Werewolves: A Field Guide to Shapeshifters, Lycanthropes, and Man-Beasts

by Bob Curran, Ian Daniels (Illustrator)

Most of us are familiar with the idea of a werewolf—that someone can change, either deliberately or unwillingly, into a ravenous creature—but is there some justification for such a belief? And, if so, how is it achieved—through magical potions or ointments or simply by the light of the full moon? Or is the whole thing simply a form of delusion, the product of a disturbed mind?

In Werewolves, author Dr. Bob Curran examines the deep psychological perceptions about the linkage of man with the natural, bestial world. Do the roots of such a belief lie in the supernatural world, or are there other explanations? How has the discovery of feral children, living in the wild, shaped our ideas of human-beasts? And what is the future of such beliefs? The book considers genetically-based speculations regarding the possible fusion of human and animal genes in order to alleviate some human diseases and suffering. Is the idea of man into beast really so far fetched? Werewolves is an essential reference book which looks, in depth, at a fascinating subject. One word of warning though: it must never be read under the baleful rays of a full moon. You have been warned!

Genres: Werewolves, Horror, Paranormal, Reference, Fantasy, Supernatural, Research

224 pages, ebook

First published September 1, 2009

About the author

BOB CURRAN is an educational psychologist in Coleraine University. His interests are broad-ranging but are focused especially on history and story. He has written several books, including The Field Guide to Irish Fairies, The Wolfhound Guide to the Shamrock, Creatures of Celtic Myth, The Truth about the Leprechaun.

Reviews

[Judith Graves]

Nice resource. I still flip through it from time to time.

[Jediraven · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was a little disappointed that it didn't go into detail about hunting werewolves and what is needed, but I liked the stories that were told. I read this book with a notebook beside me, copying down any notes about the history and strange clues that all of the stories gave.
I wish that author hadn't put his theories about being mentally ill in here. By the end I was thinking entirely too logically about these instances rather than beleiving in werewolves. Does no one believe in supernatural creatures anymore?
One other thing. People in the past were PARANOID. It bothered me that so many "werewolves" had been tortured because they were doing the "Devil's work". And I've got to find out what this ointment or salve is that makes them turn. Something else I found interesting ***spoiler alert*** none of the accounts really had anything about the full moon or the moon cycles in it. It would have been cool to maybe elaborate on that or where that came from (he did a little bit).

[Daan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting insight into the different sources and myths of the werewolf stories. From long ago when men and wild lived close together to modern days where things are much different. From times where wolfmen were spiritual important, to the days they were seen as witches and workers of the devil. From the times that they were "questioned" up to the days they were put in insane asylums or seen as people with mental issues.

Also movies and books. So even though it obviously can't go deep into the matters. It does give a nice insight and start points for your own research.

[H.R. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Still keeping my rating as a 4 of 5. There are some minor errors that should have been caught in editing that I saw which makes me respect the book a little less from the editing process, but the stories are great for learning about the lore and where different legends come from and even learning new legends. There are some in this book that I hadn't heard of before. And I love getting new werewolf and lycan stories.

[Lilly Rosemeade · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very informative. A great book on the history of Werewolves, especially if you've never read anything about their history before and how the myth of Werewolves came into being~

[Blackcatmoon66 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent book if you're wanting to learn where the idea of werewolves came from and how it's evolved over the years.

[Colby Denton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting book about the history of lycanthropy, society's ever-changing views of the phenomenon and the psychology behind the "transformations."

[Colleen]

Really informative about werewolves

[Michell Parsley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating origins of werewolves. This is the 3rd time to read this book. I'm giving it 4 stars for being one of the most informational books I've read. Many good insights & great author.

[Whitney Terrell · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.75 out of 5 stars.

[Andre · Rating 3 out of 5]

First I really enjoyed the book and even found some things I didn't know before. However I must say that I can understand why some reviewers regarded this book as more belonging into the genre of fantasy literature which I think might be strongly linked to the artwork of the book by Ian Daniels.
As a matter of fact the artwork was very much in line with the depiction of wolves and werewolves in modern Western Culture (starting with the cover) in that they usually depict wolves and werewolves as invariably male (and white) and also threatening. Therefore I think that many pictures (albeit of good artistic quality) were not such a good choice in my eyes.

The first picture on page 11 is actually a welcome change in that it depicts a connection between a female and a wolf however the one illustrating the tale of Romulus and Remus is the first of the unlucky choices because not only does it depict the wolf much bigger than ever recorded for an Italian wolf but it also show it very grim and threatening, with exposed teeth albeit the actual tale depicts quite a different scene.
The picture of Anubis on page was ok (more on him later) however I was not so thrilled with this wolf-man on page 39, neither with most of the other pictures since they rather suggest that the wolf-man shape is something very old for werewolves, although it was pretty rare prior to the ascent of the film industry. I think pictures depicting actually tail-less wolves or wolves with human eyes might have been a better choice that would have been more in line with the text.
Now the picture of the Fox on page 51… apart from the depicted fox not really looking like a Japanese fox I think the picture looks like… how can I say it… like if there is something hidden under the fox-tail that is stimulating the woman's private parts.
I am also not sure what the picture on page 58 was supposed to represent. Wolf-soldiers you described from Ireland or the actual berserkers?
The witch on page 73 rather looks like a modern goth girl than a witch from the time of the famous trials and I think that the picture on page 87 depicting what I think is a nawal is totally wrong in my eyes. I know that it is a not a realistic drawing style but nonetheless I think it's wrong to have a nawal being represented by what is obviously a European girl instead of a Native American one. Also the man-ox on page 118 rather looks like a deformed Minotaur and not like the deformed human you described in your text.
Also the pictures on page 147 and 153 seem more fitting to modern day Romance novel than a book about folklore. Now the picture on page 159 seems completely out of place. It looks rather like a hairy Chupacabra of Puerto Rico than a werewolf.
With the Little Red Riding Hood picture on page 160 the only issue I have is the eye-liner of the girl but the "moon-goddess" on page 178 looks straight out of those fantasy calenders showing sparsely clad women. And she doesn't come along as Artemis or anything like her, rather like a sex-object.
And the picture of the Wild Boy on page 189 looks more like coming from an Anime than actually representing a Feral Child.


As for the information contained in the text:
Some of it is definitely correct what he wrote but there are other texts which made me sceptic. It is quite likely that some of the sources he used state things differently (for mythological beings that is not unusual) however some of the sources he states in his bibliography I know and they do not state what he stated in some instances.
I intend to find that out and see what sources there are for his statements (Curran admits not to be an academic and that he had to rely on the works of others).
All in all this book can bee seen as a way to introduce someone with the topic and to be an eyecatcher. However I would not regard it as a field guide and one should not stop here but look for other books of a more scientific kind.

[Cara · Rating 2 out of 5]

What from the title and cover (what was that old adage again?) appears to be a fictional guide meant for those fantasy lovers dreaming of real life werewolf hunts, is actually a well reasoned, seemingly well researched (footnotes would have made the entire work much more compelling and complete) thesis on the origins of the human fascination with wolves, the ability of shape shift, and the place of the werewolf in our culture. The book is horrendously mis-titled - no doubt in an attempt to sell it to a larger fantasy audience. What looks as if it belongs in the basement of a fanboy playing World of Warcraft (no offense intended, the description is meant for illustration of what this book is not, despite many preconceived notions) would actually fit well in the collections of any anthropologist. As such, it was certainly dry at times, but none the less had it's fascinating moments. The problem is that I would not know to whom I should recommend the book. Lovers of fantasy will be disappointed by the glossing over of the folktales and legends, while those seeking a more anthropological or physiological reading will want deeper research.

[Eva · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book basically sums up different werewolf myths from different countries with an emphasis on France, Ireland, England, and most of Europe although there are also short sections dedicated to Egyptian lore (mostly focusing on Anubis and jackals, discussing similarities to wolves), Roman history (Romulus & Remus), and of course, Greek mythology and the myth of Lycaon from whom the term "lycanthropy" is derived, but it feels like too-familiar territory. There's little mention of werewolf powers, weaknesses, and other interesting tidbits of folklore that readers may not be familiar with. If you're looking for a book that recaps werewolf legends from around the world, then this book may be a good place to start but it feels like one could find out most, if not all, the information from Wikipedia and other web pages.

[Tristy · Rating 2 out of 5]

The description and title of this book makes one think it's going to be a fantasy adventure, discovering the various werewolf mythologies and what creates them, when in reality, this is a dense, academic, very well-researched dissertation about historical people and events that could have lead to the mythological archetype of "the werewolf." Hat's off to the incredible research involved in the writing of this book, but it would have been nice to have a few fantasy stories thrown in, just get a break from the download of information.

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

A rather thorough account on the origins of the werewolf mythos. It states the facts on how we as a culture viewed the beast-man concept as various types: the skilled hunter, the shifty demonic minion, the sympathetic cursed, and the deranged. It also gives accounts that occurred or have become legend in various parts of the world. Overall, it carries great study if you want to understand or write about these supernatural beings. But it's not the most entertaining read out there.

[Keti · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing story ... ისედაც ხომ მიყვარს მაქციები და ამ გამოკვლევამ ისე მომხიბლა, შთაბეჭდილების ქვეშ ვარ.. ძალიან მინდა ამ კაცის სხვა გამოკვლევების წაკითხვაც ^_^