Werewolves are the wild and vicious creatures that you can hear howling at the sky during full moons. The myths of werewolves have been around for hundreds of years, supposedly terrorizing humans once a month when they turn into their alternate person

     History of the Werewolf

The origin of the werewolf is credited to a couple different sources. Some believe the first mention of the werewolf was in the bible, while others believe they first came about in stories like The Epic of Gilgamesh, or Lycaon. All of the origin stories agree that being a werewolf is a curse, and that it represents terrible values like the fear of losing control. Many tales of the werewolf depict them to be horrifying and spine-chilling creatures, whose main goal is to feed on humans. 

The process of becoming a werewolf is called Lycanthropy, which is described as gruesome and sometimes torturous. The actual process of becoming a werewolf starts by getting bitten by a pre-existing werewolf, legends say this is known to be extremely painful if not correctly treated. After that one must wait for the full moon, when the full moon hits the torment begins, their body twists and turns in unnatural ways, as you turn into your alternate form.

 Modern day

These creatures are still rumored to be around and continue to be referenced in pop culture today. Nowadays werewolves are mostly depicted through television shows and movies with Teen Wolf, Twilight, and The Wolf of Snow Hollow being the most notable in recent years. Werewolves are now often associated with Halloween and fall festivities. Modern day tales of werewolves are not too different from when the legends first started. There are endless amounts of stories that claim to have seen a werewolf, and people are still telling the same stories from when the legend first came about. 

   Why people think they exist/encounters

The three main reasons that people believe in the legend of werewolves  are the continuous reports of sightings, several movies and television shows, and the creatures being mentioned in literature for hundreds of years. A few notable sightings of the werewolf occurred in the midwest between 1936-1999. Many of these sightings occurred on the side of roadways in Elkhorn Wisconsin. Many describe the werewolves as being very muscular, tall, broad, and almost ape-like. Despite the numerous “encounters” reported from different sources, there is no conclusive evidence that werewolves are real. 

So next time you see a little kid dressed up as a werewolf, or a show glorifying werewolves, try to think beyond the costume and remember their deep and dark history.