Lycanthropic disorder
The term lycanthropy was also applied to those individuals afflicted with a form of dark melancholy, a deep depression that gave rise to a violent form of insanity. Clinical lycanthropy
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Origins of werewolves
Lycanthropy occurs internationally and always follows the same course. An apparently normal human, usually quite inoffensive in everyday life, changes at sunset into some kind of wild animal.
During the night the were-person indulges a taste for human flesh or for the raw flesh and blood of other animals. According to foklore, were-persons are always appallingly dangerous in their own bestial form and may even eat their own human children or other relations.
Such a phenomenon is classified as paranormal and therefore many explanations have been proposed.
Clinical Lycanthropy (where one believes that he or she is a lycanthrope) is a mental disorder, and thus has real psychological causes, as contrasted to legendary lycanthropy.
Metempsychosis
Lycanthropy is often confused with transmigration; but the essential feature of the were-animal is that it is the alternative form or the double of a living human being, while the
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Therianthropy
Physical Therianthropy has been defined as the ability to shift from human to animal form and back again. Spiritual Therianthropy, then, is the ability to mentally transform from the normal
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Animal spirits
In North and Central America, and to some extent in West Africa, Australia and other parts of the world, every male acquires at puberty a tutelary spirit; in some Native
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Animal ancestors
Stories of humans descending from animals are common explanations for tribal and clan origins. Sometimes the animals assumed human forms in order to ensure their descendants retained their human shapes,
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Witchcraft
Some superstitions found in witchcraft and modern black magic are interlinked with lycanthropic beliefs. During the Middle Age, lycanthropy was thought to be practiced by witches. The witches were believed
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Ergot poisoning
Ergot poisoning has been proposed to explain werewolf episodes in Europe in the 18th and 19th centuries as both a cause of an individual believing that he or she is
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