Portrait of a Werewolf and the Transformation Process
A composite portrait of a werewolf can be sketched
from
centuries of stories.
In human form they had bushy eyebrows that met over the bridge of the nose.
Their
blood-red fingernails were long and Almond shaped;
mouth and eyes were always dry and thirsty. Long and narrow ears were laid back
on heads. Their skin was rough, scratched and hairy with yellowish, pinkish or greenish cast. In addition to such physical
features, the werewolf also displayed certain psychological traits. They
generally preferred the night and solitude, had an inclination towards visiting
the graveyards and were known to dig up corpses and feast upon them.
The
transformation was achieved by any of the following methods:
Curse: An ill fated man could become victim of witchcraft or fall under
curse of evil spirits. The person then would involuntary turn into
werewolf.
Bitten by Werewolf: Another common believe was that any one could become
one if saliva of an werewolf could find a way to blood stream; might be from
bite or scratch.
Putting on Wolf Skin: Most easiest way of becoming werewolf; however,
there have been debates concerning effectiveness of the method. An evil minded
person could put on hide of a dead wolf and become a werewolf. In case the
complete skin was unavailable, a belt or girdle of wolf hide would supplement
it.
Occult or Devil Worshiping: An wicked person can start
worshiping the Devil and surrender his soul to it. The Devil then would grant
him the power to become an werewolf. In some cases it could be any evil spirit
answering to devotion.
Magic Salve or Ointment: A good number of recorded cases mentions a
potent salve or ointment with which werewolf would rub their bodies for
transformations.
The compositions of those ointments were different, but generally contained
plant ingredients like nightshade, belladonna and henbane. Pig fat, turpentine
and olive oil were used as solvent for them. Later when the distillation
of spirits was perfected, alcohol served the purpose.
Rituals: Evidence of ceremonial rituals are often mentioned in the
werewolf cases. The rituals were mainly any combination of the voluntary methods
of becoming a werewolf. First the afflicted man
would locate an isolate place and trace a big circle on the soil. On the
center of that circle he made a fire and prepared his magic ointment. ( After rubbing his
body with the ointment, he would wear the wolf hide and concentrate on
prayer to the Devil. At the end of the process the man turned into a wolf
and ran in quest of prey.
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