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Posted: Tue Sep 20, 2005 11:32 pm
by Kelpten
my grandpa used to tell me a story about a shoe-maker of his little city in the centre part of Italy, who was thought to be a werewolf. The italian tradition about these monsters is always related to the full moon, to the silver (which can cure the "infection", not necessarely killing the... victim) and to water, which can extinct the "fever" burning inside their body during the wolf condition.
I read a lot of old werewolf stories and myths, but that certainly wasn't in them. Mabey just in Itally or from your father. All the myths I read said the werewolf made a pact with the devil, a wolfskin belt (which usually came from the devil as well), or a ritual. They seemed pretty consistant, so I took that to be the Europian myth. Apperently I was wrong.
They also didnt have the gestalt form. Usually just monstrous wolves. Some times they had control and in other stories they didn't, but they always did evil deeds.
My version of the werewolf is diferent. It's a human that can transform their body into a wolf. No gestalt forms. The spirit is a mixture of both wolf and human. If they're in human form the human spirit is dominent and vice versa. The werewolf chooses wether to walk in paths of darkness or light just like a person. And the werewolf is not a killing machine, it sees things as a human and/or wolf would, which dont typicaly kill humans. I never have found someone who shares my views of the werewolf, probably never will.
P.S. I dont think the traditions of the moon, silver, and gestalt form came around until hollywood made The Wolfman. (correct me if I'm wrong)
(Darn hollywood, always messing things up
And welcome to the pack versipellis
Posted: Wed Sep 21, 2005 3:12 am
by versipellis
Kelpten wrote:my grandpa used to tell me a story about a shoe-maker of his little city in the centre part of Italy, who was thought to be a werewolf. The italian tradition about these monsters is always related to the full moon, to the silver (which can cure the "infection", not necessarely killing the... victim) and to water, which can extinct the "fever" burning inside their body during the wolf condition.
I read a lot of old werewolf stories and myths, but that certainly wasn't in them. Mabey just in Itally or from your father. All the myths I read said the werewolf made a pact with the devil, a wolfskin belt (which usually came from the devil as well), or a ritual. They seemed pretty consistant, so I took that to be the Europian myth. Apperently I was wrong.
They also didnt have the gestalt form. Usually just monstrous wolves. Some times they had control and in other stories they didn't, but they always did evil deeds.
My version of the werewolf is diferent. It's a human that can transform their body into a wolf. No gestalt forms. The spirit is a mixture of both wolf and human. If they're in human form the human spirit is dominent and vice versa. The werewolf chooses wether to walk in paths of darkness or light just like a person. And the werewolf is not a killing machine, it sees things as a human and/or wolf would, which dont typicaly kill humans. I never have found someone who shares my views of the werewolf, probably never will.
P.S. I dont think the traditions of the moon, silver, and gestalt form came around until hollywood made The Wolfman. (correct me if I'm wrong)
(Darn hollywood, always messing things up
And welcome to the pack versipellis
In Italy, actually, the werewolf myth is part of the local folklore and each region has a different story to tell. In general lycanthropy is considered a kind of ilness or mental disease : the transformation is not in the body, but in the behaviour. A good example of what I'm saying culd be found in a novel by Luigi Pirandello, a very famous italian writer born in the 19th century in Sicily, called "mal di luna" (moon ilness, i think, sorry for the translation) in which there is a realistic description of a man affected, during the full moon, by a terrible form of hysteria, howling and barking as a wolf, dangerous for himself and others. But no fangs or long hair were mentioned. The writer explained the man's condition with the accidental exposure at the light of the full moon when he was a little baby, while his mother was working in the corn fields.
Posted: Wed Sep 21, 2005 3:48 am
by versipellis
...Ooops... I fogot... Thanks for welcome, KELPTEN !!!
Posted: Wed Sep 21, 2005 8:42 am
by 23Jarden
he he he Warning exposure to moonlight may cause difficulties.
Re: howling alone
Posted: Wed Sep 21, 2005 5:03 pm
by Jamie
versipellis wrote:Hi, everybody! Sorry for my terrible english (i'm italian), i hope you'll understand at least my thoughts.
From the childood I was frightened ad attrcted by everithing concerned werewolves, specially 'couse my grandpa used to tell me a story about a shoe-maker of his little city in the centre part of Italy, who was thought to be a werewolf. The italian tradition about these monsters is always related to the full moon, to the silver (which can cure the "infection", not necessarely killing the... victim) and to water, which can extinct the "fever" burning inside their body during the wolf condition. And they always howl alone: they could not cooperate with others of their own species. May be for these reasons I don't like at all movies and stories showing packs of werewolves, which could also be "good guys", preserving their human minds or the ability to act in a rational way after the transformation.
I love tradition: wolf man MUST BE a killer, thirsted of human blood, guided by simple animal instinct.
I'm sure "Freeborn" will be great, but how much I've to wait to see a genuine werewolf movie (as only John Landis was able to realize until now, in my modest opinion, and as Cursed was expected to be), scaring enough for several heart jumps, plentiful of amazing special effects?
Well, the Italian folklore werewolf is the type of folklore werewolf that is closest to the fiction stereotype you just described. So I guess it is quite natural, having been raised in that culture, that you have a special liking for that kind of werewolf.
Most of us here prefer werewolves of at least a slightly different type than the one you are describing, but that's okay. We're all here to discuss the differences and similarities in our likes and dislikes. I've got a soft spot for the old "Wolf Man" too.
I envy you that you've actually had first-hand exposure to werewolf folklore "in the field". Not many people have had this, these days. Welcome to the pack.
Posted: Wed Sep 21, 2005 5:10 pm
by Jamie
versipellis wrote:Kelpten wrote:my grandpa used to tell me a story about a shoe-maker of his little city in the centre part of Italy, who was thought to be a werewolf. The italian tradition about these monsters is always related to the full moon, to the silver (which can cure the "infection", not necessarely killing the... victim) and to water, which can extinct the "fever" burning inside their body during the wolf condition.
I read a lot of old werewolf stories and myths, but that certainly wasn't in them. Mabey just in Itally or from your father. All the myths I read said the werewolf made a pact with the devil, a wolfskin belt (which usually came from the devil as well), or a ritual. They seemed pretty consistant, so I took that to be the Europian myth. Apperently I was wrong.
They also didnt have the gestalt form. Usually just monstrous wolves. Some times they had control and in other stories they didn't, but they always did evil deeds.
My version of the werewolf is diferent. It's a human that can transform their body into a wolf. No gestalt forms. The spirit is a mixture of both wolf and human. If they're in human form the human spirit is dominent and vice versa. The werewolf chooses wether to walk in paths of darkness or light just like a person. And the werewolf is not a killing machine, it sees things as a human and/or wolf would, which dont typicaly kill humans. I never have found someone who shares my views of the werewolf, probably never will.
P.S. I dont think the traditions of the moon, silver, and gestalt form came around until hollywood made The Wolfman. (correct me if I'm wrong)
(Darn hollywood, always messing things up
And welcome to the pack versipellis
In Italy, actually, the werewolf myth is part of the local folklore and each region has a different story to tell. In general lycanthropy is considered a kind of ilness or mental disease : the transformation is not in the body, but in the behaviour. A good example of what I'm saying culd be found in a novel by Luigi Pirandello, a very famous italian writer born in the 19th century in Sicily, called "mal di luna" (moon ilness, i think, sorry for the translation) in which there is a realistic description of a man affected, during the full moon, by a terrible form of hysteria, howling and barking as a wolf, dangerous for himself and others. But no fangs or long hair were mentioned. The writer explained the man's condition with the accidental exposure at the light of the full moon when he was a little baby, while his mother was working in the corn fields.
In Italy, werewolves are often associated with the full moon. The full moon may cause someone to be a werewolf, or it may be what triggers the transformations. Italian werewolves are the only ones that commonly have amnesia of what they did while transformed (this is very rare in folklore from other places). Italian werewolves are often mindless beasts who want to attack humans. Water is often mentioned as how to turn them human again (for that night, anyway). Any injury will generally cure them. Unlike most other places, they fear holy symbols, might cower before crosses, and often cannot go into a church.
All of the above is just a rough, general outline. Like werewolf folklore everywhere, there can be considerable variation from one village to the next.
Posted: Mon Oct 16, 2006 4:44 pm
by howlbigbadwolf
I howl after i transform most of the time because it feel so dang good or when I'm lonely or missing my girlfriend. It helps releave the pain inside, beisdes i can't hold a pencel or use a keyboard when im in wereform, dang big paw fingers.
Posted: Tue Oct 17, 2006 9:51 am
by Focrow
The guy above me: leave your webcam running during your next transformation to record it and show some proof. Or be called roleplayer.
As for the question, if werewolves should howl alone:
Howling is not equal to crying, or anything else one does for himself alone out of an emotional state. It's a way of communication. That's why in my opinion a werewolf shouldn't let out a long howl after the transformation.
But I can be persuaded otherwise, if someone has a link to a good text about why wolves howl, that says, that they also do it for themselves without any intention to communicate.
Posted: Tue Oct 17, 2006 11:35 am
by MoonKit
I hate when 'evil' creatures are said to fear religious symbols. Because they're always Christian religious symbols. What a load of crap.
No offense to the Christians, Im not making fun of you. Im making fun of the myth b/c I think its dumb and wrong.
Posted: Tue Oct 17, 2006 10:21 pm
by howlbigbadwolf
Sorry Focrow I don't have a cam to record with
Na i just say things like that because i Feel that would be reasons why a werewolf howl, and yes it is roleplay
Posted: Wed Oct 18, 2006 6:10 am
by Focrow
Okay, sorry then. I just wasn't sure, because you used the word "we" for werewolves in other postings and didn't give a hint, whether you were serious or not.
MoonKit, I know, what you mean. It's nearly like every evil is just there to destroy Christianity and not the whole world. Or like Christianity is the one and only religion, which can fight against it. I find it pretty stupid.
And just for the record: I'm Christian. Not that anyone thinks, I'm Christian-bashing. I leave this stuff to the esoteric boards. [Aren't stereotypes great?
]
Posted: Wed Oct 18, 2006 2:29 pm
by Rhuen
Which is all why I have monsters that are elemental or nature based. plus have artificial monsters (created by other monsters for fun) that are given these weird weaknesses just to mess with people.