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Sorry to continue this a bit off topic, but I'd like to assist those who are wanting to know a bit about therians and therianthropy.I can point you in the direction on what a therian is. Keep in mind, though, that because each person is different, each person's definition of therianthropy is different.

Anyways, a link for those interested in learning more about the concept:

http://www.witchscauldron.net/cauldron/weres.htm

True, there is no real way to "prove" who we are inside, but that doesn't matter to us, because we are who we are. Rather others can accept or understand that is up to them. As a community we understand there are skeptics, that is normal.

As for the terminology of "were". I don't understand why it is used in reference to therians, yet it happens more often. When I first interacted with the therian community, the term "were" was pretty much taboo, because it didn't fit who we are [that is, the physical shapeshifters portrayed in movies, legends, etc.]. Yet, as time progressed I noticed the term keep popping up now and then. For example "what is your were form?" Well, the usual answer to this is a drawing, a concept of what the individual is . . . this drawing is a form of expression, IMO. Expressing their inner animal. It doesn't necessarily refer to the half-man/half-animal aspect either, nor an actual physical transformation as the term's origin in legends and myths.

Again, my apologies from deviating from the topic, just wanted to attempt to clarify on something that was mentioned . . .

[Edit] Just noticed Fel's response. Werelist is a massive source of info on different aspects of therianthropy. However, if you want just the basis, try the link i mentioned above.

As the saying goes, ask ten therians about therianthropy and get eleven answers. I think perhaps the only really accurate and encompassing definition would be one who feels some form of relation to some animal.

About the frequency of 'cool' animals: I have seen, although rarely, people claiming such oddities as rat-therianthropy, although admittedly there's a huge predominance of apex predators, particularily wolves. I believe, and have heard from other reasonably reliable sources (published, relatively well-known literature, not just word of mouth) that the wolf is one of the animals most similar to humans outside of the whole monkey area, in social structure at the least, and thus it makes sense that most would feel a connection with that as opposed to something different. Myself, I doubt the existance of a 'soul', but I'm not going to outright deny its existance; there's simply no known way to prove it either way. Admittedly, it'd be nice to know that death isn't the end of things, but there's no evidence either supporting or denying it. I consider myself a therian, but even in that I can't define it past feeling a connection. I'll be the first to admit that likely as not it's purely mental, but when you get down to it, does that really matter?

Oh yeah, this thread has a purpose, doesn't it?

My non-consensus thoughts are simple enough; I think werewovles should be able to regererate anything not vital to the hour to hour operation of the body, given enough time. I like to apply as much realism as possible; an entire limb might thus take a year. Derived from that regenerative ability, I really don't think a werewolf should be able to die of natural causes; for one to die, he/she'd have to actually be killed.

As for the topic and my thoughts on the werewolf mythology, if they have a certain ability or can do specific things and such. There should be a rational explanation for it. That's the purpose, I would think, to bring them as close to reality as possible. To make them more convincing, and not some farfetched larger-than-life creatures. [forgive the pun]

Like with Jurassic Park . . . they used the old cliche of how dinosaurs would react in a modern society. They came up with a rational way to bring them back instead of a "magical" irrational place where they existed in peaceful solitude for eons like a few other films.

Ralith Lupus wrote:I'll be the first to admit that likely as not it's purely mental, but when you get down to it, does that really matter?

It doesn't matter to me at all...until they start calling themselves were-anythings. To me, a wolf therian calling themselves a werewolf is almost like a sacrilege and blaspheme to werewolves. I know that makes no sense, since werewolves don't exist, but I've always been very strongly attached to them (and all were-canines in general) so when someone who isn't one calls themselves one, that really, really bothers me. (Yeah, I'm weird, I know).




Another peeve of mine:

The whole 'can't-shift-until-puberty' thing, and the frequent reasoning behind it, that being that lycanthropy is somehow a sexual thing, and therefore should be restricted to adults. I don't view werewolves or their shifts as being sexual at all (nudity doesn't constitute sexuality, boys and girls, nor does sexuality automatically require nudity. Our whole culture automatically associates a naked body with sex somehow, and that annoys me a lot.)

Honestly, I don't see any reasoning logical reasoning behind not being able to shift until puberty. That whole 'hormones' thing, IMO, is just a cop-out excuse for not dealing with a subject that might make you uncomfortable--that being child shifts. THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH IT AND IT'S NOT SILLY!!!! It's just not what you're used to, and many people just aren't willing to be ok with it. Any werewolf should be able to begin shifting as soon as they can understand the concept of shifting.

Also, I'm not a big fan of painful shifts. Or extremely pleasurable ones. I used to want TFs that were one extreme or the other, but now I learn towards a middle ground. It shouldn't hurt much, but it shouldn't really feel good either.

I can understand your being bothered by that; a therain and a werewhatever are two very different things in my mind, the former being purely non-physical and the latter either both or simply physical. Confusing the two would be quite a mistake. Of course, I, and I suspect most other therians, would really like to be werewhatevers (as one therian put it, it'd be the ultimate phyiscal expression of how one feels), but we aren't.

I hereby second the motion that fountains of blood, puke and guts are overused in werewolf movies.

Apokryltaros wrote:I hereby second the motion that fountains of blood, puke and guts are overused in werewolf movies.

But will it ever stop?

Nope. They never listen.


Werewolf film in the making.
WARNING: SOME PICTURES ARE VERY GORY. VIEWER DISCRETION IS ADVISED: http://flickr.com/photos/wassanova/sets/583815/

Sigh. And that was one of the ones that looked promising.

Worse yet, it's got almost the same title as my frigging book!

You must admit that neither are exactly the most original title possible for a werewolf story.

Scott Gardener wrote:Sigh. And that was one of the ones that looked promising.

Worse yet, it's got almost the same title as my frigging book!

The one in my previous post is not this film.
http://www.lycanthropemovie.com/


There is 2 films titled "Lycanthrope"

Only 2?

Apokryltaros wrote:Only 2?

2 that I know of thats in the making.

Ralith Lupus wrote:You must admit that neither are exactly the most original title possible for a werewolf story.

No, but at least it's descriptive.

Ralith Lupus wrote:I can understand your being bothered by that; a therain and a werewhatever are two very different things in my mind, the former being purely non-physical and the latter either both or simply physical. Confusing the two would be quite a mistake. Of course, I, and I suspect most other therians, would really like to be werewhatevers (as one therian put it, it'd be the ultimate phyiscal expression of how one feels), but we aren't.

LOL, yeah I can imagine. I'm not even a therian, and I would absolutely love to be some kind of wereanimal. But, no matter how much I want it, it will not make it so, for me, or for therians. I appreciate your being understanding, a lot of therians get all huffy when I say stuff like that.

Lupin wrote:

Ralith Lupus wrote:You must admit that neither are exactly the most original title possible for a werewolf story.

No, but at least it's descriptive.

I dunno, I think it's as descriptive, yet unoriginal as "Camp Guyinamaskwithamachette"

Excelsia wrote:LOL, yeah I can imagine. I'm not even a therian, and I would absolutely love to be some kind of wereanimal. But, no matter how much I want it, it will not make it so, for me, or for therians. I appreciate your being understanding, a lot of therians get all huffy when I say stuff like that.

Heh. I guess it all really depends on how one defines the various terms floating around.

Well, I was going to call it Werewolf, but then that TV series came out. Loup Garou sounded catchy, but I didn't want people thinking too much of the Garou of "Werewolf: the Apocalypse."

You COULD try something that's not some derivative or root of 'man-wolf'

Just a suggestion, mind you.

I hate most werewolf horrors 'cause a theme is that same and boring: people die and etc, masshysteria takes root and more people get killed. I'd like to see werewolf and human as friends, just this once

Someone mentioned that how is human able to transform. Virus is one possibility but doesn't feel so attractive though. Perhaps some molekyle or self replicate cell in saliva. In future we might be even able to do so when genetic and medical science gets more advanced. Of course it would be illegal but who cares

Scott Gardener wrote:Well, I was going to call it Werewolf, but then that TV series came out. Loup Garou sounded catchy, but I didn't want people thinking too much of the Garou of "Werewolf: the Apocalypse."

"Fluff From Space"?

I was kidding! I've racked my brains for years trying to come up with a better title, but "Lycanthrope" is just what I've always called it, so I have a hard time thinking of it as anything else.

Maybe "Project: Blue Moon"

meh... i thought the title was fine, given what the plot of the story was. Well, it wasn't perfect, but either way, there's no changing it now. At least, not in my head.

By having enough creativity to write two full books one would think you might have enough to come up with a title

For your title, why not something like "Blue shift" "Homo Lupus" or "Human Wolves"?
Just something that describes the plot in a few words, or is a completely new term.

Yeah...I agree. You can do better, Scott. (Of course, it's your prerogative if you choose not to...)