Werewolves

Werewolves, by Elliot O'Donnell is a classic mythology anthology regarding werewolves. There is scarcely a country in the world in which belief in a werwolf, or in some other form of lycanthropy, has not once existed, though it may have ceased to exist now. But whereas in some countries the werwolf is considered wholly physical, in others it is looked upon as partly, if not entirely, superphysical. And whilst in some countries it is restricted to the male sex, in others it is confined to the female; and, again, in others it is to be met with in both sexes. A werewolf is a mythological or folkloric human with the ability to shapeshift into a wolf (or, especially in modern film, a therianthropic hybrid wolflike creature), either purposely or after being placed under a curse or affliction (often a bite or scratch from another werewolf). Early sources for belief in this ability or affliction, called lycanthropy are Petronius (27–66) and Gervase of Tilbury (1150–1228).