This guide will cover all things relating to and about various types of shapeshifters. One of the most widely known shapeshifters is the werewolf, sometimes referred to as a "lycanthrope." The latter term is derived from one of the earliest instances of human-to-wolf transformations in literature: King Lycaon of Arcadia. The story can be found in Ovid's Metamorphoses.
The Metamorphoses by Ovid; Allen Mandelbaum (Translator); J. C. McKeown (Introduction by)
Ovid's famous mock epic--a treasury of myth and magic that is one of the greatest literary works of classical antiquity--is rendered into fluidly poetic English by world-renowned translator Allen Mandelbaum. Roman poet Ovid's dazzling cycle of tales begins with the creation of the world and ends with the deification of Caesar Augustus. In between is a glorious panoply of the most famous myths and legends of the ancient Greek and Roman world--from Echo's passion for Narcissus to Pygmalion's living statue, from Perseus's defeat of Medusa to the fall of Troy. Retold with Ovid's irreverent flair, these tales are united by the theme of metamorphosis, as men and women are rendered alien to themselves, turned variously to flowers, trees, animals, and stones. The closest thing to a central character is love itself--a confounding, transforming, irrational force that makes fools of gods and mortals alike. The poem's playful verses, both sensually earthy and wittily sophisticated, have reverberated through the centuries, inspiring countless artists and writers from Shakespeare to the present. Frequently translated, imitated, and adapted, The Metamorphoses has lost none of its power to provoke and entertain.
Call Number: 873.01 OVID
ISBN: 9780375712319
Publication Date: 2013-09-10
Towards the end of the Middle Ages, spanning the 16th and 17th centuries, there were strings of "werewolf trials" across Europe. These trials happened in relation to the more well-known witch hunts/trials of the time. Like some accused "witches," many of those accused of being werewolves are now believed to have been suffering from any number of mental illnesses.
One of the most popular historical accounts of man-eating lupine beasts comes from the place formerly known as Gévaudan, France. The "Beast of Gévaudan," as it has come to be remembered, terrorized the, now historic, French province from 1764-1767. Different theories speculate as to the beast's true identity, so the matter is still up for debate.
Brotherhood of the Wolf
A fictionalized account of the Beast of Gévaudan and the hunt for the creature.
Call Number: BLU-RAY MOVIE BROTHERHOOD
ISBN: 0826663217964
Publication Date: 2002
The werewolf of today's pop culture can largely be traced back to the 1941 film The Wolf Man. Lon Chaney Jr.'s performance as the titular monster has become a staple of classic horror cinema. However, the oldest surviving film to feature a human-wolf shapeshifter is the 1925 film Wolfblood: A Tale of the Forest.
The Wolf Man
Larry Talbot returns to his father's castle in Wales. He is attacked by a creature of folklore, and infected with a horrific disease his disciplined mind tells him can not possibly exist.
Call Number: DVD MOVIE WOLF
ISBN: 0025192249594
Publication Date: 1941