The Book of Were-Wolves

The Book of Were-Wolves

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Title: The Book of Were-Wolves
Author: Sabine Baring-Gould
Release Date: March, 2004 [EBook #5324] [Yes, we are more than one year ahead of schedule] [This file was first posted on July 1, 2002]
Edition: 10
Language: English
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THE BOOK OF WERE-WOLVES
by SABINE BARING-GOULD
CONTENTS
CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTORY
CHAPTER II
LYCANTHROPY AMONG THE ANCIENTS
Definition of Lycanthropy--Marcellus Sidetes--Virgil--Herodotus--Ovid--Pliny--Agriopas--Story from Petronius--Arcadian Legends--Explanation offered
CHAPTER III
THE WERE-WOLF IN THE NORTH
Norse Traditions--Manner in which the Change was effected--Vlundar Kvda--Instances from the V?lsung Saga--Hrolf's Saga--Kraka--Faro?se Poem--Helga Kvida--Vatnsd?la Saga--Eyrbyggja Saga
CHAPTER IV
THE ORIGIN OF THE SCANDINAVIAN WERE-WOLF
Advantage of the Study of Norse Literature--Bear and Wolf-skin Dresses--The Berserkir--Their Rage--The Story of Thorir--Passages from the Aigla--The Evening Wolf--Skallagrim and his Son-Derivation of the Word "Hamr:" of "Vargr"--Laws affecting Outlaws--"To become a Boar"--Recapitulation
CHAPTER V
THE WERE-WOLF IN THE MIDDLE AGES
Stories from Olaus Magnus of Livonian Were-wolves--Story from Bishop Majolus--Story of Albertus Pericofcius--Similar occurrence at Prague--Saint Patrick--Strange incident related by John of N��remberg--Bisclaveret--Courland Were-wolves--Pierre Vidal--Pavian Lycanthropist--Bodin's Stories--Forestus' Account of a Lycanthropist--Neapolitan Were-wolf
CHAPTER VI
A CHAPTER OF HORRORS
Pierre Bourgot and Michel Verdung--'Me Hermit of S. Bonnot--The Gandillon Family--Thievenne Paget--The Tailor of Chalons--Roulet 69
Chapter VII
JEAN GRENIER
On the Sand-dunes--A Wolf attacks Marguerite Poirier--Jean Grenier brought to Trial--His Confessions--Charges of Cannibalism proved--His Sentence--Behaviour in the Monastery--Visit of Del'ancre 85
CHAPTER VIII
FOLK-LORE RELATING TO WERE-WOLVES
Barrenness of English Folk-lore--Devonshire Traditions--Derivation of Were-wolf--Cannibalism in Scotland--The Angus Robber--The Carle of Perth--French Superstitions--Norwegian Traditions--Danish Tales of Were-wolves--Holstein Stories--The Werewolf in the Netherlands--Among the Greeks; the Serbs; the White Russians; the Poles; the Russians--A Russian Receipt for becoming a Were-wolf--The Bohemian Vlkodlak--Armenian Story--Indian Tales--Abyssinian Budas--American Transformation Tales--A Slovakian Household Tale--Similar Greek, B��arnais, and Icelandic Tales
CHAPTER IX
NATURAL CAUSES OF LYCANTHROPY
Innate Cruelty--Its Three Forms--Dumollard--Andreas Bichel--A Dutch Priest--Other instances of Inherent Cruelty--Cruelty united to Refinement--A Hungarian Bather in Blood--Suddenness with which the Passion is developed--Cannibalism; in pregnant Women; in Maniacs--Hallucination; how Produced--Salves--The Story of Lucius--Self-deception 130
CHAPTER X
MYTHOLOGICAL ORIGIN OF THE WERE-WOLF MYTH
Metempsychosis--Sympathy between Men and Beasts--Finnbog and the Bear--Osage and the Beaver--The Connexion of Soul and Body--Buddism--Case of Mr. Holloway--Popular ideas concerning the Body--The derivation of the German Leichnam--Feather Dresses--Transmigration of Souls--A Basque Story--Story from the Pantschatantra--Savage ideas regarding Natural Phenomena--Thunder, Lightning, and Cloud--The origin of the Dragon--John of Bromton's Dragon a Waterspout--The Legend of Typhoeus--Allegorizing of the Effects of a Hurricane--Anthropomorphosis--The Cirrus Cloud, a Heavenly Swan--Urvaci--The Storm-cloud a Daemon--Vritra and Rakschasas--Story of a Brahmin and a Rakschasas
CHAPTER XI
THE MAR��CHAL DE REZT I: THE INVESTIGATION OF CHARGES
Introduction--History of Gilles de Laval--The Castle of Machecoul--Surrender of the Marshal--Examination of Witnesses--Letter of De Retz--The Duke of Brittany reluctant to move--The Bishop of Nantes
CHAPTER XII
THE MAR��CHAL DE REZT II: THE TRIAL
The Appearance of the Marshal--Pierre de l'Hospital--The Requisition--The Trial adjourned--Meeting of the Marshal and his Servants--The Confession of Henriet--Pontou persuaded to confess all--The adjourned Trial not hurried on--The hesitation of the Duke of Brittany
CHAPTER XIII
MAR��CHAL DE RETZ III: THE SENTENCE AND EXECUTION
The adjourned Trial--The Marshal Confesses--The Case handed over to the Ecclesiastical Tribunal--Prompt steps taken by the Bishop--The Sentence--Ratified by the Secular Court--The Execution
CHAPTER XIV
A GALICIAN WERE-WOLF
The Inhabitants of Austrian Galicia--The Hamlet of Polomyja--Summer Evening in the Forest--The Beggar Swiatek--A Girl disappears--A School-boy vanishes--A Servant-girl lost--Another Boy carried of--The Discovery made by the Publican of Polomyja--Swiatek locked up--Brought to Dabkow--Commits suicide
Chapter XV
ANOMALOUS CASE--THE HUMAN HYENA
Ghouls--Story from Fornari--Quotation from Apuleius--Incident mentioned by Marcassus--Cemeteries of Paris violated--Discovery of Violator--Confession of M. Bertrand
CHAPTER XVI
A SERMON ON WERE-WOLVES
The Discourses of Dr. Johann--The Sermon--Remarks

THE BOOK OF WERE-WOLVES.
CHAPTER I.
INTRODUCTORY.
I shall never forget the walk I took one night in Vienne, after having accomplished the examination of an unknown Druidical relic, the Pierre labie, at La Rondelle, near Champigni. I had learned of the existence of this cromlech only on my arrival at