St Christopher

St Christopher is the patron saint of travelers and seafarers. In Christian popular tradition, he was a giant who carried travellers across a river. The story is well known, and does not need to be repeated here. But Old English traditions of the saint are rather unusual. According to the Old English Passion of St … Read more

Cynocephali

At the edges of the known world of the medieval mappaemundi were supposed to live monstrous races described by travelers and soldiers that dared to adventure so far away. At the times, authors like Pliny with his book Natural History included illustrations and descriptions of these races culled from descriptions and classical writings (Natural History … Read more

Norse mythology

There are numerous wolves in Norse mythology. First, we have Geri and Freki, accompanying god Odin. Fenrir is a monstrous giant wolf, son of the demoniac god Loki and a giantess, Angerboda. In both the Poetic Edda and Prose Edda, Fenrir is a son of Loki and is foretold to kill the god Odin during … Read more

Soranus

Dis Pater, Soranus, or Feronius was the consort of the Sabine underground Goddess Feronia, “Mother of Wolves. She was identified with Lupa the She-Wolf, whose spirit purified Palatine towns through the agency of young men in wolf skins, consecrated by participating in the Lupercalia or Festival of the She-Wolf. She was also identified with Dīs … Read more

Lycaon

Stories of men turning into beasts go back to antiquity. In parts of ancient Greece, werewolf myths, stemming from prehistoric times became linked with the Olympian religion. Lycanthropy (werewolfism) was named for Apollo Lycaeus, “Wolfish Apollo,” who used to be worshiped in the famous Lyceum or “Wolf-temple” where Socrates taught. Apollo was mated to Artemis … Read more

She-Wolf

The She-Wolf was another aspect of the Triple Goddess, as shown by her triadic motherhood. She gave three souls to her son, the legendary King Erulus or Herulus, so that when Evander overthrew him, he had to be killed three times. She is also the mythical mother of Romus and Remulus, the founders of the … Read more

Egyptian mythology

In 1990, Werewolf researcher Hugh H. Trotti (Beasts and Battles: Fact in Legend and History) offered a highly original explanation of the Werewolf myth.  He noted that the ancient Egyptian cult of Anubis, whose priests wore a wolf-like mask representing this jackal-headed god of death, eventually became established in Rome where Anubis became known as … Read more

Greek mythology

There are countless stories of transformation in Greek and Roman mythology. Dionysius was believed to assume the form of a goat or of a bull, and Cronius was said to take the form of a horse. Epona was a horse-goddess, and Callisto in an Arcadian myth was changed into a bear. Citeus, son of Lycaon, … Read more