Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
If you like anime, "Spice and Wolf" features the least scary, least violent and hardest drinking part wolf, part sexy babe who always ends up nekkedin a non-sexual way character of all time.
Werewolves in myth and folklore bear very little resemblance to movie werewolves. The "lore" of the movie werewolf was more influenced by 19th century psychology, The Strange Case of Doctor Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and the Lone Ranger than it was by actual myth and legend.
Not to mention that actual reporters who took eye witness accounts from villagers who claimed to have seen, encountered, knew about, and/or killed a werewolf purposely altered the actual reports and therefor lied about what really happened by saying that "...and the werewolf was killed by a Silver bullet" when the supposed werewolf in question was actually killed by regular bullets according to the villagers, thus starting the legendary "movie myth" that "Silver is a Werewolf's greatest weakness" with no actual basis at all.~
A more probable "weakness" of a werewolf might be "Wolfsbane" a plant that has a long ancient history in being used to kill actual Wolves for thousands of years because of its' highly poisonous properties, but this plant with its' many varieties can vary from mildly paralyzingly poisonous to very much lethal to Humans as well as Wolves.~
This more probable "weakness" is actually used in the television series of "Teen Wolf" and it's even stated that in the series that "silver" is just a thing "only in the movies".~
We actually have no idea how powerful Werewolves can be and like Vampires there could an infinite number of varieties of Werewolf or even "Shapechangers" each capable of being a different variety of "types" like two Werebears that are completely different in "types", they
can range any where in fiction from being no more different than an actual Wolf who just happens to actually be Human with the ability to change between the two forms or it can be the other way around like a Wolf than can turn into or appear to be a Human, or in fiction Werewolves can range to being described as almost "God-like".~
So naturally those who write Werewolves as being more "God-like" try to add in a "weakness" to balance them out, much like the "God-like" Superman's "weakness" to "Kryptonite".~ The basis of these of these weaknesses can make them more or less believable depending on its' origins.~
In the "Twilight books" lore: the Quileute tribe are "Shapeshifters" NOT "Werewolves", the "Werewolves" that we know from many movies are mentioned as "The Children of The Moon" these kinds of Werewolves are just like the movie cliche's as completely losing control of themselves during a full moon and in their Wolf form were shaped more like a cross between a
Great Ape and a Wolf since their arms were longer than their legs in Wolf form only more powerful to the point of being "unstoppable by Human means" with NO "weakness" AT ALL, they were even immune to the Vampires' "Venom", the ONLY thing that can penetrate their skin is a Vampire's Fangs and
with their natural "God-like power" The Children of The Moon were more than a match for ANY Vampire even an ancient Vampire wiping out any Vampire they came across, because they had the same food source and were more than an equal match for ANY Vampire out there:
the Vampires rightly feared them and this fear eventually turned into paranoia and hatred in a particular Vampire in history that started the genocide of The Children of The Moon until they were thought to have been wiped out into extinction.~
The Children of The Moon did NOT travel in "packs" they almost always wanted to be ALONE, the only exception is taking on 1 mate of the opposite sex who must also be one of The Children of The Moon to travel with.~
When it came to the subject of "silver" and The Children of The Moon, Edward himself says, "That's just some thing that Humans made up to make them feel like they had a fighting chance."
The same could be said of Vampires and the "Sunlight" "weakness" or the billion other "weaknesses" of Vampires in other works of fiction, but that's another topic of discussion.~
Last edited by ColorsWolf; 12-01-2013 at 04:46 PM..
Silver bullets came from Curt Siodmak, the screenwriter of The Wolfman (1941). He was listening to The Lone Ranger on the radio while working on the script. Simple as that.
Silver bullets came from Curt Siodmak, the screenwriter of The Wolfman (1941). He was listening to The Lone Ranger on the radio while working on the script. Simple as that.
"Look not to Wikipedia for Truth." -- Ancient Romani proverb
Ever thought that the "silver werewolf weakness myth" could have originated from more than one source?~
Perhaps it originated from many places: novelists, reporters, screen writers, and any other number of kinds of people.~
Silver is often associated with "Christianity" and "cleansing" properties, perhaps that could have been another source of the myth or some thing that helped strengthen it?~
Ever thought that the "silver werewolf weakness myth" could have originated from more than one source?~
Perhaps it originated from many places: novelists, reporters, screen writers, and any other number of kinds of people.~
Silver is often associated with "Christianity" and "cleansing" properties, perhaps that could have been another source of the myth or some thing that helped strengthen it?~
The reason we associate silver with killin werewolfs is the original Wolfman movie, written by Curt Siodmak. Curt admitted he came up with the deadly silver while listening to the Lone Ranger. Others copied.
If you go back and read all the ancient folklore --- from the really old myths of Greece, Scandinavia, etc. all the way up the medieval sources, there's no mention of silver. You get the full moon (especially in Mediterranean countries), transforming at night, the sympathetic wound, the association with witchcraft in the Middle Ages. But no silver. Not in any story I've ever read.
Nor do you find lycanthropy being a curse for which there is a cure. In all the old myths, the transformation was something the werewolf wanted. Lycanthropes did it on purpose. So the whole "tortured soul" of the werewolf is another invention of Siodmak, which came more out of Robert Louis Stevenson and Freud than any folklore.
Several hundred years ago, Ottoman soldiers returning from invasions and battles around certain areas of modern day Romania were heard and later on quoted saying things "facing creatures that didn't look or behave like a normal human and could only be killed by beheading them".
Werewolves and vampires as portrayed in Hollywood movies are nothing more than a myth but I believe there are, or at least were, things out there that would probably be identified as "monster" by many in the way that they were not human-like in the way they look and lived.
As far as animal spirits or spiritualism go, I always felt that humans have a strong bond with nature or should have a strong bond with nature. The more industrialized ones are typically less spiritual and more disconnected from nature. When I was young kid, I have experienced multiple incident where I have traveled to certain remote parts of the country that my parents have never taken us before but were planning on in the upcoming days. I was so excited and curious about one location where I knew whereabouts of but nothing more. Following morning, I start talking about seeing the place in my dream and started describing what I saw and my mom's jaw dropped. She exclaimed that I was describing the entrance of the camp grounds where we would be camping in. A week later, I saw the place that fit my description with my own eyes. My sisters were laughing and making sly comments but my parents were in shock. This happened one other time. Pure mind, pure thought and an intense desire may free your soul/spirit, at least momentarily to wonder off.
At least, I feel that was the case with me 'cause I am no psychic!
Back to animal spirit part, I believe we share more with animals that we like to believe. In a materialistic and mental way, no, but in a spiritual way, there is a connection similar to the way we are to mother nature.
Also, they would associate wolf spirit with horror/violence because it is a predator. If they wanted to relay romance or love type story, I am sure they would pick a different animal spirit like a swan, a peacock or a cat. Spirit shifting is also something that was done by warriors during or before battle if I am not mistaken so it makes sense. It is how they could be upping their morale, their mood. Almost like a Christian or Muslim praying or visiting church/mosque before going to battle. A spiritual boost which could make anyone accomplish amazing things, things that may not believe they could normally do. Believe passionately with your soul can be quite a powerful force.
It could also be a side-effect of them peace pipes they were puffing on all the time? Who knows?
The reason we associate silver with killin werewolfs is the original Wolfman movie, written by Curt Siodmak. Curt admitted he came up with the deadly silver while listening to the Lone Ranger. Others copied.
If you go back and read all the ancient folklore --- from the really old myths of Greece, Scandinavia, etc. all the way up the medieval sources, there's no mention of silver. You get the full moon (especially in Mediterranean countries), transforming at night, the sympathetic wound, the association with witchcraft in the Middle Ages. But no silver. Not in any story I've ever read.
Nor do you find lycanthropy being a curse for which there is a cure. In all the old myths, the transformation was something the werewolf wanted. Lycanthropes did it on purpose. So the whole "tortured soul" of the werewolf is another invention of Siodmak, which came more out of Robert Louis Stevenson and Freud than any folklore.
You bring up some good points, I agree with many of them, but there is always the possibility that the "silver weakness myth" could have originated from many sources whether we know of it or not.~
Quote:
Originally Posted by TurcoLoco
If they wanted to relay romance or love type story, I am sure they would pick a different animal spirit like a swan, a peacock or a cat. Spirit shifting is also something that was done by warriors during or before battle if I am not mistaken so it makes sense. It is how they could be upping their morale, their mood. Almost like a Christian or Muslim praying or visiting church/mosque before going to battle. A spiritual boost which could make anyone accomplish amazing things, things that may not believe they could normally do. Believe passionately with your soul can be quite a powerful force.
Actually, they did portray the Quileute Tribe Wolf Shapeshifters this way in the movies of the Twilight series, perhaps this is one of the reasons so many Humans hate these films because they do not want to see how such people and creatures could be different than the "mindless bloodthristy killing-without-control-and-without remorse monsters" that so many truly think of them as such even if they don't believe in their existence.~
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
