The Myth Of The Werewolf In Popular Culture

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In popular culture today the theory of the werewolf is a familiar subject. The werewolf has been generalized as men turning into beast at the sight of a full moon and soon overcome with bloodlust and a hunger for nothing but flesh. How the beast falls has also become common knowledge. The werewolf meets it demise when it meets a silver bullet. But how did people come to this conclusion of the life of werewolves? Is it even accurate? Has this always been the case, or has society changed its perception of the wolf as we ourselves have changed? Today we will discover the origin of this gothic beast and see how its story has been modified over the years. We will also find out how this once feared abomination turned into a fan favorite lusted by both men and women, young and old.
Men and beast were at war in prehistoric years. Animals were much larger and much more ferocious but so were men.
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Many began to speculate how one became a wolf outside of the theory portrayed by the church. The belief was that anyone having anointed themselves with an ointment supplied by the devil was guilty of being werewolves. The idea that men could not become wolves or transformed into wolves was accepted in Europe in the early 19th century, however many still believed that the werewolf did exist (Matthew 113). As the theory of the werewolf creation itself changed so did the way people viewed the creature. In J. Greenwood’s Penny Packets of Poison he stated,” there never lived an animal of prey of uglier type than this two-legged creature, who poisons the minds of little children to make his bread. Never a more dangerous one, for his manginess is hidden under a sleek and glossy coat, and lips of seeming innocence conceal his cruel teeth.” This description depicts the werewolf as intentionally evil in its soul and not just a beast that cannot control its bloodlust. The creature described is even more ungodly and vicious then any variation mentioned in earlier