AH Challenge: Werewolf cult

Maybe Christians could label the Jewish peoples (during the anti semitic Middle Ages) as worshipping wolves based on these lines: Werewolf Bar Mitzvah: Boys becoming Men, Men becoming Wolves.

:p

I'm very sorry, but I had to do that.

That should be Israels national anthem.
 
Perhaps it wouldn't take much development from the Norse berserk, for it to become culturally normal for violently insane people to believe they were, in some way, werewolves?

Compared to sane soldiers there wouldn't be many, and disciplined troops would almost certainly beat them on the battlefield, but there'd be some use for them. The main problem would be controlling them, so they'd probably be pointed at the enemy, and not expected to live long.
 
Perhaps it wouldn't take much development from the Norse berserk, for it to become culturally normal for violently insane people to believe they were, in some way, werewolves?

Compared to sane soldiers there wouldn't be many, and disciplined troops would almost certainly beat them on the battlefield, but there'd be some use for them. The main problem would be controlling them, so they'd probably be pointed at the enemy, and not expected to live long.

they could be used for night attacks and ambushes...to instill fear into they (possible) christian enemies:D:D

1. The one usually associated with berserkers: amanita muscaria
2. The one(s) associated with later werewolf panics: ergot

never even heared of them:eek:
 
Considering cultural attitudes, I think for such a cult to emerge the society would have to be:

1) Most definitely not Christian.

For some reason the wolf is specially demonized in Christian cultures. I don't know, it maybe because it stereotypically attacks Jesus Christ's favourite furry incarnation, the lamb. The codes of chivalry of the Middle Ages regulated hunting as much as warfare and considered that a good knight (who would employ his spare time hunting) made a service by freeing the world of pesky vermins, of which the wolf was the worst of all. Part of this idea has perdured in the West all the way to the modern dayand specially in rural regions, no matter how much you talk about the necessary role of predators in an ecosystem and all. And as you probably know, werewolves were as much feared and persecuted in Modern times as witches, since they were both considered to be people who had made pacts with the Devil (the idea that one can turn into a werewolf involuntarily doesn't develop in folklore until way later - at first, it was a warlock, or a plain evil man, that turned himself voluntarily by smearing himself with a magic potion, or using a magic belt).

2) Probably nomadic, or at least not very agricultural.

No matter where you look, even if not outright demonized, the wolf only seems to get fans in nomadic cultures like the Turks, the Mongols or the Scythians (IIRC, though not sure). I'd suppose that the reason lies in the fact that nomads move with their herds through the years rather than remaining in one place with them, and therefore hungry wolves are less prone to attack them and their way to make a living during the winter. The obvious exception would be Rome and the Capitoline Wolf, though I'd have to ask if the Romans were really fans of wolves in general or just of this one.
 
2) Probably nomadic, or at least not very agricultural.

No matter where you look, even if not outright demonized, the wolf only seems to get fans in nomadic cultures like the Turks, the Mongols or the Scythians (IIRC, though not sure). I'd suppose that the reason lies in the fact that nomads move with their herds through the years rather than remaining in one place with them, and therefore hungry wolves are less prone to attack them and their way to make a living during the winter. The obvious exception would be Rome and the Capitoline Wolf, though I'd have to ask if the Romans were really fans of wolves in general or just of this one.

what about the early slavs, if they where...iff I may, be heavely influenced by their Nomadic neighbours.

what about the Neuri....wherent there stories about them turning into wolves once a year??
 
Ah, yes, those were the ones I meant when I wrote Scythians. Thank you.

I didnt even know they where nomadic:eek:

but what kind of event would be needed for a werewolf cult to evolve amongst these people??
 
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