The Book of Were-Wolves is a classic work of European lore on lycanthropy in particular pertaining to werewolves. The book deals with three subjects: 1) Summarizing folklore and beliefs about werewolves and related phenomena; 2) Collecting specific cases from ancient, medieval, and modern histories; 3) Explaining the origins of the beliefs and demythologize the superstition. The author treats the phenomenon of the werewolf as a psychological aberration, as essentially a delusional state. He also relates it to cannibalism and to the behavior of the notorious Norse berserkers, who would suffer from an insane battle rage. Speculations on the origin the various names by which werewolves were known in different European languages is intriguing, especially the idea that the term may derive from a word for an outlaw, a man condemned effectively to run with the wolves.
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Baring-Gould Sabine. The Book of Were-Wolves
The Book of Were-Wolves
Table of Contents
INTRODUCTORY
LYCANTHROPY AMONG THE ANCIENTS
Footnotes
THE WERE-WOLF IN THE NORTH
Footnotes
THE ORIGIN OF THE SCANDINAVIAN WERE-WOLF
Footnotes
THE WERE-WOLF IN THE MIDDLE-AGES
Footnotes
A CHAMBER OF HORRORS
Footnotes
JEAN GRENIER
Footnotes
FOLK-LORE RELATING TO WERE-WOLVES
Footnotes
NATURAL CAUSES OF LYCANTHROPY
Footnotes
MYTHOLOGICAL ORIGIN OF THE WERE-WOLF MYTH
Footnotes
THE MARÉCHAL DE RETZ.-I. THE INVESTIGATION OF CHARGES
THE MARÉCHAL DE RETZ.—II. THE TRIAL
MARÉCHAL DE RETZ.—III. THE SENTENCE AND EXECUTION
Footnotes
A GALICIAN WERE-WOLF
ANOMALOUS CASE.—THE HUMAN HYÆNA
A SERMON ON WERE-WOLVES
Footnotes
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Sabine Baring-Gould
Study on Lycanthropy
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This I shall show to be an innate craving for blood implanted in certain natures, restrained under ordinary circumstances, but breaking forth occasionally, accompanied with hallucination, leading in most cases to cannibalism. I shall then give instances of persons thus afflicted, who were believed by others, and who believed themselves, to be transformed into beasts, and who, in the paroxysms of their madness, committed numerous murders, and devoured their victims.
I shall next give instances of persons suffering from the same passion for blood, who murdered for the mere gratification of their natural cruelty, but who were not subject to hallucinations, nor were addicted to cannibalism.
