Who was the first werewolf?

St Force

As many of you know I have just finished reading Dracula. It was a very good book but the ending could of been better. I won't ruin it for anyone who wants to read it but it is a very long book. Anyway I read Frankenstein a few years ago and now I want to read the classic Werewolf novel... but I don't know what that is! The three icons of horror are Vampires, Zombies and Werewolves. Dracula could transform into a wolf so I'm thinking he was two monsters in one...

Saying that the idea of werewolves goes back to the idea of fairies and elves in the magical wood so perhaps this book exists already and I have not heard of it. Is there a main werewolf book? I've asked my two English teachers but they did not know...

Eddisbury

If you google earliest werewolf you'll turn up some interesting sites.
And I just can't resist - "...the ending could of been better." This could have been edited to good effect! :)

St Force

I tried Google but for once it failed me.This is proof Google can not help you with everything in life, I thought it could... *sob*

Google gave me some films about werewolves but they were all made in the 50's, the wolves in their look like old Doctor Who monsters.

shellw

Herodotus first wrote about them in his histories

Neph

There has never been an iconic werewolf on the same level as Dracula. Dunno why. Just having a look in me book of werewolves, will let you know if I turn anything up.

boredrobots

I don't think there really is a single classic werewolf book, not in the vein of Frankenstein/Dracula popularity anyway.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Werewolf_fiction

You can go right back to 61 AD and find examples of werewolves in books, but I think you'll struggle to find one as relevant as Frankenstein and Dracula are to their horror monster themes. I'll get working on it :D

(Speaking of horror icons, thats the plan for the rest of my tattoos :D Already got a vampire and I'm getting Frankenstein's monster, werewolf, mummy, ghost and a HUGE zombie backpiece and whatever other monsters and ghouls I can think of!)

Red

Look up King Lycaeon if you want to research the beginnings of the werewolf origins.

Eddisbury

four titles:
Wagner the Wehr Wolf by G M W Reynolds
Hugues le Loup by Erckmann-Chatrian
Hugues, the Wer-Wolf by Sutherland Menzies
The Wolf Leader by Alexandre Dumas

The first two of those can be downloaded from the Gutenberg Project (www.gutenberg.org)

B L Zebub

I used to be a Werewolf - but I'm alright nowOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO...........!!!!! :-D

pbw

stf, I caught one of these plays in the 'Pilgrim' series on Radio 4 which was enthralling. Now, in one of them he mentions a werewolf character, which sounded as if he'd got it from folklore. I don't have time at the mo. to research it further but it is cracking good story telling and his work might interest you.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01b1lk2

Lou Treleaven

I read Dracula recently as well, stf. I really loved it. I enjoyed the ending especially the horse and carriage hurtling towards the castle as the sun rises... You know the bit I mean! I think it was amazing for its day and has a real power and menace, despite the melodrama.

[quote=Neph]Just having a look in me book of werewolves[/quote]

* Neph, half concealed by a velvet hood, pours over a vast, dusty tome, the small stone room lit only by a single candle in a polished skull... *

Neph

[quote=Lou Treleaven]* Neph, half concealed by a velvet hood, pours over a vast, dusty tome, the small stone room lit only by a single candle in a polished skull... *[/quote]

Ok so when did you visit my cryp...I mean office?

shellw

it is a good point, there has never been a Dracula of the Werewolf world but yet they are just as popular, I wonder how it happened

Red

[quote=Neph]There has never been an iconic werewolf on the same level as Dracula. [/quote]

I think the clue to this is in that very statement. While the tales of werewolves outdate vampires, the legend of Dracula was made popular because the 'monster' that personified vampirism was given a crucial name and personality. Dracula was lapped up by the people. If there had been an eponymous werewolf, an anti-hero in the same vein as Dracula, then we might have the same figure of influence. But not one wolf novel drew the interest of the masses quite like Dracula or Frankenstein.

Neph

Maybe it is time there was!

SilverLinings

I believe Anne Rice's latest attempts to claim the "definitive" werewolf

Without refering to notes and using poor memory. The English "werewolf" stems from outlaws. The something to do with the old word for out law.
So outside the dark ages boundry of safety (churches) the land is full of wolves... and banished men. Were-wolfs (Man wolf).