B.++Werewolf+legends+in+Western+Europe,+Continental+and+Insular


 * B. **** Werewolf legends in Western Europe, Continental and Insular **
 * 1) Tipperary (Ireland) **-** half man-half wolf / **Kayci G. (B1)**
 * 2) France - Bzou / **Krisha B. (A3)**
 * 3) France - Loup-garou / **Kiersten G. (B1)**
 * 4) France - Shewolf / **Brandon R. (A1)**
 * 5) Scotland - faoladh
 * 6) Scotland – conriocht
 * 7) Scotland - wulver / **Brandy F. (A1)**
 * 8) France - the Beast of Gévaudan / **Chris D.W. (B1)**
 * 9) Yorkshire (England) - the Barghest
 * 10) Bungay, East Anglia (England) - the "Black Shuck" / ** SeBastian M.C. (A1) **
 * 11) Normandy (France) - Lubins/lupins / **Carson D. (B1)**
 * 12) Wales - Vereticus

=Tipperary (Ireland) - Half Man-Half Wolf / Kayci G. (B1) = = =

In many cultures throughout the world, the legend of the werewolf is told in diverse ways and versions. Depending on what region of the globe will determine how the legend differs. In Tipperary, Ireland, the ferocious half man, half wolf creature named the Laignach Faelad is the warrior in this country’s legend (Moonlight).This legend is known as the oldest werewolf legend that comes from Ireland and was recorded long ago by a man with the name of Giraldus Cambrensis (“Werewolves”). Like most countries during this time, war and battle took over the land. These wolf-like creatures would fight for kings as long as the king paid them their share (Moonlight). Unlike legends of the werewolf in other countries, the Laignach Faelad seemed to want to help Ancient Ireland in some ways which makes this Tipperary originated legend somewhat unique. But, what was the price the Laignach Faelad would present to these kings for their help in war? These creatures asked for newborn flesh rather than money (Moonlight). This brutal way of reward in this legend does not compare to any other legend that consists of a way of pay. Kings would obviously have to be in dire need in war and pretty heartless to call these creatures to duty (Moonlight). Although, the Laignach Faeland seems harmful to the human race in this legend there are other legends that say otherwise. There are legends out there of the Irish werewolf protecting hurt soldiers and young children instead of harming them (“Werewolves”). So, is this creature featured in the Tipperary, Ireland legend a friend or a foe? From the research, the legendary Laignach Faeland shows signs of a harmful nature but repays his wrong doings with kind gestures. All in all, this Irish folklore is quite unusual since the Irish werewolf means well and is not as terrible as a creature as legendary werewolves present in other countries legends.

=France - Bzou / Krisha B. (A3) =

In this day and age, it’s easy to assume that the creatures we know today as “werewolves” are strictly mythological beings that were thought up of centuries ago due to superstition. However, the existence of werewolves, whether they be truly real or not, has played a tremendous role in history. Dating back to the 15th century, superstition over werewolves was a common fright in Europe (Vimenet, Jean). Despite the efforts to diminish the belief of werewolves by the Catholic and Protestant Churches, werewolf superstition continued, along with werewolf trials in hopes to eliminate them (Vimenet, Jean). However, werewolf superstition did not perish. Their existence, or rather, the thought of their existence, has played a great impact in the entertainment industry. The earliest forms of entertainment was simply story telling. Tales of werewolves have been passed down orally from each passing generation, which is why some still remain today, one of which being //The Little Red Riding Hood// (“The Little Red Riding Hood”)//.// However, the story told back then is not the same story we know today. The first to actually write down //The Little Red Riding Hood// tale was a French author named Charles Purrault (“The Little Red Riding Hood”). His tale was a more gruesome one from the children’s story we’re accustomed to. In place of “the big bad wolf” was often an ogre or a //bzou//, which is French for werewolf (“The Little Red Riding Hood”). Tricking the little red riding hood numerous times and successfully taking her grandmother’s life and almost her own (“The Little Red Riding Hood”), it’s safe to say that the bzou takes the cake for any children’s story villain. The gruesome tale ends like so, leaving both a moral and a warning: don’t be naïve and give your trust to strangers! Creatures like the bzou may still exist, in what form they come in, is unknown.

= = = =

=France - Loup-garou / Kiersten G. (B1) =



The legend of werewolves have been present all throughout history and passed down through many cultures. In France the werewolf is referred to as Loup-Garou, Loup meaning wolf and Garou meaning man who changes into animal (“Loup Garou.”) This legend can be traced to many different cultures all around the world including places like Canada and Indiana but originated in France. The Loup-Garou is said to be a very vicious wolf which is under the spell for 101 days ("The Loup-Garou Legends of Old Vincennes.") Throughout the period of this time he roams around through forest and fields at night and then returns to his normal human form during the day, this is true with most werewolf legends. However there is a way for the Loup-Garou to become freed from the spell he is under. If a person comes in contact with him and somehow sheds his blood he will be released from the curse ("The Loup-Garou Legends of Old Vincennes.") The Loup-Garou and the person who had the encounter must not speak of the curse to each other or anyone else because any violators would be put under the same transformation spell ("The Loup-Garou Legends of Old Vincennes.") Many people are aware that the moon plays a big role in the transformation between human and werewolf but with the Loup-Garou it is said to be different. The Loup-Garou can change whenever he is willing to along with the changes that occur during the full moon (“Loup Garou”.) This legend about the Loup-Garou is still present in this day and age and you could hear it all around the world for the legend of Loup-Garou is one of the best known werewolf legends.

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =France - Shewolf / **Brandon R. (A1) ** =

=Queen Isabella was wife of Edward II known for her temper and beauty became known as the She Wolf of France.She married the king when she was 12 had children, and had enough after 17 years. She found a new lover Roger Mortimor who raised an army and defeated the kings army to imprison him at Berkely Castle. Isabella then took throne of England. She hoped Edward II would die of natural causes but eight months still alive she ordered 15 men to insert red hot poker into his bowels. Later on her soon took control, had her lover executed, and imprisoned her at= =Castle Rising. She lived the last 28 years of her life in comfortable retirement. As years went by she became more and more crazy and roamed late at night bewailing her fate and her lovers death. When she died, rumors circulated that her ghost took form of a huge wolf with fur white as snow. To this day on the She Wolf is said to still roam Castle Rising howling at the moon.=

=Scotland - Wulver / **Brandy F. (A1) **=

The Scotland Wulver is said to live in the Shetland Islands that are found near the northeast coast of Scotland (“The Kind Scottish Wulver”). The Wulver is also known as the “Galley Trot” (“A Kind-Hearted Werewolf”). Depicted in the picture, the Wulver has the body of a man, but the face of a wolf. Although he may have the body of a human, he was never an actual man. He was only a creature evolved from wolves (Buddy). To have evolved from a wolf into a man-like being, the Wulver itself must be an old and wise creature. The wolf-man creature most people think of is the Werewolf. Many games, movies, and books show the Werewolf to be a violent creature who likes to feast upon its victims. Unlike that type of Werewolf, the Wulver is actually very kind. When travelers were lost, the kind Wulver would aid them to find their way through the area (Buddy). In the article “The Kind Scottish Wulver”, it says: The Wulver was frequently spotted fishing for its daily meal from a rock dubbed, ‘The Wulver’s Stane’ (Wolf Stone), and as long as he was left alone, a Wulver showed no aggression. Habitually, this peace-loving creature demonstrated a benevolent side as well, and oft-times was observed leaving extra fish on the windowsill of poor families. (“The Kind Scottish wulver”) As long as nobody bothered the Wulver, he would never harm them (Tabitca). As kind as the Wulver is, there are still dark stories related to them. Some believed that the Wulver was an omen of approaching death, and others believed that their presence meant valuables were hidden nearby in burial grounds (A Kind-Hearted Werewolf). It’s interesting these stories differ. How could a creature known to be so thoughtful be related to death? Maybe someone actually attempted to harm the Wulver which ended in that person’s demise? This is only a thought, since most stories change as they are passed down through time.

=**France - The Beast of Gévaudan / Chris D.W. (B1) **= Most people today see werewolves as mythological creatures only present in legends and fantasy tales, but there is striking historical evidence that these creatures existed long ago, all over the world. One example of a well documented werewolf in history is The Beast of Gevaudan, or La Beta du gevaudan, which wreaked havoc and caused fear throughout the French countryside in the 1760’s. Between 1764 and 1767 over 100 killings were attributed to this fearsome creature (Brockis). The beast had varying descriptions from many different witnesses but many of the details held similar. The beast was roughly the size of a horse, had a long wolf-like snout and long, sharp teeth. The beast also had reddish-brown fur with faint stripes (“ The Cryptic Zoo”). It’s victims consisted mostly of women and children, and it was well known for attacking shepherds as they tended their flocks of sheep, often plowing through a herd of sheep to get at the shepherdess. The beast was believed by locals to be a sorcerer who shape-shifted into a monster in order to feed on human flesh (The Cryptic Zoo”), and hundreds hunters came from all over the world to comb the countryside in search of the creature. In fact, more than 300 professional hunters killed more than 100 wolves (“ The Beast of Gévaudan”) in pursuit of the beast, which seemed to elude hunters until it was shot in the heart with a silver bullet in June of 1767 by Jean Chastel (The Cryptic Zoo”). The beast was presumed dead, the killings ceased, and a feeling of relief spread throughout the countryside. Strangely enough, similar attacks occurred between 1809 and 1813, when no less than 21 women and children were killed by a large, wolf-like beast (“ The Beast of Gévaudan”). More related attacks also occurred between 1875 and 1879(“ The Beast of Gévaudan”). All three were located in similar regions of France, and had many similar characteristics, which leads many to believe that the Beast of Gevaudan was never killed, or that there was more than one, and that it lived in the European countryside for many more years.

** Bungay ** **, East Anglia (England) - the "Black Shuck" ** / SeBastian M.C. (A1) Throughout the world and legends and myths you hear of werewolves and wolves that are solid beast that terrorize the night, but have you ever heard of a ghost dog that kills people with the glimpse of its eyes. The Black Shuck, also known as Old Shuck, is a phantom hound that is seen around Norfolk, Essex, and Suffolk in England (Caesar). The phantom hound is completely black and has blazing red eyes and said to be as big as a horse ("Black Shuck"). The Black Shuck would appear as a dark shadow forming into the shape of a dog ("Black Shuck"). The word shuck is believed to come from the Anglo-Saxon word "scucca" which means devil or demon ("Black Shuck"). The Black Shuck is one of the oldest phantoms in England (Caesar). Legends of this hound go back all the way to the time of the Vikings ("Black Shuck"). Some believed that the Black Shuck has origins from Norse mythology and was the war dog "Shukir" of Odin and Thor ("Black Shuck"). Later the dog was brought to English shores by boat ("Black Shuck"). One of the oldest sightings is record all the way to 1500s, where one night the Black Shuck appeared at the church in Blythburgfh and in Bungay in Sufolk (Caesar). In the extremely stormy Sunday of August 4th in 1577, the Reverend Abraham Fleming of the church of Bungay said he saw a black dog running with great speed through the crowd of people and then between two people kneeling in prayer, it twisted both their necks and the two people fell dead (Caesar). The Black Shuck continued killing and mauling people as it ran off to the church of Blythburgh. The church of Bungay was badly damaged; lightning had struck the church tower that day (Caesar). You can still go today and see the scorch marks on the church (Caesar). This ghostly dog is known to haunt straight roads and forests and shores which run along "Leylines" ("Black Shuck"). Leylines are ancient lines of invisible earth energy ("Black Shuck"). Churches were placed on these lines so that the spirits and ghost could travel better the churches' graveyards ("Black Shuck"). It is said that anyone who runs into the Black Shuck and unfortunately meet its sight, dies within a year ("Black Shuck). The tale of this terrifying ghost is questioned to be true or not, but the thought of the Black Shuck drives fear into those who live and visit East England.

=<span style="color: #0f243e; font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">Normandy (France) - Lubins / Lupins / Carson D. (B1) =

The name for this specific legend in werewolves, originating in Normandy, is the French word for female werewolf (Noel), also translating to lupine, meaning “characteristic of or resembling a wolf” (Lupine). There are two ways to enter the realm of mystical beasts: you can either be born into the family or be bitten by one of the cursed monsters (Vanessa). It has been said that humans who are bitten unwillingly suffer temporarily unless they taste the blood of another human, in which they are eternally cursed. As part of their curse, Lupins must painfully transform into their werewolf form during a full moon but they are not limited to only celestial time periods. The shape of a lupin has a more humanistic figure as in they typically move on their hind legs, but they still attain the appearance of a wolf or dog. Through transformation, the spine and ribs grow outwards at more of a curve, the face shifts into a large jaw and snout and their knees grow backward such as a dog’s hind legs, and last but not least, hair grows all over the body (Vanessa). Being that Lupins are typically described as female, a sort of motherly instinct gives a high value of protectiveness when caring for their young or other pack members. In recent years, this branch of werewolf legends has been popularized by the character Remus Lupin, of the Harry Potter series. Despite some characteristics added by J.K. Rowling’s imagination, reading passages in this novel can give a suprisingly good description of an average lupin werewolf (Remus).

=**Works Cited**= "A Kind-Hearted Werewolf." //Werewolves//. TigerTech, 25 Jan. 2010. Web. 17 Dec. 2011. [].

// Beast of Gevaudan //<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">. N.d. Photograph. The Cryptid ZooWeb. 10 Dec 2011. <http://whttp://www.newanimal.org/beastgev.htm >.//

//"Black Shuck - Norfolks Hell Hound."// Norfolkcoast.co.uk//. Web. 18 Dec. 2011. [].//

//<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Brockis, Derick. "La Bête Du Gévaudan, The Beast of Gévaudan." //Labete : The Beast of Gévaudan//. Web. 16 Dec. 2011. <http://labete.7hunters.net/bete1.htm>.//

// Buddy. "If You Met A Werewolf You'd Want To Meet A Wulver." Web log post. // I Love Werewolves//. 20 Mar. 2011. Web. 17 Dec. 2011. [].//

//Caesar. "Black Shuck Mysteries."// Unsolved Mysteries - The Worlds Unexplained Mysteries//. 10 Mar. 2009. Web. 18 Dec. 2011. [].//

//<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">"Little Red Riding Hood." Monstrous.com. Monstrous. Web. 17 Dec. 2011. []. //

//Loup Garou. Photograph. Download Movies-Werewolf Garou. Web. 28 Nov. 2011. <http:// boycus.download-animation.com/werewolf-garou.html>.

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<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">"The Beast of Gévaudan." //Unsolved Mysteries In The World//. 23 June 2010. Web. 14 Dec. 2011. <http://unmyst3.blogspot.com/2010/06/beast-of-gevaudan.html>.

<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">"The Cryptid Zoo: Beast of Gevaudan." //The Cryptid Zoo: A Menagerie of Cryptozoology//. Web. 1 Dec. 2011. <http://www.newanimal.org/beastgev.htm>.

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"The Loup-Garou Legends of Old Vincennes." //Welcome to the Web Pages of the James Jones Literary Society//. Web. 17 Dec. 2011. [].

The Wulver. Digital image. The Kind Scottish Wulver. ScotClans, 23 Oct. 2010. Web. 5 Dec. 2011. [].

Vanessa. Dark-lycan.piczo.com. Web. 16 Dec. 2011. <[]>

<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">Vimenet, Jean. "Little Red Riding Hood ~ the French Version ~ Read If You Dare!" Web log post. //<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">Social History in the Touraine ~ Central France //<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">. Word Press, 1 Dec. 2010. Web. 17 Dec. 2011. [].

"Werewolf Haiti."<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">Monstrous.com. Monstrous. Web.18 Dec.2011. < []<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">>

//White Werewolf//. Digital image. Fanpop.com. Fanpop, Inc. Web. 29 Nov. 2011. < [] >.
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