Werewolf - This is not from the ~other~ world!

(i) Ice'Di/Triumph



              This is not from ~that~ world!



    The werewolf and his disgusting deeds were already known in
the time of the founding of Rome. This creature was feared in Ancient Greece.
But, as in vampire stories, it is the presence that is most powerful
werewolves appeared in Eastern Europe, where only one
At the mention of the wolfhound, the peasant turned pale and worried
looked around.

    France suffered a lot from loup-garou, and folk legends
contain many stories about hunts for man-animals,
living in the mountains.  It is quite natural that these legends are more
common in rural and mountainous areas such as Auvergne and
Jura, where wolves caused a lot of trouble for shepherds. Germany
was a favorite place for this misfortune.  As for her
spread to the north, then, although England, apparently, was not
too susceptible to it, surviving records indicate that
There were werewolves in Ireland.

    Unlike a vampire coming out of the grave to drink blood
living people, the werewolf is not from the ~other~ world.
He is a purely earthly phenomenon. It seems that the transformation of a person into
the werewolf was caused by some misfortune that could strike
anyone.  Anyone bitten by a werewolf would definitely become infected, but terrible
symptoms may have appeared inperson and when he is in
safety sat at home and did nothing that could
determine such a destiny for him.  It was with this that the wild
fear and mass executions since the Middle Ages, when suspected
that they were werewolves, burned and put to the sword so that
free the earth from this scourge. Terrible was the rage with which
among the people there were manifestations inherent, as it was believed, in werewolves
sign, and primitive courts and mass executions resembled
general hysteria.  During outbreaks of frantic mass fear
a person slightly affected by madness or ~resembling~ a wolf:
having sharp teeth, a thin, elongated face, could easily turn out to be
under suspicion and end up in court.

    The full moon was most feared because it was believed that
The misfortune strikes especially often at this time. ~Moonstruck~
discovered that their bodies had changed into vile, disgusting
Thus, they began to resemble a wolf and behave like
to these animals.  Having undergone such transformations, they went to
wandering at night, killing anyone they come across on the path.
It is likely that they represented a terrible disaster.
For a person to turn into a vampire, he must be attacked
another vampire.  But lycanthropy can strike anyone unexpectedly
man, and there is no escape from it - neither garlic, nor wafers, nor
the cross doesn't help...So, it's time to talk about lycanthropy in more detail. How
ancient treatises tell, a true lycanthrope is not only
changes physically, so that its appearance begins to resemble
beast, but his mind and behavior change. He only feels
beast.  Unlike a vampire, he is not limited to night
actions, meeting him threatens disaster even on a sunny day. But
nevertheless, moonlight, as was said, is especially dangerous. When hanging
the full moon, and dogs and other wild animals howl in its pale
In cold light, a person is especially at risk.

    Affected by lycanthropy, his appearance very quickly changed.
The onset of the attack was often accompanied by a feeling of mild chills,
which then gave way to fever. The man had a headache
pain and suffered from extreme thirst. My hands started to swell and
lengthen and, as in patients with leprosy, the skin of the face and limbs
became rough and blurry.

    Sweating and difficulty breathing were also often accompanied
transformation, which then takes on a more definite form. Feet
shoes began to get in the way, and the victim kicked them off, toes
became twisted and tenacious. The victim’s mind was also changing:
she felt uncomfortable and cramped in the house and wanted to get out
out.

    Then, along with nausea and spasms, complete
clouding of mind, a burning sensation began in the chest, the tongue refused
obey insteadthe creature uttered articulate speech
guttural muttering.  When this stage occurred, the lycanthrope
he took off his clothes and stood on all fours, his body darkened,
covered with matte fur.  Hardened soles of feet - naked
man-beast could run over sharp stones and thorns like
A normal person with sensitive skin could not.

    The head was overgrown with coarse hair so that it seemed as if
the man put on an animal mask.  Then, especially on the full moon,
the lycanthrope was completely possessed by the thirst for blood, suppressing everything
the rest are Chuvatva. And he ran off into the night, howling at the moon and killing everyone
animal or person - whoever he came across on the path.

    He usually killed, like most predators, by biting
cervical arteries. Having satisfied his bloodthirstiness, the lycanthrope fell
in the forest on the ground and fell asleep. By morning the wolf-man was becoming again
person.  Murders at night, repentance during the day - such was the terrible
the fate of the werewolf murderer.

    The lycanthrope always felt when these changes began,
but everything happened so quickly that those suffering from this scourge
had to take special measures to prevent their
exposure. Those whose houses were large enough went into hiding
in secret rooms until they became themselves again
yourself. Others, if the attack began at night, fled into the forests and there
growled and rolled on the ground, biting and scratchingtree trunks and
afterwards they were tormented by the torment of reason to the same extent as by the torment
bodies.

    The lycanthrope had little chance of healing. He was doomed
wander every night until some creature stronger
than he will not destroy him or until the silver bullet puts
the end of his suffering.  True, werewolves are different from vampires
could have been killed in conventional ways, but the most effective
the means was considered to be a specially made silver bullet,
faithfully struck the monster to death.  This opinion was widely
widespread in some areas of Europe until the 18th century as well,
like the old story about what a werewolf always carries with him
his thick, shaggy wolf tail.  People believed that this
the physical feature is always preserved with lycanthropy, and with
During examinations, doctors invariably inquired about its presence.

    There was also an opinion that if you hide or burn
clothing of a suspected werewolf, he will not be able to return his
human form.  This superstition was especially widespread in
Eastern Europe and Russia.

    In many countries, holy water was considered an elixir against
misfortune. People believed that, poured onto a suspected lycanthrope,
it physically burns the fur and cleanses the victim.

    The situation in which a suspected lycanthropy found himself,
was truly terrible, the misfortune created a whole complexmoral and religious problems in an age when the church played
important role in literally all daily human affairs.

    If the authorities found out about the existence of a lycanthrope, he would be expected
terrible fate. The maximum he could count on was a quick
and an easy death, but such mercy was rarely granted to the unfortunate person.
Werewolves were usually put on public trial, accompanied by
tortured, and then sent to a terrible execution, most often on
burning.

    Yes, and evidence of the werewolf’s guilt was obtained very
in cruel ways.  We have already met one in history
Madame Sanrosh. More often, the lycanthrope was tracked down along a trail of blood,
leading to a person, or, if the wounded animal did not leave
traces, looked for a person with a wound or injury in the same place,
where the wolf was also wounded.

    There was another “flawless” way to help identify
werewolf.  Increased bloodlust during transformation into a wolf
was combined in the unfortunate man with an uncontrollable desire to rip off
all his clothes, and, tearing them off, he naturally injured himself;  leather
It was also damaged when he, already a wolf, ran through the forest.
Therefore, when the pursuers, among whom were often
Relatives of the victims, obsessed with revenge, broke into the house
suspect, he was often forced to undress and treacherously
the marks became clearly visible on human skin...A much more cruel way of defining a werewolf gave birth to
a belief widespread in Germany, France and
Eastern Europe, as if a werewolf can change his skin,
simply turning it inside out, that is, if it appears in
human form - that means he just turned it out
human skin. And when he turns into a wolf again,
he will change the cover, turning the fur out. It's hard to believe but
many people were literally cut into pieces by "truth seekers"
trying to turn their skin “fur out.”

    A person is stubborn by nature, he believes in what he wants
believe, and the inquisitors did not stop before the blood, hoping
receive more tangible evidence in your righteous fight
with the forces of darkness. Given the time and circumstances, they can be understood
although it is impossible to forgive.

    The exact number of people who were hanged and burned is unknown.
blaming lycanthropy, but the number of victims, as evidenced
ancient records, was significant. Obviously most of these
people were pure before God and people.

    And it is not surprising that in such a sad situation the victims
"justice" desperately, with the greatest cunning and
they searched for ways to salvation with ingenuity.

    Let's look at a few basic ways in which,
It was believed that wolf people came running to hide their misfortune.

    INfull moon, when the lycanthrope was especially susceptible
attacks of misfortune, he would lock himself in the room and throw away the key
darkness, and when the attack ended, he had to look for
means to get out. Others made cunning
the straps they used to tie themselves to the bed.  Often werewolves
set up shelters in the house, somewhere in a secret place,
perhaps under the roof itself, so that all noise is muffled. Windows in
werewolves tried to close their houses with bars, and the doors
were locked with bolts.    Special constipations were used,
beyond the control of the beast, but which man could open.

    However, all these measures, carefully prepared, are only
the inevitable exposure was delayed for a short time. The main problem
the unfortunate thing was that there was no medical
remedies against the misfortune that befell them.

    Werewolves brought with them another misfortune. It was believed that
a true werewolf can physically transform into a real one
wolf  And French, Spanish, Italian legends contain
stories that often some simple peasant
was responsible for the tricks of the predatory beast.

    However, we must remember, the ancient records taught, that, in addition to
"werewolves-victims", there were also werewolves "at will". This
people enjoyed being cruel. Some believed
that to transform a person intobeast can be effectively
use plants, and between the 15th and 19th centuries it was
more than one strange brew was involved by those who tried to become
wolf...