The Complete Idiot's Guide to Werewolves (34 page)

There is one thing you need to be perfectly clear on when it comes to the use of this poisonous herb. Wolf’s bane does
not
kill werewolves. However, it is known to be lethal if ingested by regular wolves. If anything, the lore surrounding the use of wolf’s bane states that it only works as a deterrent. Think of it as a kind of “werewolf repellent.” If you have to get close to the beast, having some of this on your person might be a good idea. Having wolf’s bane on a necklace, for example, might keep you from being bitten long enough to deal the werewolf a debilitating blow.

 

Once again, not all werewolf lore agrees on the effectiveness of wolf’s bane, even as a deterrent. So as usual, you might bring it, but you probably shouldn’t rely on it too heavily for protection. Remember, most of this stuff about what works against a werewolf is hypothetical.

There are many who agree that werewolves can be taken down by conventional means. However, because of their amazingly fast regenerative powers, such means require quite a bit more work. According to this method, either the werewolf’s heart or brain (or both, if possible) must be removed from the body or destroyed. Missing one or both of these organs, it is believed that the lycanthrope’s legendary power to regenerate will be shut down. The werewolf’s regeneration, it is believed, requires at least a minimal function of the brain or heart (or both) in order to remain active. Though there exists some older werewolf lore claiming that, even without a brain or heart, almost any dead werewolf will regenerate if left under the light of a full moon. Though this sounds rather unlikely, it’s up to you whether you feel like gambling on it.

 

The simplest method for cutting off the werewolf’s brain from its body is decapitation. It is almost universally agreed upon that a werewolf does not have the ability to regenerate a severed head. Even if you have incapacitated the werewolf by other means, most lore strongly suggests that you immediately chop off the head and cut out the heart as a precautionary measure against possible regeneration.

There are some other body parts that are said to bring down a werewolf if severed, though one should note that most of these are somewhat less likely or credible. For example, one myth states that chopping off a werewolf’s penis will destroy it (which once again proves that the wolf-man does, in fact, have nards). Most men would probably agree that this would bring down anyone. However, this method might leave one wondering what one should do if the werewolf is female?

In times past, there were several “magical” methods for combating and/ or detaining a werewolf. These methods may sound rather difficult to believe. However, you should consider whether these claims are any more or less believable than the idea of a human being transforming into a gigantic wolf-creature.

 

Possible magical or alchemical methods against werewolves include the following:

Okay, so you were (hopefully) lucky enough to survive your encounter unscathed and uninfected, and your werewolf is finally down for the count. Your work isn’t quite done, however. Now you must take measures to ensure that the fallen lycanthrope doesn’t get back up. In most cases, it has been reported that a mortally wounded werewolf returns to human form once regeneration has ceased. The werewolf appears to be dead. However, werewolves are nothing if not resilient.

If the downed werewolf has not already been decapitated, this should be done immediately. The heart should also be removed. Once these measures have been taken, quickly gather up as much wood as you can and pile it high. Incineration is the only known method for ensuring that the werewolf will not “cease to be deceased,” if you will. Burn the remains, including the head and heart, to ashes. Some sources say that the head and heart should be burned first. Others claim that the body should be the first thing tossed into the flames. Both sequences, however, agree that all of the remains should be incinerated. Any remaining bones should be buried. According to some lore, it is said that these bones should be buried in separate places. (This probably falls into the category of a “just in case” measure.)

 

Chapter 17

Explanations for Werewolf Phenomenon

 

Do werewolves actually exist? There are many who insist that they do not. Since the Age of Reason, beliefs in creatures such as the werewolf have increasingly been dismissed as ludicrous impossibilities. Many believe that lycanthropy is nothing more than an extreme state of self-delusion, brought on by mental illness or some neurological defect. Others claim that ancient werewolf sightings were nothing more than superstitious explanations for unusual medical conditions. Perhaps these sightings were hallucinations, caused by a well-documented fungus from which LSD was first derived.

 

To cryptozoologists, however, it is thought that the werewolf might be some form of unidentified primate or humanoid. After all, it’s often said that many human myths were originally based on some forgotten (but real) event. Is that the case with werewolves? Or does this ancient phenomenon have a rational explanation?

Hypertrichosis is one of the rarest skin disorders in existence. It is a condition in which long, fine hairs grow on a person’s body far beyond what is normal for the affected individual’s age, sex, and ethnicity. There are two basic forms of hypertrichosis—general and localized. For those with generalized hypertrichosis, hair grows all over the body. With localized hypertrichosis, thick patches of hair may grow only in certain places on the body (such as the forehead or neck). The condition can be congenital, which means present at birth, or acquired, occurring later in life (most often during puberty). There have only ever been 50 recorded cases of hypertrichosis in the entire world. However, only the known occurrences can be recorded. The first recorded cases of hypertrichosis date all the way back to the Middle Ages, but the condition has probably been around since the dawn of humankind.

 

Congenital hypertrichosis is believed to be the result of a rare genetic abnormality. When humans are in the womb, a coat of long, light-colored hairs (called lanugo hairs) covers the entire fetus. This hair is normally shed by the fetus sometime around the eighth month in the womb and is replaced by smaller, finer hairs (called vellus hairs, more commonly referred to as “peach fuzz”). The lanugo hairs that are shed from the scalp are replaced with what are called terminal hairs. Babies who are born with congenital hypertrichosis, however, usually come out of the womb with lanugo hairs covering their entire bodies. For whatever reason, the genetic trigger that causes most fetuses to shed their lanugo hairs for vellus hairs either does not activate or simply does not exist in those who have congenital hypertrichosis.

Acquired hypertrichosis, which occurs later in life, is often seen by doctors as a warning sign that one or more malignant, cancerous tumors are present in a patient’s body. Sometimes, narcotics use or certain drug interactions can also trigger acquired hypertrichosis. Acquired hypertrichosis is usually localized and rarely causes thickened growth all over the body. However, it is not unheard of.

 

Before the times of reason and the advancement of medical science, individuals with hypertrichosis were often the victims of social stigma and/or violent persecution. From ancient times through the Dark Ages, a child born with an unusual amount of hair on the body was considered a bad omen at best. In some cultures, it was even believed that such children were werewolves (or even a demonic offspring). Sadly, this often resulted in the immediate abandonment of the child or, even worse, infanticide.

Ergot
is considered one of the most potent hallucinogens that grow in the natural world. In fact, it is from ergot that the drug we now call LSD was first extracted by the pharmaceutical industry. And, interestingly enough, human beings have only been aware of the true nature of ergot for the last century and a half. However, they’d already been eating it for ages.