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Other were creatures?

Posted: Tue Aug 09, 2005 12:14 am
by Merrypaws
Just a thought, I went through the old topics and didn't spot anything that seemed to handle this matter.

There are legends of shape-shifters told in every corner of the world. Most of these stories reflect the local fauna. What do you people think about non-wolf lycanthropes? How 'bout interaction between different shifter species? Should there be a feeling of kinship or rivalry?
Should there be any reference to other shifters in the movie?

Posted: Tue Aug 09, 2005 11:24 am
by Kzinistzerg
Porbably there wion't be any refrences to other shifters, and i htink that they would have some sort of petty rivalry but not much. (tigers are better than wolfes! no they're not! We so are! No! Yes! No! yEs! etc.) also the same type would porbably tend to bond more or group themselves together. as in i notice that there are two weretigers on here (Me and terestas)(maybe three; silver bengal tiger) but never bothered to count the nuimber of werewolves.

Posted: Tue Aug 09, 2005 11:47 am
by Terastas
Three of you count Vilkacis.

And we have discussed this prior, but to the best of my knowledge, there hasn't been a thread devoted specifically to it.

I guess if you believe in werewolves, it wouldn't be too far off to assume there are different variations of lycanthropy or other syndromes with a similar nature to lycanthropy.

It was also suggested in a previous thread, if I recall, that many of the legends are about the same species, but were given different names in accordance with the regional perspectives. In other words, "werewolf" is the European definition because they saw lycanthropes as most closely resembling wolves, whereas Asians thought they most closely resembled foxes and dubbed them kitsunes, Africans attributed their traits as those of jackals, Native Americans compared them to coyotes, etc.

But that wouldn't explain other common variations like tanuki and the wampus cat, and besides, having shapeshifting be restricted to canines is just plain boring. :wink:

As for interaction... Well, the canine mindset is fairly different from the feline, so they would have their differences. However, all werekin share a common plight, that being the oppression from a massive super-paranoid society. Wether they like each other or not is open to debate, but they could at least relate with each other because they share each other's problems. A werecat wouldn't always be invited into the pack, but I imagine that in most cases, they would at the very least exchange phone numbers for emergency use only.

Posted: Tue Aug 09, 2005 12:18 pm
by Vilkacis
Terastas wrote:Three of you count Vilkacis.
Feline: yes. Tiger: no. Were: no.

And for all that my avatar is a wolf, it was never intended to represent me. I had just gotten my Wacom tablet, and I felt like drawing a wolf. I also needed an avatar and I didn't want to use one created by someone else. So... I have a wolf for an avatar -- until I get around to creating something better.

-- Vilkacis

Posted: Tue Aug 09, 2005 3:42 pm
by Fenrir
But even your name sorta means werewolf doesn't it?

Posted: Tue Aug 09, 2005 3:46 pm
by Figarou
Fenrir wrote:But even your name sorta means werewolf doesn't it?
Vilkacis means "wolf's eyes."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vilkacis

Thats why his avatar shows a close up of a wolf's eye.


Hmmmm...I'm tempted on taking his avatar and making that eye wink. :wink:

Posted: Tue Aug 09, 2005 3:50 pm
by Fenrir
Figarou wrote:
Fenrir wrote:But even your name sorta means werewolf doesn't it?
Vilkacis means "wolf's eyes."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vilkacis

Thats why his avatar shows a close up of a wolf's eye.


Hmmmm...I'm tempted on taking his avatar and making that eye wink. :wink:
I wanna see that :D

Posted: Tue Aug 09, 2005 4:50 pm
by Vilkacis
Figarou wrote:Vilkacis means "wolf's eyes."

Thats why his avatar shows a close up of a wolf's eye.
Erm ... Not quite true. It's an interesting coincidence, but I never consciously chose to do it that way. The reason it's a close-up of a wolf's eye is mostly because of my utter lack of anatomical knowledge -- I didn't think I could do anything more complex at the time.

As for 'Vilkacis,' while it is a werewolf-like creature, I've been using that name for a couple years now, and ... it's just a name -- an identity marker. For those who know me, I think my personality and actions here are more strongly attached to the name than it's original meaning; thus, I don't feel particularly bound to having such a creature as my online representation.

-- Vilkacis

Posted: Tue Aug 09, 2005 7:53 pm
by Renorei
Well what are you then?


I think different were-creatures could get along fine. I've had cats and dogs that are the best of friends before. Of course they were domesticated, but they're still basically the same as the wild animals. Furthermore, the animal aspect isn't the most important part. It's the human part of their brain that would likely form friendships.

Posted: Tue Aug 09, 2005 11:56 pm
by Merrypaws
Excelsia wrote:I think different were-creatures could get along fine. I've had cats and dogs that are the best of friends before. Of course they were domesticated, but they're still basically the same as the wild animals. Furthermore, the animal aspect isn't the most important part. It's the human part of their brain that would likely form friendships.
Yes, I know. My cat and dog are great with each other, despite the obvious "language barrier". But even if we are talking about a more human-based werewolf, they would still get some influences from the wolf side.
Let's say a... coyote shifter *points to herself* and a wolf shifter crossed ways. In nature, wolves treat coyotes as rivals and often kill them. To me it would make sense if the two would be at least somewhat vary of one another, the wolf possibly taking on a higher-than-thou attitude. If they were familiar to one another, it would probably be:
"Hey idiot"
"Hey bastard."
And then they'd be off their merry way.[/i]

Posted: Wed Aug 10, 2005 12:06 am
by Wolfhanyou
Merrypaws wrote:
Excelsia wrote:I think different were-creatures could get along fine. I've had cats and dogs that are the best of friends before. Of course they were domesticated, but they're still basically the same as the wild animals. Furthermore, the animal aspect isn't the most important part. It's the human part of their brain that would likely form friendships.
Yes, I know. My cat and dog are great with each other, despite the obvious "language barrier". But even if we are talking about a more human-based werewolf, they would still get some influences from the wolf side.
Let's say a... coyote shifter *points to herself* and a wolf shifter crossed ways. In nature, wolves treat coyotes as rivals and often kill them. To me it would make sense if the two would be at least somewhat vary of one another, the wolf possibly taking on a higher-than-thou attitude. If they were familiar to one another, it would probably be:
"Hey idiot"
"Hey bastard."
And then they'd be off their merry way.[/i]
Just like humans! :D

Or maybe they could become (close) friends though they tend to insult each-other more often than the average relationship?

Posted: Wed Aug 10, 2005 4:17 am
by Figarou
Vilkacis wrote:
Figarou wrote:Vilkacis means "wolf's eyes."

Thats why his avatar shows a close up of a wolf's eye.
Erm ... Not quite true. It's an interesting coincidence, but I never consciously chose to do it that way. The reason it's a close-up of a wolf's eye is mostly because of my utter lack of anatomical knowledge -- I didn't think I could do anything more complex at the time.

-- Vilkacis

Oh...now we know. :D

Posted: Wed Aug 10, 2005 8:56 am
by Terastas
Merrypaws wrote:Yes, I know. My cat and dog are great with each other, despite the obvious "language barrier". But even if we are talking about a more human-based werewolf, they would still get some influences from the wolf side.
Let's say a... coyote shifter *points to herself* and a wolf shifter crossed ways. In nature, wolves treat coyotes as rivals and often kill them. To me it would make sense if the two would be at least somewhat vary of one another, the wolf possibly taking on a higher-than-thou attitude. If they were familiar to one another, it would probably be:
"Hey idiot"
"Hey bastard."
And then they'd be off their merry way.[/i]
*nods* This is exactly what I was getting at. The differences even between two canines like wolves and coyotes are vast enough that they would naturally feel wary of the other, but on the other hand, they are still A) half humans with the ability to shift into something else, and B) faced with the exact same problems, therefore they stick together, even though they may resent each other.

You see this a lot among humans too, especially in the workplace. There's always someone in the office that we can't stand, but it's easier to suffer their presence than it is to find another job that could very well end up having longer hours, a smaller paycheck and another co-worker that we can't stand.

Posted: Wed Aug 10, 2005 11:36 am
by Renorei
Mmmm....Well I can see how werepeople whose animal forms are natural enemies might be wary of each other. But take a werewolf and a werelion for example. These two creatures never encounter each other in nature (although wolves do encounter cougars, who are vaguely similar), so I think these two could get along. Basically I think that werecreatures whose animal forms don't have an instinctual dislike for another's animal form could easily get along really well.

I still think the most important part of a wereanimal is the human part, however, so I honestly think that despite the differences in their animal forms, most werecreatures could get along fine.

Posted: Thu Aug 11, 2005 6:52 am
by Figarou
Winky Winky!!! :jester2:


Image





Ok, its not perfect. I rushed through it.

Meesa sleepy. :yawn:


Time for bed.

Posted: Thu Aug 11, 2005 7:19 am
by Terastas
Excelsia wrote:I still think the most important part of a wereanimal is the human part, however, so I honestly think that despite the differences in their animal forms, most werecreatures could get along fine.
Exactly, ultimately it would come down to the same things that determine how fellow werewolves get along; their values and their personalities.

Posted: Thu Aug 11, 2005 1:58 pm
by Jamie
Merrypaws wrote:Yes, I know. My cat and dog are great with each other, despite the obvious "language barrier". But even if we are talking about a more human-based werewolf, they would still get some influences from the wolf side.
Let's say a... coyote shifter *points to herself* and a wolf shifter crossed ways. In nature, wolves treat coyotes as rivals and often kill them. To me it would make sense if the two would be at least somewhat vary of one another, the wolf possibly taking on a higher-than-thou attitude. If they were familiar to one another, it would probably be:
"Hey idiot"
"Hey bastard."
And then they'd be off their merry way.[/i]
Yes! In many cases, you might expect a canine shapeshifter and a feline shapeshifter to get along better than two different kinds of canine (or feline) shapeshifters.
For example, lions kill cheetahs whenever they can, and lions kill leopards whenever they can. Meanwhile, leopards kill cheetahs. Among canines, wolves kill coyotes, and coyotes kill foxes. However, wolves and foxes get along wonderfully.
Except for the well-known hyena/lion rivalry, most predators kill competing predators that are closely related to them and of a similar size.
However, I think humanity would tend to prevail unless the werebeast were of the kind that is born as an animal. I imagine that animal-species rivalries or predator/prey relationships would be a minor irritant, but not a source of hatred in and of themselves.
As far as the folklore goes, in research for my books I've found some references to different kinds of werebeast being together. For example, Navajo skinwalker legends about mixed packs of werecoyotes and werewolves. There are also some European legends about werewolf packs being led by a panther. In Transylvanian werewolf lore, it is common for werewolves, weredogs and werepigs to run together in a pack. In the Far East, whenever I see legends about two or more kinds of shapeshifter, half the time they are rivals, and half the time they are allies. There are not a whole lot of legends about more than one type of werebeast appearing in the same legend, so it is hard to say much more than what I've written here.

Posted: Thu Aug 11, 2005 3:14 pm
by Fenrir
Figarou wrote:Winky Winky!!! :jester2:


Image





Ok, its not perfect. I rushed through it.

Meesa sleepy. :yawn:


Time for bed.
Nice :) That is so cool 8)

Posted: Thu Aug 11, 2005 3:36 pm
by Anubis
Figarou wrote:Winky Winky!!! :jester2:


Image





Ok, its not perfect. I rushed through it.

Meesa sleepy. :yawn:


Time for bed.
eeew!! thats creepy and gross :eyebrow: :shudder: :sickpup:

Posted: Thu Aug 11, 2005 11:53 pm
by Merrypaws
Anubis wrote:eeew!! thats creepy and gross :eyebrow: :shudder: :sickpup:
:blink: Okay, now I'm seriously lost here. :?

Posted: Fri Aug 12, 2005 12:01 am
by Hamster
Anubis wrote:
Figarou wrote:Winky Winky!!! :jester2:


Image





Ok, its not perfect. I rushed through it.

Meesa sleepy. :yawn:


Time for bed.
eeew!! thats creepy and gross :eyebrow: :shudder: :sickpup:
It is slightly creepy.:shudder:

Posted: Fri Aug 12, 2005 3:17 am
by Figarou
Merrypaws wrote:
Anubis wrote:eeew!! thats creepy and gross :eyebrow: :shudder: :sickpup:
:blink: Okay, now I'm seriously lost here. :?
you and me both. ??

Posted: Fri Aug 12, 2005 3:21 am
by Figarou
Hamster wrote:
It is slightly creepy.:shudder:
you wanna see creepy?

<------How about a 9 foot werewolf thats about to toss a duckie at you!!

Now thats creepy!! Hmmm...actually, thats silly. :jester:

:wetwolf4: MUWA HA HA!!


:grinwiggle:

Posted: Fri Aug 12, 2005 9:27 am
by Koshaw
We gotta get Fig that 9'4" Wolf Mecha Suit and arm him with duckies =)

*scarey image*

Posted: Sun Aug 14, 2005 4:45 pm
by Silverclaw
Someday, we should make a new area on this website to talk about other werecreatures and how they look/act and such. We are going to have to talk about weres somehow after we cant think of anything else for werewolves. :wink: