Who did the wolf turn into in the fairy tale. Werewolves among the Slavs

Volkodlak, volkolak, volkulak, vovkulak, in Slavic mythology wolf man; werewolf; a sorcerer who can turn into a wolf and turn other people into wolves. Legends about the werewolf are common to all Slavic peoples. The ideas about the wolkolak combined features of a folklore image and borrowings from ideas about Christian demonology.

The exceptional archaism of ideas about werewolves is clear from the fact that in other Indo-European traditions (in particular, in the Hittite) the transformation of the groom into a wolf is associated with a common form of marriage - kidnapping (forced removal of the bride).

The antiquity of this image is also confirmed by the chronicle of 1282, which tells of a volkolak who “drives the clouds and eats away the moon” (the Slavs for a long time kept faith in the volkhvs-clouders, who turned into wolves, rose to the sky and called for rain or dispersed the clouds).

According to F. Buslaev, “the rest of this legend is still preserved in the proverb: “The gray wolf catches stars in the sky.” Unlike the mythology of the peoples of Europe, among the Slavs, the werewolf was initially a positive character, and the fact of werewolves was perceived in principle as a normal phenomenon. Unusual - yes, but by no means - not terrible and terrible.

This is indirectly confirmed by the ancient Russian conspiracy recorded by Sakhorov:

“On the sea, on the ocean, on the island of Buyan, in a hollow clearing, the moon shines on an aspen stump, in a green forest, in a wide valley. A hairy wolf walks around the stump, he has all the horned cattle on his teeth, but the wolf does not enter the forest, and the wolf does not wander into the valley. Month, month - golden horns! Melt the bullets, dull the knives, blunt the clubs, cast fear on the beast of man and the reptile, so that they do not take the gray wolf, do not tear the warm skin from it. My word is strong, stronger than sleep and heroic strength.

Turning into a wolf was likened to one of the most revered and powerful animals endowed with supernatural powers. The name of this beast was so sacred that it could not be pronounced aloud, so instead of "wolf" they said "fierce", and the men of some tribes were called "lutichi".

The ability to turn into a wolf from ancient times was attributed to "especially strong" sorcerers and, apparently, was a necessary part of certain rituals. “Turn around”, “turn around” (turn) often literally meant “turn over”, that is, roll over, “throw over oneself” or over a conditional border.

“Turning around”, a person, as it were, turned over with that side of his being, which is attached to higher powers world, to revered animals, birds, fish - "ancestors, relatives and patrons."

In stories about werewolves, the line between man and beast is a narrow strip of a knife, rope, branches, in fact, it passes through the werewolf himself: he is both a man and an animal at the same time. The practice of shapeshifting was so widespread among the Slavic tribes that Herodotus describes the annual transformation of the neurons (a Slavic tribe supposedly living on the territory of Belarus) into wolves for several days as a matter of course.

And the Slavic heroic epic, in general, characterizes the main character of the werewolf as a being of divine origin. At the birth of the Russian wolf hero Volga Vseslavovich:

And the moon shone bright in the sky,
And in Kyiv a mighty hero was born,
How young Volkh Vseslavevich would be.
The damp earth trembled,
Stressed the glorious kingdom of the Indians,
And the blue sea swayed
For the sake of the birth of a hero,
Young Volkh Vseslavevich.

Similar cataclysms and natural phenomena accompanied the birth of elemental Slavic deities. Many researchers draw parallels (albeit very conditional), according to which Volkh is the Kiev prince Oleg, who was considered prophetic (another word for volkolak was a word derived from the verb vedati - “know”: Ukrainian vischun - “werewolf”, other Czech vedi - "werewolves", Slovenian vedomci, vedunci, vedarci - "werewolves").

However, Vseslav of Polotsk (second half of the 11th century), who was no less famous, was such a werewolf prince, who “... dressed up the princes of the city, and himself prowled like a wolf in the night ... Cherson the great wolf roamed the path ...” (The Word about Igor's regiment).

Another Slavic werewolf, the hero of the Belarusian and Serbian epics, was the Fire Wolf Serpent. His image also goes back to the common Slavic myth of the wolf hero. He is born from Fire Serpent, is born in human form, “in a shirt” or with “wolf hair” - a sign of a miraculous origin. Can turn into a wolf and other animals, including a bird; performs feats, using the ability to turn himself (and his squad) into animals.

Many of the creatures lower mythology also had a penchant for werewolves, the goblin, for example, very often turned into a white wolf (white king) or a wolf shepherd.

With the adoption of Christianity, all former deities were overthrown and declared demons. This fate did not bypass the werewolves, who from helper deities and heroes-heroes became terrible monsters of nightmares. Among Russian peasants of the 20th century, belief in werewolves is generally fading, although stories about werewolves - wolves and bears are still popular in some parts of Russia.

SIGNS OF THE WEREWOLF

The main feature of the Volkolak, as well as the wolf hero, is the “wolf hair” (Serbohorv. Vuchka dlaka, Slovenian Volcja dlaka) noticeable from birth on the head (compare the identical Old Norse sign - vargshar, “wolf hair” of a werewolf).

You can also recognize a werewolf by the fact that their knees of their hind legs are turned forward, like in a person, and not back, like in an animal. Forced werewolves do not harm people, except for those who "spoiled" them. Those should not be seen by them.

When a werewolf approaches the water to get drunk, it is not a wolf that is reflected there, but a human image.

Werewolf animals were distinguished by unusual behavior, less often by some features in their appearance (a white stripe on the neck of a wolf, White color skins, no tail).

METHODS OF CONVERSION

The very first known method of transformation was wrapping with the help of conspiracies and rituals (“wisdom”):

Vtapory learned Volkh to wisdom:
And I learned the first wisdom
Wrap yourself in a clear falcon,
To another wisdom he studied Volkh
Wrap yourself in a gray wolf
To the third wisdom Volkh studied
Wrap around bay tour - golden horns.

Throwing. The most common way. A person endowed with "supernatural" abilities becomes a wolf, "spreading over" (turning over) through a knife or ax stuck in a smooth stump or ground. They also threw themselves over a rocker, a stump, hoops, twelve knives, a rope, a tree branch, a fire on a stove hearth, through the core of a fallen tree, or simply turning somersaults “against the sun”, etc.

Ordinary people could become wolves by stepping over a thing spoken by a sorcerer. Also, in order to turn a person into a wolf, a sorcerer or witch throws an animal skin, ribbon or belt on him (tying them).

Wearing a wolf skin. One of the oldest methods of transformation, was practiced by the Magi.

Transformation at weddings. It was believed that especially strong sorcerers could "let wolves" entire wedding trains. To do this, the sorcerer takes as many belts and basts as there are people on the train, whispers a spell over these things, and whoever he then girds with such a belt becomes a wolf. Sometimes the witch digs up the road for the train traveling from the crown with a small ditch: as soon as the train hits this recess, the horses fall dead, and people run away in animal form, etc.

Transformation "at the word of the mother." Same thing as cursed transformation. Werewolves transformed at the word of their mother should not in any case eat raw meat, otherwise they will remain wolves forever.

Werewolves are children kidnapped by evil spirits.

WAYS TO RETURN TO HUMAN APPEARANCE

Jump over a magical item in the opposite direction.

Pull the magic ax out of the stump.

The wolf will become a man after the time specified by the spell.

Cover the wolf with human clothing.

Some sorcerers impose special conditions for the return of the human form: in the bylichka, the soldier forces the dead priest, who turned the wedding train into wolves, to show the way to their salvation; for this you need to collect the werewolves: “I will give you a tube. Blow this tube - they will all come to you. I'll rip off your cloak from your shroud. Smoke them with this - they will be people again. (Pskov region).

Feed the werewolf "blessed food", i.e. such food, which is blessed.

Tie the werewolf with a belt with knots, tying which whispered "Lord, have mercy."

WAYS OF PROTECTION AGAINST WIZARDS AND WEREWOROPS

Newlyweds and wedding trains were always guarded by a specially invited sorcerer - a polite man and friend, "the groom's best man", called the "wolf" in the south.

It was possible to protect oneself from a werewolf (first of all, from a werewolf-sorcerer) by hitting him backhand, crippling (injuring a werewolf, shoeing a witch-horse).

The "serpent ax" (the ax that killed the snake) protected from werewolves.

If you steal the clothes of the sorcerer or the object through which he turned around, then the werewolf will not be able to take on human form.

So that the werewolf would not become a ghoul after death, his heel tendons were cut, and his eyes (or mouth) were clamped with coins.

An image similar to a werewolf, a wolfman, a werewolf exists in the beliefs of many peoples (English Beowulf, German Werewolf, etc.). Belief in volkolaks dates back to an era when it was possible to represent a person in the form of a beast and when people, being in constant communication with animals, were able, according to a proverb, to howl like a wolf with wolves: strange as it may seem, but the chroniclers really attributed this art to some persons.

So, in the Laurentian Chronicle we read: “... and as if it was midnight, and Bonyak got up and departed from the howl, and began to howl like a wolf, and the wolf rose to him, and began to howl howl many.”

One way or another, the idea that a man or a woman can be under the skin of a wolf reflected the belief in the kinship and unity of all living things: here the wolf is the “owner” of the forest, animals and at the same time the “senior” relative, patron, ancestor of man, “strong » sorcerer, wolf-sorcerer. Man, in turn, is a “transformed wolf,” who (especially the sorcerer) draws strength from this kinship, and at critical moments in life can again become a wolf.

Werewolf - mythical creature that existed in the legends of almost every nation.

This term refers to a person, spirit or demon that can turn into any animal and vice versa. Although it is generally accepted that werewolves in most cases take the form of wolves.

In this case, the transformation can occur both at the request of a person, and be the result of certain factors: a change in the cycles of the moon, the smell of blood, the howling of animals, and so on.

What are these monsters

Initially, werewolves were called people who can turn into various creatures, and even into inanimate objects through magic and sorcery. In most cases, they were portrayed as some kind of monsters.

For example, among the Greeks, a werewolf is a skinny sorcerer who has a donkey's head and a monkey's tail. Such "shifters" walk the streets on winter nights and scare people. But after the consecration of water, which is held on the feast of the Epiphany, the world is cleansed of these monsters until the next winter.

At different peoples their idea of ​​what animals a werewolf turns into. It can be a leopard, a lion, a fox, a bear and even a seal, like "silks" in Celtic mythology.

But still, for most people, a werewolf is associated with a wolf. Such a creature has many names: lycanthrope, werewolf, werewolf, mardagail, viltaki.

It was believed that the transformation from a man into a beast occurs in different ways. If the werewolf is a sorcerer, then he could "put on" the skin of an animal at any time at will. At the same time, he retained his mind, and thought logically in any situation.

If a person was bitten by a monster or a curse was placed on him, then he could transform at any moment without his desire.

In most cases, the transformation took place during the full moon, but it could be provoked not only by the light of the night star, but also by the smell of blood or the howl of another monster.

The process of transformation itself is quite painful, and at this moment the “changeling” is most vulnerable.

After the conversion, the person could not control his instincts, and killed all living things in his path, while he did not remember anything about his "tricks".

The attraction of werewolves

These monsters have many advantages over ordinary people. First of all, they are strong, hardy and fast, just like the beasts they turn into. In addition, these monsters also have other abilities:

• Tissue regeneration. It is believed that werewolves have very fast cell regeneration. Due to this feature, creatures do not age, and are not subject to any diseases.
• Immortality. A werewolf is almost impossible to kill, and the only danger for them is silver, and in cases where the monster is wounded exactly in the heart or brain.
• Cunning and knowledge. These monsters are dangerous because, even while in animal skin, they do not become stupid, and can apply all the knowledge and skills that they had in human form. The monsters can easily outwit the hunters, see the trap from afar and bypass all the traps on their way to the victim.

Such skills make werewolves excellent killing machines. And if we take into account that the "shifters" in the legends had increased bloodthirstiness and ruthlessness, it becomes clear why people felt horror, and at the same time respect for these creatures.

How to become a werewolf

There are many legends about how to learn to turn into an animal. According to beliefs, you can become a werewolf in the following ways:

Apply a special magic spell;

Being bitten or scratched by a werewolf;

Drink a sip of water from a wolf trail, or get drunk from a reservoir used by an animal pack;

Born on Christmas Eve;

Eat the brain or flesh of a wolf;

Wear clothing made from animal skins;

In addition, it was believed that the children of werewolves from birth are able to turn into animals.

In this case, people who have become "shifters" after being bitten or cursed can be cured. But only if they can endure hunger and don't taste human flesh. Then you can perform a purification ritual and save a person.

If the werewolf tasted human flesh, then his soul is cursed, and he will be forced to wear the "animal skin" until his death.

In the mythology of many peoples, it is believed that the curse can be removed by killing the monster that bit the person. In this case, all victims of the werewolf again become normal people.

Myths about werewolves

Why did the wolf become a symbol of werewolves?

For many hundreds of years, this animal has remained quite fantastic. And, despite the fact that his habits were quite studied, people did not stop endowing the wolf with an incredible “devilish” mind and quick wit.

It was believed that the beast could hypnotize a person, and he would lose all will to resist and lose his "talk of speech."

The first legend about the transformation into a wolf appeared in times Ancient Greece.

Once Zeus decided to visit King Lycaon in the guise of a simple wanderer. But the cruel ruler ordered the traveler to be killed in order to find out if he was a man or a god. As punishment, Zeus destroyed the king's palace and turned him into a wolf for the rest of his life.

So the term "lycanthropy" appeared, meaning the transformation of a person into a beast.

But before, wolves were, albeit fantastic, but quite revered animals.

Many warriors chose this beast as their totem.

According to legend, a man with the "soul" of a wolf had endurance, strength and speed, as well as intelligence, which made him invincible in any battle.

In history, there are many references to tribes that lived in different parts of the world, who considered themselves werewolves.

For example, the Balts had a caste of warriors, who were the servants of the wolf god.

These "werewolves" performed a special ritual before each fight, which included the use of narcotic substances, to be specific - henbane.

Under the influence of the plant, the warriors saw hallucinations about their transformation into wolves, and in the "animal form" went into battle.

With the widespread spread of Christianity, all wolf cults began to be considered pagan, and they were ruthlessly fought against.

The early founding fathers of the church denied any possibility of the existence of any werewolves and lycanthropes. But a little later, Christian preachers changed their minds.

medieval persecution

Later legends about werewolves appeared in the 14th century.

In one of the medieval cities there was a mass attack of dogs on domestic animals. Having found a flock, the townspeople found a wolf in it, which supposedly knows how to turn into a person. Later, the werewolf himself was "established" - one of the residents was accused of lycanthropy.

Under torture, the man "confessed" that he was turning into a wolf and committed several murders. He was, of course, executed, but the story received a lot of publicity. Soon in all cities and villages there was only talk about werewolves.

These rumors were strongly supported by the Inquisition, which gladly began to look not only for witches, but also for "shifters". Many people confessed under torture in the ability to turn into animals. And the number of werewolves burned at the stake is in the hundreds, if not thousands.

The most famous case of a werewolf trial was the trial of Gilles Garnier, which took place in the 16th century.

According to investigators, the defendant met the devil in the forest and sold his soul to him.

In return, Garnier received a potion that gave him the ability to transform into a wolf.

One way or another, this "werewolf" really killed a lot of people.

He raped women and children, gnawed off the genitals of the murdered and did many more terrible things.

In 1621, after the publication of the book "Anatomy of Melancholy", written by the scientist and priest Robert Burton, attitudes towards werewolves changed.

His theory was also confirmed by the fact that in those days drugs for many diseases were created on the basis of tincture of opium and belladonna.

These plants are known hallucinogens, and it is not surprising that many patients after treatment with such drugs "became werewolves."

scientific point of view

Many drawings from the Stone Age have been found, which depict hybrids of people and animals. Our ancestors often portrayed a mixture of man and beast: deer, horse, cat, bird, fish. In addition, statues of demi-humans were often created.

The oldest figurine of a hybrid of a human and a cat was discovered in Germany, and its age is about 32 thousand years.

But where could the image of werewolves come from?

First of all, such "monsters" could appear due to physiological disorders in the body of a person.

For example, there is a disease called " congenital hypertrichosis».

This disease, which causes the growth of hair on the body, face and upper limbs, could change the appearance of a person and make him look like a beast.

And since earlier people were prone to superstition, they could give "lycanthropy" to everyone who was sick with this disease.

Another ailment due to which a person could "become a werewolf" is porphyrin disease.

This disease not only provokes increased hair growth, but also makes other manifestations noticeable, coinciding with werewolf myths.

Patients develop photophobia, in addition, their skin changes color, facial features are distorted, and the flesh separates from the nails, making them look like claws.

In most cases, patients also have psychological disorders that make them more aggressive. And the inappropriate behavior of patients, coupled with physical changes, could well have caused the emergence of myths about lycanthropy.

Werewolf in art

Despite the popularity of werewolves, they failed to take root in literature.

Shot from the film "An American Werewolf in London"

But the situation changed dramatically with the advent of cinema.

The first time the werewolf appeared on the wide screen in 1913 and since then has taken a leading position among all the "movie monsters". He was able to move even his eternal literary opponent - the vampire.

In 1981, the werewolf received an Oscar for best makeup. We are talking about the film "American Werewolf in London".

Despite the fact that the plot of the picture is rather banal, the external "natural" appearance of the protagonist made an indelible impression on the audience.

In addition, the special effects of the picture were also amazing, because wool, fangs and a wolf's face grew "right before our eyes."

Since that time, werewolves have appeared more than once in various films and blockbusters, and each time these monsters provided the film with commercial success.

With the development of technology, werewolves have taken another niche in contemporary art, namely, they became favorite characters in computer games.

You can try yourself as a werewolf in such well-known RPGs as Diablo II, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, World of Warcraft: Cataclysm, Werewolf: the last warrior and many others.

Ideas about human werewolves capable of turning into animals go back to the most archaic myths of different peoples. Such a gift was possessed, in particular, by many epic heroes. In the Middle Ages, werewolves became purely hostile, satanic characters and in this form penetrated into horror literature, and through it into fantasy and role-playing games. IN Lately some kind of “rethinking” of the image of a werewolf is planned as a creature close to nature and protecting it from people and monsters.

half-breeds

The term "lycanthrope" (wolf-man - Greek) is not entirely correct, since the number of lycanthropes includes not only werewolves, but also many other werewolves, up to the werewolves (forgive us these miserable translation papers) and werecrocodiles. However, it has firmly taken root, and an attempt to “cancel” it retroactively is doomed to failure in advance. Predatory mammals form the basis for most werewolves, but there are exceptions. Absolutely all werewolves have traits that resemble the behavior of the animals they turn into, and even in human form, some elements of their appearance hint at their true nature. Most werewolves that transform into predators and vultures are evil and violent, while lycanthropes that transform into less aggressive beasts are usually quite tolerable in whatever form they take. All lycanthropes can take the form of a human or a particularly large sample of the animal they turn into, some of them also have a terrible hybrid form that combines human or larger sizes and human body structure with animal features - fur, claws, muzzle. As a rule, werewolves are most dangerous in this form. Lycanthropes are only vulnerable to silver or magical weapons, some in all forms, others only in inhuman ones.

Non-Darwin classification

Werewolves are of two types - true and infected. There are also the effects of curses and exposure to certain magical items, but they are few in number. True werewolves were born lycanthropes and will die that way. Born from werewolf parents, they have full access to all of their shapeshifting abilities, and can shapeshift at will while maintaining complete self-control. Infected werewolves are ordinary people who have become lycanthropes as a result of being injured by a true werewolf. For the most part, they turn into another form for three nights a month - before, during and after the full moon, are not able to control themselves in animal form and do not remember anything in the morning.

Such werewolves can be cured, or rather, removed the curse.

Spinner (werebat) is a werewolf bat. In addition to human form and a giant bat, this creature can take the form of a skinny and long humanoid with wings and a muzzle bat, sharp fangs and sickle-shaped claws. These creatures live in remote caves in small families, often accompanied by dozens of common bats. They prefer to feed on humans, but can tolerate a diet of other mammals as well.

Verembear (wegebeag) is one of the few "good" lycanthropes. These creatures are omnivorous and lead a solitary life in deep forests. In human form, they are distinguished by their enormous size and strength, but they do not have a hybrid form. Verembears are the guardians of the forests and rarely leave them in search of tools or hiring. Werewolves are their natural enemies.

Werekaban (wereboar) has a more explosive temperament than nitroglycerin. These creatures are paranoid suspicious and see an enemy in everyone, prone to unmotivated cruelty. Short, coarse hair and a short, but powerful body can betray a werecaban in human form as surely as a violent character. The hybrid form of this werewolf is distinguished by a huge boar's head and a powerful chest and arms covered with bristles. Giant strength allows the monster to lift opponents with his hands and impale on his tusks, terrible even among ordinary boars.

Verelisa (werefox) unique in its kind. Only women can become Verelis, and all of them, regardless of race, quickly take on the appearance of silver-haired elves as a "human" form in a couple of years. This form is so beautiful that any man with average or lesser wisdom instantly becomes a faithful slave to the grave. In hybrid form, the verelisa retains its elven body, but it is covered in silvery fur and takes on a fox head and tail. Verelisa is a vain, comfort-loving creature who lives in seclusion in the company of enslaved men and is no longer interested in anything.

Verekrat (wererat) is one of the weakest werewolves. Even in their hybrid human form with a rat tail and snout, these creatures are small in stature and tend to use weapons. The wererats, like their smaller brothers, prefer to settle in the sewers of large cities, earning a living by stealing and eating carrion. They like to feast on people, but the stubborn sewer smell does not contribute to their success in society.

Werewolf, the werewolf, is the great-grandfather of all fantasy lycanthropes. Thanks to numerous horror films, his appearance and habits have become known to almost everyone. Werewolves have only one non-human form, but it can be different - someone has a large wolf, someone has an upright hybrid, someone has something in between. Like werewolves, werewolves prefer the solitude of a narrow family circle, roaming the uninhabited forests and steppes and hunting people or other food. Of course, this only applies to true werewolves - those infected from their own family usually gain the first victims.

Details

In the absence of an opportunity to squeeze even a small fraction of the available information about werewolves into a module of the article, we will have to limit ourselves to acquaintance with the "wolf" variety of werewolves.

So what do we know about them? Lycanthropes have a lot of advantages over ordinary people. So, they are not subject to aging and physical diseases due to enhanced tissue regeneration. Therefore, they are practically immortal. However, they can be killed by mortally wounding the heart or brain, as well as by hanging and strangulation.

Like real wolves, werewolves can remain lonely for years. However, the desire to join the pack often forces them to leave their secret refuge for a while. Then the werewolf is able to make a fatal mistake by confessing his essence to a priest or telling a close friend about it. Sometimes he acts smarter, turning another person into his own kind so that he can become his companion.
A pack of lycanthropes usually consists of a werewolf who became one through magic, birth, or a curse - that is, he represents the primary cursed blood. Such a werewolf is called Alpha. The rest of the pack are called Beta Werewolves, because they are bitten by Alpha and carry his cursed blood.

Relationships within a group are quite complex. If a person is bitten by a canthropic li, the life of the victim is doomed to a curse. But a person retains the hope of salvation until he tastes someone else's blood. If Alpha dies at the hands (teeth) of Beta, the curse on Beta is removed. However, it must be remembered that, regardless of whether a Beta Werewolf was bitten by another Beta Werewolf or an Alpha Werewolf, the original source of the cursed blood must be killed to escape the curse. Interestingly, Alpha cannot harm a Beta werewolf of his bloodline, because at the same time he will harm himself in exactly the same way. But if the Beta Werewolf is killed or injured by someone else, the Alpha will not be harmed.

Distinguish wolves from lambs

There are several characteristics of werewolves that allow them to be distinguished by the degree of danger.

"Wolf"- when a person transforms into a wolf, the first one practically loses his mind and acquires the consciousness of a beast. It does not aim to kill its victims for the sake of killing, it does not attack if it is not hungry enough. If the transformation takes place in the lycanthrope's own house or apartment and he still retains partial memories of his human life, the werewolf will protect his home, like a wolf - his territory. If the transformation takes place elsewhere, he is extremely cautious, realizing that this place may belong to another wolf.

The question of how much of the human memory is preserved in the mind of a werewolf during transformation does not have a clear answer. Sometimes a lycanthrope in the form of a wolf remembers nothing at all about his human existence. In other cases, he feels more secure in a house where he lives as a person and feels family ties with loved ones. And, finally, he retains all memory, but interpreted by the consciousness of the wolf.

"Daemon"- when transformed, completely loses control over his hidden desires. Internal restraining motives completely disappear, and the lycanthrope turns into a "wandering demon", committing cruel and terrible murders out of revenge, resentment, hatred. He kills his wife, children, parents. After that, returning to human form, he may not remember what happened to him. This is a very dangerous form of lycanthropy.

"Super"- This is a lycanthrope who, after the transformation, completely retains the human mind and thinking. The least dangerous type of werewolf for people (provided, of course, that his behavior in a human shell is considered normal). However, the realization that he is in the body of a wolf can be bad for his psyche.

How to turn into a werewolf

The main sign of the Volkolak is the "wolf hair" on the head, noticeable from birth. You can also recognize a werewolf by the fact that their knees of their hind legs are turned forward, like in a person, and not back, like in an animal. When a werewolf approaches the water, it is not a wolf that is reflected there, but a human image.
And how does the transformation itself from human to animal form and vice versa take place? There are several ways to convert.

The very first was “wrapping” with the help of conspiracies and rituals (“wisdom”), and the most common was throwing. A person endowed with supernatural abilities becomes a wolf by “spreading” (turning over) through a knife or ax stuck in a smooth stump or ground. They also throw themselves over a rocker, a stump, hoops, twelve knives, a rope, a tree branch, a fire on a stove hearth, through the core of a fallen tree, or simply turning somersaults “against the sun”, etc. Ordinary people, it is believed, can become wolves by stepping over a thing spoken by a sorcerer. Also, in order to turn a person into a wolf, a sorcerer or witch throws an animal skin, ribbon or belt on him.

It was believed that especially strong sorcerers could "let wolves" entire wedding trains. To do this, the sorcerer takes as many belts and basts as there are people on the train, whispers a spell over these things, and whoever he then girds with such a belt becomes a wolf. Sometimes the witch digs up the road for the train returning from the crown with a small ditch: as soon as the train hits this recess, the horses fall dead, and people run away in animal form ...

Also, werewolves become "transformed by the word of the mother" and children abducted by evil spirits.

The transformation of an ordinary person into a monster almost always occurs on a full moon. The process begins with the fact that a person changes outwardly very quickly: the arms begin to swell and lengthen, the skin of the face and limbs coarsens and blurs. Soon the shoes begin to interfere with the feet, the fingers are bent and become tenacious. The mind of the unfortunate person is clouded: he becomes uncomfortable, cramped in the house, he wants to break out. Then there is a complete clouding of consciousness, the language refuses to obey, instead of articulate speech, a guttural muttering is heard. In this phase, the werewolf is completely possessed by the thirst for blood, suppressing all other feelings. The man-beast flees into the night, killing everyone in his path. Having satisfied his hunger, the werewolf falls to the ground and falls asleep, again acquiring a human form by morning.

Here is one of the literary descriptions of such a transformation:
“I held Richard's hands, and the fur flowed under my fingers, muscles swelled and fell off, bones broke and healed. I screamed, trying to get out from under him, but the force bent me down, filled me, and it seemed to me that my skin would now burst, could not withstand it, could not withstand it.
He rose from me, not a wolf, but a wolf-man covered in cinnamon-and-gold fur. He looked at me with yellow eyes and extended a clawed hand, standing on slightly bent legs.
I did not take my hand and crawled back, stood on unsteady legs, not taking my eyes off him. In wolf form, he was taller, seven feet, muscular and monstrous. There was nothing left of Richard, but I knew how good it felt to set my beast free. I felt the beast rising out of him like a second mind, a second soul, rising up, out, filling it and spilling its shells.
And the body still tingled where this beast had touched. The sensory memory of that softness of his fur under his fingers will haunt me from now on." (Laurel Hamilton. "Death Dance").

There is a beast in everyone

In general, the Russian word "transformation" always has associations that are most suitable for myths, fairy tales, and magic. IN English language the transformation process is commonly called shifting or shapeshifting (literally, “shape change”). Another English word - therianthropy (therianthropy) - refers directly to the change of the human body into the body of an animal.
Some researchers divide therianthropy into physical and spiritual. In the latter case, a person, while maintaining a normal shell, changes his way of thinking from human to animal and begins to think like a beast. The signs of who he considers himself to be are, as it were, embedded in himself. For example, someone feels a wolf and a jaguar in himself, another subconsciously strives to live in a pack or hunt alone. There are people who feel the instincts of the beast in themselves and are able to develop them at will, and then use such intensely expressed qualities as speed, reaction, increased sensitivity to the perception of the environment, dexterity, strength.

totems- These are animals that best reflect the character of a particular person. The use of totems varies. This is especially noticeable when studying ancient cultures and shamanic customs, when some shamans pay great attention to the figures and colors of animal totems, while others ignore them.

There are two types of totems: internal (central) - the one that determines the essence of a person, and external - spirits that help a person and lead him through life. The inner totem is an animal, habits, habits, a lifestyle that suits you best. Some compare themselves to a wolf or even a bear. The outer totem guides you through life like a guardian angel, and manifests itself in different ways, depending on what traditions you adhere to.

Fighting methods

What are the ways to counter werewolves? In the tales of all the peoples of the earth, a lycanthrope can be killed with an obsidian knife or an arrow with the same tip. Obsidian weapons are considered sacred and are used in many rituals. Another substance that has destructive power for a werewolf is silver. And the Scots, and the British, and the Russians, and the Africans, and the Indians kill their werewolves with silver weapons. It can be either a bullet cast in silver or a dagger with a silver trim on the blade.
Of course, it is easier and more merciful to kill any creature at once, without subjecting it to unnecessary torment, but a person, alas, is such an animal,

which in itself is more terrible than any werewolf. The "silver collar", or the so-called werewolf collar, was invented on the basis of knowledge of the effects of silver on the body of a lycanthrope. It was invented as a weapon of retribution, but extremely dangerous, because such a collar had to be put on a living werewolf, and it was considered a very effective tool for those who wanted to buy time and mock a lycanthrope. It was arranged very simply: sharp rivets were placed on a leather ribbon, later they began to be replaced with thin needles (not from the outside, but so that they stuck into the throat) made of silver, a certain ritual was performed (in Rus' such a thing was simply consecrated). Next, it was necessary to identify a werewolf, preferably on a full moon, and in the form of an animal. If you put a collar on a werewolf, according to legend, he cannot turn into a man, but he will not be able to completely become a wolf - in other words, he will get a wolf as tall as a man, and he will walk on his hind legs, he will not be able to remove the collar, and another werewolf will also be unable to help him do this, since the collar was riveted on both sides. Thus, according to legend, fathers avenged their daughters who were taken away by werewolves.

An image similar to a werewolf, a wolf man, a werewolf exists in the beliefs of many peoples. Belief in wolves refers to an era when it was possible to imagine a person in the form of a beast and when people, being in constant communication with the animal world, were able, according to the proverb, “to howl like a wolf with wolves”: oddly enough, chroniclers are really an art attributed to some persons.

One way or another, the idea that a man or a woman can be under the skin of a wolf reflected the belief in the kinship and unity of all living things: here the wolf is the owner of the forest, animals and at the same time the eldest relative, patron, human ancestor, "strong" sorcerer, wolf - sorcerer Man, in turn, is a “transformed wolf”, who draws strength from this kinship, and at critical moments of life can again take on the appearance of an animal.

The wolf in Russian folk tales in most cases is a negative character. He is a strong and dangerous opponent, but at the same time he is a naive and not very intelligent hero. Often gets into trouble because of his stupidity, malice, excessive trust in the Fox and other more intelligent characters. In rare stories, the wolf nevertheless becomes a true friend and protector.

Wolf in Russian folk tales

The positive and negative role of the wolf in fairy tales: its origins

The ambiguous image of the character is associated with the same fuzzy attitude towards the animal among the people. In fairy tales, he often becomes a collective image, endowed with strength and stupidity at the same time. With the help of instructive stories, it is demonstrated that the physical strength of the enemy is not yet the main quality for winning the fight. Successfully complements this character with the proverb “There is power - you don’t need mind!”. But at the same time, when in a fairy tale the cunning Fox mocks the wolf, we empathize with him. His innocence is closer to us than the insidiousness of a red-haired cheat.

The image of a simple-hearted wolf is refuted in some fairy tales. For example, in the story about Ivan Tsarevich, the wolf hero, on the contrary, demonstrates wisdom, unexpectedly takes the side of good, plays the role of an adviser and assistant. But this is more the exception than the rule.

In the depiction of the fabulous wolf, the people have departed far from the real qualities of the animal. If the quality of cunning given to the fox, and cowardice to the hare, seem quite logical, then it is completely incomprehensible why stupidity was attributed to such a dangerous predator. In nature, the wolf is an excellent hunter. He even brings some benefit as a forest nurse. The quality of straightforwardness attributed to him can only be connected with the fact that he is able to face danger eye to eye. His manner of hunting also speaks of ingenuity: the wolf does not chase the victim for a long time, attacks more often in a flock and only on the weakest individuals from the herd.

The character of the wolf in folk tales

First of all, the wolf is a villain character. But in some fairy tales, he is a threat to other heroes, while in others he is harmless and even useful.

• "How the wolf was taught the mind"- the wolf character in this story is stupid and lazy. He exhibits an open mind, which could be regarded as a positive trait if it were not associated with stupidity.
• "Wolf and Goat"- here he is a malicious deceiver, ruthless and greedy, but still not without naivety.
• "Sister Fox and the Wolf"- the wolf hero is displayed as a stupid and naive character who, despite his evil disguise, suffers from the antics of the Gossip-Fox.
• "Ivan Tsarevich and the Grey Wolf"- portrayed as a conscientious villain who decided to repay his crime good deed and help a person with advice and deed. Here he is revealed as a kind and disinterested character.
• "Wolf, cat and dog"- here the character demonstrates unsophisticated tricks, this is one of the few stories where his ability to deceive is shown. Not as skillful as Lisa's, but still capable of causing harm.

As you can see, the gray wolf is the most instructive, both in a positive and negative form.

Undoubtedly, everyone has heard stories and legends about a creature that looks like an ordinary person in the light of the sun, and turns into a monster in the full moon. lycan, shapeshifter - he has many names. But it doesn’t matter what the wolf man is called, the question is different: does he really exist or is it all the fruit of someone’s sick imagination?

Animal inside of us

Each nation has its own traditions, beliefs, as well as wolf people, coyotes, hyenas and even bear people. Some worshiped the snake man, others revered the lion man, and some were afraid of the leopard people. Even at the dawn of civilization, warriors dressed in the skins of slain animals to gain their strength. However, it seems that it was the werewolf (wolfman) who became the ideal synthesis of human transformation into an animal. Why wolf?

This wild beast has long been considered a mysterious and unknown creature. The wolf is dangerous, gluttonous and unusually strong. Man has always been frightened by the ability of the beast to sneak up quietly and imperceptibly. In addition, the wolf has an incredible ability to turn around at the sound with his whole body at once, which adds to his intimidation.

When the wolf people first appeared, history is silent. Experts come to the conclusion that here we are talking about the primitive magic of shamans and totem rituals. Herodotus mentioned that the Scythians and Greeks considered the inhabitants of the Black Sea coast to be magicians capable of turning into wolves on certain days of the year. But is it really so?

Wolves and sorcerers

Lycanthropy (as the ability to turn into a wolf is called) began to gain popularity from the 15th century. People believed that the village shamans made deals with the devil and evil spirits during full moon and in exchange for the sold soul they received "the essence of the wolf."

One of the most famous demonologists in the world, Lancre, argued that "a man who has turned into a wolf is none other than the devil himself, who, in the guise of a ferocious beast, roams the earth to cause pain and suffering." In addition, the wolf is the sworn enemy of the lamb, which symbolized and depicted Jesus.

The Church declared werewolves to be as hunted as witches. And even the rulers of the largest countries in Europe believed that there was a so-called "wolf disease". For example, the Hungarian king Sigismund made considerable efforts so that the church in 1414 recognized that wolf people really exist. This recognition marked the beginning of a real persecution of werewolves throughout Europe. Only in France in the period from 1520 to 1630 more than 30 thousand cases of collision with lycanthropes were recorded. It is worth remembering the most terrible cases of that time.

Garnier the Eater

In 1573, Gilles Garnier was arrested for numerous murders of children, who confessed that he was a lone wolf man. According to him, one night while hunting, a spirit appeared to him and offered his help. The ghost gave Giles a miraculous balm, with which it was possible to turn into a wolf. But it was worth doing it only on the full moon and in the night. Only at this time, all the fury and power of the beast was felt. Garnier told the court that he committed the murders of four children under the age of 14. In the skin of a wolf, he not only killed, but also ate the flesh of his victims. The story of the killer was full of the most terrible and vile details.

Gilles Garnier was found guilty of "criminal deeds which he committed after his transformation into a wolf, as well as witchcraft." The murderer was burned at the stake in January 1573.

Gandillon - a family of werewolves

In 1584, in a small mountain village near the town of Saint-Claude, a werewolf attacked a little girl. Her sixteen-year-old brother, who rushed to her aid, was torn to pieces. The villagers ran to the cries of the children and threw stones at the beast to death. What was the general amazement when the dead monster turned into a naked young girl. It was Perenette Gandillon.

As a result, the entire Gandillon family was under arrest. Probably, with the help of some kind they introduced themselves into a state of werewolf psychosis. The city judge Boge, who considered this case, personally observed the family in prison and conducted an inquiry. In his work entitled "Tales of the Witches," he wrote that the Gandillon family are real wolf people. They crawled on their hands and feet, howled at the moon and generally lost their human appearance: their eyes were bloodshot, their bodies were covered with thick hair, and instead of nails, they had hardened claws. By the way, Boge's lawyer was not one of the gullible. And his observations are corroborated by other official accounts of lycanthropes infesting France.

Rolle - the man who turned into a wolf

This incident happened in 1598. In a sown field, the peasants found the corpse of a young man, near which a wolf roamed. People chased the beast, which was trying to escape into the thicket of the forest. They pursued him to the great juniper groves. The hunters decided that the beast was in a trap. But instead of a wolf in the bushes he sat absolutely naked man, all smeared with fresh blood, with a piece in his hands. It was Jacques Rollet.

During interrogation, he stated that he could turn into a wolf with the help of a witch's balm. Rolle also confessed to the numerous murders he committed with his brother and sister in the guise of wolves. He was saved from execution only by the fact that the court declared him insane.

Man with the head of a wolf

Thirteen-year-old Jean Grenier was mentally retarded. But that's not the point. And in his face. It had pronounced canine features: strong cheekbones, pointed fangs and bloodshot eyes. Jean believed that he was a real wolf man.

Once he confessed to the girls that he wanted to eat them more than anything in the world, and when the sun went down, he would do it. Of course, they did not believe Jean and even laughed at him. But when the sun went down, the boy fulfilled his promise. He attacked the girl and bit her very badly, but she managed to escape. Grenier was arrested. During his trial, the boy declared that a wolf lives in him, and he can free him when the sun goes down. According to the young lycanthrope, he received his abilities from the devil himself.

Pathology

All these cases are undeniably terrible. Bloodthirsty murders, torn to pieces by children... But if you take a closer look, it becomes clear that all the crimes were committed by people, to put it mildly, emotionally unstable.

So, in psychology there is the concept of "zootropy". And this is not at all the ability of a person to turn into an animal with the help of magic, but a real pathology. And it lies in the fact that people consider themselves animals and think that if they behave in the same way, they will receive their abilities.

There is even a separate type of this pathology - werewolf psychosis (lycanthropy or lupine mania). When a person suffering from a mental disorder can really believe that during the full moon he turns into a werewolf. The patient actually feels how hair grows on him, sees how his nails sharpen and lengthen, how his jaws increase and fangs grow. Such a “wolf man”, burning with impatience to shed blood, wanders the streets in search of his victim and can actually seriously bite, scratch, maim and even kill.

The power of thought

Some psychologists believe that werewolf psychosis can cause dramatic changes in the appearance of patients. Of course, the loss of human qualities will not happen: the tail will not grow, the hands, albeit with claws, will not turn into paws, and the face will become more like a monkey face or a Neanderthal, but not a wolf.

Scientists are simply amazed at the metamorphoses that can occur as a result of self-hypnosis and willpower. Wounds are healed, burns are blown away. So why is it impossible to become like a wolf through intense self-hypnosis?

In addition, if you listen to people who turned themselves into wolves, you can learn about certain rituals - a prelude to metamorphosis. For example, drink water from a wolf trail, eat the brain of an animal, or spend the night in its hole.