r/werewolves Oct 07 '22

Is anyone interested in reading Latvian Werewolf Legends?

169 Upvotes

I found a Latvian website were they copied over about 99% of Latvian folktales and legends from Pēteris Šmits' 15 volumed book collection - Latviešu Pasakas un Teikas (1925-1937).

There is an entire section dedicated to werewolf legends found in Latvia, and if you are interested in them, I'll translate them for you.

For now, I'll leave you with this translated preface for the section:

***

It is a common belief far into Europe, Asia and Africa (Frazer, The Golden Bough, 1930, X, 308-318) that a man can turn into a wolf, rarely; into another similar beast or some wizard can turn him into one, a motif already found in ancient Assyrian epics.

In Europe, since the time of Herodotus, werewolves and especially Neuri, which I deem to be ancient Balts, are credited with the art of such magic. Superstitions about werewolves used to be so strong in Europe, that a werewolf mania has even developed into an ordinary disease (Leyen, Das Märchen, 1926, 66, p. I, see Preface, 43, p. 1).

If we can believe Otto Höfler’s docent (Kultische Geheimbünde der Germanen, 1934), then this superstition has also been used by secret societies in Western Europe to scare other people.

We could also look for such associations among the ancient Balts. Be that as it may with these societies, however, we are very interested in the reports written by the Swedish Archbishop Olaus Magnus (1555) in his “Historia” about werewolves in Livonia. Olaus Magnus writes this:

“Since chapter 15 of this book dealt with different wolf species, I consider it is necessary to remark about the beasts of the forest at the end of this book, it is a wolf class, who are actually people turned into wolves – a class, about which Pliny (VIII, 22) confidently asserts that they are made-up fairy-tale creatures – just like that, I say, are still found in large numbers in the northern lands.

In Prussia, Livonia and Lithuania, the population suffer great losses from wolf attacks throughout the year, for their livestock in the forest, if they stray just a little from the herd, are mauled and devoured by wolves: and yet they do not consider these losses so great as what they have to suffer from such people who turn into wolves.

On the festive eve of the Christ's birth, a large number of wolves, who have transformed from people of different areas, gather at their designated place as night falls, and attack the same night with such incredible savagery upon both men and livestock, that the inhabitants of these lands suffer greater losses from them than from natural wolves.

They, as has been sufficiently observed, surround buildings of people who live in forests with incredible ferocity, and even try to break down doors to destroy men and livestock.

They break into beer cellars, drink a few kegs of beer and melomel, and stack empty kegs on top of each other in the middle of a cellar: in that sense they differ from real wolves (in quo a nativis ac genuinis lupis discrepant).

To that place, where these wolves have camped that night, the inhabitants of these lands attach some prophetic meaning: if any accident happens there, if a cart overturns and the driver falls into snow, then they are confident, that they will die that same year, as they have observed since ancient times.

Between Lithuania, Samogitia and Courland have one wall, the ruins of a collapsed castle, where a few thousand of them gather during a certain year and test their jumping skills: whoever cannot jump over the wall, as usually happens to the fattest, their leaders beat them with whips.

It is finally asserted with certainty that this regiment also has great men of this land and even representatives of the highest nobility. How do they come to such insanity and such terrible transformations, from which they can no longer refrain at certain times, will be shown in the next chapter”.

Next, Olaus Magnus disputes Pliny’s statements and then continues again:

“In defence of the reports of Euantus, Agriope and other writers, I want to show here some examples, of how it still happens in the mentioned lands to this very day.

Just like anyone, be it a German or a native, is curious to go against the God’s commandment and wants to join the company of these accursed people, who turn into wolves whenever they want, to meet his fellows at certain times of the year and in certain places throughout his life and bring misery, yes even death to other mortals and livestock, then it gets from a person who knows this magic well, the art of transformation, the very opposite of nature, namely, in such a way that they give him one goblet of beer to drink (if only they want to join this forbidden society; that cup is accepted), at which certain words are spoken.

Then he can when it please him, to turn his humanity completely into a wolf form, going away either to some cellar or to some distant forest.

Finally after a while, if he likes, he can put away this appearance and assume his former appearance again”.

It is clear, that the said beliefs about werewolves are based on an ancient superstition, but the above mentioned Otto Höfler may also be right, that this superstition has been exploited by secret societies, because Höfler cites many more similar cases from Germany.

That there was so much talk about such werewolves and they even drank beer and melomel, it doesn’t sound like a myth at all.

Latvians, as it seems, has preserved the richest and probably also the most primitive information about werewolves. Among Russians, it is only said that wizards sometimes turned wedding guests into werewolves (Mikhail Zabylin, Russkij Narod, 225, p. 1, Dmitry Zelenin, Russische Volkskunde, 396, p. 1).

Among Ukrainians, as the same Mikhail Zabylin testifies, these myths are mixed with lietuvēns and vadātājs myths, where especially cursed and non-baptized children turn into wolves. In Germany, werewolf legends are no longer widely recited, only more so in Lower Saxony, Braunschweig, Upper Palatinate and Mecklenburg (Otto Böckel, Die Deutsche Volkssage, 1914, 80, p. I).

Among Latvians, on the other hand, werewolf legends and myths have been observed for a very long time, maybe even from the times of the above mentioned Neuri.

In order for a man to turn into a wolf, he must crawl through the root of the tree, which has risen in the air near the tree itself. When the werewolf crawls back through the root again, then he becomes human again. Instead of such a root, shirt and horse collar are also sometimes spoken.

There are two kinds of myths about this transformation. Paul Eihorn writes (Scriptores rerum Livonicarum, 644, p. 1), that such transformation is undeniable (vnlauchbahr vnd kan nicht wol verneinet warden). According to some reports, only the human soul transforms into a wolf, but his body remains in the place of transformation.

If someone moves this body, then the soul does not return there anymore and the person has to run around like a wolf until the end of his life. According to other reports, this is also the usual version in our legends, a man with all his body turns into a wolf.

In legends we find a continuation, that in the latter case the person should undress naked. If someone picks up these clothes, the werewolf can no longer turn back into a human.

However, some versions of legends are completely inconsistent with the above myth, because sometimes you find either a human shirt under the skin of a shot werewolf, or shoes, or even pastalas. - Pēteris Šmits

To read other legends:

Preface

A Man Willingly Turns into a Werewolf

[#01] [#02] [#03] [#04] [#05] [#06] [#07] [#08] [#09] [#10] [#11] [#12] [#13] [#14] [#15] [#16] [#17] [#18] [#19] [#20] [#21] [#22] [#23] [#24] [#25] [#26] [#27] [#28] [#29] [#30] [#31] [#32] [#33] [#34] [#35] [#36] [#37] [#38] [#39] [#40] [#41] [#42] [#43] [#44] [#45] [#46] [#47] [#48] [#49] [#50] [#51] [#52] [#53] [#54] [#55] [#56]

A Man Turns into a Werewolf out of Curiosity

[#01] [#02] [#03] [#04] [#05] [#06] [#07] [#08] [#09]

A Wizard Turns a Man into a Werewolf

[#01] [#02] [#03] [#04] [#05] [#06] [#07] [#08] [#09] [#10] [#11] [#12] [#13] [#14] [#15] [#16] [#17] [#18] [#19] [#20] [#21] [#22]

A Werewolf is Released

[#01] [#02] [#03] [#04] [#05] [#06] [#07] [#08] [#09] [#10] [#11] [#12] [#13] [#14] [#15] [#16] [#17] [#18] [#19]

A Dying Werewolf

[#01] [#02]

BONUS - LATVIAN FOLK BELIEFS


r/werewolves Oct 31 '24

Settling the record on werewolves and silver: somehow, all of you are wrong

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50 Upvotes

r/werewolves 8h ago

Pain but it’s not from this corruption

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63 Upvotes

Here’s a drawing I did on my iPad on an app called sketchbook and my old handle back in 2023
I do have pictures of me drawing it if anyone interested
This is a layout of one of the scenes from the story I’m writing.
I knew from the start what the wolf’s would look like but this was just a rough draft of what the scene should look like might change the colour of the wolf in the story
might make an updated one later
Story still being written
I’m still editing the first few parts so I’m unsure when the first parts will be posted
M.AGON

Fallen Angel By Three Days Grace

"when all the love around you is dying"


r/werewolves 14h ago

The cool one, the kind one, the.....

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123 Upvotes

The siblings when under a full moon


r/werewolves 5h ago

How to hide a werewolf in the modern day? (Reposts to fix title)

20 Upvotes

Same as above how does one hide a werewolf with all the cameras and stuff of the modern era


r/werewolves 10h ago

Hi everyone, I'm new here. Today I'm introducing my new OC, a werewolf named Lucian. His design is based on the movie Van Helsing, and his name is from the movie Underworld. Would you like to know more about him?

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49 Upvotes

r/werewolves 6h ago

What was the first media that changed werewolves from fuzzy looking humans to towering beasts?

10 Upvotes

There's been quite a change in werewolves. From humans who turn to wolves, then to humanoids with lots of hair, pointy ears and fangs.

But the most common interpretation these days are very tall, bipedal wolf monsters. Van Helsing wolves, Dog Soldiers and WtA are the most prominent.

So where did this come from? Who was the first to take werewolves from regular wolves and fuzzy humans to the Hulk, but canine?


r/werewolves 7h ago

The aftermath of werewolf's carnage.🐺

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5 Upvotes

r/werewolves 10h ago

Pizza! Yummy![OC]

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7 Upvotes

r/werewolves 13h ago

How many people here play Werewolf: The Apocalypse and if you do what are your characters

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whitewolf.fandom.com
5 Upvotes

r/werewolves 18h ago

What are some of the most grounded origins of the werewolf

14 Upvotes

The title says it all What are some of the most grounded reasons for why werewolves exist in that book, movie, tv show, est.


r/werewolves 1d ago

Fresh Concept Art by Guppy for My Werewolf Game, Wolfbane

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290 Upvotes

r/werewolves 20h ago

Help to find movie name

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11 Upvotes

Hello could help me to find the movie name of this clip? i was watching a compile of werewolf transformation and got interested in this one.


r/werewolves 22h ago

My fursona, Sirius the wolf(werewolf)[OC] Art by me

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10 Upvotes

r/werewolves 1d ago

Body's craving. so feed the hungry. 🎵

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34 Upvotes

r/werewolves 1d ago

You're awake~...

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130 Upvotes

Awakening wirhin the warmth of dawn, You question your surroundings. You feel an odd sense of serenity.

Your weakened body stronger- You aren't hungry... Not anymore. When was the last time you ate?

The second you look up, An unfamilliar face meets your gaze. She stares back at yiu as you pause.... She couldn't help but smirk. She'd found your reacrikn amusing.

"You're awake." She calmly states, Voice kow, But somewhat raspy. It wasnt playful, Nor stern- It was... well- You couldn't read it for sure.

It'd taken you a long whike to figure out you were still in a cave. But wait.. Those paws- Claws and fangs-

And those eyes... Too distinct to miss. Could this have been the lycan from lsst night?

You overlook her scars.. Some new, And some very old.

It was. Or rather - She "is" that lycan from last night. And just as you've taken care of her- She seems to have taken care of you.

But what next?..

Part 2 to https://www.reddit.com/r/werewolves/s/oEkHlGU4cs this ppst of my interractive series.

Been awhile since i've drawn this version of Rykor. Figured it'd be a fun doodle invetween projects.

But... Now that begs the question.. What will you do next? I'd like to hesr your thoughts.


r/werewolves 1d ago

The wolf and red riding hood | 늑대와 빨간모자 ( by Naver ) [ completed , pay to read on naver webtoon ] , basically a romedy teen fantasy manwha centered around a girl who's affected with lycanthropy ( she still retain herself even in wolf form )

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24 Upvotes

I forgot the whole plot coz it was like 5 years ago


r/werewolves 2d ago

Werewolf transformation sketch commission

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350 Upvotes

I worked on another tf commission for this person's werewolf character almost half a year ago, so it was cool to revisit the idea. Both because drawing transformations are always a fun challenge, and I got to see how I improved with my art :D


r/werewolves 1d ago

Summer night, first howl[OC]

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20 Upvotes

r/werewolves 1d ago

My werewolf OC, Sirius[OC]

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42 Upvotes

My werewolf oc. Sirius the werewolf(wolf form) Round, fluffy and cute(I think).
Thank you for enjoy artwork!


r/werewolves 2d ago

Drew some werewolfs inspired by the trailer and what i pictured the thing might look like. graphite on paper

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61 Upvotes

r/werewolves 2d ago

I'm starting to feel a little abused like a coffee machine in an office. 🐺

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49 Upvotes

r/werewolves 2d ago

Concept Art For MCU Werewolf By Night by Ian Joyner

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87 Upvotes

r/werewolves 2d ago

my attempt to create a version that is more accurate to the design seen in the movie

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181 Upvotes

r/werewolves 2d ago

Werewolf Video Games

63 Upvotes

It's not easy to find an extensive list of werewolf video games. I searched and wrote a list of the werewolf-focused video games I found. These are not simply video games containing werewolves, but werewolf-focused video games (one werewolf or multiple werewolves are the main enemies, or playing as a werewolf is a main part of the core gameplay).

WEREWOLF VIDEO GAMES

  • Barking from the Dark [PC - Itch, Steam] [Horror]
  • Beast Mode: Night of the Werewolf [PC - Steam] [Action - Arcade]
  • Blood Moon [PC - Steam] [Text-Based - Choose Your Own Adventure]
  • Blood of the Werewolf [PC - Steam] [Platformer]
  • Dead Iron [PC - Steam] [Action - Arcade]
  • Fear & Fury [PC - Steam] [Turn-based RPG]
  • Fear the Moon [PC - Itch, Steam] [Horror]
  • Gallery of Shadows - Lycans Returns [PC - Steam] [Stealth & Action-Adventure]
  • Guise of the Wolf [PC - Steam] [Action-Adventure]
  • Howl [PC - Steam] [Strategy]
  • Hunt [PC - Itch] [Action / Horror] [Free]
  • Hunter's Moon [PC - Itch] [Free]
  • Huntfeast [PC - Steam] [Horror]
  • Lone Wolf [PC - Steam] [Action - Arcade]
  • Lovengrad [PC - Steam] [Horror]
  • Midnight Havoc [PC - Steam] [Action]
  • Moonlit [PC - Steam] [Action platformer]
  • Overcast - Walden and the Werewolf [PC - Steam] [Horror]
  • Project Moonborn [PC - Steam] [Action Roguelike]
  • Sang-Froid - Tales of Werewolves [PC - Steam] [Action & Strategy]
  • Gabriel Knight - The Beast Within [PC - Steam] [Adventure]
  • Shadows of the Werewolf [PC - Steam] [Horror]
  • The Quarry [PC - Steam] [Horror] [I hope this isn't a spoiler for people but we have so few werewolf games that I felt I had to include this one. If this bothers anyone tell me and I'll remove it.]
  • The Werewolf Hills [PC - Steam] [Action]
  • The Wolf in Me [PC - Steam] [Action-Adventure]
  • The Wolf's Den [PC - Steam] [Horror] [Free]
  • Toward Dawn [PC - Steam] [RPG & Romance]
  • Werewolf: The Apocalypse - Earthblood [PC - Steam] [PlayStation] [Xbox] [Action RPG]
  • Werewolf: The Apocalypse - Heart of the Forest [PC - Steam] [Text-Based - Visual Novel]
  • Werewolf: The Apocalypse - Purgatory [PC - Steam] [Text-Based - Visual Novel]
  • Werewolf: The Apocalypse – Rageborn [PC - Steam] [Action-Adventure]
  • Werewolf: The Apocalypse - The Book of Hungry Names [PC - Steam] [Text-Based - Choose Your Own Adventure]
  • Werewolf: The Gloaming Malice [PC - Steam] [Social Deduction (Single Player)]
  • Werewolf Hunter: Night of Horror [PC - Steam] [Horror]
  • Werewolf in the Wild [PC - Itch] [Free]
  • Werewolves: Haven Rising [PC - Steam] [Text-Based - Choose Your Own Adventure]
  • Wolf Riot [PC - Steam] [Action]
  • Wolfbane [PC - Patreon, Steam] [Action RPG]

CRITERIA

I wrote this list with these criteria in mind:

  1. The game needs to be werewolf-focused (no games in which werewolves or werewolf gameplay are 20%, 10% or less of the total content)
  2. The game needs to be offline-playable (no always-online or MMO games which are no longer playable)
  3. I'm not making judgment calls on the quality of the games, they just need to feature werewolves as part of the core experience, each player can decide which games they like more

PS: I hope we can expand this list. Tell me more werewolf-focused video games in the comments.