Portraying how werewolfs are represented nowadays

Shayne Foskett CG Arts & Animation year 1

Chris Hunt Word count:

Time Machine Essay

Introduction This assignment will analyses critically on werewolves. I'm basing my research on 'twilight' the film . For it gives me information about how in the modern days have changed the way the werewolves shape-shift, compared to the olden day myths. In the olden day myths, people had believed that werewolves would shape-shift in full moon light. But in 'twilight' our modern days they have made us believe that they can change when they are showing stress.

Main Body The myths and meanings behind werewolves: The word werewolf is most likely to derive from two old-Saxon words, were (meaning man) and wolf. A werewolf is also known as a lycanthrope, which in mythological or folkloric human that have the ability to shape-shift into a wolf or even an anthropomorphic wolf like creature. They were either under a curse or lycanthropic affliction by a bite or a scratch off another wolf. The transformation would only happen if there is a full moon, noted by the medieval chronicler Gervase of Tilbury or even in the earlier times among the ancient Greeks through there writings of Petronius.

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In the olden times people would also speak about werewolves could attribute superhuman strength, speed and senses. Even though werewolves were believed to be held as a European creature. The stories of these mythical creatures spread throughout the world and became a tale to other places such as the Native Americans who spoke deeply about these shape-shifting creatures. Werewolves are always mentioned in modern day fiction such as films, books and even television shows. From what myths have said that werewolves are only vulnerable to silver bullets or they can even cause others to change by either biting or wounding them. This is said in our old time shows that werewolves stance as a dominant figure in horror.

Fig. 1 Lycaon Greek Werewolf

Other meanings: The meaning term for lycanthropy is also referring to both abilities to transform one into a wolf or to even act of doing. The word 'lyc' derives from the proto-Indo-European root 'wlkwo' which means wolf, formally denotes the 'wolf-man' transformation. There is also another term of saying a 'beast-man' which is called therianthorpe, the word has also been linked to a classical mythology, Lycaon. The king of Arcadia who was turned into a wolf in retribution for trying to serve his son to visiting Zeus in an attempt to disprove the gods divinity.

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The word lycanthropy is even classed as a mental illness that patients believed that even both sex of the human has either transformed into an animal or behaved accordingly. There is another ancient term for a shape-shifter between any animal form is veripellis, for the English words tumskin and turncoat are derived, there is also Latin, French, Russian and Old Norse word for werewolves.

History about Western Werewolves:

Men that change into wolves are found in the ancient Greek time and mythology. There was a man called Herodotus, who wrote about that the Neuri, a tribe he places at the north-east of Scythia. that people transformed into the creatures once every coming year for several days and then they'd change back into a human form shape. In the second century, the Greek geographer Pausanias had also related a story of Lycaon, who could also transform into a werewolf and because of this he had ritually murdered a poor innocent child. Lycaon also did some bad things in his times like feeding human flesh to Zeus and wanting to really know if he was a god or not. His transformation is no other then a punishment for a crime, considered variously as murder, impiety and even cannibalism.

What folks believed in:

In the European times folklore believed that humans, who have eyebrows
meeting in the middle, of the bridge of the nose, curved disgusting finger nails, low-set of ears on them and a swinging stride. It gave off the identity of a werewolf in a human form, the way of only finding this out was to cut the flesh of the accused, that under he pretence the fur would be seen within the wound. In recent fiction the werewolf is represented as an involuntary and even unconscious departure from the human, who is shocked when he learns the truth about himself(I.B.Tauris)

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But by a Russian superstition can recognise a werewolf by the bristles under the tongue. Although an appearance of a werewolf is in an animal formed creature it can vary from culture to culture, though it is most commonly portrayed as being indistinguishable from ordinary wolves save for the fact that it has no tail but is larger and has human voice and eyes. The Swedish would believe that werewolves would only run on three legs and the 4th one would remain as a tail. When a werewolf has returned back to its human form they believe that the human becomes weak, debilitated and undergoing painful forms of depression. They would also say in the medieval that werewolves known as 'Fennoscandian', who were old, for example an old lady would possess poison-coated claws and even had the ability to paralyse cattle and children with their gaze. In a tradional habit for the Serbian vulkodlaks in the winter months they would strip off their wolf skins and hang them all from the trees. They would even get hold of another vulkodlaks skin and burn it just to release it from its curses. It was that bad that the Haitian would try and trick poor mothers to give away their own children to volunteer by walking the child in the night and ask for permission to take them away to which the disoriented mother may either reply with a yes or a no.

How to get rid of the curse: There is various ways to get rid of the curse of a werewolf. In the Ancient Greek and the romans have believed in the power of exhaustion to get rid of the curse of lycanthropy. The human with the curses of the werewolf would be subjected to a very long period of physical activities in the hope of being purged of the malady. With this fact many alleged werewolves would be left very weak and debilitated after committing depredations. There was also other methods used in the medieval Europe, traditionally they used 3 in all one was used to cure victims of werewolfism by using the wolfs bane, surgically or even by exorcism. But many of the cures advocated by medieval medical

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practitioners proved fatal to the victims. They also believed in the Arabic origin which they would strike the werewolf on the forehead or even scalp it with a knife. They would also involve piercing the werewolves hands and nails.

They would do some less extreme methods as well like in German lowland they would simply go up to the werewolf and call it by its Christian name three times and in Danish belief they think if you scolder a werewolf it would get rid of the curse. This has explained the olden times for how werewolves came alone, how they tried to get rid of the curse and the bad things they did to their children thinking it would all go away. But this is where I'd explain where twilight caught my eye about how in the modern days they have made them shape-shift differently also how their life style is a lot different. Shape-Shifter: A lot of people have mistaken werewolves as shape-shifters and are descended from the ancient spirit warriors of the Quileute tribe. Back within the Native American beliefs they have said the warriors and chiefs could leave thier bodies and wander as spirits, communicating with the other creatures that live within the forest. They can also hear each others thoughts but however, a change impacted the tribe members hugely during Taha Aki's leadership and permanently changed their powers to shape-shifting into massive werewolves. If, as many religious teachers have believed the body is only the vesture of the soul some men clearly have souls of beasts (D. Howison) very much representing that no matter how nice or in control they have of their shape shift forms theres still the odd one or two that would use their powers not for good.

Appearance: With a shape-shifters appearance it can vary in both human and wolf form. They have a scary form which is described as enormous, jet black, as tall as a horse, but thicker and much more muscular, with dagger-like incisors, and a grisly snarl like a prolonged crack of thunder. This wolf form was even mistaken for a "bear".

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Fig. 2 Shapeshift Form

There is another form that has deep rusty-brown fur. In Eclipse, his fur becomes shaggier than the other wolves' due to the fact that he allows his hair to grow to chinlength. No other wolf has this appearance compared to others. In this modern term they have explained it more and how they would look now than in the olden days, they made them look all the same. The "monstrous size" of these creatures is emphasized repeatedly. This links clearly with the actual changes in the boys as well, which Bella notes, although she doesnt connect the two phenomenons until later. She describes the shape-shifters as "four really big half-naked boys." As humans, they are between 6'0" and 7'0" tall, and after phasing become bigger, more muscular, and harder in look and substance. Their voices also deepen considerably. Fear of what youll think of me (B. Karg) is great when relating to the whole of the Twilight series because both Jacob and Edward both dont want to tell Bella of their true forms encase of what she will think of them.

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Fig. 3 Jacob Twilight 1

Fig. 4 Jacob Twilight 2

The wolves become similar in their human forms, partly due to their appearances (hard-muscled bodies, unusual height and cropped hair) and the synchronization of their movements, so that they could be mistaken for biological siblings. the Twilight series has made an impact it seems as people are now looking into the more handsome side of werewolves much rather then actually thinking what werewolves are supposed to look like or be represented as. For example Jacob (Taylor Lautner) in fig 2 he seems much like a laid back chilled out skater kid that proberly just helps out with little jobs around the house. But then in the next series of the Twilight series you see him in fig 3 as short hair, ripped six pack and looking very much like a model. . This very much gives away what has happened to today societies of the views of a werewolf and it seems you might actually be better off becoming a werewolf.

Conclusion Over time we have seen that the word werewolf has been seen or portrayed differently over time and that there is many view or ways in which the audience may portray a werewolf to look like whether that be from one of the Twilight films or maybe from another film. But technology has played a massive part within how werewolfs have been portrayed overtime due to the immense about of high quality CGI that is being produced now compared to what it used to be and also as well effects/ makeup artists have also improved not in technology but in better make up practices which again improves on better more realistic looks when it comes down to

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the films, This has also aloud films to elaborate more on the wolfs emotions and reactions to how they feel towards others, like for example if you was to have a vicious werewolf and having a close up shot of him you would notice the rage in his face, slimy mouth and razor sharp teeth, where in a more Twilight type approach wolfs you see the true detail of CGI that has gone into it but also as well at times you notice true werewolf expressions like you can feel as if someone is definitely in control of this beast and there now as savage as there made out to be. How werewolfs have been portrayed over time as well with its funny to think now that great CGI and great make up skills have made werewolfs go from savage beasts into beautiful elegant wolfs in the space of one film.

Illustrations Fig. 1, Lycaon Greek Werewolf, http://www.closeupfilm.com/pictures/lycaon_greek_werewolf.jpg Fig. 2, Twilight Jacob Wolf form, 2009, http://www.cgsociety.org/stories/2009_12/new_moon/page02_img_03.jpg Fig. 3, Jacob Twilight 1, 2008, http://www.studentsoftheworld.info/sites/tv/img/27981_jacob1.jpg Fig. 4, Jacob Twilight onwards +, 2008, http://images2.fanpop.com/images/photos/8500000/HQ-JACOB-twilight-crepusculo8511492-410-724.jpg

Bibliography I.B.Tauris (2006) (The curse of the werewolf: fantasy, horror and the beast within) cultural context http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=_4BVWXNcNJoC&printsec=frontcover&dq=The +curse+of+the+werewolf:+fantasy,+horror+and+the+beast+within&hl=en&sa=X&ei= pxhrT476FqKt0QWsrYDFBg&ved=0CEAQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q&f=false

Del Howison (2010) When Werewolves Attack: A Guide to Dispatching Ravenous Flesh-Ripping Beasts http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=2mBNTDjbsxcC&printsec=frontcover&dq=history

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