By Tim Lambert
Belief in werewolves is ancient. The Greeks and Romans wrote about men who could transform themselves into wolves. In Greek mythology, Lycaon was a king whom Zeus turned into a wolf as a punishment.
People also believed in werewolves in the Middle Ages. King Cnut (1016-1035) cautioned against werewolves. Still, he was probably speaking metaphorically about evil people rather than those transformed into animals. The term werewolf comes from the Old English word for man, wer, and wolf. However, in the 13th century, a scholar called Gervase of Tilbury claimed that werewolves were definitely real. He claimed that some men were transformed into wolves at certain phases of the Moon.
During the witch trials of the 16th and 17th centuries, being a werewolf was punishable by death as it was considered a form of witchcraft. Many people believed that human beings could use witchcraft to transform themselves into animals, including wolves. Being a werewolf was punishable by death. In France, Germany, and other parts of Europe, several men were convicted of being werewolves and executed. The first known case was a Frenchman in 1521.
In 1691, a Latvian named Theiss confessed to being a werewolf. But he claimed he was a ‘good’ werewolf. He said witches stole grain and domestic animals and dragged them off to Hell. Theiss made his way to Hell, then brought the stolen goods back. Theiss was lucky. He was only sentenced to 20 lashes.
In the 19th century, werewolves became characters in novels. The first film about a werewolf was made in 1913. It was just called ‘The Werewolf’. It was, of course, followed by many others. A famous film about werewolves was Werewolf of London, made in 1935. Another was The Wolfman, made in 1941. The Curse of the Werewolf was made in 1961. An American Werewolf in London was made in 1981. A comedy called Teen Wolf was made in 1985.
Last revised 2026