o many mysterious tales surround us involving the legendary werewolf. For all we can understand, some may be true and others may be myth, but all of them contribute to the reputation of this terrifying monster. What the darkness brings us is a fear of the unknown and unimaginable.
The curse of the werewolf is said to cause a person to shape-shift into a wolf man or woman. However, where there exists none in different terrains, one may transform into a different animal instead. When one of these creatures dies, some may turn into a vampire rather than a ghost. The Slavic word “volkodlak” (werewolf) even translates as “vampire” in Serbian language.
The loups-garous (werewolf) has so much beauty even through the blood-soaked stories. The enchantment can be broken through much love, as the gift is laid upon us to work out of a scary rage. Every curse can be broken with the proper amount of positive energy.
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There is a tribe from Scythia that is supposed to take the form of wolves once a year for several days and then change back to their original shapes. In one writers account, known as Herodotus, he states that the Neuri were driven from their land “one generation before the attack of Darius (512 BC)” by an invasion of serpents. He goes on to explain “they observe Scythian customs” and that “they seem to be magicians.” He also tells of this shapeshifting. This is perhaps a reference to shamanic practices they are known to use.
The Romans also knew of these superstitions. Anyone who was supposed to have been turned into a wolf by means of magic spells or herbs was called versipellis (“turnskin”) by the Romans. Some would regard as a positive and others as a negative issue.
Not all of the mythological werewolves were evil. In Latvia and Lithuania, for example, the werewolf (called “vilkacis”) was sometimes beneficial to humans, bringing them treasures. They can also be protectors and guardians to certain peoples.
In Armenia, people believed if a woman was convicted of a deadly sin, she had to transform into a wolf and spend seven years in this state. This is an instance of the magick being used as a punishment. Whoever controls the power it seems, bears the upper hand.
The appearance of the werewolf in form differs significantly throughout the world, but there were several typical attributes common to most of them. The werewolf is usually larger than a regular wolf, kept a human like voice and eyes and is also able to walk on its back legs. They were known to eat freshly buried corpses.
There are several “guaranteed” ways of becoming a werewolf. The most common ways are to inherit the gene from your parents, get bitten, be cursed by a gypsy, put on a wolf-skin belt, drink water out of one’s footprint, or sleep outside during a full moon shining on the person´s face.
Removing the curse could be completed through many ways, including a scientific technique using Aconitum, a flowering plant, piercing the werewolf´s hands with nails or through divine intervention.
Werewolves are thought to have supernatural healing abilities and are known to be immune to the damage caused by ordinary human weapons. The only way to hurt one is with silver. It may be inspired by the Beast of Gevaudan, which was allegedly killed with a silver consecrated bullet.
The beast of Gevaudan is a story of a man-eating gray wolf who roamed the former province of Gévaudan in the Margeride Mountains in south-central France between 1764 and 1767. The witnesses reported that this creature had formidable teeth and an immense tail. The victims were killed by having their throats ripped out.
The kingdom of France used a lot of it’s riches to hire people to try and solve this problem. They hired civilians, soldiers and even royal huntsman to try and stop it. There was rumored to be at least 200 deaths and perhaps 60 injured survivors.
The end of the beast that eventually marked the end of the attacks is credited to a local hunter named Jean Chastel, who shot it at the slopes of Mount Mouchet which is called la Sogne d’Auvers, during a hunt organized by a local nobleman, the Marquis d’Apchier, on June 19, 1767.
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In Latvian folklore, a vilkacis was someone who transformed into a wolf-like being. Another collection of stories concern the skin-walkers. The vilkacis and skin-walkers probably have a common origin in Proto-Indo-European society, where a class of young unwed warriors were apparently associated with wolves.
In today’s culture there is a resurgence of skin walker tales. There have been reports made to Halo Paranormal Investigations from many places around the country, most popularly at skin walker ranch. A recent one comes from a ranch in Wilton, CA.
There’s a power plant next to the witness’s house which also attracts things such as alien activity and a skin walker who transforms from a horse, to a man and back again, due to the land previously being habituated by Native American Indians, known as Miwoks, who supposedly used special protective rituals to summon such things.
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The 11th Century Russian Prince Vseslav of Polotsk was thought to have been a Werewolf, capable of moving at supehuman speeds. Vselav was the son of Bryachislav Izyaslavich, Prince of Polotsk and Vitebsk, and was thus the great-grandson of Vladimir I of Kiev and Rogneda of Polotsk. He was born in c. 1030–1039 in Polotsk.
in “The Tale of Bygone Years”, there is mention of the mysterious birth of the future prince of the Witch and a serpent. It says that the mother gave birth to Useslaw of sorcery and witchcraft. No known information is stored to the name of his female guardian.
Due to his powers of sorcery, many legends surround his abilities. He was said to wear a piece of skin as a talisman, which is known to give werewolf abilities in lore. He was so mighty in magick that many signs appeared during his reign.
The strange occurrences are those such as a river known as Novgorod flowing backwards for five days, a mysterious bright red star appearing as if from nowhere and shining bright for seven days, causing animals to go into hysteria and violence and then disappearing and of course, the appearance of Halley’s comet which foretold death and an eclipse, followed by a strange baby creature floating down stream found and returned.
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There are many more werewolf tales to be told. History has left us broken pieces and fragments of times gone by. The best parts were saved by popularity and fame, but various stories will never be recovered.
Today, we still receive phone calls, witness accounts and more werewolf tales are made. All of this is not to be dismissed, it means something that we as a culture and society can not let go of this creature and it’s abilities.
So, we don’t let go and we continue to dream. We belong to the spirit world in the beginning and the end. It is all we will know. What we see now, are the messages of these dimensions, put into our heart for transformation and protection. Believe and be believed.
By Deanna Jaxine Stinson, Cryptozoologist
Halo Paranormal Investigations
www.cryptic916.com/
Sacramento Paranormal Help
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