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Mysteries of the Werewolf: Shapeshifting, Magic, and Protection
• Examines werewolf tales and stories from early Greece, Scandinavia, France, Germany, Eastern Europe, China, and Japan, as well as legends of other shapeshifting creatures such as were-tigers, were-jackals, and were-caribou • Looks at the various ways people become werewolves, including pacts with the devil, magic, and spells, and explores ways to identify, escape, and do away with werewolves • Includes the trial records from medieval Europe for individuals who were tried on suspicion of being werewolves and the personal records of people whose spouses could shapeshift into wolves An animal both mythical and real, a terrifying predator and the villain in many a fairytale, the wolf has haunted the human imagination since prehistoric times. Even more disturbing is the possibility that some individuals can change into wolves. These werewolves, or lycanthropes, are able to divest themselves of their human nature and transform into enemies that are all the more dangerous as no one knows who they are. Means of protecting oneself from this beast have been a concern for people since Classical Antiquity, and werewolf legends offer both fascinating tales of horror as well as advice for thwarting these creatures or breaking the werewolf curse. In this exploration of werewolf folktales, legends, and historical accounts, Claude Lecouteux examines werewolf beliefs and stories from early Greece to the post-medieval age, including the beliefs of the Norse and tales from France, Germany, Eastern Europe, China, and Japan. The author includes the trial records from medieval Europe for individuals who were tried on suspicion of being werewolves and the personal records of people whose spouses could shapeshift into wolves. He investigates the nature of the werewolf, how it can act as the double or lead to out-of-body experiences, and its counterparts in other parts of the world such as were-tigers, were-jackals, and even were-caribou in the Inuit regions of North America. Lecouteux also looks at the various ways people become werewolves, including pacts with the devil and spells, and explores ways to identify, escape, and do away with werewolves. Sharing werewolf mysteries from around the world, Lecouteux shows that by studying the legends of the werewolf we also gain insight into the psyche and ancient imagination of humanity.
- GenresNonfiction
230 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 27, 2021
About the author
Claude Lecouteux
61 books141 followersDocteur en études germaniques, docteur en lettres, est médiéviste. Il a occupé la chaire de Langues, Littératures et civilisations germaniques à l'université de Caen de 1981 à 1992 avant d'être appelé à la Sorbonne (Paris IV) pour occuper celle de Littérature et Civilisation allemande du Moyen Âge jusqu'en octobre 2007. Ses axes de recherches sont: Les êtres de la mythologie populaire, Les croyances touchant aux morts et à la mort, Les mythes, contes et légendes, La magie
Ses travaux lui ont valu de recevoir le Prix Strasbourg en 1982, un prix de l’Académie française la même année, d'être fait Chevalier de l’Ordre des Palmes académiques en 1995 et Officier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres en 2006. Jusqu'en décembre 2010, il dirige la revue La grande Oreille, arts de l’oralité et collabore à plusieurs revues sur le Moyen Âge.
Ses travaux lui ont valu de recevoir le Prix Strasbourg en 1982, un prix de l’Académie française la même année, d'être fait Chevalier de l’Ordre des Palmes académiques en 1995 et Officier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres en 2006. Jusqu'en décembre 2010, il dirige la revue La grande Oreille, arts de l’oralité et collabore à plusieurs revues sur le Moyen Âge.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
September 21, 2023
Lecouteux has provided a collection of lycanthrope tales, legends and trial testimonials from Europe, China and Japan from Classical Antiquity to the post-medieval period. The Chinese seem to have a fondness for were-tigers rather than were-wolves. The tales are broadly categorised into chapters about: becoming werewolves; diabolical pacts, magic and spells; stories about clothing, hides and belts; stories about revealing werewolves; doubles and the were-creature (there is such a thing as a plant double for a were-wolf); and also on freeing, healing and getting rid of were-wolves. There is also a chapter that provides transcripts of were-wolf trial testimonials. Lecouteux provides a brief overview analysis of these stories and legends. This is an interesting collection of werewolf tales and trial testimonials that is meant to be a reference work, but I wish there had been a more -analysis of the stories.
August 18, 2021
This review was originally published on The Magical Buffet's website on 08/18/2021.
I LOVE CLAUDE LECOUTEUX.
Honestly, I should skip writing reviews of his books and just tell you when a new one comes out. I mean, at this point you know what I’m going to say. Lecouteux’s field of study is medieval literature, which at first, I thought was weird but then realized made perfect sense. His ability to suss through medieval literature lends itself to making insightful connections between various texts. And now, I love each of his books. Of course, today I’m discussing a new one, “Mysteries of the Werewolf: Shapeshifting, Magic & Protection.”
Where to begin with werewolves? Where CAN’T you? Lecouteux explores historical texts from EVERYWHERE: medieval Europe (of course), early Greece, 20th century Romania, 10th century China, 19th century Russia, 1st century Rome, and I think you’re starting to get the point. There are so many ways one becomes a werewolf or were-creature. Sometimes it’s a blessing, many times it’s a curse. Sometimes it can be undone, or controlled, other times, it’s a lifetime. “Mysteries of the Werewolf” explores it all.
What can I say? Lecouteux does it again. If you’re interested in werewolves, this is a great resource!
I LOVE CLAUDE LECOUTEUX.
Honestly, I should skip writing reviews of his books and just tell you when a new one comes out. I mean, at this point you know what I’m going to say. Lecouteux’s field of study is medieval literature, which at first, I thought was weird but then realized made perfect sense. His ability to suss through medieval literature lends itself to making insightful connections between various texts. And now, I love each of his books. Of course, today I’m discussing a new one, “Mysteries of the Werewolf: Shapeshifting, Magic & Protection.”
Where to begin with werewolves? Where CAN’T you? Lecouteux explores historical texts from EVERYWHERE: medieval Europe (of course), early Greece, 20th century Romania, 10th century China, 19th century Russia, 1st century Rome, and I think you’re starting to get the point. There are so many ways one becomes a werewolf or were-creature. Sometimes it’s a blessing, many times it’s a curse. Sometimes it can be undone, or controlled, other times, it’s a lifetime. “Mysteries of the Werewolf” explores it all.
What can I say? Lecouteux does it again. If you’re interested in werewolves, this is a great resource!
August 29, 2023
An anthology of texts relating to werewolves; no analysis or history, each presented as-is with a corresponding source. The intention here is a reference work, all bundled together and translated for our convenience.
The first problem is that this book is Jon E. Graham's English translation of Elle courait le garou: Lycanthropes, hommes-ours, hommes-tigres : une anthologie, released in 2008; what we essentially have is a game of telephone, which renders the whole exercise rather questionable in utility since the entire point of the book is a collection of (mostly) original translations. What was Lecouteux's translation process? What was Graham's translation process? We aren't told, so I can only assume it's not very rigorous.
The second problem is that all we're given is the corresponding source. There's zero introduction, zero context, zero critical analysis, which defeats the whole purpose of historical relevance. I'm not asking for long essays on each piece, but you lose so much seeing just the text out of place; combined with the translation problem, we may as well be reading a work of modern fiction. Interesting, sure, but the point of this book is to be historically interesting, and there's no history here.
Finally, this book is a mess. Chapters are vaguely themed rather than ordered chronologically or geographically, with each text given a folksy title by Lecouteux rather than something indicating the place of the text. Even the introduction is mostly a splurge of random anecdotes rather than a coherent...introduction. There's some confusion added here by some clear translation issues, with jumbled meanings that can easily be misinterpreted - something that doesn't bode well for the rest of the book.
Overall...I don't think there's much room for out-and-out misinformation with the simple purpose of this work, but its dry presentation as a reference book means that simply isn't good enough. If you aren't bothered by that level of academic rigour, while still wanting something more academic than the accessible pop-history misinformation peddled by the likes of Brad Steiger, this isn't the worst book to pick up, I guess.
The first problem is that this book is Jon E. Graham's English translation of Elle courait le garou: Lycanthropes, hommes-ours, hommes-tigres : une anthologie, released in 2008; what we essentially have is a game of telephone, which renders the whole exercise rather questionable in utility since the entire point of the book is a collection of (mostly) original translations. What was Lecouteux's translation process? What was Graham's translation process? We aren't told, so I can only assume it's not very rigorous.
The second problem is that all we're given is the corresponding source. There's zero introduction, zero context, zero critical analysis, which defeats the whole purpose of historical relevance. I'm not asking for long essays on each piece, but you lose so much seeing just the text out of place; combined with the translation problem, we may as well be reading a work of modern fiction. Interesting, sure, but the point of this book is to be historically interesting, and there's no history here.
Finally, this book is a mess. Chapters are vaguely themed rather than ordered chronologically or geographically, with each text given a folksy title by Lecouteux rather than something indicating the place of the text. Even the introduction is mostly a splurge of random anecdotes rather than a coherent...introduction. There's some confusion added here by some clear translation issues, with jumbled meanings that can easily be misinterpreted - something that doesn't bode well for the rest of the book.
Overall...I don't think there's much room for out-and-out misinformation with the simple purpose of this work, but its dry presentation as a reference book means that simply isn't good enough. If you aren't bothered by that level of academic rigour, while still wanting something more academic than the accessible pop-history misinformation peddled by the likes of Brad Steiger, this isn't the worst book to pick up, I guess.
January 6, 2022
The wolf is liminal figure bordering between light and shadow. On the one hand they are fierce predators who can be hazardous to those wandering about. The wolf also keeps the natural balance and puts a check on other animal populations often feeding on the aged, dying and the sick.
The werewolf is another character based on the wolf but even more terrifying. Rumors of large wolves ravaging livestock and people abound in. European folklore all across the the continent of Europe. There are many ways to transform into a werewolf. There are different were creatures in different countries.
The African nations have wear hyenas and wild cats. In China and Japan you have were tigers. Some theories behind what is called lycanthropy exist. Some think it is a delusion. Someone mentally ill or,deluded and goes around acting like a wolf. There are other who believe that during trance states the souls leaves the body and can assume an animal form. There are people who believed that they have seen others transform fully into wolves.
How does one transform into a werewolf. For starts let us throw out the full moon motif. Some of the ways people transform is by being cursed by a witch to assume the animal form,sometimes for periods up to 7 years. Others embrace this change by donning a wolf skin or a pelt of a wolf and that will transform them into a wolf. Some believe that a sorcerer has several animal shapes at their disposable.
In certain European countries werewolves are synonymous with witches. Witches too can shapeshift into different animal forms and travel through the night. In Norse mythology part of the soul is an animal soul and it has different forms. People being transformed into wolves or other animals are found all over the world.
Yet not all werewolves are bad some like the benadanti help the people by retrieving grain from Hell so the people can consume it. Bands of wolf warriors used to roam the forests of Europe dedicated to Odin they wore wolf skins and acted a lot like wolves and legend has it they turned to wolves.
The book yields over many stories from folklore illustrating the points above . However , deeper analysis would have been nice.
The werewolf is another character based on the wolf but even more terrifying. Rumors of large wolves ravaging livestock and people abound in. European folklore all across the the continent of Europe. There are many ways to transform into a werewolf. There are different were creatures in different countries.
The African nations have wear hyenas and wild cats. In China and Japan you have were tigers. Some theories behind what is called lycanthropy exist. Some think it is a delusion. Someone mentally ill or,deluded and goes around acting like a wolf. There are other who believe that during trance states the souls leaves the body and can assume an animal form. There are people who believed that they have seen others transform fully into wolves.
How does one transform into a werewolf. For starts let us throw out the full moon motif. Some of the ways people transform is by being cursed by a witch to assume the animal form,sometimes for periods up to 7 years. Others embrace this change by donning a wolf skin or a pelt of a wolf and that will transform them into a wolf. Some believe that a sorcerer has several animal shapes at their disposable.
In certain European countries werewolves are synonymous with witches. Witches too can shapeshift into different animal forms and travel through the night. In Norse mythology part of the soul is an animal soul and it has different forms. People being transformed into wolves or other animals are found all over the world.
Yet not all werewolves are bad some like the benadanti help the people by retrieving grain from Hell so the people can consume it. Bands of wolf warriors used to roam the forests of Europe dedicated to Odin they wore wolf skins and acted a lot like wolves and legend has it they turned to wolves.
The book yields over many stories from folklore illustrating the points above . However , deeper analysis would have been nice.
July 31, 2026
I tried reading this a few years ago when I first bought it, didn’t like it, and it sat on my shelf until I finally decided to give it another chance. The only reason I didn’t DNF it is my own stubbornness.
Poorly translated stories that are lumped in chapters of vague relation and really only illustrate how much people have hated women for centuries. The best part of this was finding out about weretigers in Asia where wolves are less common.
Poorly translated stories that are lumped in chapters of vague relation and really only illustrate how much people have hated women for centuries. The best part of this was finding out about weretigers in Asia where wolves are less common.
January 16, 2024
Not my favorite of his.
January 12, 2025
Painfully dull. honestly, I was trying to hit my reading goal for last year and I almost missed it by trying to force myself to read this. It's so repetitive and dry.
September 29, 2026
A great compilation of folklore and history.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews