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She-wolf: A cultural history of female werewolves
She-wolf explores the cultural history of the female werewolf, from her first appearance in medieval literature to recent incarnations in film, television and popular literature. The book includes contributors from various disciplines, and offers a cross-period, interdisciplinary exploration of a perennially popular cultural production. The essays in this collection explore the particular challenges female werewolves pose - to gender construction, to ideals of femininity and corporeality, to racial and sexual norms, and to our concepts of 'human' and 'monster'. The book's historical scope is broad, covering material from the Middle Ages to the present day. With chapters on folklore, history, witch trials, Victorian literature, young adult literature, film and gaming, the contributors offer a variety of critical approaches to the figure of the female werewolf. Considering issues such as religious and social contexts, colonialism, constructions of racial and gendered identities, corporeality and subjectivity - as well as female body hair, sexuality and violence - She-wolf reveals the varied ways in which the female werewolf is a manifestation of deep-rooted and complex cultural anxieties, as well as a site of continued fascination. For scholars of popular culture, cultural history and gender studies, this is an essential study of a complex and multifaceted creation.
240 pages, Hardcover
First published May 1, 2015
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
October 14, 2017
Often when academics address a topic like monsters, they take the fun out of it. Not so here. Werewolves have a long life in folklore and in a variety of fictional venues. Less well known are the gender implications of werewolves. This book is actually a collection of essays—a fact masked somewhat by the fact that Hannah Priest is sometimes listed as the author rather than the editor on some websites (including Goodreads). That fact won't matter to hardcore fans, but the reality that books that are collections are always uneven haunts the industry, for better or worse.
I was pleasantly surprised, however, that most of the essays are written for general readers and strive to be somewhat fun while addressing serious issues. The essays range from anthropological, folkloric treatments of werewolves in specific locations, such as the Estonian island of Saaremaa to worldwide traditions such as popular movies. The thing that ties all of these essays together is that they address the dynamic of feminism in some way. The werewolves are female. This leads to some interesting ideas such as how the lunar changes of men into werewolves feminizes them, as well as to the antiquated (but unfortunately still held) idea that women are more animalistic than men. Naturally, there are dynamics of sexuality addressed as well. The reader finds everything from Little Red Riding Hood to recent cinema releases that focus on werewolves. They are interpreted in a variety of ways, and most of the contributors are aware that many people find werewolves a fun, if scary idea.
That having been said, this is an academic book. There is some theory but not overmuch so. Some of the essays focus on specific writers of fiction while others ask questions of actual belief in werewolves. Since there are a dozen essays here summarizing them would likely provide too much detail for most review readers. Suffice it to say this is a reputable and self-aware treatment of a topic that is more important than it might seem. Monsters tell us a lot about who we are as human beings.
I wrote a bit more about this book on my blog as well: Sects and Violence in the Ancient World.
I was pleasantly surprised, however, that most of the essays are written for general readers and strive to be somewhat fun while addressing serious issues. The essays range from anthropological, folkloric treatments of werewolves in specific locations, such as the Estonian island of Saaremaa to worldwide traditions such as popular movies. The thing that ties all of these essays together is that they address the dynamic of feminism in some way. The werewolves are female. This leads to some interesting ideas such as how the lunar changes of men into werewolves feminizes them, as well as to the antiquated (but unfortunately still held) idea that women are more animalistic than men. Naturally, there are dynamics of sexuality addressed as well. The reader finds everything from Little Red Riding Hood to recent cinema releases that focus on werewolves. They are interpreted in a variety of ways, and most of the contributors are aware that many people find werewolves a fun, if scary idea.
That having been said, this is an academic book. There is some theory but not overmuch so. Some of the essays focus on specific writers of fiction while others ask questions of actual belief in werewolves. Since there are a dozen essays here summarizing them would likely provide too much detail for most review readers. Suffice it to say this is a reputable and self-aware treatment of a topic that is more important than it might seem. Monsters tell us a lot about who we are as human beings.
I wrote a bit more about this book on my blog as well: Sects and Violence in the Ancient World.
July 22, 2024
This book was fabulous! From hirsute women to menopause, from accusations of witchcraft to the agonies of a first period, from feeling "other" and demarginalised to being undervalued, this book has it all.
Hannah Priest curates a series of essays on all things female werewolf. There are literary, film and art critiques and historical accounts. All the essays are quite academic in nature and I needed a lot of concentration to take in all that they were proffering but it was well worth the old brain cells! I was mesmerised by the reading. All the essays are of an amazingly high quality and though they may be academic, they're also really entertaining and engaging. I was googling every five minutes for source references (which I love when a book provokes further interest in a brilliant subject).
I know I'm gushing but honestly this book was refreshingly the best collection of literature I've read in a while. I'm buzzing moreso because I came across it completely by accident in my local library, mooching the book aisles with no real aim in mind, I was drawn to this title. I'm gonna buy me a copy for keeps.
Pure kudos to Hannah Priest for putting together such an excellent set of pieces on such an extraordinary subject.
Hannah Priest curates a series of essays on all things female werewolf. There are literary, film and art critiques and historical accounts. All the essays are quite academic in nature and I needed a lot of concentration to take in all that they were proffering but it was well worth the old brain cells! I was mesmerised by the reading. All the essays are of an amazingly high quality and though they may be academic, they're also really entertaining and engaging. I was googling every five minutes for source references (which I love when a book provokes further interest in a brilliant subject).
I know I'm gushing but honestly this book was refreshingly the best collection of literature I've read in a while. I'm buzzing moreso because I came across it completely by accident in my local library, mooching the book aisles with no real aim in mind, I was drawn to this title. I'm gonna buy me a copy for keeps.
Pure kudos to Hannah Priest for putting together such an excellent set of pieces on such an extraordinary subject.
October 20, 2017
Very good essays on werewolves, feminism, and myth. Loved it.
October 29, 2021
Awesome resource and generally just a fascinating read. Definitely recommended.
July 28, 2019
i really like hannah priest’s voice; direct and modern, it grips me a lot more than other academic writers. there was a revelatory moment when she was talking about being human that i can not only read but also write about all the brilliant and/or awful and definitely trashy media that interests me. she should write more about being human (and less about twilight. i get it, but i haaaate reading about twilight.)
overall, lots of interesting perspectives - probably something where i’ll have to do my own research and return to it later.
overall, lots of interesting perspectives - probably something where i’ll have to do my own research and return to it later.
November 18, 2022
This was a wonderful and insightful collection of essays. If you’re interested in researching werewolves, I highly recommend this one.
May 28, 2021
This is a great resource for anyone interested in studying the werewolf legend and the roll gender plays in horror cinema.
June 18, 2023
A refreshing and varied collection of essays, takes what little pieces of (normally male) werewolf media it can and runs in all sorts of directions - it's a lot more than simply going through depictions of female werewolves.
January 1, 2019
A great selection of essays about female werewolves in folklore, literature and film. Very good read. Super interesting topics covered.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews