, he asked the woman why the boy deserved such a beating. "Done?" cried the woman. "Why, he has done nothing. That's why I beat him, the lazy lout. Not a stroke of work will he do. His sister is just as bad. Ah!" she broke off. "There's the wretched child now. She too will get what she deserves." With that the woman lunged for the thin girl of about ten who had come running from the forest at the sound of her brother's cries. Van Hielen was so upset at the children's beatings that he offered the woman money if she would let them alone. She took the money greedily and disappeared into the hut with a glare at the children. "Poor things!" The trader said, "How can a mother be so cruel to her own children?" "Oh, but sir," exclaimed the little girl, "she is not our mother. She only makes us be her servants. You are kind, but do not trouble yourself. My name is Yaranka. My brother and I are the true children of the Forest Spirit, and she will help us to our revenge. We have suffered enough from that woman. We will get help from our true mother tonight in the Secret Place." With this speech, the two children made for the forest, leaving Van Hielen somewhat bewildered. Keeping to the shadows, for the moon was bright, Van Hielen hid himself near the hut. He heard the woman snoring, and not long after he saw two small shadows creep from the doorway and enter the forest. Van Hielen followed them, thankful that his many years in the country had taught him how to move silently through the jungle at night. Even so, he nearly lost sight of the two children many times. They seemed to slip through the tangle of vines and bushes like elves. After some time they came to a small clearing where a waterfall plunged into a pool in a shower of silver. In the center of the pool grew a single large, white water lily. Yaranka and her brother knelt down by the edge of the water and began to chant in an unfamiliar language. Then the children picked flowers from the bank and tossed them into the water. The motion of the tossed flowers made the trader dizzy. Everything seemed to be spinning, and the rush of the waterfall was joined by the rush of a strange dark wind. Out of the earth a vast figure reared itself, shapeless and towering. Then, in a mere flick of time, the figure vanished, the sickening motion in the clearing stopped, and all was as it had been before. Except that where the two children had stood, there now stood a pair of large jaguars. They were so close to Van Hielen that he could count the spots on the sleek heads and even the whiskers of the snarling lips. Van Hielen was a brave man, but he knew he had no chance against two such ferocious hunters at such close range. He saw the two pairs of green eyes gleam as the beasts scented him. Suddenly one jaguar checked its leap and shouldered the other one aside. The two furred bodies rushed past him on the narrow trail, so near that he could feel their breath. Then they were gone. Shaken, Van Hielen pulled himself together and made his way back toward the village. He arrived at the clearing just as dawn broke . Everything appeared as usual - except for the woman's hut, which had paw prints leading into the doorway. From within the hut came the most horrible sound he had ever heard. It was a soft *crunch*, *crunch*, *crunch*, as that of a large animal (or animals?) gnawing on bones. Certain that the woman would no longer beat the children, Van Hielen left without a backward glance. Domestic and wild cats represent magic, mystery, and independence. In Scandinavian lore, the domestic cat was associated with the Goddess of fertility, Freyja. In the Hindu tradition Shasthi, the Goddess of childbirth, is depicted riding a upon a domestic cat. And the Egyptian Goddess Bast (or Bastet), patron of cats, was most often presented in Werecat form. The Egyptians worshipped the cat perhaps more than almost any other culture. The cat was thought to be sacred to the goddess Isis, thus when Isis and her husband, the sun god Osiris, had a daughter the cat- goddess Bastet (Bast or Pasht) emerged. Originally Bastet was lion-headed, like the goddesses Tefnut of Heliopolis and Sekhmet of Memphis with whom she is often confused. Although it was in her later cat-headed form that Bastet became so immensely popular, she never ceased to be worshipped as a lion-headed deity. Bastet personified the life-giving warmth of the sun which encouraged the growth of vegetation. Because of this as well as being associated with Isis (as Mother Nature) Bastet was often worshipped as a fertility goddess. Tefnut, the lion-headed goddess of the Old Kingdom who was known as the "Ethiopian Cat" personified the cruel, searing heat of the equatorial sun, perhaps because the cat is seen as cruel in many cultures. No one can doubt the cats ferocity, and the Egyptians coveted that as well. Thus Sekhmet, "the Great Cat", which was twin sister to Bastet, "the Little Cat" was very a ferocious and warlike goddess that emitted flames against the enemies of the gods, for her aspect was the fierce destructive heat of the desert sun. When people wanted a fierce goddess to protect them they called on Sekhmet; and when in need of gentler and more personal help, they turned to Bastet. A text referring to the solar goddess runs: "Kindly is she as Bast, terrible is she as Sekhmet." The Egyptian Trinity was known by the composite name of Sekhmet-Bast-Ra. The lion was a symbol for the sun-God Mithra. The Egyptians believed the lion presided over the annual floods of the Nile. Early Christians believed it to be the earthly opponent of the eagle. The midieval alchemists associated th lion with the fixed element of sulphur, and a young lion was often the symbol of the rising sun and all that is implied by it. In the Scandinavian and Norse traditions, the lynx was sacred to the Goddess Freyja, and her chariot was sometimes depicted as being drawn by a lynx. The Greeks believed the lynx could see through solid objects. In fact, it was names for Lynceus, a mythological character who could also do this. In 1603 Italian scholars formed the Academy of Lynxes, dedicated to the search for truth and the fight against superstition. Galileo was a member, and its symbol was that of a lynx tearing Cerberus with its claws.The implication was that knowledge would end darkness and suffering. The panther has been associated with Jesus. In the *Abodazara* (early Jewish commentaries on the scriptures), it is listed as a surname for the family of Joseph. It tells how a man was healed "in the name of Jesus ben Panther". The panther was also associated with the Greek God of wine, Dionysus. One story tells how Dionysus was nursed by panthers, and he is sometimes depicted riding a chariot drawn by them. To the Natives of North and South America, the jaguar - especially in the form of a black panther - was endowed with great magic and power. It was seen as a symbol for mastery over all dimensions.To the Tucano Indians of the Amazon, the roar of the jaguar was the roar of thunder. The black panther was seen as To the Arawak, becoming the man-jaguar was the ultimate shapeshifting ritual. The Olmecs created monuments to the jaguar, and the Aztecs and Mayans spoke and taught about the power in becoming half-human, half- jaguar. Even in Egyptian rituals, a panther tail was worn about the waist or knotted about the neck to help protect and strengthen. It was used in a process called "passage through the skin" - their own version of shapeshifting to engender themselves with the panther's power. In Central Asia there arose a belief that the snow leopard does not eat the flesh of its victims, but sucks their blood. This belief probably stemmed from the puncture marks left when the snow leopard suffocates its prey. Another story is that of Milarepa, Tibet's poet-saint, who was stranded for six months in the Great Cave of Conquering Demons. When his followers went to find him, they found he had been transformed into a snow leopard. In Korea, the tiger is the king of beasts. In the Hindu tradition, the tiger is sacred to Kali, the Goddess of creation and dissolution, sexuality and death. In Greece it was connected to Dionysus, God of wine. In China, the tiger is both a symbol of darkness and the new moon, as well as brightness and the full moon. There are five mystic tigers in Chinese lore. The red tiger is a symbol of the south, summer, and fire. The black tiger is a symbol of the north, winter, and water. The blue tiger is a symbol of the east, spring, and vegetation. The white tiger is a symbol of the west, autumn, and all metals. The yellow tiger is supreme among all five; it is the ruler of Earth and all energies upon it. These represent just a few of the "breeds" currently involved in the Cyberpack. To those whose breeds weren't included, I humbly apologize. I couldn't find any stories or lore regarding them! Part 2: Are you a Werecat? ---------------------------------- Discovering one's feline nature is an individual and deeply personal thing. Often Werecats exhibit a "loner" attitude, and feel uncomfortable in groups. Werecats tend to value freedom above all else, the freedom to come and go as they choose, the freedom to be able to think and express ideas without anyone peering over their shoulder. Some Werecats are social and Pack-oriented, just like a lion or a beloved family cat. In the days of the Inquisition, women with "supernumary nipples" (more than two nipples, marked my faint dimples or freckles under the breasts) where accused of shapeshifting into large cats and feeding their familiars from their supernumary nipples. Men who acted particularly feminine or women who were assertive were termed "catty". Some Werecats are vain in their appearance and "preen" themselves, taking great care in their hygeine and style. Other Werecats are too wild to care for fashion and formalities. Werecats exude a sexuality and sensuality about them, primarily derived from the sleek, graceful nature of the cat itself. While not all Werecats should or do feel this way, many are rather amorous and occasionally lecherous or teasing. Cats are regarded for psychic and channeling capabilities, and this applies to Werecats as well. Werecats usually are empathic, and see things that others may not. Sometimes Werecats can astral travel more easily than others. A Werecats eyes are often important in seeing auras, or the kinetic impression of moods. This makes it difficult to hide intentions from a Werecat, and often (sadly) leads to the other person fearing and avoiding them. The biggest misconception is that Werecats are too selfish and aloof to run with a Pack. This is silly, as Werecats are part human and humans need companionship. As a fun aside, here is a list depicting 20 ways to know you're a Werecat: 1.) You panic when your mom talks about spaying or neutering the house cat 2.) When you walk by a sandbox, you have the urge to relieve yourself 3.) When you hear a catfight in the neighborhood, you puff up twice as big 4.) At the zoo all of the big cats sit still and stare at you... 5.) You can't get from your car to the front door without the neighbor's dogs chasing you 6.) You feel more comfortable sleeping in tree limbs than in a bed 7.) You would rather lick yourself from head to toe than take a shower 8.) When Spring rolls around you can't stop peeing on furniture and caterwauling 9.) Mice suddenly seem like a tempting gourmet 10.) The "Meow Mix" theme song suddenly makes sense 11.) You shed everywhere 12.) During Spring the neighborhood cats won't leave you alone 13.) You get chased up trees a lot 14.) The dogs that chase you see you shiftshape and retreat, yipping, holding their tails between their legs 15.) You've been sharpening your claws on the furniture 16.) People in the neighborhood are disappearing and you wake every morning with the window open and blood on your hands (just a joke!) 17.) You have an uncontrollable urge to sashay as you walk 18.) You lament at the lack of Werecat films and books 19.) Being "catty" takes on a whole new meaning 20.) Mouse - mmmm, tastes like chicken! End Part VII Part VIII Nahual Mini-Faq NOTE: The english in this mini-FAQ has been corrected with the permission of the author, who is not a native english speaker. Any errors are probably my own. The Nahual: The mexican werecreature Ocultist theories about the origin of human race said that men must have evolved across different animal, vegetable and mineral forms before reach the actual state. This is a primitive from to explain the werecreature origin. Mexico is known for their shamans, wizards and "curanderos" (tribal doctors), sometimes called Nahuales o Naguales. All cities and towns in Mexico have at least a Nahual. The aztec voice for Nahual is "Nahualli" that means "lo que es mi vestidura o piel" (Something that is my cloth or skin). And it refers to the abilty of the Nahual to morph himself into a werecreature (wolf, jaguar, lynx, bull, eagle, coyote, ...) That voice also refers nigromancy, secret and mailce. Before the rise of the great Perhispanic civilizations like aztec and mayan, The yakis, tarahumaras and seris indians, who lived in the North of Mexico and South of US, around 900 A.C. had Nahuales. These civilizations were sited in part of the US states of California, New Mexico and Texas, and the Mexican states of Chihuahua, Baja California, Sonora and Sinaloa. They belived that if a man can know his primitive spirit or Nahual, he can use it to cure the people and practice magic. Many primitive drawings in old caves show people like werewolves. In the aztec empire the Nahuales are protected for Tezcatllipoca: The aztec god of the war and sacrificie. The legend said that a Nahual can put away his skin and transforma into a werecreature. Many aztec and colonial hunters said that in the night they killed an animal and the next day it turned into a man. "The Nahual only can morph in the nigth and he attack our babies with hellish spells" - said the people since the Colonial Time (1500-1800 A.C.). The Santa Inquisition (the catholic tribunal that punished jews, witches, and the generally non-catholic) hunted Nahuales for many years. But people beleive in their power and sometimes protect them, especially in the indian towns. In modern days Carlos Castanneda, an Southamerican anthropologist that study the Nahuales, published many books about they since 1960: Las ensennanzas de Don Juan (The teaching of Don Juan), Una realidad aparente (An apparent reallity) and Viaje a Ixtlan (Voyage to Ixtlan). But nobody has confirmed Don Juan's existance; many people say that he is only a fraud. He only knows a part of the secret rituals and herbs to morph into a werecreature, and the forms of how to know our inner Nahual. The books are very confused and have less info than the publicity shows. A Nahual have many spirits that protect him like the Native American indians. Basically all rites are more or less the same in all American civilizations. Today many people especially in the rural parts of Mexico believe in Nahuales, the topic was gaining interest from 1982, because the American geneticist Frank Greenberg of the Baylor College of Medicine discovers a Mexican family with a disease that show them as werewolves: their bodies have covered with hair like the classic werewolf film of Hollywood "The Wolfman" (1945). That family was segregated from Mexican society, they were forced to hide in thier home in Loreto's town, and can only obtain work in the circus. The legend of nahuals have dark parts hidden on the past, on the mexican magic cosmology. Maybe the truths about this topic will shown, but, until that moment all is possible. Information recompiled by ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------- Lobocursor Lyceus (Gerardo Rubio) - AHWW packmember * Comments, howls, fleas and more to: < webman@indiana.acatlan.unam.mx and webman@apolo.acatlan.unam.mx > End Part VIII Part IX Odds `n' Ends 1) What are "furries"? ---------------------------- A lot of participants of AHWW consider themselves "furries". What, exactly, is a "furry"? Well, let's take a look at what the FAQ for alt.fan.furry has to say: (thanx to lynx@netcom.com for permission to use this text) * WHAT IS "ALT.FAN.FURRY"? Alt.fan.furry is a newsgroup devoted to the discussion of all things "furry" and/or of interest to "furry fans". Of course, tangential discussions occasionally get into things that are very far from being distinctly "furry", such as copyrights, cellular radios, meks... =) * WHAT IS A "FURRY"? "Furry" when used as a noun seems to refer to one of two things: a) An animal-like character known as a "furry" b) A person who is a "furry fan" The latter is easy enough (knock on wood) to define: A person who particularly enjoys stories, pictures, dolls, video games or whatever concerning "furry" creatures. Defining a "furry" creature is somewhat harder, though. There are several definitions depending upon which "camp" in furrydom, for lack of a better term, you might be in. The basic definition for a "furry" is an anthropomorphized animal character. In other words, an animal character given human-like attributes, such as sapience and often a humanoid form. The term "furry" is a misnomer, as a creature does not need to have fur to be "furry" in this sense. Other terms sometimes interchangeable with a "furry" in this sense are "zoomorph", "morph", "anthropomorph" or (debatably) "funny animal". The core definition of a "furry" seems to include basically humanoid- formed creatures with animal faces, fur/scale/feathers/whatever, and often appropriate tails, wings, claws, etc., able to speak, and with a human- like personality, though quite often with "quirks" hinting at the real- life animal upon which the character is based. A broader definition will sometimes include other odd creatures that simply have some sort of animal features in their makeup. Such would include mythical creatures such as centaurs, manticores, satyrs or harpies, all of which have human faces though more-or-less animal-like bodies. This broader definition might also include the human-like characters that appear in some Japanese animation that have an animal tail and ears, but otherwise look about as human as any other anime character. One of the narrower definitions held by some is that in order for a character to be truly considered "furry", the character must exhibit animal-like characteristics in behavior. Optionally, the fact that the character is an "animal" must be a major ingredient to the story. This is exhibited in a frequent criticism of "furry" stories by those who hold this view: Many stories, while featuring characters fitting the core definition of "furry" given earlier are criticized as being "humans in animal suits" if their behavior isn't distinctly animal-like in some way. Not all AHWWers are furries, as well... but who can resist a good convention? *grin* 2) What are the "Howls"? -------------------------------- Speaking of conventions... The first "Howl", the 1994 Harvest Howl, was organized by Smash Greywolf in Ohio. A Howl is basically a gathering in the flesh (or fur) of readers of AHWW to socialize, get to know one another, howl at the moon, leap over raging bonfires, and to generally share the camraderie that exists amongst members of the cyberpack. Camped out in the woods, as far from civilization as possible, watching the full moon dance over shimmering heat waves from the bonfire, surrounded by folks of a like mind... it's truly a recharge for batteries drained my mundane human existance. Contact a HelpStaffer for information about the next scheduled Howl... they're worth it, no matter the distance traveled to attend. 3) Why not change the name of the group? ---------------------------------------------------- It's been suggested before that alt.horror.werewolves is no longer an appropriate name, given the groups' change of focus. It is true that it is no longer strictly about werewolf horror fiction. However: making a new alt. group, like alt.therianthropy or the like, while easy to do, runs the risk of losing readership. Not all university news servers carry alt. groups; and those that do are usually loathe to add new ones without a considerable amount of hassle. The likelyhood that large numbers of folks would lose their access is too great. Grouping a rec. or soc. group is difficult.. It is possible that we now have the readership and activity to pull it off; but the fear of some sites not carrying the new group is still a large one. Also, there's some safety in the name. It's in such an obscure section of the usenet world that folks who have no real interest in werewolves are likely to skip it altogether; and that fact alone has undoubtedly saved us from a lot of hit-and-run flamers. Something like alt.spiritual.werewolf is likely to garner more attention from the wrong types of people than it's worth. 4) What is/was the HelpStaff? ------------------------------- Back in the "winter of our discontent", mentioned earlier, there was quite a bit of confusion surrounding the group's intent. Some folks seemed to think we were running some sort of virtual RPG and jumped in as if it were a MUCK. Some of the folks who had been on here for a while became suspicious of any newcomer, for fear that they might be just another RPGer. As a result, there were probably several well- meaning, earnest newcomers who felt like they'd stumbled into the wrong place and left. Everyone on AHWW knows what the group means to them. For me personally, it's a link to other folks who feel many of the same things I do. It's been quite a blessing in my life; providing me with support and allowing me to support others. I hate to think that any person who is in the situation I was when I first found AHWW was turned away due to any misunderstanding. The Helpstaff was formed as a group of people who volunteered to answer questions about the group and greet newcomers to the group. However, there was some confusion as to the intentions of the Helpstaff, who was on it, and whether there was some sort of elitism involved. As a result, the Helpstaff, per se, is no more... But that doesn't mean help isn't available... lurk on the group, email people you like and ask them questions, read this FAQ and ask questions... you will find help available from almost any member. 5) Is there a Website? FTP site? IRC channel? -------------------------------------------------------- World Wide Web: There really is no official AHWW website (although that may change soon!); but several of the cyberpack have personal home pages that include lycanthropic information and point to other pages. Try http://www.cs.man.ac.uk/~rosenfem :Canis Lupus http://www.wpi.edu:80/~jwind :Justin Wind http://www.mit.edu:8001/people/kdmiller/kdmiller.html :Ken Miller http://jupiter.cse.utoledo.edu/~smash :Smash Greywolf http://www.dmv.com/~wolfbard :Wolfbard http://www.dmv.com/~bear :Werebear http://www.io.org/~tibm :Wizard Wolf http://www.wpi.edu/~kedz :Dreamwolf http://www.musenet.org/~frnkzk :Kevin Kane http://www.uvm.edu/~jhilborn http://www.negia.net/~katmandu http://www.wam.umd.edu/~tygris :STriker Price http://www.teleport.com/~wnorton/wolf.html (This is the page for Wolf Haven) http://www.yahoo.com/Environment_and_Nature/Wildlife/Wolves I suppose some of the pack already know about it, but there's an archive of transformation stories at: http://www.t0.or.at/~thomas/tsa/index.html Most are sex-change stories, but there are four on changing into an animal. Warning: they all have sexual content, and "The Island of Circe" particularly wouldn't interest many of you. But "The She-wolf" is pretty good. -Lyka If you don't see your page here, or know of others to add, drop me a line... I know there are many that aren't on here yet. FTP sites: The former AHWW FTP site, wolf.pc.cc.cmu.edu, is DOWN. Many thanks to Larry Lyle for running the site for so long! Lycanthrope.com also has many items of interest to AHWW; as well as other sites that I need to collect and list here! If you run or know of an FTP site that carries items of interests to AHWW, let me know at the address below! Also of interest is avatar.snc.edu Home to furry art and artists. IRC Info: There are a couple of IRC servers that have been frequented by AHWWers. The Edge, formerly at eagle.dmv.com, requires you to read a disclaimer before using... email edge@lycanthrope.com for more information. irc.it.com.au 6666 is an Austrailian IRC server that's frequented by AHWW denizens, but US users may suffer some lag. To link to IRC, you must be running an IRC client on whatever platform you access the internet with. You can set that client to access the server directly, or access whatever server you like and type /server to reach the server. IRC is a lot of fun, but it can be quite addictive! Mud's and the like: As of this revision, there is no MUD geared towards AHWW specifically. However, with this group, anything's possible! Furrymuck may be of interest to AHWWers, and can be reached at furry.org 8888. 6) What are werecards? ----------------------------- A werecard is a sort of info-questionnaire; where you can answer questions about yourself and your therianthropy, if any. It's basically just a way of telling folks about yourself all at once, rather than answering a million little questions. It makes a good way to de-lurk. Here's a blank werecard.. snip and fill out, if you like; and post the results to the group. Human Name: Were Name: Phenotype: (e.g. werewolf, werebat, etc.) Birthdate: Birthplace: Home Territory: (where you live now) Dream Territory: (where you'd like to live, ideally) Physical Description, Human: Physical Description, Were: Human Career: Hobbies/Interests: Favorite Movie: Favorite Were Movie: Favorite Literature: Favorite Were Literature: Favorite Art: Favorite Were Art: Favorite Saying/Quote: Favorite Were Saying/Quote: Favorite Personal Quote: Favorite Song/Band(s): Favorite Were Song/Band(s): Favorite Season: Favorite Holiday: Preferred Prey: Hunting Tips: Preferred Method of Attack: Favorite Non-Were Mythological Beastie(s): Feelings Toward Vampires: Feelings Toward Normal Humans: Personal Lycanthropy: (This is probably the most important part of the card. What we're after here is a few paragraphs explaining what your lycanthropy means to you, how it fits into and affects your life, your goals, etc. Tell us about your first transformation / realization of your were nature. Describe the lycanthropy myth as you see it. And so on...) 7) Where do I send suggestions? --------------------------------------- The current Keeper of the FAQ is KatmanDu. He can be reached at katmandu@negia.net for suggestions and additions. Finally, here's a closing piece by Windrunner. I think it speaks well of the group's past and future. Our History Forget about the Michael Jackson album. Forget about the university course. But never forget us. People, do you realize what is happening here? WE are making history. Every single day that we exist, every single day that this GROUP exists. History is occuring right before our eyes. And I don't think a lot of us see that. This letter is being sent out not only to the newsgroup, but also to those who once were its backbone; as Smash accurately calls them the grey muzzles. Their muzzles are grey, not out of physical age, but simply the fact that they have been a part of this group longer than the rest. And the greyer, the wiser, has been my experience. I am not one of them, but oh, how I wish I was. From the stories I have heard, this virtual bonfire never burned as bright as when it was the original few. But those days have passed, passed on long ago. As many have pointed out, it was only this past winter that alt.horror.werewolves started to truly be recognized for what and who was in it. But it happened in a sad fashion, drawing attention from the wrong kinds of people. People who thought that "Hey! Here's a chance to play with a bunch of werewolves, frolicking in the snow, and get a bowl of virtual chili." Many were they who came seeking fun. Many were they who left when the truth came to light. But some, like myself, stayed. Why? I think it's because we came in with ourselves (so to speak), and at first, it WAS all fun. Throwing snowballs, and all that. But finally, when the fun was ended out of, well, annoyance, we were still here. Because, while the fun was great, it wasn't the only reason we decided to reveal ourselves. We longed for contact with those who might understand, who might actually know what we were talking about when we spoke of lycanthropy in our lives. Life moved on. The ones who stayed gradually integrated into the pack, no matter what their animal was, be it bear, raven, wolf, dog, cat, lion, panther. And they have shown themselves to be truthful, and wise. While we still have fun, it isn't as totally rampant as it was. Many interesting subjects were brought before the fire, and all were discussed as much as possible. I was here when Gevaudan admitted what he truly was, and watched as he was not chased, but comforted by others saying "Don't go; stay". (To those who do not know, it has nothing to do with games or flames; but it is not my story to tell). I was here when the first flamewars erupted. I remember efridine's first post, as well as PainEater, the recently-returned "Lord" Kelkemen, and Savak. We got over them, since they were no different from other flamers, bothering us then leaving (except perhaps L.K.; but I won't go into that here). And again, we returned to our conversations via the net. The other big event was the Spring Howl. I had not attended the one in the fall, since I did not know of this group then. But as Spring rolled around, the idea was formed to throw another one. And after it was over, all those who had attended could not stop howling in joy and revelry. It was a renewal for those in attendance, and a source of envy for those who could not go. But not one person who had attended had wanted to leave. The sense of closeness that was created there, I can only speculate at. But had I the means, I would have been there in a second. That feeling is mutual for many of us. But that has come and gone, and will not happen again (ie the spring of 1995 will not repeat itself). Time passed, bringing us up to where the group is now. Many have left for reasons beyond their control. Many have grown disillusioned with the way this group is going. But a lot of us have decided to stay, no matter what our inner feelings tell us. There are a lot of new faces that do not even know of the old ones. How many of these new ones will stay, and how many will leave, is impossible to tell. But we continue to grow, and the group changes with each new face. What it was, and what it is, are very hard to compare. One does not mirror the other. But, as has been said many times, that's a fact of life on the Internet. Things will inevitably change since it is impossible to prevent new people from finding us. And we wouldn't want that, since there are still so many of us out there, looking for a ray of hope in a dull sky. I guess what I'm saying is, look at us. To anyone reading this right now, I want you to stop for a second. Just stop, and look at yourself. Then look at where you are reading this. Consider what you are, and why you are here. If being here, or having been here (meaning ahww), feels/felt right, then know that your life has been worthwhile. Everyone, WE, are creating a portion of history. RIGHT NOW. Though I do not believe it has ever been discussed, look at what has become of alt.horror.werewolves. *We* have created a place unlike any other. Never before have so many come together in one place, even if it is technically non-existant, sharing many ideas, but with one thing in common. Whether we are werewolves, werebears, werecats, whatever, or simply people who are in very close contact to our animals spirits, LOOK at where we are from. This, this place spans the globe. There are weres here from Germany, Norway, England, Ireland, Australia, The U.S., Canada. I am sorry if I missed anyone's home country, these were all I could remember. But even if I did, look. We have no borders here. All are welcome, provided they are honest with us. Not all of us here are were; some are humans, some are vampires. But one thing we all share in common is acceptance. The majority of people who have visited this fire (and stayed for a while) have accepted that yes, we are indeed what we claim. We are spiritual theriathropes, shifters in one method or another. Whether it is through Spiritual Dreams, or a mental process, or physically changing shape. I know of very few here who have ever gone around, finger waving, accusing someone of being false. And that's incredible. To my knowledge, something like this has never before happened: a meeting of beings such as us. I am fairly certain that anyone reading this now, whether new or old, would never have met so many like him/herself if alt.horror.werewolves did not exist. I sure wouldn't have. Many of us who have been around here for a bit, and even some who haven't, have strong feelings towards this group, or more specifically, its members. To turn to a sad note: what would happen if tomorrow, you woke up, and the group no longer existed. Through infighting, or this Exon bill, or just simply the removal of the group from existance, what would your first feeling be? Personally, I think my depression would last a long while. But not forever. Why? Although having this newsgroup is important to me, simply knowing that the beings behind the text exist gives me hope. We have broken a barrier that no one thought existed. We have formed friendships, and deeper relationships that have no name. We do not keep written records of what has happened here, in this newsgroup, since it fully became what it is today. Our history is only the one where each individual joins, stays, and starts to learn. Learn not only what the current topic is, or what we are about, but also of those wiser than you. There is no hierachy here. But there are people who have been here long enough to see more than they let on. Smash, Vladwolf, Firewolf, Katmandu, Dreamwolf, Asikka, Gevaudan, Wolfshadow, Windwolf, Medicine Wolf, Hiker, Snowlock, Winterdreamer, Dean R., Rimblesah, Wolfbard; as well as many, many more. These, to me, are important weres. They are some of those who helped create what we now take for granted. Every day, I wake up, on log in to read what's been posted. I expect it to be there, with names which I recognize. But most of the names I have just listed are not here anymore. I will admit, some have left due to the summer. But their presence, and it was a PRESENCE, is sadly missed. I do not post much. I do not have the voice to post most of my opinions. And this may be my death, or my rebirth. I have felt what Smash feels. And, in my mind, I must find a way to re-vitalize what was once a powerful group. It still is. But the power has changed. And I am not used to it yet. Please, I am not writing this as something personal. It is meant FOR ALL. All in this group. I sing it into the air, hoping that at least someone here will listen. Perhaps I am too melodramatic. Perhaps I will be chased off because of this. But even if that happens, I WILL NEVER FORGET WHAT HAS HAPPENED HERE. Simply because I cannot. It is too important. I will end this now. But not on a sad note. I want each and everyone reading this to realize one thing: YOU HAVE BECOME A PART OF HISTORY. It may be a history that will never be known publically. You will hopefully never hear about it in the media. But in my mind, and the minds of those who have ever been a part of this group, it will be hard to forget. I will personally never forget anyone I have ever met on this group. We have, in effect, created the one thing no one ever thought of, or even dreamed about: this newsgroup IS a haven, for ones of our kind. You do not need any more reason than that. If you see the group for what it is, and are glad it is there, then you should be happy. There are many ideologies here. May no one EVER say that their's is the "one true way". History has taught us otherwise, that there can never be only one way. And now, we are a part of history. Windrunner End Part IX And of the FAQ