The Werewolf in Lore and Legend

by Montague Summers

The first definitive work on werewolfery, this book was written by a venerable author of occult studies. Unsurpassed in its sheer scope and depth, it employs a theological and philosophical approach, incorporating an extensive range of historical documentation and folklore. Summers examines the supernatural practice of shapeshifting, notes the finer distinctions between werewolfery and lycanthropy, and explores the differences of opinion on exactly how ordinary humans are transformed into creatures of unbridled cruelty, bestial ferocity, and ravening hunger. His Gothic style, rich in fascinating examples and anecdotes, offers compelling fare for lovers of esoteric lore.

Genres: Werewolves, Nonfiction, Mythology, History, Occult, Research, Folklore

295 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1933

About the author

Augustus Montague Summers was an Anglican priest and later convert to Roman Catholicism known primarily for his scholarly work on the English drama of the 17th century, as well as for his studies on witches, vampires, and werewolves, in all of which he professed to believe. He was responsible for the first English translation, published in 1928, of the notorious 15th-century witch hunter's manual, the Malleus Maleficarum.

Reviews

[Meri Elena · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a comprehensive and scholarly approach to werewolfism. It can be a bit difficult to get through at times, especially the the first chapter. Summers seems to be a historian, and therefore assumes that if you are reading his book you must be too, and by extension you obviously know how to read German, French, and Latin. I actually do know a bit of Latin, fortunately, but the other passages he quoted might as well have been jibberish. I skimmed, and once I got past the foreign language parts I realized that most of the text was fairly approachable for me. Sometimes Summers is a bit narrow-minded, but on the whole his writing is very informative and uncommonly insightful, especially considering how old the book is. Insightful occult analysis is a fairly modern phenomenon.

Simply put, as long as you don't mind tackling books with a very academic bent, you should find this an interesting read. Anyone who enjoys the nonfiction side of the occult ought to give Montague Summers a try.

[October · Rating 4 out of 5]

Despite the untranslated Greek, Latin, German, and French and the overwhelmingly dry, academic tone, I found this book somewhat useful. While it is more dry than the Sahara, it lists about every werewolf story and thensome--much to my nerdly delight. If you have an interest in this subject and want an incredibly exhaustive list, it's worth finding (if you can handle it). At a time when most current books on the subject love to fill in the gaps with fictitious information (as seems to be the case with stories of the Wolf Men of Tipperary), this one--if you can skim through the academic fluff--offers something a bit more reliable in terms of storytelling (or, rather, listing stories).

[James F · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Werewolf, retitled by Dover for the reprint, follows on from the author's two works on vampires which I read a few Halloweens ago, also both retitled by Dover to emphasize "lore and legend", which is misleading -- Summers believed in the reality of both vampires and werewolves, as well as witchcraft and all the more arcane aspects of mediaeval Catholic theology (he claimed to be a Catholic priest, which has been disputed, especially by the Catholic Church). This book contains everything you would ever want (or not want) to know about werewolves and related shape-shifters in Europe from antiquity to the early twentieth century; the literary tradition of werewolves which is the subject of the final chapter is of course outdated since vampires and werewolves have taken over Young Adult and other novels and films in recent years (the Lehi Library has 260 books on werewolves and almost 1200 on vampires.)

I occasionally look up a word in a foreign language, but it has been a long time since an English word has sent me to the dictionary -- probably since the last time I read Montague Summers. I had to look up five words by page two of this book -- mournival, prolusions, zetetic, goetic, and veaking (which wasn't in any dictionary I could find). That, plus the untranslated quotations in Greek (ancient and modern), Latin, German and French, give an idea of his style; he compensates for the unusual subject matter with all the weight of apparent scholarship. Apparent -- of course he's a crank, with no critical faculty whatever, who believes every hearsay report he finds, twists quotations, and the book wanders about with digressions such as a long discussion of whether it is a sin to destroy the witches' equipment (which implies that the equipment is effective in itself, rather than through the intervention of demons), lamenting that witches and werewolves are no longer burned at the stake, and similar ideas. This would be a dangerous book if anyone believed it, but it does give a wealth of material on occult beliefs.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

"lykanthropy I comprehend, for without transformation
Men become wolves on any slight occasion" _Byron_Don Juan
This book is a monumental work of anthropology. Thus it is rife with references and science speech and footnotes and other languages. Which aren't translated in text. It was also written in the 1930's, so the English you can understand is slightly archaic.
I skipped the first part and went on to the werewolf legends separated by region in which I found much information and inspiration.

[Curtis Runstedler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Montague Summers' book on werewolves is exhaustively researched and draws from a wealth of medieval, Greek, Latin, and early Modern manuscripts. The results are very informative and beautifully written. For some reason, he seems to believe in werewolves, which doesn't make much sense. As well, readers without a thorough Latin or Greek background may find his untranslated passages challenging to decipher. Still, for scholastic documentation and history, Summers' work is one of the best.

[Funky Tomo77 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not a full review as I'm only 90 pages in. However I am throughly enjoying this meticulously researched book. Montague Summers (who has written on many occult subjects in his time) states he believes in werewolfs and has left no stone unturned in accounting for all historical reports of lycanthropy. I have noticed that a lot of the stories from around Europe are repeated in Elliot O Donnells book "werewolves" , which was written a little earlier (Victorian times i think as the book is not to hand). Summers later book we have here is the easier to follow , as a lot of the research and annecdotes are the same as O Donnells, you do not need to read both IMO. I was lucky to find ebooks of both of these books , as I fear both may be long out of print . A quick Google brought me to both.

.The best book Ive read on the subject so far. He takes a serious approach at "proof". Excellent stuff for us cryptid believers !. Shame he is long passed on, as I'd love to know his take on the current DogMan sightings (mainly in USA but happening with alarming frequency worldwide).

His writing style is serious but not boring and dry either , which some of these older books can be. A very knowledgeable man and i look forward to reading some more by him , if I'm lucky enough to find them.

A full review will be done when I finish.

[D.M. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I can only think that, at a time when the western hemisphere was especially lousy with spiritual crackpots, Montague Summers seemed a bit of a nutjob. It's unmistakeable that he's an educated man, a well-read scholar and a thorough researcher, but a man who truly and deeply believed in the veracity of creatures like werewolves (and vampires and...pretty much anything anyone has ever believed existed) based solely on the existence of written records about them must have come across as at least gullible and at most a bit unhinged.
Here we have Summers applying his wealth of knowledge and ability to attempt to persuade us of the existence of not only werewolves but were-anything, via a thorough trolling of ancient documents, literature and other written testimony. He breaks his exploration down into sensible pieces, spending two chapters explaining what they are and how they work, then traipsing around the world by region giving brief accounts of various shapeshifters (from wererabbits up to werebears and everywhere between), regrettably closing with a slapdash look at werewolves in fiction. This is probably as comprehensive an overview on the subject as we're ever likely to see, given by someone believing they're doing important work.
The main trouble with Summers (apart from his painful gullibility) is that he assumes anyone educated enough to want to read his books is already as educated as he is. So, we are given long passages in everything from ancient Greek and Latin up to modern French and German, rarely with any attempt at translation for the less-linguistic among us. Even this budget Dover reprint is too bare-bones to offer footnoted translations, and Google Translate only goes so far. What we're left with then is about a third of the book being readable, which takes a great deal away from it.
Though this book (and its author) has plenty of problems, it is at least a scholarly and serious look at werewolves, something otherwise largely lacking from even the more obscure occult literature. It may be worth the price of admission solely for its generous reproduction of the entire text of the rare pamphlet on the case of Peter Stump (variously Stumpff, Stubbe and others), the notorious werewolf of Bedburg, Germany (as pictured on the cover). It also reproduces numerous illustrations from the original edition, though in lesser condition.
Of the handful of books available to the average reader today, there are more intelligible, less sincere and more lavish books about werewolves out there, but it is doubtful there are any more intelligent, earnest or scholarly than this one. If you're interested near the point of obsession in the subject of werecreatures, this is necessary reading; if, however, you just want a cool book about werewolves, this is not it.

[Tonjia Atomic · Rating 2 out of 5]

-very long-winded and pseudo-academic. However, I enjoyed reading it for the aspect of learning new folklore. The actual writing and information passed on was questionable. I mean, this guy actually believes in real werewolves -that describes the color of the book right there. Also, he quotes other sources in the original language and drops Latin phrases whenever he gets the opportunity. Half of the book was entertaining and informative, at least, in the way that it exposed a certain mindset.
...many witch-hunt type stories- sad and fascinating.

[Kimi · Rating 2 out of 5]

I thought this was going to be a cool anthropological study of werewolves throughout history. However, this was written by a clergyman in the 1930s and it treats werewolves as being an Actual Thing. And also he states that mental patients are possessed be demons. So yeah.

However, I will say that this book was very exhaustive in looking at stories of werewolves around Europe. I just wish it was more academic and less occult. Also there were large sections of untranslated Latin, French, Italian, etc. that were a pain and I just straight up skipped over them.

[Michael · Rating 1 out of 5]

Yeah, I'm done. Made it 93 pages and basically asked myself why I am still reading it. I've never had problems with following a books progress, but I honestly have no idea what I just read. Honestly, I'm not joking. I really hope there is a better book for werewolf lore out there. I was really stoked on this book because I've always loved werewolves. Massively disappointed.

[Joseph Patchen · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful piece of scholarship giving the reader a marvelous basis in the legend and lore of this monster.

[Adam McPhee · Rating 3 out of 5]

A history of werewolves from a guy who genuinely believed in the supernatural and went around London dressed as a priest, despite lacking the credentials.

[Cynthia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book on the original and understanding of Werewolves. Mr. Summers was one strange man.

[RedDagger · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a collection of sources, this is excellent; a must read for anyone reading on werewolves for its commitment to unearthing more obscure writings.

As something read cover-to-cover rather than a reference of accounts of werewolves, it's bad, even though Montague Summers clearly wants it to be more than just an index of sources. Non-English passages are quoted at length with no translation. Summers (rightly) chastises Sabine Baring-Gould for padding his work with an extended dialogue on serial killers, then constantly delves into his own fancy on theology and the occult. It's made abundantly clear that the strength of the work is in gathering the sources - but not critically assessing them; Summers cares only for insulting those that disparage the real existence of werewolves and heaping praise on those that claim them to be true. Every source is given equal weight and credence.

Finally, despite being organised into chapters of clear scope, he frequently veers off - perhaps werewolves from a different area that's covered in another chapter, or going on yet another tirade about werewolves being satanic metamorphosis rather than illusion - and is unable to even structure his chapters; there's a vague sense of starting with the oldest sources and moving to the present day, but he can't keep to this rule giving a randomness to how they're presented.

Overall, it's just about bearable to read through, but should definitely be kept on hand to reference later.

[Billie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an exhaustively researched book on werewolves by a man who genuinely believed in these mythological creatures, which to me is fascinating. But sweet heaven above, it is a difficult read. Many passages are in untranslated Latin, Greek, French, and Spanish, and unless you’re a polyglot you will need to use Google Translate to understand half of it.

Still, it paints an interesting picture of a werewolf that I’ve never seen in pop culture: Summers claims they are demon-worshipping witches who transform using salves or magic belts. They can be hurt or killed like any other mortal creature, and they are weak to silver only because witches generally are. Oh, and there’s a chance that the werewolf becomes a vampire after death.

The book is dry but unintentionally hilarious at times. Although the author fully believes in werewolves, he dismisses certain anecdotes as pure superstition, for reasons he doesn’t fully explain. Moreover, he is very quick to blame demoniac powers for what are almost certainly ordinary cases of rabies. Bonus points for the random “communism is satanic” rant near the end.

Check it out if this all sounds intriguing to you, I guess.

[Roya · Rating 2 out of 5]

There's a few interesting theories and bits of lore, but mainly only in the first two chapters. The first two chapters talk about different ideas about what a werewolf physically or spiritually is and then how they come to be. After that it goes into rumors and reports from villagers, from all over Europe, that all lead to the same conclusion; that someone practiced witchcraft and then was able to shapeshift into a werewolf. This made the majority of book redundant since all the stories said exactly the same thing. Apart from the first two chapters, the book very briefly mentioned Greek, Norse, and Celtic mythology, but it didn't go in depth in those areas at all. All it pretty much mentioned was that there were cults or people that practiced black magic and that reportedly could shapeshift. Another downside to this book is that a good chunk is written in Latin.

[Tyler · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was atrocious. I think what bothered me so much was how little Montague Summers respected the reader. As some others have said, the quotes that are often used are in their native language, with very few actually translated (well, up until the point where I had enough and had to quit, at least). And then the writing outside of that is just fluff. Incredibly dry with no life. It's like the worst parts of academic writing all rolled into one. But even academic papers would have the courtesy to translate quotes that are helping make a point/describe something.

I love werewolves. I wanted a good book that would dive deep into the lore and legend. This certainly dives deep, but it's inaccessible for the sake of being inaccessible, with no rhyme or reason.

[Ryan Woods · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the best quasi-academic books on werewolves I've read. Come for the myths, legends and trials, stay for Summers' hilariously over-the-top assertions that virtually everything he discusses is true (regardless of how ridiculous and bereft of evidence). There's some great history of werewolf lore here from across Europe and Summers clearly did a lot of research. He sounds like a guy who would've been a lot of fun at Halloween parties. The moralizing and assumptions of guilt of executed people who were probably framed or just mentally ill does wear thin though. Father Monty going on about how Satan was the first socialist had me laughing heartily.

[Brannigan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a reprint of an old book. The first chapter is nearly unreadable because he gives the full quotes in their native language and rarely gives an English translation. The second chapter basically asks are werewolves real or are they people possessed by the devil? If they are possessed do they actually change into a werewolf or does the devil trick them and the people that see them. The later chapters deal with regional beliefs and examples of people that we’re supposed to be werewolves. These later chapters are the better part of the book.

[Paul · Rating 3 out of 5]

A serious and well-informed book on werewolfism, and I actually appreciated the fact that the author is a firm believer in werewolves and other occult phenomena. But for this reader, his pious Christian standpoint limits the value of his research, and almost all of the numerous sources are quoted in their original language, mostly Latin and French, which I don't read well enough to find informative.

[Andrew · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a knowledgeable book but also dense. The chapters were long, and certainly filled with a lot of information and interesting stories pertaining to werewolf lore. However, there were a lot of quotations and sections written in multiple languages (because of original sources), which is easy to skip over for someone not fluent in them. I recommend this only for someone with a genuine, die-hard interest in researching werewolf folklore. It is not a light nor read.

[Timothy Pitkin · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is probably more aimed at scholars and researchers then anyone who just wants to learn about the lore of werewolves. As it seems half of the book is written in quotes and references to other sources the author used to write. And most of the quotes were written in the native language of the source.

[Heather · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is nearly unreadable. The author often quotes Greek, Latin, and French, but does not translate the quotes. It contains flowery language for the sake of being flowery. I am sure the information is amazing, but it is not worth the time needed to decode it.

[Cliff Poche · Rating 3 out of 5]

The History of The Werewolf!

This book was quite difficult for me to comprehend but it was a good book none the
less. I really liked the woodcut pictures too.

[MangoLoverReads · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75/5 - I can't say this is 'enjoyable' in the traditional sense of the word but it certainly is interesting if you're interested in werewolf lore. It is approached in a pseudo-scientific way. The author is working to be thorough and scientific in capturing the related evidence. He thoroughly goes over folk beliefs from around the world, 'eye' witness testimony, documented testimony, and how he interprets the subject. Part can be challenging to read as the language is not modern and there are many parts that are in other languages entirely and the author seems to assume that anyone reading this must be multi-lingual because he doesn't translate, he just writes it and speaks of it as though you understand. Mostly, it is thorough.

[Raven Kuhn · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Werewolf in Lore and Legend was not written by a sceptic, so it was a fascinating insight into superstition -- raw down to its segments of untranslated texts, though just what I appreciated to be able to trust that the author would not leave anything out. I admittedly found it a wearisome read with a dull narration that had me forget previous points of inspiration before long, so taking notes from the beginning was a lesson I learned for next time.

To authors who are serious about writing werewolves and witchcraft into their work, I wouldn't hesitate to encourage you take the time to analyze this one.

[Brent · Rating 4 out of 5]

A strange and fascinating book written by an eccentric clergyman. He believes in werewolves... or does he? He is certainly well read and often quotes from material that has not been translated. I loved his unashamed politically incorrect commentary.

[Lamprini · Rating 5 out of 5]

what can i say about M.SUMMERS? an author who has done a great surch before every single book has ever written. just great! you don't have to read an other book since his, include all the information one can have on a topic.

[Mila]

There is too much quoting of other texts in different languages. I have to skip through sentences and paragraphs at a time.

[Phinehas · Rating 3 out of 5]

More of a reference book than anything. It is certainly thorough, if nothing else.