Wolves and Werewolves

by John Pollard

Wolves and Werewolves is the first comprehensive account of the history and the folk-lore of wolves which also shows the position of the wolf in the world today (1964).

One always imagines that disasters caused by wolves are things of the far distant past, so it is surprising to learn that in 1950 a soldier and a wolf fought to the death in the mountains of Italy, and that four years later, near Perugia, a woodman was attacked and seriously injured. A postman was killed and devoured by wolves in the Abruzzi in 1956 and in February 1963, a wolf was seen in Rome itself. In France, wolves were common inhabitants until the First World War. The terrible beast of the Gévaudan had sixty victims to its name, but even these poor people did not die so agonisingly as the hundreds of wretches who suffered from hydrophobia as a result of being bitten by mad wolves.

Wolves undoubtedly prowl in most of the forests of Europe, not only in Russia, Poland and the north. They have long been extinct in England and Wales, but records show that they survived in Scotland until 1743, and in Ireland they probably lingered into the early years of the nineteenth century. A great many exciting, if somewhat gruesome, stories of struggles with wolves have been handed down to us.

The story of Little Red Riding Hood was fundamentally true, and John Pollard tells this and many other tales against a background of well-researched fact. There are accounts of ancient rites connected, often unconsciously, with wolves; of uncanny happenings to do with werewolves; and of brave men who pitched their strength against these grey enemies of their families and friends.

This is a thrilling book because it is true.

Genres: Nonfiction

173 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1964

About the author

John Pollard was born in Exeter and educated in Herefordshire, Devon and at Exeter College, Oxford, and is a classical don by profession.

During the Second World War he served with the King's African Rifles and was thus able to indulge a boyhood passion for birds and animals on a scale that only Africa can provide.

Reviews

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

The title is a bit misleading as this is mainly a book about wolf lore; werewolves barely get a mention. There's some interesting accounts though and it's well worth a read, as long as you can overlook the dated style, the 'creative non-fiction' dramatism and the author's obvious hatred of wolves. Be warned, there are some particularly gruesome descriptions of how captured wolves had their lips sewn shut and then were flayed alive. How humans could treat any animal in such a way is beyond me. Oh, and there's an unexpected abundance of tales from France. Maybe the author lived there?

[Mico · Rating 4 out of 5]

1964 - Hard back edition, published by Robert Hale. 173 pages, 15 photographs.

1991 - Paperback edition, published by Robert Hale. 178 pages, no illustrations. New Afterword added.

Contents:
Acknowledgments & Preface
The Wolves that Ate the Postman
Wolves at the Gates of Paris
Little Red Riding Hood
Candles Burning in the Night
Murder in the Forest
The Beast of the Gévaudan
Cry Wolf!
Wolf Howls in London
Welsh Wolf Mysteries
Killer Wolves in Scotland
Wolf Packs in Ireland
Grey Wolves of the North
The Wolf Legend
The Hunter Hunted
The Wolf Today
Addenda (new Afterword in 1991 edition)

Great selection of historic wolf stories and legends from Europe. Mostly stories relating to wolf attacks, covering France, England, Wales, Ireland, North Europe, plus a chapter on Werewolf folklore. The chapter on the notorious wolf of Gévaudan which killed 60-100 people was a particular highlight.

Though this is no natural history book, there are no chapters on the natural life and habits of the wolf or even any great discussion into causes of maneating. Sadly Pollard offers a strictly one sided view of the wolf as nothing but a savage beast, a 'cruel' and 'treacherous' animal with 'an addiction to cannablism' that apparently deserves no sympathy for the cruel methods used by man in centuries gone by to eradicat it (including pulling wolves out of a pit trap, sewing their lips shut and then flaying them alive...).

If you can get past the writers dated (and horrendous) view of wolves, the book is otherwise well written and informative.

[Julian Hutchings · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a child growing up in Devon, this book was on the bookshelf and it always held a grip on me as I was petrified of wolves. I read and reread the book several times and found it interesting and insightful. The black and white pictures were fascinating and aimed to present a balanced view of wolves and their place in the world. Remember this book was published decades ago, long before animal rights were on the horizon. Wild scale slaughter of wolves had already taken place across the world and they had already been driven out of the UK. and Scotland.
The book aims to remove the mythology and fear of wolves (and the mythical werewolf) and present them as nothing more than large wild dogs