Today’s cryptid is the fearsome were creatures. Stories of were creatures abound within many cultures across the World. They are the bestial humanoids, half man, half predator that prowl the night. They range from werewolves to bears, lions, leopards, etc.
There are two types of were creatures. Those who were naturally born that way and those who have contracted lycanthropy through bite, curse, or disease. The transformation from human to beast can be a complete transformation or into the half man state. Usually, the transformation is triggered by the moon or others such as environmental and emotional state. It takes a lot of mental strength for the person to be able to control themselves and not give in to their beast nature.
To fight were creatures the most common weapon is a silver bullet, but before we start shooting at innocent weres here, let us look at some of the evidence of true weres.
There is a psychological syndrome called Clinical Lycanthropy where the patient believes that he/she is a wolf or other predatory animal. Cases have been studied as far back as 1597. Here is a quote from a more recent study: On August 15, 2016, Martin County Florida Sheriff’s Office deputies found a 19-year-old male on top of a bloodied 59-year-old man, gnawing on his face, eating pieces of flesh, and making growling sounds. Officers tased, repeatedly kicked, and ultimately required a police dog’s assistance in subduing the 19-year-old. Inside the garage of the home on Southeast Kokomo Lane, just north of the Palm Beach County line, deputies found a 53-year-old woman, beaten, bloodied and unresponsive. Ultimately both the 59-year-old man and 53-year-old woman would die from their injuries. In the weeks ahead of this incident, the 19-year-old told family members he believed he was either half-man, half-horse or half-man, half-dog. Clinical psychologist Dr. Phillip Resnick later assessed the 19-year-old as suffering from clinical lycanthropy.
Then we have the stories of children raised by wolves, or other animals. If that life were the only life you knew, would you not act like a beast. Here is the account of a case: Dina Sanichar, discovered among wolves in a cave in Sikandra (near Agra) in Uttar Pradesh, India in 1872, at the age of 6. He went on to live among humans for over twenty years, including picking up smoking, but never learned to speak and remained seriously impaired for his entire life.
Now, finally, we end with the magickal theory of weres. Shamans and other magick users, will go into deep meditative trances and join themselves with the spirit of an animal to see what they see and learn from the experience of the wild. That is why people would get a little perturbed when they saw what appeared to be an animal, but it was acting like it had human tendencies. Of course, it would, at that moment there are two souls in that body. To that end though, the Shaman/magick user would not remain in the body with the animal for too long or go to far a field for fear of losing themselves to the beast.
So, as you can see, if we strip the nightmare fuel away and investigate the magick and psychology of weres, I believe they do exist. Just not like modern movies would have you perceive them. Keep searching for the truth.
Love and Light, Druid Jess
The photo provided by sinepax on Pixabay.com
druidjess77 