Bitten vs Born

[Lupin]

Really? ...which myths? I've never, ever heard that before?

(I think the idea that only Born Werewolves are contagious is an interesting concept...but I am not at all fond of the "only males" part. That's just like, "What the Hell?...why?!")

I've heard that first one a couple of times before, but never the second one.

[greniar]

its like an std that only males can transfer (i guess i worded it wrong) only males can pass it to there children, so if the father isnt a werewolf then the child wont be ether, as for the myth "All Lycaons male sons were more wolf than man, but the daughters he begot were very much human"-the curse of lycaon

its in a bit more than that one but the others arnt in a book their online and i cant remember what website they are on.

[greniar]

quickly to add something else (or to clarify) only male werewolves can pass it to their children but any born werewolf, male or female, can transfer it to a human. . . also ime not sure if its been covered(in this way) but what if there was a werewolf that attacked a wolf and every full moon the wolf became a Lon Chaney Jr type werewolf.-just a thought.

[white]

I'd say that a werewolf attack would have no effect on a wolf, assuming the standard virus-like interpretation; however, if werewolves were 'magical', it's the choice of the author.

[Scott Gardener]

I can't think of a myth or legend involving a male heredity. The closest thing I can think of is the Species movies.

[Jamie]

I can't think of a myth or legend involving a male heredity. The closest thing I can think of is the Species movies.

From studying folklore, I'd say that this "only males pass it to their offspring" idea came from a website, novel or RPG book. In folklore, hereditary werewolves seem to get their condition from either parent. The only thing at all like this idea that I've come across in folklore is in some folklore about Mexican werewolves. I've found stuff in Mexican folklore where lycanthropy is hereditary and always passes in gender lines, either from father to son or from a female to any younger female relative who is not her daughter (typically a niece). But even this only describes a portion of Mexican folklore on the subject, and it is actually more common for lycanthropy to be attached to legends about Mexican witches, where shapeshifting is a learned talent.