The word "Lycan"

What Mafia · Post by **What Mafia** » Fri Jan 14, 2005 2:12 am

Doesn't that word mean wolf? I read somewhere he was also a greek god.
Point is, I've seen other species called "lycanthropes" and all along I thought only wolves could be "lycans." (not going by underworld either

)

Lasthowl · Post by **Lasthowl** » Fri Jan 14, 2005 2:28 am

Only the "Lyc" part refers to wolves in "Lycanthrope." The remainer is "Anthrope," or human.

Figarou · Post by **Figarou** » Fri Jan 14, 2005 4:13 am

Lasthowl wrote:Only the "Lyc" part refers to wolves in "Lycanthrope." The remainer is "Anthrope," or human.

Hungry Lyc the wolf!!

Calypso Blue · Post by **Calypso Blue** » Fri Jan 14, 2005 8:09 am

Actually, King Lycan or in some cases Lycaon, upset the gods, by serving human flesh to one of them in a sacrifice.. I cant remember which god it was. As punishment he was turned into a wolf. Now I've also heard that it was supposedly just for 'eating' human flesh. But It's not what I remember.

Calypso Blue · Post by **Calypso Blue** » Fri Jan 14, 2005 8:10 am

Greek mythology by the way.

ChaosWolf · Post by **ChaosWolf** » Fri Jan 14, 2005 10:43 am

Calypso Blue wrote:Actually, King Lycan or in some cases Lycaon, upset the gods, by serving human flesh to one of them in a sacrifice.. I cant remember which god it was. As punishment he was turned into a wolf. Now I've also heard that it was supposedly just for 'eating' human flesh. But It's not what I remember.

You got it pretty close.

Lycaon had a special guest at a grand dinner once, who claimed no matter what it was or how it was seasoned, that he could tell what sort of meat was in a dish. Lycaeon was certain he could tell the taste of 'common' meats like deer and pig and beef and such, so he, being an utter bastard, had one of his slave-boys killed and cooked, then served to the guest, just to really test his skills.

However, this guest was really Zeus in disguise, and he knew what Lycaeon had done the moment he first tasted the meat. Now, a god is forbidden to consume mortal flesh, so it was this deception that led to Lycaeon being transformed into a mangy hound as punishment for both killing an innocent boy and serving human flesh to a god.

Later retellings of the story would lay the blame for the boy being in the stewpot on the chef, and the clueless Lycaeon's punishment being him turned into a wolf, but the reason for these changes is uncertain.

ABrownrigg · Post by **ABrownrigg** » Fri Jan 14, 2005 12:43 pm

I've heard about that before.

TakeWalker · Post by **TakeWalker** » Fri Jan 14, 2005 12:56 pm

Lycaon aside, I've hated the word 'lycan' since Underworld first came out. To explain, close your eyes, don't think about the word, and just say it. Lycan. It's green stuff that grows on trees, and that's what I hear every time they say it. "The lycans are our enemies." "What, you guys fight moss?" It's silly.

ChaosWolf · Post by **ChaosWolf** » Fri Jan 14, 2005 4:14 pm

I've always preferred referring to 'our kind' as the Wolfen, myself.

Apokryltaros · Post by **Apokryltaros** » Fri Jan 14, 2005 8:16 pm

TakeWalker wrote:Lycaon aside, I've hated the word 'lycan' since Underworld first came out. To explain, close your eyes, don't think about the word, and just say it. Lycan. It's green stuff that grows on trees, and that's what I hear every time they say it. "The lycans are our enemies." "What, you guys fight moss?" It's silly.

That's "lichen," which is a fungus + photosynthetic symbiote, not a moss, which is a kind of non-vascular true plant.

Darkmoon · Post by **Darkmoon** » Fri Jan 14, 2005 9:49 pm

lichen is a b**** to rock climb on....it makes the rock all...chossy (flakey) and slippery...buuut back to the topic, I never knew the story behind the word lycan... it's quite interesting.

TakeWalker · Post by **TakeWalker** » Sat Jan 15, 2005 10:10 am

Exactly. I just didn't say 'lichen' to point out the fact that they're pronounced exactly the same.

Mr_Lycos · Post by **Mr_Lycos** » Sun Jan 16, 2005 11:58 am

Lycaon was a king of Sparta.

Lycos = wolf
Anthros = Man
Anthropomorphic = In the shape of man

Apokryltaros · Post by **Apokryltaros** » Sun Jan 16, 2005 4:42 pm

Mr_Lycos wrote:Lycaon was a king of Sparta.

Lycos = wolf
Anthros = Man
Anthropomorphic = In the shape of man

On the one hand, the tale of King Lycaon could very well have originated in Athens, as a way of propaganda, in that, the Spartans were primitive savages who still offered up human sacrifices to the Gods.

TakeWalker wrote:Exactly. I just didn't say 'lichen' to point out the fact that they're pronounced exactly the same.

They're not pronounced the same.
Lichen = "Lie ken"
Lycan = "Lie kan"

WolfVanZandt · Post by **WolfVanZandt** » Mon Jan 17, 2005 6:48 pm

The general term for "lycanthrope" is "therianthrope" (which can relate to any animal type). THe short form is "Therian".

What Mafia · Post by **What Mafia** » Mon Jan 17, 2005 11:58 pm

ChaosWolf wrote:
Calypso Blue wrote:Actually, King Lycan or in some cases Lycaon, upset the gods, by serving human flesh to one of them in a sacrifice.. I cant remember which god it was. As punishment he was turned into a wolf. Now I've also heard that it was supposedly just for 'eating' human flesh. But It's not what I remember.
You got it pretty close.

Lycaon had a special guest at a grand dinner once, who claimed no matter what it was or how it was seasoned, that he could tell what sort of meat was in a dish. Lycaeon was certain he could tell the taste of 'common' meats like deer and pig and beef and such, so he, being an utter bastard, had one of his slave-boys killed and cooked, then served to the guest, just to really test his skills.

However, this guest was really Zeus in disguise, and he knew what Lycaeon had done the moment he first tasted the meat. Now, a god is forbidden to consume mortal flesh, so it was this deception that led to Lycaeon being transformed into a mangy hound as punishment for both killing an innocent boy and serving human flesh to a god.

Later retellings of the story would lay the blame for the boy being in the stewpot on the chef, and the clueless Lycaeon's punishment being him turned into a wolf, but the reason for these changes is uncertain.

That was it! Thank you! I wanted to know, because after reading a book they called wererats and such lycans and it made me wonder why... lycans usually being wolves and all...

Thanks for the help, comrade! ;]

greniar · Post by **greniar** » Fri Jun 09, 2006 11:13 pm

ChaosWolf wrote:
Calypso Blue wrote:Actually, King Lycan or in some cases Lycaon, upset the gods, by serving human flesh to one of them in a sacrifice.. I cant remember which god it was. As punishment he was turned into a wolf. Now I've also heard that it was supposedly just for 'eating' human flesh. But It's not what I remember.
You got it pretty close.

Lycaon had a special guest at a grand dinner once, who claimed no matter what it was or how it was seasoned, that he could tell what sort of meat was in a dish. Lycaeon was certain he could tell the taste of 'common' meats like deer and pig and beef and such, so he, being an utter bastard, had one of his slave-boys killed and cooked, then served to the guest, just to really test his skills.

However, this guest was really Zeus in disguise, and he knew what Lycaeon had done the moment he first tasted the meat. Now, a god is forbidden to consume mortal flesh, so it was this deception that led to Lycaeon being transformed into a mangy hound as punishment for both killing an innocent boy and serving human flesh to a god.

Later retellings of the story would lay the blame for the boy being in the stewpot on the chef, and the clueless Lycaeon's punishment being him turned into a wolf, but the reason for these changes is uncertain.

you are thinking of Pelops, tho his curse was to be near food and drink but to never be able to consume either

Apokryltaros · Post by **Apokryltaros** » Fri Jun 09, 2006 11:29 pm

greniar wrote: you are thinking of Pelops, tho his curse was to be near food and drink but to never be able to consume either

No.
You're thinking of Tantalus, Pelops' father, who wanted to offer up the most precious thing he possessed to the Olympian Gods, in order to repay Them for inviting him to one of Their feasts.
So, he killed Pelops and served him as stew to the Gods.
Only Demeter partook of the stew, as she was still despondent about Persephone's marriage to Hades, and ate Pelops' shoulder.
The other Gods were horrified over Tantalus' blasphemy, and cast him into Tartarus, where he suffers from never ending thirst and hunger.
Then the Gods rescisutated Pelops and crafting a new shoulder out of ivory for him. Poseidon also had a *cough* relationship with Pelops while he was recovering in Olympus.

greniar · Post by **greniar** » Sat Jun 10, 2006 5:46 pm

Apokryltaros wrote:
greniar wrote: you are thinking of Pelops, tho his curse was to be near food and drink but to never be able to consume either
No.
You're thinking of Tantalus, Pelops' father, who wanted to offer up the most precious thing he possessed to the Olympian Gods, in order to repay Them for inviting him to one of Their feasts.
So, he killed Pelops and served him as stew to the Gods.
Only Demeter partook of the stew, as she was still despondent about Persephone's marriage to Hades, and ate Pelops' shoulder.
The other Gods were horrified over Tantalus' blasphemy, and cast him into Tartarus, where he suffers from never ending thirst and hunger.
Then the Gods rescisutated Pelops and crafting a new shoulder out of ivory for him. Poseidon also had a *cough* relationship with Pelops while he was recovering in Olympus.

crap your right * i'm dased* thanks for the correction

Vuldari · Post by **Vuldari** » Sun Jun 11, 2006 6:48 pm

:Side Note: ...what's with all the reviving of ancient threads greniar?

I mean...I can understand two or three...and I appreciate that you are not duplicating threads that allready exist...but more than 10? That's a bit much.

[/end note]

Fenrir · Post by **Fenrir** » Sun Jun 11, 2006 7:10 pm

awww how did I miss this thread mythology is my subject!

greniar · Post by **greniar** » Mon Jun 12, 2006 4:01 pm

Vuldari wrote::Side Note: ...what's with all the reviving of ancient threads greniar?

I mean...I can understand two or three...and I appreciate that you are not duplicating threads that allready exist...but more than 10? That's a bit much.

[/end note]

'Cause i just like to annoy you, *Throws duckie* actually it is because.......................I'll have to think of an interresting reason

*got it* 'cause greniar is an ancient werewolf and that's what ancient werewolves do. or it could be that I have nothing better to do