I'm so pleased to welcome L. Diane Wolfe to my blog for a guest post in celebration of the next installment of her In Darkness series, The Werewolf. Most of us know something about Werewolf legends, but how did it all start? Diane is here to tell you.
How the Werewolf Legend Began
The werewolf legend dates back at least 2000 years. Maybe even more.
In Greek mythology. A king called Lycaon served Zeus a dish of his slaughtered son, and as punishment, Zeus transformed Lycaon into a wolf and killed his fifty sons. (Probably where the term “lycan” comes from.) There is also a man called Damarchus who was turned into a wolf after eating the entrails of a human child sacrificed to Zeus. These men were both of Arcadia and there are several other instances of Arcadians being turned into wolves.
In Virgil’s poetic work Eclogues, a man named Moeris uses herbs and poisons to turn himself into a wolf. In Gaius’ The Satyricon, Niceros tells the story of a friend who turned into a wolf. Early Christian authors also mentioned men turning into wolves.
Medieval Europe saw a widespread belief in werewolves. They were mentioned in law codes, religious writings & teachings, and many forms of literature. The word werewolf is German but never appears in medieval German poems or prose. The persistence of werewolf tales continued longest in Scandanavia, including berserkers who wore the skins of wolves.
In more modern times, there were numerous werewolf novels in the early 20th century. The legend gained widespread appeal through movies such as The Wolf Man. It continued with films such as An American Werewolf in London and The Howling. Even in games the myth was represented, with Dungeons & Dragons featuring a lycanthrope, a humanoid shapeshifter.
The werewolf legend has been with us for centuries and it doesn’t appear our fascination with shapeshifters will wane anytime soon. Not so long as the full moon continues to appear…
In Darkness: The Werewolf
By L. Diane Wolfe
Souls shrouded in darkness…
On her own in England, Vicki trains at a prestigious fencing school. Face marred by a birthmark, she’s suspicious of Nicholas’ attention. A dinner date reveals his genuine interest and they begin to connect. Nicholas is attractive and she wonders why he’s so shy and reclusive.
Then one evening she happens upon him changing into a lycan. Every werewolf legend is challenged by the gentle, fearful creature before her. Vickie accepts his secret, but Nicholas knows he’s an unpredictable beast. Can they trust love enough to overcome their physical challenges?
Release date – Sept. 5, 2023
Romance/Paranormal/Shifter, Romance/Paranormal, Fantasy/Paranormal
$3.99 eBook ISBN 9781939844927
A professional speaker and author, L. Diane Wolfe conducts seminars, offers book formatting, and author consultation. She’s the senior editor at Dancing Lemur Press, L.L.C. and contributes to the Insecure Writer’s Support Group.
http://www.spunkonastick.net/ - Spunk On A Stick
http://www.
http://www.
Links:
Amazon - https://www.amazon.com/dp/
iTunes - https://books.apple.com/us/
Barnes & Noble - https://www.barnesandnoble.
Kobo - https://store.kobobooks.com/
Scribed - https://www.scribd.com/search?
Goodreads - https://www.goodreads.com/
Did you know where werewolf legends came from? Do you have a favorite werewolf tale? Do you like your werewolf as the good guy or the bad guy?
6 comments:
Thank you for hosting me today, Susan!
Interesting to know where werewolf legends started. Congrats on your new release, Diane!
Two thousand years ago - long time!
The legends persist and grow. The Cajuns call it the loup garou (or sometimes rougarou).
This story sounds like an excellent take on the legends.
How horrible to be served your own child! That's awful.
Hi Susan - this looks to be an interesting read ... one I must check out - good luck to Diane - cheers Hilary
Post a Comment