WEREWOLVES: The REAL History Behind the Legends, Lore, and Lycanthropy

From ancient Sumerian epics to modern-day sightings in England's Cannock Chase, the werewolf has terrorized humanity for over 2,000 years — and the real history includes medieval trials that tortured and executed thousands of accused shapeshifters, medical conditions that spawned the legends, and 35 documented sightings in a single forest that continue to this day. Journey through the dark truth behind lycanthropy, from the She-Wolves of Jülich who allegedly killed 94 people to the shocking werewolf trials that made witch hunts look merciful, and discover why every culture on Earth has its own terrifying version of the wolf-human hybrid.

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IN THIS EPISODE: The idea of the werewolf has been with us for a long time – the first mention of a werewolf that we know of is over two thousand years ago. We’ll look at the origins of the werewolf, look at whether they are actually real, and if so, how one goes about becoming one, and some of the cures believed to release the man from the beast. Of course, it’s not always the Wolf-Man… sometimes it’s the Wolf-Woman. We’ll look at the most fearsome lady werewolves throughout history! I’ll tell you about the trials and punishments of those convicted of being werewolves – many probably wish they’d have confessed to being witches instead! Plus, what if I was to tell you that werewolves truly ARE real – and that a small village has been terrorized by them for decades – right up to modern day? There is convincing evidence to back up my claim! All of this and more werewolfism can be found in this episode!
CHAPTERS & TIME STAMPS (All Times Approximate)…
00:00:00.000 = Lead-In
00:02:57.556 = Show Intro
00:04:50.336 = Ancient Origins of Werewolves
00:26:04.006 = Who’s Afraid of Virginia Werewolf?
00:35:55.899 = The Werewolf Trials
00:48:53.940 = The Lycanthrope Metaphor
00:54:10.432 = Lycans of Cannock Chase
01:02:35.974 = Little-Known Lycan Lore
01:05:35.605 = Show Close
SOURCES AND RESOURCES FROM THE EPISODE…
BOOK: “Giants, Monsters and Dragons” by Carol Rose: https://amzn.to/36k0VW0
BOOK: “The Werewolf Delusion” by Ian Woodward: https://amzn.to/2Sa74LV
BOOK: “The Book of Werewolves” by Reverend Sabine Baring-Gould: https://amzn.to/3jgTLp5
EPISODE: “The Werewolf Panic of the 1970’s”: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/48s5bbkk 
EPISODE: “Werewolves of Central England”: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/2vpt52rn 
EPISODE: “Werewolf In The Bronx”: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/y3auryjk 
EPISODE: “A Summer of Werewolves”: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/2p875ynn 
EPISODE: “Planet Werewolf”: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/yb6ck67a 
EPISODE: “The Beast Of The Land Between The Lakes”: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/5n8jcczz 
EPISODE: “The Beast of Barmston Drain”: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/mrs9j8xu 
EPISODE: “The Ohio Dogman”: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/2p8rc5su 
EPISODE: “The Skinwalker Ranch, Home To Real Werewolves”: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/2p975j56 
EPISODE: “Hairy Humanoids of Texas”: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/yckkfhun 
EPISODE: “Skinwalkers and Shapeshifters”: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/mr2w57xr 
VIDEO: “A Brief History of Horror – Werewolves”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tBLcGH1MpRg
VIDEO: “Legends of the Werewolves”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HCHZjU7Hi0w
“The Origins and Lore of Werewolves” from History Daily: https://tinyurl.com/y4l7ytmk, Tanika Koosmen for The Conversation: https://tinyurl.com/y5jy9uog, Benjamin Radford for Live Science: https://tinyurl.com/yclcqmqp, and Ella Talkin for Ranker: https://tinyurl.com/yy55wq9q
“The Werewolf Trials” by Inigo Gonzalez for Ranker: https://tinyurl.com/y2qmp4n2
“The Lycans of Cannock Chase” by Hugh Landman for Ranker: https://tinyurl.com/s6h83am
“Who’s Afraid of Virginia Werewolf?” by April A Taylor for Ranker: https://tinyurl.com/y3qz82on
“How Werewolves Work” by Tracy V.V. Wilson for How Stuff Works: https://tinyurl.com/y3oe9bte
“Little-Known Lycan Lore” by Jonathan Gordon for History Answers: https://tinyurl.com/y3jb5scq
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EPISODE PAGE at WeirdDarkness.com (includes list of sources): https://weirddarkness.com/werewolves
ABOUT WEIRD DARKNESS: Weird Darkness is a true crime and paranormal podcast narrated by professional award-winning voice actor, Darren Marlar. Seven days per week, Weird Darkness focuses on all thing strange and macabre such as haunted locations, unsolved mysteries, true ghost stories, supernatural manifestations, urban legends, unsolved or cold case murders, conspiracy theories, and more. On Thursdays, this scary stories podcast features horror fiction along with the occasional creepypasta. Weird Darkness has been named one of the “Best 20 Storytellers in Podcasting” by Podcast Business Journal. Listeners have described the show as a cross between “Coast to Coast” with Art Bell, “The Twilight Zone” with Rod Serling, “Unsolved Mysteries” with Robert Stack, and “In Search Of” with Leonard Nimoy.DISCLAIMER: Ads heard during the podcast that are not in my voice are placed by third party agencies outside of my control and should not imply an endorsement by Weird Darkness or myself. *** Stories and content in Weird Darkness can be disturbing for some listeners and intended for mature audiences only. Parental discretion is strongly advised.
#Werewolves #TrueCrime #Paranormal #MedievalHistory #Cryptozoology