Werewolf

A werewolf (Old English: were, wer, archaic terms for adult male humans) or lycanthrope (Greek: λυκάνθρωπος, lykánthropos: λύκος, lykos, "wolf", and ἄνθρωπος, anthrōpos, "man") is a mythological or folkloric human with the ability to shapeshift into a wolf or a therianthropic hybrid wolf-like creature, either purposely or after being placed under a curse or affliction (e.g. via a bite or scratch from another werewolf). Early sources for belief in lycanthropy are Petronius and Gervase of Tilbury.

The werewolf is a widespread concept in European folklore, existing in many variants which are related by a common development of a Christian interpretation of underlying European folklore which developed during the medieval period. From the early modern period, werewolf beliefs also spread to the New World with colonialism. Belief in werewolves developed in parallel to the belief in witches, in the course of the Late Middle Ages and the Early Modern period. Like the witchcraft trials as a whole, the trial of supposed werewolves emerged in what is now Switzerland (especially the Valais and Vaud) in the early 15th century and spread throughout Europe in the 16th, peaking in the 17th and subsiding by the 18th century. The persecution of werewolves and the associated folklore is an integral part of the "witch-hunt" phenomenon, albeit a marginal one, accusations of werewolfery being involved in only a small fraction of witchcraft trials. During the early period, accusations of lycanthropy (transformation into a wolf) were mixed with accusations of wolf-riding or wolf-charming. The case of Peter Stumpp (1589) led to a significant peak in both interest in and persecution of supposed werewolves, primarily in French-speaking and German-speaking Europe. The phenomenon persisted longest in Bavaria and Austria, with persecution of wolf-charmers recorded until well after 1650, the final cases taking place in the early 18th century in Carinthia and Styria.

Werewolf (disambiguation)

A werewolf, in folklore, is a person who changes into a wolf.

Werewolf may also refer to:

Film and television

Music

Literature

Games

Werewolf (Dell Comics)

Werewolf is a fictional superhero/secret agent that appeared in comics published by Dell Comics. Werewolf was part of Dell Comic's attempt to capitalize on the popularity of the Universal Pictures monsters (the other two were Dracula and Frankenstein). Werewolf first appeared in Werewolf #1 (December 1966).

Publication history

Werewolf lasted 3 issues from 1966 through 1967, numbering #1-3. Because "Wolfman" was a copyrighted name, Dell went with the more generic "Werewolf". Credit for the scripts is unclear, but they may have been written by Don Segall. Artwork for all three issues was provided by Bill Fracchio, with inks by Tony Tallarico.

Fictional character biography

After crashing his experimental aircraft in the Arctic Circle, USAF pilot Major Wiley Wolf develops amnesia and goes feral, living with a group of wolves after saving one he names Thor, who from then on becomes his constant companion. Spending six months lost in the Canadian wilderness, he eventually gets his memory back, and after being rescued he resigns his Air Force commission, saying he has been changed by his experiences amongst his lupine friends and that he now realizes too many people are like the insane wolves who occasionally take over the pack and cause untold damage to the world around them and that he wants to help mankind somehow against these mad wolves in human form.