When the full moon rises, the beast takes over. Teeth grow sharp. Hackles raise. It howls at the silver moon and sees nothing but red. Part 2 is an analysis of Werewolves as a symbol of evil and our best defense against it.
Summary of Part 1
Countless tales reveal man’s greatest sins as the cause for the creatures that go bump in the night. Folklore puts the monsters among us on display.
In the last article, the vampire was analyzed. You can read Part 1 here. Instead of looking at the vampire as a representation of the dual nature of man, I looked at the traits of a vampire and explored how they represent evil, itself, in the form of sin.
Once evil is understood, we can learn how to respond to it. Until then, we are the hapless traveler in the woods.
The allure of the vampire…the glamour of sin, that is what entices its victims. The vampire is made by a human making a deal with the Devil or drinking the blood of his sire. It is a new way of life entered into by choice.
The best way to defend against making bad choices is to have a discerning mind.
A Bad Neck of the Woods
What happens when you find yourself in a bad situation, one where you feel your choice has been forced?
While you may not like the options presented, you still have a choice. With the vampire, you had an option to completely avoid him. You could walk away before being tempted into a dark ally. You could leave him on the doorstep and never invite him into your home. But there are some monsters that will hunt you down regardless.
When you enter a bad neck of the woods, how do you find your way out? How do you escape the horror within?
The woods have long hidden horrors. They are a symbol of the uncivilized and the untamable…the wild. In the woods, all rules are abandoned. It’s where men become animals. The creatures who can’t adapt to society live here, outside of the village, away from people.
Stories, both old and new, use this symbolism. It can be seen in stories like Little Red Riding Hood[1] (19th Century) and in the form of the Forbidden Forest in the Harry Potter series[2] (1997-2007). The innocent are warned of traveling through the woods, lest they get got.
The woods provide shelter for these beasts, but what is it about their brand of evil? What makes it so dangerous?
I believe we find this answer in the werewolf.
Werewolves
Like the vampire, the were-creature is a many storied beast. Indonesia and areas of Africa fear the were-crocodile. North American natives believe in the were-bear. China and Japan are home to the were-fox. By far, the world traveler of the were-creatures is the werewolf. They are known as the Nahual in Mexico, the Loup-Garou in France, and the Vilkacis in Latvia.[3] [4] Tales of a man turning into this canine creature can be found around the globe.
Due to the wide variety of sources, there are many versions, origins, and traits attributed to werewolves. Throughout history, some men shape-shifted into these creatures through voluntary means such as belts, pelts, and shamanism. There were others who were subjected to curses. Their transformation was involuntary in nature. For a contrast to the voluntary transformation of the vampire, in this article I will focus on the lore of the involuntary werewolf. By exploring their traits, I believe we can uncover aspects of evil.
Origin
One of the more common methods of involuntary transformation is through a curse. An early example of a werewolf and its curse is recorded by Ovid in his Metamorphoses.[5] In ancient Greece, King Lycaon put Zeus to a test. The king wanted to test the extent of the god’s omniscient powers. The king killed, cooked, and served one of his own sons for a dinner honoring the god. Zeus saw through the trick. Because Lycaon acted as an animal, Zeus devised a punishment that would match his beastly heart. For the crime of eating and serving human flesh, Lycaon and his remaining sons were transformed into wolves.
As an alternative to being cursed directly by a god, sometimes it is an accident. The werewolf could be born that way. He could be the seventh son of a seventh son (also known as a luison or lobison) or conceived under the new moon.[3] [6]
Barring accidents, one should always remember to be nice to strangers else you find yourself on the receiving end of a good ol’ fashioned Romani gypsy curse. In all cases, the curse is something that was forced upon the victim whether it was earned or not.
Transfer to “Offspring”
Where does the second generation of werewolves come from? Despite the supernatural aspects of werewolves, some means of transfer take a more medical approach. This can be seen if you are the offspring of two werewolf parents. It is something you would inherit. Another means of transfer treats the werewolf trait as a virus. But in the era of covid, no mere mask will save you. The disease is known as lycanthropy and once exposed you become a lycanthrope. Methods of exposure include bites and scratches.
The method of transfer via an attack is relatively new given the scope of the werewolf’s history. Rather than being based in traditional folklore, this method seemed to emerge from fiction writers and has been embraced by pop culture. An example can be seen in the 1941 film The Wolf Man.[7]
An attack from one infected, an unwanted advance, a trespass against someone’s personal freedom to remain pure–Lycanthropy can be forced upon a victim without their say…provided they survive the assault.
Transition
In some myths, the qualities of the werewolf are expressed only in the presence of the full moon. In this case, the man is a human for most of the month, only surfacing as a monster when the moon shines brightest.
Hunting Tactic
Maul. Kill. Eat. This saying is a little darker than “Live. Laugh. Love,” but put it on a sign and it would be right at home in a modern werewolf’s kitchen.
The heightened senses of the wolf will aid in his hunt. He will sniff down his prey and attack. There is no moment of thought as there is with the seduction of the vampire. The werewolf is all action…all animal.
Purpose
When the full moon rises, the beast takes over. Teeth grow sharp. Hackles raise. It howls at the silver moon and sees nothing but red. He will hunt. He will maul and kill…He will destroy.
Those who do survive the attack have the same purpose in store. Until he is released from his curse, only the kill will satisfy his bloodlust.
Sacred Places
At the height of the vampire mania in Europe, there existed a long list of things which could deter the immortal pests. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said of the werewolf. Sure you can stop it with a silver bullet, but you cannot hide from it by staying indoors or entering a church yard. You cannot ward against it by hanging cloves of garlic or spreading seeds on the ground. He will hunt and kill. He will come for you and your children, men and women, animals, and fresh corpses in the grave. For a werewolf, nothing is sacred.
Werewolves: A Perspective on Evil
What can the symbol of a werewolf show us about the nature of evil?
When speaking of the vampire, the word “sin” was used because the human was presented with a choice first. Once transformed into a vampire, he is driven by the “thirst/curse”. But the werewolf is backwards. The “thirst/curse” comes before his choice to sin. The lycanthropic curse is already a part of him when he is faced with an opportunity for evil.
A lycanthropic curse is not something a man typically chooses. Maybe a traumatic event changes him. He then begets a child whom is born into it. He is cursed with it. And so starts a generational curse.
Maybe it’s an act that has been observed so many times that it becomes a part of his nature. It’s how he was raised. It’s his default thought process now. Sometimes he isn’t even aware he is doing it. He is unaware of the affect it has on others…until he sees the blood.
He is the seventh son of a seventh son…His father was cursed by a gypsy…He was attacked in the woods… In any case, he did not enter this deal willingly. The curse is a part of him. He adopted something unknowingly. He may try to avoid it, but when the full moon rises, his flesh is covered in fur, his animal instincts take over, and he joins the hunt.
It’s who he is. The pull of the moon guides him now.
Maybe he’s unaware of the curse. His human-self wakes up in the woods, covered in the life of others. He wonders how he got there.
Upon learning who he is–what he is–he’s finally faced with a choice. How does he respond when his nature is so deeply ingrained in him?
Does he lean into it? Does he climb the highest tower and bask in the silver light–embracing the power over others? Does he let the monster loose?
Or does he shackle himself in a cellar? Does he keep the monster indoors? Does he call out to his human half, begging for it to take over?
Personal Application
When the curse started is not easily known. What is known are the effects.
A real life example of a generational curse can be seen in the children of parents who suffer from Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD). According to the Addiction Group[8], “children of alcoholics have a 40-60% predisposition to developing AUD themselves,” and the children also, “have a 1 to 10 percent higher risk of becoming dependent on opiates, cocaine, or marijuana (based on traumatic events).”
This can be seen in other actions as well (good and bad). As a result of the child’s environment, the grown adult will have adopted a natural propensity for committing certain types of actions. It becomes a pattern. The sins of the father become the sins of the child.
In order to fight the beast, the beast must become known.
The victim in the werewolf story is not given the same opportunity which the vampire offers. He cannot simply deny the guest at his door. Once the lycanthropic curse is in him, he must be aware of himself at all times.
When he becomes aware of the beast, the next step is to be aware of the moon…he must be aware of his surroundings. Whether it’s the shine of the moon or the scent of moonshine, some things just set him off. He can no more remove these triggers from earth than he can remove the moon from the sky. All he has power over is himself. If he goes out into the world, he will come face-to-face with these triggers.
The character of the werewolf has many expressions. Those who become aware of their new form react differently. Some are torn by the guilt of their actions. Others take measures to stop their rampages. And yet, there are others still who lean in and embrace their destructive nature. While the overpowering evil is destined to come in cycles, the man who is aware (and willing to fight the curse) can prepare to meet it.
So, what does this preparation look like? What can be done before he meets the triggers of his lycanthropic curse…before he loses his human sensibilities and gives in to his animal nature? How does he break the curse’s cycle?
In the words of Alastor “Mad-Eye” Moody, “Constant vigilance!”[2]
Constant Vigilance
Once the qualities of either monster takes hold, it is extremely difficult to fight off your bloodlust for the hunt. Is redemption possible? What if you accepted the vampire’s gift before knowing the full scope of consequences? What if you were born into the werewolf’s curse? Redemption for both will be explored in Part 3, but for now, let’s look at how to prepare for the werewolf’s first full moon.
You had the potential to be pure, whole, and curse-free. But through some circumstance outside of your control, you find yourself bound to this curse. Mayhaps you entered into a toxic relationship (or environment) or were born into one. How do you break the cycle of the curse?
You must constantly be aware. Be aware of who you are. Be aware of where you are. Be aware of the people who surround you. Only by constantly assessing your inner self and your surroundings can you hope to break the cycle. You have to be awake to yourself. You have to decide what you want your legacy to be. What do you want to pass on to the next generation? How do you want to affect the people around you?
There is an inscription at the temple of Apollo at Delphi: “Know thyself.”[9] Socrates would later expand on this direction with:
To know thyself is the beginning of wisdom.[10]
What does scripture say about vigilance in knowing yourself?
Now this is what the Lord Almighty says: “Give careful thought to your ways. You have planted much, but harvested little. You eat, but never have enough. You drink, but never have your fill. You put on clothes, but are not warm. You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it.” This is what the Lord Almighty says: “Give careful thought to your ways. - Haggai 1:5-7 NIV
The prudent see danger and take refuge, but the simple keep going and pay the penalty. - Proverbs 22:3 NIV
Knowing yourself is the first step. It is how you find the beast. But what is the next step?
You need to know Truth.
You can know thyself and still continue on the wrong path. You may accept yourself as Truth; and therefore, don’t need to change. But when you’re living with a curse of Death, you need to seek out Life. If you seek Truth, the Way to Life will follow. (John 14:6)
In the verse from Haggai, we are told to give careful thought to our ways. The instances which follow list actions we perform while failing to achieve the main goal of the action. To plant, eat, drink, clothe, and earn are all ways to further Life. If we fail in those, we get one step closer to Death. By considering our ways, we should seek out which of our ways are pursuing Life and which are creeping toward Death. A prudent person would turn from the ways which perpetuate Death.
You examine yourself. You find the beast. You identify your ways which lead to Death…but then the full moon rises…
For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. [...] For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. - Romans 7:15,18-19 ESV
The werewolf scratches at the inside of your flesh. It yearns to howl at the moon and start the hunt. How do you quell its desires?
You have time–a month in fact. While the curse does live in you, the sin is tied to the choice you make. It is tied to what you do in preparation for the full moon.
Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. [...] Give careful thought to the paths for your feet and be steadfast in all your ways. Do not turn to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil. - Proverbs 4:23, 26-27 NIV
If you know of things that awaken the beast, you should do everything in your power to avoid them. You must stay on the path that keeps you from evil. When you can’t control your surroundings, you must control yourself. Prepare yourself for those encounters. Guard your heart. Remove the ways that lead to Death. Follow only the ways which lead to Life.
Up Next
“I’ve turned into a monster! Is there no redemption for me?”
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The Monsters Among Us: Part 3 – Redemption from Fur and Fangs
References
- The Brothers Grimm. Grimm’s Complete Fairy Tales. (Leather-bound) (Kindle)
- Rowling, J. K. The Harry Potter series. (Classic Cover) (Castle Cover)
- Rose, Carol. Giants, Monsters, and Dragons: An Encyclopedia of Folklore, Legend, and Myth. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 2001. (Paperback)
- Tanvir. Historic Mysteries. Werewolf Legends from Around the World. https://www.historicmysteries.com/werewolf-legends/ October 12, 2021.
- Ovid. Metamorphoses. Penguin. (Paperback) (Kindle)
- Nuwer, Rachel. Smithsonian Magazine. Argentina Has a Superstition That Seventh Sons Will Turn into Werewolves. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/argentina-has-superstition-7th-sons-will-turn-werewolves-180953746/. October 23, 2021.
- The Wolf Man. Universal Pictures. December 12, 1941. (The Wolf Man) (The Wolf Man Legacy Collection)
- Addiction Group. Children of Alcoholics. www.addictiongroup.org/blog/children-of-alcoholics. October 15, 2021.
- Martinez, Antonio Marco. Antiquitatem. History of Greece and Rome. “Know thyself (Know yourself)”, γνῶθι σεαυτόν (gnóthi seautón), Nosce te ipsum, Conócete a ti mismo, Connais-toi toi-même, Conosci te stesso, Erkenne dich selbst. www.antiquitatem.com/en/know-thyself. October 21, 2021.
- Farnsworth, Ward. The Socratic Method: A Practitioner’s Handbook. David R. Godine. October 5, 2021. (Hardcover) (Kindle) (Audiobook)
Verses from the Bible linked to The Bible Gateway.
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Nicholas B. Spurrier 
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