μῦθοι Mythoi
Motif

Werwolf. A man changes periodically into the form of a wolf. He is usually malevolent when in wolf form.

Magic. · Transformation. · Transformation: man to animal. · Transformation: man to mammal. · Transformation: man to wild beast (mammal). · view the constellation · filed as D113.1.1

Filed across the traditions
  • Norse MacCulloch Eddic 291
  • Icelandic *Boberg, Hrolfs saga Kraka 50, Volsungasaga 15, Sveinnson FFC LXXXIII p. liv
  • Norwegian Solheïm Register 16
  • Finnish Aarne FFC XXXIII 46
  • German Wuttke Volksaberglaube 277
  • Dutch Schrijnen Volkskunde I 97
  • English Philippson Germanisches Heidentum bei den Angelsachsen 53, Child III 498a s. v. "werewolves", Wells 19 (William of Palerne)
  • Swiss Jegerlehner Oberwallis 323 No. 109, 325, No. 9
  • Breton Sébillot Incidents s. v. "loupgarou"
  • Gascon Bladé Contes pop. de Gascogne II 360 No. 4
  • Estonian Aarne FFC XXV 131f. Nos. 74–77, Eisen Esthnische Mythologie 31ff, Loorits Grundzüge I 311–320
  • Livonian Loorits FFC LXVI 63 Nos. 160–178
  • Lithuanian Balys Index No. 3671
  • Slavic Máchal 228f.
  • Jewish Neuman
  • India Thompson-Balys
  • S. Am. Indian (Amazon) Alexander Lat. Am. 301. – Africa: Frobenius Atlantis V 153, 165, VII 31ff, 56, XI 263, *Werner African 344
  • general **R. Andree Globus XXVII (1875)
  • general *C. T. Stewart Zs. f. Vksk. XIX 30ff.
  • general Kristensen Danske Sagn II (1893) 227ff.
  • general (1928) 148ff.
  • general Lid Saga och Sed 1937, 3ff.
  • general Odstedt Varulven i svensk folktradition (Uppsala 1944)
  • general **K. E. Smith An Historical Study of the Werwolf in Literature (PMLA IX, 1894)
  • general **E. O'Donnell Werewolves (Boston 1914)
  • general Summers The Werwolf (London, 1933)
  • general *O. Clemen Zs. f. Vksk. XXX–XXXII 141
  • general *Kittredge Witchcraft 175 nn. 5–7
  • general ibid. Arthur 169 n. 1

…and 8 more.

Within the index

Filed under Transformation: man to wolf.

Filed beside it
God (goddess) assumes form of a wolf
Travels with (Thompson’s cf.)
Wandering soul assumes shape of wolf. (Cf. D113.1.1, E731.) Child carried off by werwolf. (Cf. D113.1.1.) Boy saved by werwolf. (Cf. D113.1.1.) Werwolves hold mass. (Cf. D113.1.1, E492, G243.)

ask the rhapsode about this motif · search the shelf for “periodically” · wander