The Complete Idiot's Guide to Werewolves (36 page)

Consider the following hypothetical scenario to understand how a rabies infection may have been viewed when it occurred in the ancient or medieval world:

This situation, which we would now identify as a rabies outbreak, would have been considered a case of lycanthropy or demonic possession by most people who lived in the ancient or medieval world, where the unexplained was often labeled under superstitious terms.

Hysteria
is commonly defined as unusual or irrational behavior resulting from an experience of overwhelming fear, mental distress, or uncontrollable emotions. When it comes to werewolves, it is possible that some reports are actually nothing more than bouts of hysteria caused by a frightening encounter with a wild animal. This is especially the case when the encountered animal cannot be immediately identified by the individual.

Hysteria from an encounter with a wild animal can occur as a result of diminished mental capacity (brought on by extreme panic or fear) or a limited knowledge of wildlife. For example, supposed sightings of a mythical vampire/lizardlike creature called the chupacabra have turned out to be nothing more than human encounters with inbred or mange-ridden coyotes. The animals were so horribly deformed by genetic inbreeding and mange that the individuals who encountered them could not identify that they were coyotes. As a result, the involved persons believed they had encountered a “monster” of some sort. Since the chupacabra was a part of their local or cultural lore, they ascribed the encounter as being with this creature. To this day, all claims to have killed or captured a chupacabra have turned out to be nothing more than coyotes … very
hideous
coyotes … but coyotes, nonetheless.

 

Hysteria from an encounter with a wild animal can also be caused when the animal is not one that would be expected in that region. For example, in recent years a winged “monster” was reported to have attacked a young boy in Florida, briefly lifting him off the ground with its sharp talons only to release him shortly after. Following an investigation of the descriptions and reported behaviors of the so-called “monster,” wildlife officials came to the conclusion that an extremely large predatory bird (one normally indigenous to Africa) was responsible for the attack. Small primates are the most common prey for these large raptors, and the animal likely mistook the boy for food. It is also believed that human encounters with escaped, misplaced, or unidentified species of gorillas in North America (a region where gorillas are not thought to be indigenous) are the cause of many modern reports of werewolf and Sasquatch sightings.

The relatively young discipline of
cryptozoology
walks the sometimes blurry line between science and myth. Cryptozoologists are devoted to the study of special animals called
cryptids,
which are believed to be unidentified, undiscovered, or extinct species of animals that have often been mislabeled as “monsters.” Cryptozoologists seek to either confirm or prove false the existence of cryptids through the use of scientific methods. Some argue that cryptozoology is not science but glorified “monster chasing.” However, even mainstream science must admit that the discipline of cryptozoology has yielded some results.

Cryptozoology scholars have successfully identified, and proven the existence of, a number of cryptids in recent years. In Indonesian New Guinea, there had long been a local legend about a race of short, hairy humanoids called the
bondegezou,
or “men of the forests.” Cryptozoologists were able to uncover and examine a valid set of remains from one of these creatures that had been killed by a local hunter. The
bondegezou
turned out to actually be an unidentified species of unusually hairy tree kangaroo. These animals often move on two feet and have oddly flat faces, giving them the appearance of being humanoid if seen from any good distance.

 

As far as werewolves are concerned, the jury is still out. Cryptozoologists have werewolves listed among those cryptids that have yet to be either confirmed or disproven. There are some cryptozoologists who believe that werewolves are an undiscovered species of primate. Others in the field believe that werewolves may be an unidentified species of canine that has evolved to become bipedal. A very small number of cryptozoologists believe that werewolves, as well as certain other cryptids, are beings that come from alternate dimensions. Subscribers of this theory claim that such creatures temporarily pass over into our dimension from time to time, either purposely or accidentally, when temporal rifts (or portals) open up between our two dimensions.

 

Chapter 18

Werewolves and the Psyche

Understanding what werewolves mean to the human mind is an important part of any study on lycanthropy. An examination into the significance of werewolves when it comes to the human psyche may offer answers to a number of questions. For example, why do some people fear the concept of lycanthropy while others seek to embrace it? Can psychological transformations be just as real as those of physical lycanthropy? Why do some cultures view wolves as hostile to the human way of life, while others seek to live in harmony with these wild ancestors of man’s best friend? Why do some view lycanthropy as a curse while others view it as a gift?

 

The answers may be found by taking a closer look at how human beings have evolved in their understandings of the werewolf phenomenon. These answers often lead to new questions. Perhaps the simplest answer to the enigma of clinical lycanthropy is that, one might dare to say, some people just go a little bit crazy … or a lot crazy.

The most popular explanation for werewolves is a condition of mental illness now referred to by the psychiatric community as clinical lycanthropy
.
(Sometimes it is also called psychological lycanthropy.) Clinical lycanthropy is commonly defined as a mental disorder identified by a strong belief in the delusion that the afflicted individual can, is, or has at some time transformed into a wolf or werewolf. Though the condition is named after lycanthropy, it is in no way considered to be of supernatural origin.

Clinical lycanthropy is a wolf-specific form of a broader category of mental disorders referred to as
zoanthropy
. Zoanthropy is an umbrella term for states of mental delusion in which the afflicted individual harbors the belief that he or she can assume the form of an animal. In some cases, the person may even believe that he or she
is
an animal (and will behave accordingly).

 

In recent years, cases of zoanthropy and clinical lycanthropy have come to be viewed as secondary manifestations of some other underlying mental illness or neurological defect. For example, nearly all of the known recorded cases of clinical lycanthropy were discovered to be caused by long-term psychedelic drug use, an onset of
schizophrenia,
some other previously unidentified brain defect, or bouts of extreme mental distress (such as clinical depression). These delusions of lycanthropy are viewed as a specific manifestation of a patient’s
lunacy.