Our Fake History Episode #236 - Real Werewolves?
Oct 7, 2025
Delve into ancient tales of human-wolf transformations, from the Epic of Gilgamesh to medieval werewolf lore. Explore the fascinating intersection of myth and reality as historical figures confessed to being real werewolves during witch panics. Discover the role of enchanted wolf belts and the moral nuances in stories like Marie de France's Bisclavret. Uncover how modern cinema has redefined werewolf tropes, while examining their enduring appeal across cultures and centuries.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Myth Reveals Human Animality
- Lycaon’s transformation shows myth linking hidden savagery to animal form.
- Werewolf tales reveal anxiety that civilization barely masks innate animal instincts.
Wolf Symbolism Is Ambivalent
- Wolves occupy a contradictory cultural role: admired totems and feared predators.
- That duality makes the wolf a durable symbol for both valor and lurking violence.
Satyricon’s Moonlit Werewolf Tale
- In Petronius’s Satyricon a soldier strips, urinates, leaves clothes, and becomes a wolf by moonlight.
- Nyseros later finds the soldier wounded, proving the wolf and man were the same.
