Are Werewolves Real? Discover the Legends’ Origins and “Real” Cases

We all know werewolves aren’t real; they’re just the stuff of scary campfire stories and Hollywood, right? Or are they? Folklore often originates in very real events. We’ve researched and dug up some historical and modern cases of “real” werewolves. You can decide: are werewolves real or not?

Wolves in Early European Folklore

Early European folklore is full of mythology that blurs the distinction between humans and wolves. The Romans, for example, believed a wolf raised human twins named Romulus and Remus. These went on to establish the city of Rome. In Greek mythology, Zeus became angry with a man named Lycaon and turned him and his sons into wolves. In the Epic of Gilgamesh, the hero rejects a woman who transformed her previous mate into a wolf. And in the Nordic Saga of the Volsungs, a father-son team put on magical wolf pelts to transform themselves into wolves and go on a killing spree.

Wolves in the Bible

The Bible uses wolves as a negative metaphor, and this influenced how the people of Europe saw them. Jewish prophets described unjust government officials and foreign enemies as wolves (Ezekiel 22:27, Habakkuk 1:8) and they predicted that wolves would pounce on people who rebelled against God (Jer. 5:6). But on the positive side, in the future, God would establish a peaceful world where “the wolf and the lamb will feed together” (Isaiah 65:25).

In the Christian scriptures, Jesus compared false prophets to wolves in sheep’s clothing (Matthew 7:15). He warned his disciples he was sending them out “like sheep among wolves” (Matthew 10:16). And the apostle Paul predicted that after his own departure, “savage wolves” would come into the church to destroy the “flock” of disciples (Acts 20:29-30). These types of religious teachings reinforced the idea of wolves as dangerous or even evil creatures.

European Wolves in the Middle Ages

The ideas expressed in mythology and religion were based in the reality that huge numbers of wolves prowled Europe in the past and literally thousands of people died from wolf attacks. Wolves competed with humans for deer, rabbits, and other wild game, as well as devouring livestock and people themselves when they could. The continent went through frequent cycles of warfare, famine, and disease that deprived wolves and people alike of scarce resources—and gave wolves the opportunity to feast on human flesh. The animals were so dangerous and feared that European rulers routinely commissioned wolf hunts and paid bounties for pelts. Hunters eradicated wolves in England by the 15th century and hunted them to near-extinction across the rest of Europe over the following centuries.

“Real” Historical Werewolves

These are a few examples of the alleged werewolves encountered in European history. These were historical cases that became the sources of many rumors and legends.

1. Pierre Burgot and Michel Verdun

This pair of Frenchmen were arrested in 1521 on suspicion of committing serial murders. Subjected to the interrogation tactics of the era, they not only admitted to the crime but said they had pledged themselves to the devil and, in return, received an ointment that transformed them into wolves. They died by burning at the stake—one of the few ways people thought it was possible to kill a werewolf.

2. Thiess of Kaltenbrun

Thiess of Kaltenbrun, known as “the Livonian Werewolf,” was in his 80s when he was put on trial for theft in the Swedish territory of Livonia in 1692. A practitioner of folk magic and healing, he confessed during the trial to being a good werewolf, a “hound of God.” Together with others like himself, he went into Hell three times a year to battle witches and the Devil and ensure a good harvest for the coming year. He said he had stopped doing it about ten years earlier, though. The court found him guilty of heresy but sentenced him only to flogging and banishment, not death.

3. Manuel Blanco Romasanta

Spain’s first serial killer, Manuel Blanco Romasanta, worked as a traveling salesman and tour guide in Spain and Portugal in the early 19th century. Police arrested him after he tried to sell the clothes of missing people. Romasanta confessed to 13 murders. His defense was lycanthropy—the belief that he could transform into a wolf. The court acquitted him of 4 of the murders, determining actual wolves did it. On the other charges, he was sentenced to death, but this was commuted to life in prison so that a French hypnotist could study his delusion . . . if it was a delusion!

4. Jacques Roule

Also known as the Werewolf of Angers or the Werewolf of Caud, Jacques Roule was found wounded and half-naked near a murder scene. Also spotted nearby: wolves! After his arrest, Roule confessed to the murder as well as others and said he had used an ointment to transform into a wolf. There is no record of torture or a confession of working with the devil in this case. His initial sentence was death, but the court commuted this sentence to two years in an asylum for the mentally ill.

5. Peter Stumpp

Peter Stumpp was a wealthy farmer in the German Rhineland in 1589 during the wars of religion between followers of Roman Catholicism and Protestantism. In the rural area where he lived, for years, folk had found dead and mutilated cattle and people. A hunting party with hounds managed to track down and corner a wolf. It was missing its left forepaw, like Stumpp, who was missing his left hand. Under intense torture, Stumpp confessed to making a pact with the devil, killing 16 people, committing cannibalism and other deviant acts. He, his mistress, and his daughter were then tortured to death. With this wealthy Protestant farmer and his heirs out of the way, the local Catholic authorities were able to seize his considerable estate. No conflict of interest there at all, right?

6. Gilles Garnier

In 1572, townspeople found several children murdered and mutilated in the town of Dole, France. A hunting party saw a wild animal attack a child. Someone said the animal looked like Gilles Garnier, a local hermit. Under torture, he admitted to lycanthropy, murder, and cannibalism and was burned at the stake. Historians speculate that Garnier may have indeed been guilty of the murders but made up the werewolf story due to torture or mental illness.

Disease as a Source of Werewolf Legends

In addition to the influence of mythology, superstition, greed, and cases of brutal murders, werewolf legends may have originated in the appearance and behavior of people with certain diseases or genetic disorders. Here are two examples.

1. Rabies

Rabies was widespread in Europe in the past, and this was likely one of the main sources of werewolf legends. It is a viral disease that attacks the central nervous system and causes severe brain disease in infected mammals. Infected wolves typically become ferocious, biting their victims repeatedly around the head and neck. They can aggressively attack multiple people without provocation and without attempting to eat what they kill.

Animals can pass rabies to humans through bites and scratches. A person can have a rabies infection for as short as four days or longer than six years before dying, if untreated. The symptoms can include anxiety, insomnia, agitation, paranoia, hallucinations, fear of water, foaming at the mouth, seizures, and irrational aggression. It is likely that throughout history people witnessed these effects in those who had been bitten by wolves and associated them with wolf-like behavior. It’s easy to see how they might imagine that the bite was turning the person into a wolf or a wolf-human hybrid.

2. Cantú Syndrome

The medical community has recognized Cantú syndrome only since 1982. The medical literature records only about 36 such cases, so it is quite rare. It is the result of a genetic mutation that causes excessive hairiness, with thick hair growing on the face, back, arms, and legs. People afflicted with this disorder also have larger-than-average heads, broad noses, skin folds in the inner corners of their eyes, and broad mouths. They can be born at above-average weight, suffer from curvature of the spine, and have developmental delays and intellectual disabilities. It is possible that these types of cases over the centuries, while exceedingly rare, may have contributed to werewolf legends.

Mental Disorders as a Source of Werewolf Legends

Lycanthropy, the belief that one can transform into a wolf, is an extremely uncommon delusion. Since 1850, there have only been about 13 documented psychiatric cases of it. The cases included both men and women and were accompanied by mental health diagnoses such as schizophrenia, psychotic depression, or bipolar disorder. Some patients reported seeing a wolf’s features when looking in a mirror, having burning sensations inside their bodies, thinking their chest had broadened, or that their mouth and teeth had changed shape.

Scientists speculate these thoughts might be connected to disorders in the parts of the brain’s cortex connected with movement and sensation that help us perceive our own bodies in our environment. Psychiatrists believe the best practice in these cases is to treat the underlying mental disorders rather than focusing on clinical lycanthropy itself.

Werewolves as Self-Expression

We can’t end a discussion of whether werewolves are real without acknowledging that thousands of people today strongly identify with animals or anthropomorphic versions of them. Some people envision wolves as their “spirit animals” that empower them and provide guidance for major life decisions. This can be a deeply held spiritual belief or more of an informal psychological construct to help them find meaning and manage their lives with feelings of confidence and power.

At a more playful level, so-called “furries” are individuals with an interest in anthropomorphized animals. That is, animals depicted with human characteristics, and vice versa. There is a whole “furry” subculture that includes graphic arts, costumes, role-playing, and, for some adults, sexual expression. Although some people take their “furry” identity quite seriously, for many, it is simply a fun way to connect socially and explore a playful or empowering fictional identity. Fortunately, we live at a time when expressing yourself as a wolf isn’t an arrestable offense. Just don’t steal any sheep and try not to bother the neighbors with your howling!