Lycanthropy - Blog Posts

Being a lesbian and nonhuman at the same time feels.. strange.

Because, like, human girls are these absolutely stunning, almost unreal beings. They're beautiful beyond words, the kind of beauty that can only ever be conveyed through the careful plucking of guitar strings, or through a vibrant splash of paint against barren canvases. They hold the stars in their eyes and flecks of gold in their hair, as if the forces of the cosmos themselves hand crafted their forms. They're soft and gentle and warm, but also strong and fierce and an unbelievable force to be reckoned with. Once when I was young, I got caught outside during a tropical hurricane and was almost lifted into the air by the winds; that is the closest thing I can compare to the feeling of falling for a girl. They are everything that a human being should be and more.

And then, there I am. A beast. This.. thing that stalks the woods in the darkest hours of the night, with dirt coated matted fur and piercing amber gaze, unseen and uncomprehended by man. Constant yearning, hunger. For flesh, for bloodlust, for isolation and freedom, to be feared, to be whispered about in hushed tales around a withering campfire. The creature in the forest, didn't you hear? If it catches you alone on a full moon it will peel your skin away from your body with fangs the size of your palms. Stay close. Your measly pocket knife won't do much in its wake I fear. A wild, snarling thing that flinches beneath humanity's touch and rejects their "civility" in favor of the murmuring creek that sings old and long forgotten hymns to the ancient mountains above.

I know when they look at me they see one of them, a human with soft skin and kind eyes, a human who smiles at them and perhaps offers a passing compliment, a human who always tries to coax the timid street cat and watchfully steps around sidewalk slugs. A human. But that is not what I am, at least not in the way that they are. And when I look back at them, with my green eyes that I wished glowed amber, I can't help but wonder "How could someone so divinely human find companionship with something so desperately unhuman as me? How long until you realize the humanoid body you see before you is merely a flawed disguise? Will you still grasp my hand with fond affection when it warps into a mangled paw?"

Earlier today I was making a ceramic necklace pendant and was like "hey, I wanna make something werewolf related I can wear" so I was thinking and started wondering if there was any kind of general "werwolf symbol" out there that I could carve onto said pendant.

I found out that there is! It's an ancient shield emblem originating from Germany and Eastern France called Wolfsangel, which translates to "wolf's hook" and was sometimes associated with lycanthropy, and was later adopted by peasant revolutionaries as a symbol for German liberation in the 15th century. Pretty cool right?

Well not so much actually.

Im really really glad that I kept researching before I started carving because apparently Wolfsangel was actually appropriated by the Nazi's during WW2 and is now globally classified as a hate symbol. Great :|

All of this is to say that I think it's about time we created/found a new symbol for werewolves, one that doesn't have a shitty double meaning lol. Something like the theta-delta or elven star, but for werewolves (or werebeasts in general) specifically. Not sure if one already exists somewhere, I couldn't find one while researching but I wouldn't be surprised if there was one tucked away in some dusty old 2000's internet forum that someone would like to clue me in on. But if not, I think it'd be cool to start trying to figure out a new one, something that anyone who identifies with the "were" label for any reason can use!

If for no other reason, than at least just so I can find something to put on my pendant lmaooo

Ever since I learned to cut the "but I know Im still completely human btw" bullshit in regards to my nonhumanity and instead just embraced the whole "Im literally a werewolf" mindset, Ive honestly been sooooo much happier and more confident with myself and my identity.

I feel so much more in-tune with my authentic self, and my overall expression is much better aligned with how I perceive myself. My species dysphoria certainly hasn't disappeared, but it's miles more manageable than it was even compared to a year ago, which ironically has also helped me learn to love the parts of me that are still human. Im so much more balanced now, and the internalized shame I struggled with for so long is steadily eroding away. Even something as simple as casually making jokes to my friends about how they might catch me prowling the forest on a full moon is infinitely more affirming than constantly trying to convince humans that I "didn't actually believe I was an animal".

I am a real life lycanthrope. I'm never going to deny that part of myself ever again. Fuck trying to make yourself palatable for human social norms.

yo, wanna go howl at the moon and then go eat some raw steak?

reblog if your blog is a werewolf safe zone

I am kin because it's who I am.

I am kin because I'm traumatized.

I am kin because I have emotions.

I am kin because I cope.

I am kin because I love.

I am kin because I am afraid.

I am kin because I seek a link.

I am kin because I have found a connection.

I am kin for myself. I am kin for others.

I am kin.

reblog if you're a fucked up creature 👍🏾

reminder that jan. 6 is the first full moon of 2023 and that it’s literally called the WOLF MOON so keep your eyes on your werewolf

Werewolf traditions from cultures around the world...

1) In Argentina, a family's seventh born child would sometimes be killed out of fear that it would be a werewolf, especially if they were male and their father was also a seventh child.

2) In French Canadian folklore, not confessing your sins on Easter was a surefire way of being cursed to transform into a werewolf.

3) In Norse mythology, there's a myth about a father and son who discover magical wolf pelts and after putting them on are forced to live as wolves for 10 days before they can turn human again.

4) In Greek mythology, the first ever man wolf hybrid was King Lycaon who was cursed for trying to trick Zeus into eating human meat.

5) In 1500s France, a man named Peter Stumpp was found guilty of killing and eating a dozen people while in werewolf form, including two pregnant women and his own son.

Everyone knows about the Salem Witch Trials, but have you ever heard of the European werewolf trials?

Between the 15th and 17th centuries, individuals across Europe, including countries like Switzerland, Germany and France were accused of lycanthropy, wolf-riding and wolf-charming (wolf-charming meaning they used magic to summon a pack of wolves to attack someone).

The most famous case of someone being charged with lycanthropy took place in 1598. German farmer Peter Stumpp was accused of using witchcraft to turn himself into a wolf and go on a killing spree that led to the deaths of two pregnant women and 14 children. The worst part is they said he ate his victims while in his wolf form. After being stretched out on the rack, Peter admitted to all of the accusations, said he'd been practicing magic since he was 12 years old and that he used a magical belt the devil gave him to take his wolf shape. After his admission, Peter was executed on the wheel where he was skinned alive, had his limbs broken, his head chopped off and his body burned.

Apparently, the ancient Greeks had their own take on the werewolf legend.

On the slopes of Mount Lykaion, worshipers of Zeus-Lykaois (Zeus-the-Wolf) would conduct a ritual in his honor. A ritual that supposedly involved cannibalism and human sacrifice. Inspired by the well-known myth where King Lycaon kills his own son Nyctimus and tries to trick Zeus into eating his flesh only to be found out and transformed into a wolf, the ritual attendance would gather once every nine years in the dead of night and make their sacrifice consisting of a human volunteer and an animal. And after the deed was done, a portion of the volunteer's intestine would be mixed with the animal's entrails. The cult members would then each take a morsel of meat and whoever wound up eating the human flesh was transformed into a wolf.

The kicker is they would be stuck in their wolf form for nine years and the only way to be transformed back would be to abstain from eating human flesh that entire time. Not an easy task for a wolf.

Another red riding hood card, this time the ace. Featuring murder, a cornerstone of any good fairy tale. My, what big hands she has.

It's because I am one >:D

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