The other half of yesterday's post! Werewolves are creatures that have fascinated and intrigued us for years in film and literature. Many cultures have their own versions and tales of the werewolves and other shapeshifting creatures. Werewolves are beings said to be bit or scratched by other werewolves, developing their disease and powers. Werewolves are characterized by their ability to change into giant bipedal wolven creatures who have all of the abilities of a wolf, from their keen sense of hearing and smell to their ability to hunt and track their prey. Most traditional legends say they charge on the night of the full moon, but there are many other iterations say that the werewolf can change at will. The druids and Native Americans, who share the traditional tribal formations, have tales of werewolves and believe it is more of a change that happens by a person who has mastery over shapeshifting, which they believe heavily in. Shamans in all cultures, who study the way of the psychopomp, are all said to be able to change their appearance and form. Druids are also said to be psychopomps, who wish to make unity with animals and nature. Both the Native Americans and the druids of Ireland and the British Isles both adorn themselves in the skins of animals, perhaps amplfying their power to change into wolves, bears, and more. The druids and Native Americans both considered the bear and the wolf to be sacred animals. The question is, could they really change into these animals? How would one be able to alter themselves into a beast?
Many tales in mythology, including the Bible, (remember Nero?) depicted people and gods being able to transform into animals. What would be the role of a person being able to change form? Some might say it's some sort of power to bring forth vengeance on criminals or whatever, but I have a different idea. Suppose that we are going along with tribal shamans and druids being able to change form. Both of these people from their respective lands worshiped nature. The druids were male pagans who worshiped the Earth Mother, and the Native Americans worshiped mother earth, father sky, and brother sea, a pagan trinity. This being said, I believe that the shapeshifters in these tribes transformed primarily into wild dogs and bears to gain unity with nature and animals. They would see visions in their animal forms, and tell the tribe about what they saw. By having these visions while in the form of the animal, a shaman or druid might be able to tell the tribe about where more food sources were or of weather changes. Animals always have the advantage of finding food in the wild and knowing when storms or rainfall might be coming. Being able to detect these things easier would be a huge asset to a tribe.
Werewolves capture our imagination. They are majestic in our minds, showing us what is like a fantasy to many: a human becoming an animal, if only for awhile. They are creatures that defy logic, and we wonder what it would be like to have the power of a fast animal, being able to be a hunter of his or her own domain. Wouldn't you love to be an animal, being able to run like the wind and scale trees and cliffsides? I believe anything is possible, how about you? Would you dare traverse across the realities that are only held apart in this world by a thin line?
Note: "The Power Of Duat" a book on shamanism, Egyptian and otherwise, can be found being written online by me, Bryan Varner. Check it out! Remember, my twitter name, @BPLovecraft to get updates on it and all my works! Ciao!
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