Human on the inside, Beast on the outside

[Dewclaw]

To the question 'What should a werewolf be?'

I don't really think you can get bitten by a werewolf --- it makes being a werewolf sound like a disease or a nasty infection. What I do belive is that I think that werewolves are born the way they are --- I think there is some kind of an animal core in the DNA that's just stronger on some. And maybe some don't even have it (the lack of an animalistic side). But the person who possesses this quality in their genetics --- in my mind --- is able to transform into a wolf. I have nothing to prove or strenghten my 'theory', this just is what it is. It's how I think and feel about the whole werewolf thing. But as for getting bitten by a wolf/werewolf/lycantrophe/whatever... I just don't see that happening. It seems somehow far-fetched and absurd to me.
So, all I'm saying is, that the whole change from a man to a wolf happens throughout the mind rather than the body.

[RedEye]

There are a few stories that make Lycanthropy an inherited thing, rather than a matter of genetic modification or a "curse". There is one major problem with that way of thought, in that the base population breeding core would of necessity have to be fairly large to stay viable rather than going extinct.
That makes keeping "The Secret" a lot harder, although it would theoretically be possible.
Having a "Wolf" or "Wulfen" exterior with a human mind has also been explored in books and in movies, with varying degrees of success.
What has been brought up is that Lycanthropy may be transmissable by means other than biting; blood transfer and sex being the most common vectors considered as plausible and possible.
You do make a point, though; in that we carry the genetic information of every single stage of our evolution in our DNA; and while a wolf might not be in the family tree, a wolf-like creature might well be there- just waiting to be released.
Interesting theory.

[Leonca~]

Some cultures have a similar theory, only with souls instead of genetics. By an accident of birth a person can be born with all or part of their soul switched with that of an animal, giving them the ability to change into that particular species of animal. I can’t remember how it usually goes, but I don’t think it is possible for it to be passed on to any one else.

[Dewclaw]

Thank you for the comments.

One thing I might add to my theory is that if there truly are werewolves who are born to be what they are today, they cannot "infect" or change others because their condition is not based on viruses, infections or curses. It's within the blood and cannot be transmitted to another person unless it's passed down straight from the genetics (where children inherit the same animalistic core).
This "born to be a werewolf" theory was also tested on Annette Curtis Klause's novel Blood & Chocolate, where the werewolves were called loup-garou. Although in the book they were a completely separate species from humans, calling themselves Homo lupus. Nevertheless, there still was that genetics thing which made humans different from the wolf-kind. And the book stated clearly, that if you get bitten by a person carrying the "wolf gene", you couldn't turn into one. You're either born to be loup-garou or you're not.

[Aki]

Heh, it's a neat concept, and I've seen in used before - especially in White wolf's Werewolf: The Apocalypse and Werewolf: The Forsaken. It's sort of cool for werewolves to be offset from mainstream humanity like that, and might just spontaneously fursplode into a werewolf at any point.

Though, I've always preferred the transmissible form of Lycanthropy myself. I personally don't find it any more far-fetched than a primate randomly having some sort of genetic coding for a lupine creature hidden in his DNA.

[Dewclaw]

This is a common theory, it has been used before, I'm aware of that. I'm just one of the supporters of this theory but I'm always expanding my point of views on things anyways. My theory might change if I feel there is something else in the werewolf myths that I have not found yet. This theory, however, seems more realistic than the rest for me.

[WolfeGuardian]

I do believe in what you say is true of werewolves not being created by being bitten, in some areas I heard of most becoming a wolf through being near your death then passed the gift when a wolf marks you this or nearly being killed by one to allow its gift to course through your weakened body but thats what I have heard I mostly go with the born a werewolf theory