Werewolf Legends from Germany Werewolf Legendsfrom Germany
translated and edited by D. L. Ashliman University of Pittsburgh © 1997-2002.ContentsAnonymous.The Morbach Monster.Asmus, F. and Knoop, O.The Werewolf.A Woman Transforms Herself into a Werewolf.The Werewolf of Alt-Marrin.Bartsch, Karl.Fox Hill near Dodow.Werewolves.The Werewolf of Klein-Krams.The Werewolf of Vietlübbe.A Witch as Werewolf.Boren, George (London Chapbook of 1590)The Damnable Lifeand Death of Stubbe Peeter.Colshorn, Carl and Theodor.The Werewolf. Grimm, Jacob and Wilhelm.Werewolves.Werewolf Rock.The Werewolves Advance.Haas, A.The Werewolf of Jarnitz.Kuhn, Adalbert.Werewolf.Kuhn, A., and Schwartz, W.The Böxenwolf.The Werewolf Belt.The Werewolf Wife.Lyncker, Karl.The Werewolf.The Werewolf: Another Legend.The Peasant and the Werewolf.The Böxenwolf.Müllenhoff, Karl.The Werewolf of Hüsby.Schöppner, Alexander.The Wolf Stone.Temme, J. D. H.The Werewolves inGreifswald.The Werewolf near Zarnow.Werewolves in Pomerania.The Werewolf in Hindenburg.Link to a werewolf story from Croatia: The She-Wolf.Link to a werewolf story from Luxembourg: The Werewolf ofBettembourg. Link to a werewolf story from Slovakia: The Werewolf's Daughter.Return to D. L. Ashliman's folktexts, a library of folktales, folklore, fairy tales, and mythology. The Morbach MonsterAnonymousHave you ever heard of the Morbach Monster? I first learned of the legend while I was stationed at Hahn Airforce Base,Germany. Morbach was a munitions site just outside of the villiage ofWittlich. Supposedly Wittlich is the last town where a werewolf was killed. There isa shrine just outside of town where a candle always burns. Legend has itthat if the candle ever goes out the werewolf will return. One night a group of security policemen were on the way to their post atMorbach, when they noticed that the candle was out at the shrine, and alljoked about the monster. Later that night alarms were received from a fence-line sensor. When thesecurity policemen investigated the call one of them saw a huge "dog-like"animal stand up on its back legs, look at him, and jump over the 7 1/2foot chain-link fence. A military working dog was brought to the areawhere the creature was last seen, and the dog went nuts, not wantinganything to do with tracking the creature. This occured around 1988.There have always been "ghost" stories dreamed up by bored securitypolicemen, but this is one I have heard over and over again. Thought youmight find it interesting.Source: E-mail, dated October 6, 1997, to D. L. Ashliman from arespondent who wishes to remain anonymous. Another eye-witness account reads as follows: "I was stationed at HahnAir Base, Germany, from May 1986 to August 1989 as a security policeman,and it was my group that witnessed the Morbach Werewolf. Whoever told youthe story about the monster that you put on your website had very accurateinformation. The creature that we saw was definitely an animal anddefinitely dog or wolf like. It was about seven to eight feet tall, and itjumped a twelve-foot security fence after taking three long leaping steps." (From an e-mail received by D. L. Ashliman November 16, 1998)Return to the table of contents.The Werewolf F. Asmus and O. Knoop By using a so-called wolf strap, any person could transform himself into a werewolf. Whoever fastened such a strap around himself would turn into a wolf. If someone called out the name of a person who had turned himself into a wolf, that person would regain his human form. In earlier times there were a great many such straps, but today, along with the wolves, they seem to have been banned to Russia. A wolf strap was a gift from the devil. A person who possessed such a strap could not get rid of it, however much he wanted to. Anyone who accepted a wolf strap also had entered into brotherhood with the devil, surrendering body and soul to him. If real wolves were feared in earlier times, werewolves were feared all the more. A real wolf could be shot dead or lured into a so-called wolf pit, where it would perish from hunger. However, a werewolf could not be brought down with a rifle bullet, nor would it ever fall into a wolf pit. The reader will perhaps ask, "What is the use of running around as a werewolf?" This was not done for no good reason. When the pantries and meat containers were empty, one would only have to fasten on the wolf strap, run off as a wolf, seek out a fat sheep that was wandering off toward the edge of the woods, creep towards it, seize it, and drag it into the woods. In the evening one could bring it home without anyone noticing. Or the werewolf would know when a peasant was going through the woods with a lot of money. He would ambush him, rob him, then run off across the field with the booty. In earlier times, after the horses had been unhitched from a wagon or a plow, they would be driven out to a community pasture where they would be watched until morning by two herdsmen. Even colts were put out for the night. People took turns watching after them. Now once it happened that one of the two herdsmen had a wolf strap. After both herdsmen had kept watch for several hours they got sleepy and laid their heads down. The first one, however, who had heard that his companion possessed a wolf strap, only pretended to be asleep, and the other one thought that he was indeed sleeping. He quickly fastened the strap around himself and ran off as a wolf. The other one got up and saw how his companion ran up to a colt, attacked it, and devoured it. After this had happened, the wolf man came back and lay down to sleep. Toward morning they both awoke. The werewolf man was rolling around on the ground and groaning loudly. The other one asked him what was wrong. He said that he had a horrible stomach ache. To this the first one said, "The devil himself would have a stomach ache if he had eaten an entire colt at one time." The werewolf asked him to say nothing about what had happened. He kept silent about it for a long time, but later he did tell me about it, and now I too feel free to tell about it, because both men have been dead for a long time. Source: F. Asmus and O. Knoop, "Der Werwolf," Sagen und Erzählungen aus dem Kreise Kolberg-Körlin (Kolberg: Druck und Verlag der C. F. Post'schen Buchhandlung und Buchdruckerei, 1898), pp. 40-41. Asmus's and Knoop's source: "Told by Herr W. Rexilius, a carpenter." The Kolberg-Körlin district is on the Baltic Sea, in present-day Poland. Return to the table of contents. A Woman Transforms Herself into a Werewolf F. Asmus and O. Knoop In a village there lived a woman whose first name was Trine. Her husband had been dead for a long time. The woman lived in impoverished circumstances, but nonetheless, she was always able to offer fresh meat to those who visited her. One time a male relative came to visit her, and she offered him good fresh meat. The man said to her, "Tell me, Trine, where did you get this nice mutton?" Trine answered, "I'll show you. Just climb up onto the roof with the ladder that is leaning against the back of the house." The man did what Trine asked him to do. In the distance he saw a herd of sheep. Suddenly a wolf came out of the brush, ran into the midst of the sheep, and was about to run away with one of them. The shepherd saw this in time, and with his dog took off after the wolf in order to rescue the sheep. The wolf defended itself. The man on the roof, knowing what kind of wolf it was, called out, "Trine, watch out!" Suddenly Trine was standing there in her true form. Then the shepherd began striking out at her with renewed vigor, and Trine was scarcely able to drag herself back home. Source: F. Asmus and O. Knoop, "Eine Frau verwandelt sich in einen Werwolf," Sagen und Erzählungen aus dem Kreise Kolberg-Körlin (Kolberg: Druck und Verlag der C. F. Post'schen Buchhandlung und Buchdruckerei, 1898), pp. 41-42. Asmus's and Knoop's source: "Told by Herr W. Rexilius, a carpenter." The Kolberg-Körlin district is on the Baltic Sea, in present-day Poland. Return to the table of contents. The Werewolf of Alt-Marrin F. Asmus and O. Knoop About sixty years ago in Alt-Marrin there lived a man by the name of Gust K. He too possessed a wolf strap, with which he brought about much damage and misery. Finally the strap was taken from him, and it was to be burned. Three times the baking oven was heated up, and three times the strap was thrown into the glowing fire, but each time it jumped back out of the flames. Nor would water damage the strap. It always returned. However, the pastor from Fritzow finally burned it up. When Gust K. died, the pastor at Alt-Marrin could not finish the Lord's Prayer, and they called on the pastor from Fritzow. The latter said, "Away, away with it!" When they tried to lower him into the earth, the grave opening was too small, so the pallbearers had to trample him down with their feet. For a long time afterward there was always a hole in his grave mound, but it will have closed up by now, for grass has been growing over the story of Gust K. for a long time now. Source: F. Asmus and O. Knoop, "Der Werwolf zu Alt-Merrin," Sagen und Erzählungen aus dem Kreise Kolberg-Körlin (Kolberg: Druck und Verlag der C. F. Post'schen Buchhandlung und Buchdruckerei, 1898), p. 42. Asmus's and Knoop's source: "Told by Herr W. Rexilius, a carpenter." The Kolberg-Körlin district is on the Baltic Sea, in present-day Poland. Return to the table of contents. Fox Hill near DodowKarl BartschIn the village of Dodow near Wittenburg there lived an old woman whopossessed a fox strap. With its help she could transform herself into afox, and thus her table never lacked for geese, ducks, and all kinds ofpoultry.Her grandchild knew about it, and one day when the schoolmaster wastalking about magic in the school, the child told about the fox strap, andthe next day brought it to school.The schoolmaster took it into his hand and unintentionally approached hishead with it. Suddenly he was standing before the children, transformedinto a fox. They broke out with a deafening noise. This so frightenedthe little schoolmaster that he jumped out the window with a singleleap.He ran to the hill that lay near the village and there built himself aden.One day a great hunt was organized, and our fox was among those pursued bythe huntsmen. A bullet hit him, and suddenly a schoolmaster was lyingthere before the bewildered huntsman. The bullet had struck the fox strapand ripped it apart.In memory of this event the people of Dodow gave the name Fox Hill to theplace where their schoolmaster had lived.Source: Karl Bartsch, Sagen, Märchen und Gebräuche ausMeklenburg (Wien: Wilhelm Braumüller, 1879), v. 1, no. 181, p.146.Return to the table of contents. WerewolvesKarl BartschWerewolf legends are well known. According to them, many people possessedthe power to transform themselves into wolves by putting on a wolf belt.They would then roam about at night attacking their enemies or theirenemies' cattle.In Fahrenholz in the year 1682 a number of people were accused of beingable to transform themselves into wolves and were put on trial.Only thirty years ago [in the 1840's] numerous examples of this kind ofmagic were related in all children's rooms, although there have been nowolves in Mecklenburg for more than one hundred years. This proves howwidespread these legends formerly must have been. Beyer, in the Meklenburgische Jahrbücher (20, 161), statesthat "So far as I remember, in my youth I only heard of male werewolves,never females. However, in other regions gender makes no difference."1.A man possessed a wolf belt, that is, he had the ability to transformhimself into a wolf (werewolf). Once the huntsmen organized a fox huntand had placed a dead horse in the woods as bait for the foxes. Thewerewolf went there and was eating from the horse. The huntsmen surprisedhim and shot at him. He fled, and when they went to the house of the manthey suspected of being a werewolf, they found him in bed with a bulletwound.2.A young woman whose husband was often unexplainably absent came to thesuspicion that he was a werewolf.One day both were working in the field. The man again left his wife.Suddenly a wolf came forth from the bushes, ran toward her, grabbed herred woolen skirt with its teeth and shook her back and forth. Withscreams and blows from her hay fork she drove him away.Soon afterward her husband emerged from the same bushes into which thewolf had disappeared. She told him of her frightening experience. Helaughed, thereby revealing the red woolen threads from her skirt that werestuck between his teeth.She reported him to the judge, and he was burned to death.3.A woodcutter was working in the forest with his brother. The latter wentaway, and soon thereafter a wolf came out of the nearby bushes. Thewoodcutter wounded him on his right front leg with his ax, and the wolfretreated howling.That evening when the woodcutter returned home he found his brother in bedwith his right arm hidden beneath the covers. Only after repeated threatswould he reveal his arm, and on it was the same wound that the woodcutterhad given to the wolf.He reported his brother, who was burned to death.Source: Karl Bartsch, Sagen, Märchen und Gebräuche ausMeklenburg (Wien: Wilhelm Braumüller, 1879), v. 1, no. 182, pp.147-148.Bartsch's source for legend 1 is a master builder named Langfeld fromRostock.Legends 2 and 3 are from Hagenow, and were told to Bartsch byFräulein A. Krüger of Rostock.Return to the table of contents. The Werewolf of Klein-KramsKarl BartschIn the vicinity of Klein-Krams near Ludwigslust in former times there wereextensive forests that were so rich with game that the dukes often came tothis region to hold their great hunts. During these hunts they almostalways saw a wolf who -- even though he came within shooting distance --could never be killed by a huntsman. Indeed, they even had to watch as hetook a piece of game before their very eyes and -- something that was mostremarkable to them -- ran with it into the village.Now once it happened that a hussar from Ludwigslust was traveling throughthe village and just happened to enter the house of a man named Feeg.When he entered the house a flock of children stormed out of the housewith a loud cry and hurried out into the yard. When he asked them abouttheir wild behavior, they told him that except for a small boy, no onefrom the Feeg family was at home, and that he -- as was his custom when noone was at home -- had transformed himself into a werewolf, and that theywere running away from him, because otherwise he would bite them.Soon afterward the feared wolf appeared, but by now he had laid aside hiswolf form. The hussar turned to the Feeg child and tried to learn moreabout the wolf game, but the child would say nothing. However, thestranger would not give up, and he finally succeeded in making the childtalk.The child told him that his grandmother had a strap, and that if he put iton he would instantly become a wolf. The hussar kindly asked the boy tomake an appearance as a werewolf. At first the boy refused, but finallyhe agreed to do it, if the strange man would first climb into the loft, sothat he would be safe from him. The hussar agreed to this, and to be surepulled up the ladder with which he had climbed into the loft.As soon as this had happened the boy ran into the main room, and soon cameout again as a young wolf and chased away all those who standing in theentryway. After the wolf had run back into the main room and come backout as a boy, the hussar climbed down and had the Feeg child show him themagic belt, but he could not discover anything unusual about it.Afterward the hussar went to a forester in the vicinity of Klein-Krams andtold him what he had experienced in the Feeg house. Upon hearing thisstory, the forester, who had always been present at the great hunts nearKlein-Krams, immediately thought about the werewolf who could not bewounded. He now thought that he would be able to kill the werewolf. At the next hunt he said to his friends, as he rammed a bullet ofinherited silver into the barrel of his rifle, "Today the werewolf willnot escape from me!" His companions looked at him in amazement, but hesaid nothing further. The hunt soon began, and it did not take long before the wolf showedhimself once again. Many of the huntsmen shot at him, but he remainedunwounded. Finally he approached the forester, who brought him to theground. Everyone could see that the wolf was wounded, but soon he jumpedup again and ran into the village. The huntsmen followed him, but thewerewolf outran them and disappeared into the Feeg farmyard.In their search, the huntsmen came into the house, where they found thewolf in the grandmother's bed. They recognized it from the tail that wassticking out from under the covers.The werewolf was no one other than Feeg's grandmother. In her pain shehad forgotten to take off the strap, and thus she herself revealed thesecret.Source: Karl Bartsch, Sagen, Märchen und Gebräuche ausMeklenburg (Wien: Wilhelm Braumüller, 1879), v. 1, no. 183, pp.148-150.Bartsch's source is G. Diehn, a seminary student.For a German-language version of this legend, click here: DerWerwolf von Klein-Krams.Return to the table of contents. The Werewolf of VietlübbeKarl BartschA rich farmer by the name of Schlüntz lived a long time ago inVietlübbe. One day he had gone to Lübz and was returning homein the evening. Upon entering a grove of fir trees, his horse refused toproceed. The farmer suddenly saw a wolf jump from the bushes and beginsnapping at the horse. The horse ran off in a gallop, not stopping untilit had run out of breath. The wolf caught up and jumped at it.The farmer knew that a neighbor of his had the reputation of being asorcerer, and just as the wolf was about to grab his horse by the neck, hecalled out: "Irnst Jacobs, is that you? Let me say something to you.Irnst Jacobs, listen to me, Irnst Jacobs!" And as he spoke the name thethird time, his neighbor stood there before him, begging him to highheaven not to reveal him. The farmer let him go. It had been the neighbor who had taken on the formof a werewolf.Source: Karl Bartsch, Sagen, Märchen und Gebräuche ausMeklenburg (Wien: Wilhelm Braumüller, 1879), v. 1, no. 183, p.150.Bartsch's source is Pastor K. Bassewitz from Brütz, who heardthis story about 1844 from an old cowherd from Siggelkow.Return to the table of contents. A Witch as WerewolfKarl BartschOnce a witch was crossing a field in the form of a werewolf in order tobewitch a farmer's cows. Her husband came upon her, and when he saw thewolf, he was afraid that it might be his wife, so he called out, "Marie,Marie, what are you doing here?" This frightened the woman, who turned herself back into her human form.But even as the man approached her, long red hair was still hanging fromher neck and breast, and her eyes were still glowing like wolf's eyes.Source: Karl Bartsch, Sagen, Märchen und Gebräuche ausMeklenburg (Wien: Wilhelm Braumüller, 1879), v. 1, no. 185, pp.150-151.Bartsch's source is a "Frau H." from Wustrow.Return to the table of contents. The Damnable Life and Death of Stubbe PeeterGeorge Bores (London Chapbook of 1590)A true Discourse.Declaring the damnable life and death of one Stubbe Peeter, a mostwicked Sorcerer, who in the likeness of aWolf committed many murders, continuing thisdevilish practice 25 Years, killing and de-vouring Men, Women, andChildren.Who for the same fact was ta-ken and executed the 31st of Octoberlast past in the town of Bedbur [Bedburg]near the City of Collin [Cologne, Köln]in Germany.Truly translated out of the high Dutch, according to the copy printed inCollin, brought over into England by George Bores ordinary post, the 11thday of this present month of June 1590, who did both see and hear thesame. AT LONDONPrinted for Edward Venge, and are to besold in Fleet Street at the sign of theVine.A most true discourse,declaring the life and death of oneStubbe Peeter, being a mostwicker sorcerer.Those whom the Lord doth leave to follow the imagination of their ownhearts, despising his proffered grace, in the end through the hardness ofheart and contempt of his fatherly mercy, they enter the right path toperdition and destruction of body and soul for ever: as in this presenthistory in perfect sort may be seen, the strangeness whereof, togetherwith the cruelties committed, and the long time therein continued, maydrive many in doubt whether the same be truth or no, and the rather forethat sundry false and fabulous matters have heretofore passed in print,which hath wrought much incredulity in the hearts of all men generally,insomuch that now of days few things do escape be it never so certain, butthat it is embased by the term of a lie or false report.In the reading of this story, therefore I do first request reformation ofopinion, next patience to peruse it, because it is published for example'ssake, and lastly to censure thereof as reason and wisdom doth thinkconvenient, considering the subtlety that Satan useth to work the soul'sdestruction, and the great matters which the accursed practice of sorcerydoth effect, the fruits whereof is death and destruction for ever, and yetin all ages practiced by the reprobate and wicked of the earth, some inone sort and some in another even as the Devil giveth promise to perform.But of all other that ever lived, none was comparable unto this Hellhound, whose tyranny and cruelty did well declare he was of his father thedevil, who was a murderer from the beginning, whose life and death andmost bloody practices the discourse doth make just report.In the towns of Cperadt and Bedbur near Collin in high Germany, there wascontinually brought up and nourished one Stubbe Peeter, who from his youthwas greatly inclined to evil and the practicing of wicked arts even fromtwelve years of age till twenty, and so forwards till his dying day,insomuch that surfeiting in the damnable desire of magic, necromancy, andsorcery, acquainting himself with many infernal spirits and fiends,insomuch tat forgetting the God that made him, and that Savior that shedhis blood man man's redemption: In the end, careless of salvation gaveboth soul and body to the Devil for ever, for small carnal pleasure inthis life, that he might be famous and spoken of on earth, though he lostheaven thereby.The Devil, who hath a ready ear to listen to the lewd motions of cursedmen, promised to give him whatsoever his heart desired during his mortallife: whereupon this vile wretch neither desired riches nor promotion, norwas his fancy satisfied with any external or outward pleasure, but havinga tyrannous heart and a most cruel bloody mind, requested that at hispleasure he might work his malice on men, women, and children, in theshape of some beast, whereby he might live without dread or danger oflife, and unknown to be the executor of any bloody enterprise which hemeant to commit. The Devil, who saw him a fit instrument to perform mischief as a wickedfiend pleased with the desire of wrong and destruction, gave unto him agirdle which, being put around him, he was straight transformed into thelikeness of a greedy, devouring wolf, strong and mighty, with eyes greatand large, which in the night sparkled like unto brands of fire, a mouthgreat and wide, with most sharp and cruel teeth, a huge body and mightypaws. And no sooner should he put off the same girdle, but presently heshould appear in his former shape, according to the proportion of a man,as if he had never been changed.Stubbe Peeter herewith was exceedingly well pleased, and the shape fittedhis fancy and agreed best with his nature, being inclined to blood andcruelty. Therefore, satisfied with this strange and devilish gift, forthat it was not troublesome nor great in carriage, but that it might behidden in a small room, he proceeded to the execution of sundry mostheinous and vile murders; for if any person displeased him, he wouldincontinent thirst for revenge, and no sooner should they or any of theirswalk abroad in the fields or about the city, but in the shape of a wolf hewould presently encounter them, and never rest till he had plucked outtheir throats and tear their joints asunder. And after he had gotten ataste hereof, he took such pleasure and delight in shedding of blood, thathe would night and day walk the fields and work extreme cruelties. Andsundry times he would go through the streets of Collin, Bedbur, andCperadt, in comely habit, and very civilly, as one well known to all theinhabitants thereabout, and oftentimes was he saluted of those whosefriends and children he had butchered, though nothing suspected for thesame. In these places, I say, he would walk up and down, and if he couldspy either maid, wife, or child that his eyes liked or his heart lustedafter, he would wait their issuing out of the city or town. If he couldby any means get them alone, he would in the fields ravish them, and afterin his wolfish likeness cruelly murder them. Yea, often it came to pass that as he walked abroad in the fields, if hechanced to spy a company of maidens playing together or else a milkingtheir kine, in his wolfish shape he would incontinent run among them, andwhile the rest escaped by flight, he would be sure to lay hold of one, andafter his filthy lust fulfilled, he would murder her presently. Beside,if he had liked or known any of them, look who he had a mind unto, her hewould pursue, whether she were before or behind, and take her from therest, for such was his swiftness of foot while he continued a wolf that hewould outrun the swiftest greyhound in that country; and so much he hadpracticed this wickedness that the whole province was feared by thecruelty of this bloody and devouring wolf. Thus continuing his devilish and damnable deeds within the compass of afew years, he had murdered thirteen young children, and two goodly youngwomen big with child, tearing the children out of their wombs, in mostbloody and savage sort, and after ate their hearts panting hot and raw,which he accounted dainty morsels and best agreeing to his appetite.Moreover, he used many times to kill lambs and kids and such like beasts,feeding on the same most usually raw and bloody, as if he had been anatural wolf indeed, so that all men mistrusted nothing less than this hisdevilish sorcery.He had at that time living a fair young damsel to his daughter, after whomhe also lusted must unnaturally, and cruelly committed most wicked incestwith her, a most gross and vile sin, far surmounting adultery orfornication, though the least of the three doth drive the soul into hellfire, except hearty repentance, and the great mercy of God. This daughterof his he begot when he was not altogether so wickedly given, who wascalled by the name of Stubbe Beell, whose beauty and good grace was suchas deserved commendations of all those that knew her. And such was hisinordinate lust and filthy desire toward her, that he begat a child byher, daily using her as his concubine; but as an insatiate and filthybeast, given over to work evil, with greediness he also lay by his ownsister, frequenting her company long time, even according as thewickedness of his heart led him. Moreover, being on a time sent for to a gossip of his there to make merryand good cheer, ere he thence departed he so won the woman by his fair andflattering speech, and so much prevailed, that ere he departed the house,he lay by her, and ever after had her company at his command. This womanhad to name Katherine Trompin, a woman of tall and comely stature ofexceeding good favor and one that was well esteemed among her neighbors.But his lewd and inordinate lust being not satisfied with the company ofmany concubines, nor his wicked fancy contented with the beauty of anywoman, at length the Devil sent unto him a wicked spirit in the similitudeand likeness of a woman, so fair of face and comely of personage, that sheresembled rather some heavenly Helfin than any mortal creature, so far herbeauty exceeded the choicest sort of women; and with her, as with hisheart's delight, he kept company the space of seven years, though in theend she proved and was found indeed no other than a she-Devil. Notwithstanding, this lewd sin of lechery did not any thing assuage hiscruel and bloody mind, but continuing an insatiable bloodsucker, so greatwas the joy he took therein, that he accounted no day spent in pleasurewherein he had not shed some blood, not respecting so much who he didmurder, as how to murder and destroy them, as the matter ensuing dothmanifest, which may stand for a special note of a cruel and hard heart.For, having a proper youth to his son, begotten in the flower and strengthof his age, the first fruit of his body, in whom he took such joy that hedid commonly call him his heart's ease, yet so far his delight in murderexceeded the joy he took in his son, that thirsting after his blood, on atime he enticed him into the fields, and from thence into a forest hardby, where, making excuse to stay about the necessaries of nature, whilethe young man went forward, incontinent in the shape and likeness of awolf he encountered his own son and there most cruelly slew him, whichdone, he presently ate the brains out of his head as a most savory anddainty delicious mean to staunch his greedy appetite: the most monstrousact that ever man heard of, for never was known a wretch from nature sofar degenerate.Long time he continued his vile and villainous life, sometime in thelikeness of a wolf, sometime in the habit of a man, sometime in the townsand cities, and sometimes in the woods and thickets to them adjoining,whereas the Dutch copy maketh mention, he on a time met with two men andone woman, whom he greatly desired to murder, and the better to bring hisdevilish purpose to effect, doubting by them to be overmatched and knowingone of them by name, he used this policy to bring them to their end. Insubtle sort he conveyed himself far before them in their way and craftilycouched out of the sight; but as soon as they approached near the placewhere he lay, he called one of them by his name. The party, hearinghimself called once or twice by his name, supposing it was some familiarfriend that in jesting sort stood out of his sight, went from his companytoward the place from whence the voice proceeded, of purpose to see who itwas; but he was no sooner entered within the danger of this transformedman, but incontinent he was murdered in the place; the rest of his companystaying for him, expecting still his return, but finding his stay overlong, the other man left the woman and went to look him, by which meansthe second man was also murdered. The woman then seeing neither of bothreturn again, in heart suspected that some evil had fallen upon them, andtherefore, with all the power she had, she sought to save herself byflight, though it nothing prevailed, for, good soul, she was also soonovertaken by this light-footed wolf, whom, when he had first deflowered,he after most cruelly murdered. The men were after found mangled in thewood, but the woman's body was never after seen, for she the caitiff hadmost ravenously devoured, whose flesh he esteemed both sweet and dainty intaste.Thus this damnable Stubbe Peeter lived the term of five and twenty years,unsuspected to be author of so many cruel and unnatural murders, in whichtime he had destroyed and spoiled an unknown number of men, women, andchildren, sheep, lambs, and goats, and other cattle; for, when he couldnot through the wariness of people draw men, women, or children in hisdanger, then, like a cruel and tyrannous beast, he would work his crueltyon brute beasts in most savage sort, and did act more mischief and crueltythan would be credible, although high Germany hath been forced to tastethe truth thereof.By which means the inhabitants of Collin, Bedbur, and Cperadt, seeingthemselves so grievously endangered, plagued, and molested by this greedyand cruel wolf, who wrought continual harm and mischief, insomuch that fewor none durst travel to or from those places without good provision ofdefense, and all for fear of this devouring and fierce wolf, foroftentimes the inhabitants found the arms and legs of dead men, women, andchildren scattered up and down the fields, to their great grief andvexation of heart, knowing the same to be done by that strange and cruelwolf, whom by no means they could take or overcome, so that if any man orwoman missed their child, they were out of hope ever to see it againalive, mistrusting straight that the wolf had destroyed it.And here is to be noted a most strange thing which setteth forth the greatpower and merciful providence of God to the comfort of each Christianheart. There were not long ago certain small children playing in a meadowtogether hard by the town, where also some store of kine were feeding,many of them having young calves sucking upon them. And suddenly amongthese children comes this vile wolf running and caught a pretty fine girlby the collar, with intent to pull out her throat; but such was the willof God, that the wolf could not pierce the collar of the child's coat,being high and very well stiffened and close clasped about her neck; andtherewithal the sudden great cry of the rest of the children which escapedso amazed the cattle feeding by, that being fearful to be robbed of theiryoung, they altogether came running against the wolf with such force thathe was presently compelled to let go his hold and to run away to escapethe danger of their horns; by which means the child was preserved fromdeath, and, God be thanked, remains living at this day.An that this thing is true, Master Tice Artine, a brewer dwelling atPuddlewharfe in London, being a man of that country born, and one of goodreputation and account, is able to justify, who is near kinsman to thischild, and hath from thence twice received letters concerning the same;and for that the first letter did rather drive him into wondering at theact then yielding credit thereunto, he had shortly after, at request ofhis writing, another letter sent him, whereby he was more fully satisfied;and divers other persons of great credit in London hath in like sortreceived letters from their friends to the like effect.Likewise in the town of Germany aforesaid continual prayer was used untoGod that it would please Him to deliver them from the danger of thisgreedy wolf.And, although they had practiced all the means that men could devise totake this ravenous beast, yet until the Lord had determined his fall, theycould not in any wise prevail: notwithstanding, they daily continued theirpurpose, and daily sought to entrap him, and for that intent continuallymaintained great mastiffs and dogs of much strength to hunt and chase thebeast. In the end, it pleased God, as they were in readiness and providedto meet with him, that they should espy him in his wolfish likeness atwhat time they beset him round about, and most circumspectly set theirdogs upon him, in such sort that there was no means of escape, at whichadvantage they never could get him before; but as the Lord deliveredGoliath into the hands of David, so was this wolf brought in danger ofthese men, who seeing, as I said before, no way to escape the imminentdanger, being hardly pursued at the heels, presently slipped his girdlefrom about him, whereby the shape of a wolf clean avoided, and he appearedpresently in his true shape and likeness, having in his hand a staff asone walking toward the city. But the hunters, whose eyes were steadfastlybent upon the beast, and seeing him in the same place metamorphosedcontrary to their expectation, it wrought a wonderful amazement to theirminds; and, had it not been that they knew the man so soon as they sawhim, they had surely taken the same to have been some Devil in a man'slikeness; but for as much as they knew him to be an ancient dweller in thetown, they came unto him, and talking with him, they brought him bycommunication home to his own house, and finding him to be the man indeed,and no delusion or fantastical motion, they had him incontinent before themagistrates to be examined.Thus being apprehended, he was shortly after put to the rack in the townof Bedbur, but fearing the torture, he voluntarily confessed his wholelife, and made known the villainies which he had committed for the spaceof 25 years; also he confessed how by sorcery he procured of the Devil agirdle, which being put on, he forthwith became a wolf, which girdle athis apprehension he confessed he cast it off in a certain valley and thereleft it, which, when the magistrates heard, they sent to the valley forit, but at their coming found nothing at all, for it may be supposed thatit was gone to the Devil from whence it came, so that it was not to befound. For the Devil having brought the wretch to all the shame he could,left him to endure the torments which his deeds deserved.After he had some space been imprisoned, the magistrates found out throughdue examination of the matter, that his daughter Stubbe Beell and hisgossip Katherine Trompin were both accessory to divers murders committed,who for the same as also for their lewd life otherwise committed, wasarraigned, and with Stubbe Peeter condemned, and their several judgmentspronounced the 28 of October 1589, in this manner, that is to say: StubbePeeter as principal malefactor, was judged first to have his body laid ona wheel, and with red hot burning pincers in ten several places to havethe flesh pulled off from the bones, after that, his legs and arms to bebroken with a wooden ax or hatchet, afterward to have his head struck fromhis body, then to have his carcass burned to ashes.Also his daughter and his gossip were judged to be burned quick to ashes,the same time and day with the carcass of the aforesaid Stubbe Peeter.And on the 31st of the same month, they suffered death accordingly in thetown of Bedbur in the presence of many peers and princes of Germany.This, Gentle Reader, have I set down the true discourse of this wicked manStub Peeter, which I desire to be a warning to all sorcerers and witches,which unlawfully follow their own devilish imagination to the utter ruinand destruction of their souls eternally, from which wicked and damnablepractice, I beseech God keep all good men, and from the cruelty of theirwicked hearts. AmenAfter the execution, there was by the advice of the magistrates of thetown of Bedbur a high pole set up and strongly framed, which first wentthrough the wheel whereon he was broken, whereunto also it was fastened;after that a little above the wheel the likeness of a wolf was framed inwood, to show unto all men the shape wherein he executed those cruelties.Over that on the top of the stake the sorcerer's head itself was set up,and round about the wheel there hung as it were sixteen pieces of woodabout a yard in length with represented the sixteen persons that wasperfectly known to be murdered by him. And the same ordained to standtherefor a continual monument to all ensu-ing ages, what murders by Stub Pee-ter was committed, with the or-der of his judgment, asthis picture doth moreplainly ex-press.Witnesses that this is true:Tyse Artyne.William Brewar.Adolf Staedt.George Bores.With divers others that have seen the same.Source: Montague Summers, The Werewolf (New York: E. P.Dutton & Company, 1934), pp. 253-259. I have modernized the spelling, buthave left unchanged various grammatical inconsistencies.Summers' source is a black-letter pamphlet printed in London in 1590.Only two copies of this pamphlet are known to exist, one in the BritishMuseum and one in the Lambeth Library.Peeter (also spelled Peter) Stubbe's family name is variously recordedas Stub, Stubbe, Stube, Stump, or Stumpf.Important link: "The Damnable Life and Death of Stubbe Peeter"combines the tradition of werewolves with that of Faust legends.Return to the table of contents. The WerewolfCarl and Theodor ColshornThree workmen were mowing a meadow. Noon came, but no one had brought them their meal yet, so they agreed to mow one more round and then to lie down beneath a bush until the food arrived. And that is what they did. Two of them fell asleep immediately, because one never sleeps better than when one is tired, and there is no softer bed than one made from flowers and grass.The third workman, however, tied a wolf strap around his waist and crept up to a herd of horses that was grazing there. The best foal was just right for him. He grabbed it and killed it. The remaining horses and the herder ran off. The other harvesters saw what had happened, but they wisely pretended to be asleep, for they were frightened and horrified.After the werewolf had satisfied his hunger, he took off the strap, came back, and lay down to rest. Their food soon arrived: a large pot full of porridge and for each man six boiled eggs plus some bread and salt. As the two harvesters were helping themselves with their wooden spoons, the werewolf said, "Earlier I was terribly hungry, but for some reason I don't feel like eating now." The two others said nothing.The one harvester complained the entire afternoon about cramps and a stomach ache, and often went to the brook to quench his burning thirst. The two others said nothing. That evening, as they were on their way home, he said once again that he had never felt so stuffed, to which one of the harvesters replied that it could happen to anyone.When they arrived at the town gate, and he was still complaining, the other workman said, "A person who eats an entire foal should not be surprised to feel stuffed and have stomach cramps.To that he replied, "If you had said that earlier, you would not now be walking home on your own legs." He then threw his scythe away, tied the strap around his waist, turned into a wolf, and was never again seen in that place.Source: Carl and Theodor Colshorn, Märchen und Sagen (Hannover: Verlag von Carl Rümpler, 1854), pp. 58-59.Return to the table of contents.WerewolvesJacob and Wilhelm Grimm1.A soldier related the following story, which is said to have happened tohisgrandfather. The latter, the grandfather, had gone into the forest to cutwoodwith a kinsman and a third man. People suspected that there was somethingnotquite right about this third man, although no one could say exactly whatitwas.The three finished their work and were tired, whereupon the third mansuggestedthat they sleep a little. And that is what they did. They all laid downon theground, but the grandfather only pretended to sleep, keeping his eyes openacrack. The third man looked around to see if the others were asleep, andwhenhe believed this to be so, he took off his belt (or, as others tell thestory,put on a belt) and turned into a wolf.However, such a werewolf does not look exactly like a natural wolf, butsomewhatdifferent.Then he ran to a nearby meadow where a young foal was grazing, attackedit, andate it, including skin and hair. Afterward he returned, put his belt backon(or took it off), and laid down, as before, in human form.A little later they all got up together and made their way toward home.Just asthey reached the town gate, the third man complained that he had astomachache. The grandfather secretly whispered in his ear: "That I can well believe,forsomeone who has a horse, complete with skin and hair, in his belly."The third man replied: "If you had said that to me in the forest, youwould notbe saying it to me now."2.A woman had taken on the form of a werewolf and had attacked the herd of ashepherd, whom she hated, causing great damage. However, the shepherdwoundedthe wolf in the hip with an ax blow, and it crawled into the brush. Theshepherd followed, thinking that he could finish it off, but there hefound awoman using a piece of cloth torn from her dress to stop the blood gushingfroma wound.3.At Lüttich in the year 1610 two sorcerers were executed because theyhadturned themselves into werewolves and had killed many children. With themtheyhad a boy of twelve years whom the devil turned into a raven whenever theyweretearing apart and eating their prey.Source: Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, Deutsche Sagen, (1816/1818),no.214.Link to the original German text: Der Werwolf.Return to the table of contents. Werewolf RockJacob and Wilhelm GrimmIn the meadow facing Seehausen near the Magdeburg village of Eggenstedt,not farfrom Sommerschenburg and Schöningen, there is a large rock, called"WolfRock" or "Werewolf Rock."A long, long time ago a stranger sojourned near the Brandsleber Forest,whichbelonged to the Hackel and the Harz districts. No one knew who he was,norwhere he came from. Known everywhere by the name "the Old Man," he wouldoftenshow up without notice in the villages and offer his services, which heperformed to the satisfaction of the country people. He was most oftenengagedto herd sheep.It happened that a cute spotted lamb was born in a herd belonging to ashepherdnamed Melle from Neindorf. The stranger asked the shepherd repeatedly andfervently to give it to him, but the shepherd refused.On shearing day Melle engaged the Old Man to help out. When he returnedhefound everything in order; all the work had been done, but neither theOld Mannor the spotted lamb were there. For a long time no one heard anythingaboutthe Old Man.Finally one day he unexpectedly appeared before Melle, who was grazing hissheepin the Katten Valley. He called out sneeringly: "Good day, Melle, yourspottedlamb sends his greetings!"Angered, the shepherd grabbed his crook in order to avenge himself. Thensuddenly the stranger changed shape and sprang at him as a werewolf. Theshepherd took fright, but his dogs attacked the wolf with fury. The wolffled. Pursued, it ran through forest and valley until it reached the vicinity ofEggenstedt. Here the dogs surrounded him.The shepherd called out: "Now you will die!" Then the Old Man, again inhumanform, begged to be spared, offering to do anything. But the shepherdfuriouslyattacked him with his stick, when suddenly a sprouting thorn bush stoodbeforehim. But the vengeful shepherd did not spare him, hacking away at thebranchesinstead. The stranger once again turned himself into a human and beggedfor hislife. But hard-hearted Melle remained unmoved. Then the strangerattempted tomake his escape as a werewolf, but a blow from Melle brought him dead totheearth. A rocky cliff marks the spot where he fell and was buried, andwill benamed after him for all eternity.Source: Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, Deutsche Sagen, (1816/1818),no. 215.Link to the original German text: DerWerwolfstein.Return to the table of contents. The Werewolves AdvanceJacob and Wilhelm GrimmIn Livland there is the following legend: When Christmas Day is over aboy wholimps with one leg goes around calling together all those who have yieldedtothe Evil One -- and there is a large number of them -- bidding them tofollowhim. If any one of these resists or hesitates, then a large tall man isalsothere who hits at them with a whip braided from iron wire and littlechains,driving them along with force. It is said that he whips at the people socruelly that a long time later marks and scars can still be seen on theirbodies, and they are in great pain.As soon as they begin to follow him, it appears as though they lose theirformershape and turn into wolves. Several thousand of them come together.Theirleader, with the iron whip in his hand, leads the way. When they havebeen ledinto a field, they cruelly attack the cattle, ripping every animal topiecesthat they can catch, thus doing great damage. However, they are not abletoharm humans.When they come to a body of water, their leader strikes at it with hisswitch orwhip, and it divides, allowing them to cross over with dry feet. Aftertwelvedays have passed, they abandon their werewolf form and become humans onceagain.Source: Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, Deutsche Sagen, (1816/1818),no. 216.Link to the original German text: Die Werwölfeziehen aus. Livland, also known as Livonia, is a region on theBaltic Sea that comprises present Estonia and parts of Latvia.Return to the table of contents. The Werewolf of JarnitzA. HaasIn the vicinity of Jarnitz there lived a werewolf who had the ability to transform himself into all kinds of different shapes. This werewolf spent the nights stealing sheep from their enclosures, for in those days the sheep were kept at night in enclosures in the open fields. For several nights in a row the shepherd, armed with a loaded gun, had kept watch for the night robber. He had already hit the werewolf several times, as he had clearly seen, but the bullets seemed to have done him no harm, and he had escaped with his booty every time. Then the shepherd loaded his gun with bullets made of inherited silver, which never fail. Thus this time he would be successful.Following his custom, the werewolf appeared again that night. But as he was approaching the enclosure, he immediately sensed that this time the shepherd might do him in. Therefore he quickly turned himself into a human, walked up to the shepherd, and said to him in a familiar tone, "You don't have to shoot me dead!" That so unsettled the shepherd that he lowered his gun, which he had been aiming at the intruder.The werewolf never again dared to steel sheep from the Jarnitz enclosures.Source: A. Haas, Rügensche Sagen und Märchen (Stettin, 1903), pp. 98-99. Jarnitz (Germany) is a town on the island of Rügen in the Baltic Sea.Return to the table of contents.WerewolfAdalbert KuhnThere were formerly werewolves. One could transform oneself into awerewolf by putting on a belt. A servant understood how to do this, andwhile the others were asleep at noontime he ate an entire foal. One of themen just pretended to be asleep and observed everything. From Glane nearIburg.If you throw a piece of iron or steel over a hare that is a transformedhuman, or over a werewolf, then the human will immediately appear beforeyou completely naked. They call that "making blank" the witch, the wolf,and so forth. The werewolf's pelt bursts crosswise at its forehead, andthe naked human emerges from this opening.Source: Adalbert Kuhn, Sagen, Gebräuche und Märchen ausWestfalen und einigen andern, besonders den angrenzenden GegendenNorddeutschlands (Leipzig: F. A. Brockhaus, 1859), v. 2, pp. 25, 31.Return to the table of contents.The BöxenwolfA. Kuhn and W. SchwartzIn the entire region between the Deister River and the Weser River theytellabout the böxenwolf who at nighttime preys upon travelers, makingthemcarry him part of the way. Such a böxenwolf is actually a human whotransforms himself and gains superhuman strength by putting on a strap.Late one evening two peasants were returning home from a mill not far fromRinteln. Each was carrying a sack of flour. A böxenwolf confrontedone ofthem. He immediately called out for help to his companion, who threw downhissack and attacked the böxenwolf so furiously with his stick, that theböxenwolf turned and fled.The next day they went to another peasant. They had long suspected him,becausewas rich, but no one knew the source of his wealth. He was lying in bed,deathly ill. He had the surgeon come and bind his wounds. Thus theydiscoveredwho had been the böxenwolf.Source: A. Kuhn and W. Schwartz, Norddeutsche Sagen, MärchenundGebräuche (Leipzig: F. A. Brockhaus, 1848), p. 245. Kuhn's andSchwartz's source is an "oral tradition."Return to the table of contents. The Werewolf BeltA. Kuhn and W. SchwartzFormerly there were people who could turn themselves into wolves byputting on acertain belt. A man in the vicinity of Steina had such a belt, and oncehe wentaway without locking it up, as was his custom. His young son came upon itandbuckled the thing about himself. Instantly he became a werewolf. He hadtheappearance of a stack of pea straw and lumbered away heavily like abear.When the people in the room saw what had happened they ran quickly andbroughtback the father. He arrived barely in time and undid the strap before theboycould do any damage. Afterward the boy said that as soon as he put thebelt on,he become so terribly hungry that he would have torn anything apart thatmight have gotten in his way.Source: A. Kuhn and W. Schwartz, Norddeutsche Sagen, MärchenundGebräuche (Leipzig: F. A. Brockhaus, 1848), p. 232. Kuhn's andSchwartz's source is an "oral tradition from Steina."Return to the table of contents. The Werewolf WifeA. Kuhn and W. SchwartzIn Caseburg on the island of Usedom a man and his wife were cutting hay inameadow. After a while the woman told the man that she was uneasy andcould notstay there any longer, and she went away. Earlier she had told him thatif awild animal were to come upon him he should throw his hat toward it andrunaway, and then no harm would come to him. The man had promised her thathewould do this.After the woman had been away for a while, a wolf swam across the Swinaandapproached the harvesters. The man threw his hat at it, which the beastimmediately ripped into small pieces. Meanwhile one of the workers creptup tothe wolf with a pitchfork and stabbed it to death from behind. Instantlyit wastransformed. They were all astounded to see that it was the farmer's wifethatthe worker had killed.Today the island of Usedom lies mostly in German, partly in Polishterritory. The straight of Swina separates the Polish portion of Usedomfrommainland Poland. Source: A. Kuhn and W. Schwartz, Norddeutsche Sagen, MärchenundGebräuche (Leipzig: F. A. Brockhaus, 1848), no. 22, pp. 18-19.Return to the table of contents. The WerewolfKarl LynckerThe Hessian farmer knows and fears the ravenous werewolf even today[1854]. This is a human whose shape has been transformed by putting on a belt.Thewerewolf attacks everything that gets in his way, and is especiallydangerousfor the herds. However, there is a way to destroy the belt's magic power:Ifone throws a knife -- a piece of shiny steel -- over the werewolf, he willinstantly be transformed into his true human form and stand therecompletelynaked.In the vicinity of Wolfhagen there was a well-to-do woman of goodparentage whoalmost every night would leave her house and roam the fields as awerewolf. Once a shepherd bravely approached the werewolf, as it crept into an alderthicket, its appetite sated. The shepherd, who had long pursued thewerewolf,hoped to capture it. He threw his pocketknife over its head and neck, andimmediately the woman was standing naked there before him. She imploredhim tohave mercy with her and to not tell the story to anyone. The shepherd washighly surprised to see the well known woman before him, and he promisedto keepthe event a secret. Nonetheless, within a few days everyone knew aboutit.Source: Karl Lyncker, Deutsche Sagen und Sitten in hessischenGauen, (Cassel: Verlag von Oswald Bertram, 1854), no. 162, pp. 106-107.Return to the table of contents. The Werewolf: Another LegendKarl LynckerA married couple in Hessen lived in poverty. To the husband's amazement,thewife nevertheless was able to serve meat for every meal. For a long timeshekept it a secret where she got the meat, but finally she promised toreveal itto him, under the condition that he not call out her name as it washappening. Together they went to a field where a herd of sheep was grazing. Thewomanwalked toward the sheep, and as she approached them, she threw a ring overherself and instantly turned into a werewolf. She fell upon the sheep,seizedone of them, and fled. The man stood there as though petrified. However,whenhe saw the shepherd and the dogs running after the werewolf, thusendangeringhis wife, he forgot his promise and called out: "Margaret!" With that thewolfdisappeared, and the woman was left standing naked in the field. Source: Karl Lyncker, Deutsche Sagen und Sitten in hessischenGauen, (Cassel: Verlag von Oswald Bertram, 1854), no. 163, pp. 107-108.Return to the table of contents. The Peasant and the WerewolfKarl LynckerOne night a werewolf came upon a peasant who was driving his wagonoverland. Inorder to break its magic, the level-headed man unhesitatingly tied hisfiresteel to his whip and threw it over the wolf's head, keeping the whip inhishand. However, the wolf seized the steel, and the peasant had to flee inorderto save his life.Source: Karl Lyncker, Deutsche Sagen und Sitten in hessischenGauen, (Cassel: Verlag von Oswald Bertram, 1854), no. 164, p. 108.Return to the table of contents. The BöxenwolfKarl LynckerIn the Schaumburg region a werewolf is called a böxenwolf. Böxenwolves are humans who are in league with the devil and who canassumethe form of animals by buckling a strap about themselves. Then theycunninglyattack and torment other people. They can be exposed by throwing a pieceofsteel over them. There is not a single village in which someone has notbeenseized in the back of the neck by a böxenwolf and has had to drag it,gasping for breath, for some distance. Source: Karl Lyncker, Deutsche Sagen und Sitten in hessischenGauen, (Cassel: Verlag von Oswald Bertram, 1854), no. 165, p. 108.Lyncker spells the creature's name "Böchsenwolf," and providesthefollowing etymology: Böchse, Buchse = Hose [trousers]. Return to the table of contents. The Werewolf of HüsbyKarl MüllenhoffIn Hüsby near Schleswig there lived an old, stingy woman. Sheoffered her farm hands but little to eat, although there was fresh meatevery Sunday. The household wondered about this, because the old womannever bought any meat. A young farm hand wanted to discover the woman's trick, so one day he hidhimself in the hayloft instead of going to church with the rest of thehousehold. Suddenly he noticed how the woman pulled out a wolf strap andput it around herself. She immediately became a wolf, ran out into thefield, and soon came back with a sheep. "If she can get meat that easily," thought the boy, "then she can be moregenerous with us. As the woman put meat into the pot, she sighed andsaid, aswas her custom, "Oh, dear God, if only I were with you!" The boy, pretending to be God, answered, "You'll not come to me for alleternity." "Why not, dear God?" "Because you put too little into the pot for your people." "Then I'll do better." "Yes, that's my advice to you." From now on she put a much larger piece of meat into the pot. But the boycould not remain silent, and in the village he talked about what hadhappened. When on a Sunday morning the woman again turned herself into awolf, the people were on guard. However, no bullet could harm her untilthey finally loaded a flintlock with a silver bullet. From that time tothe end of her life the woman had an open wound that no doctor could heal.She never again showed herself as a werewolf.Source: Karl Müllenhoff, Sagen, Märchen und Lieder derHerzogtümer Schleswig, Holstein und Lauenburg, neue Ausgabe vonOtto Mensing (Schleswig, 1921), no. 370.For a German-language text of this legend, click here: DerWerwolf von Hüsby.This legend was also published under the title "Die Frau mit demWolfsriemen" in Gundula Hubrich-Messow, Sagen und Märchen ausSchleswig (Husum: Husum Druck- und Verlagsgesellschaft, 1994), no. 14,p. 15. Return to the table of contents. The Wolf StoneAlexander SchöppnerIn a valley in the Fichtel Mountains a shepherd tended his flock in agreen meadow. Several times it happened that after driving his herd homehe discovered that one of the animals was missing. All searching was invain. They were lost and they remained lost. Watching more carefully, he saw a large wolf creep out of the forestthicket and seize a lamb. Angrily he chased after him, but the enemy wastoo fleet. Before he could do anything about it, the wolf had disappearedwith the lamb. The next time he took an expert marksman with him. Thewolf approached, but the marksman's bullets bounced off him. Then itoccurred to the hunter to load his weapon with the dried pith from anelder bush. The next day he got off a shot, and the robber ran howlinginto the woods. The next morning the shepherd met an old neighbor woman with whom hewas not on the best of terms. Noticing that she was limping, he askedher: "Neighbor, what is wrong with your leg? It does not want to goalong with you.""What business is it of yours?" she answered, hurrying away.The shepherd took note of this. This woman had long been suspected ofpracticing evil magic. People claimed to have seen her on the Heuberg inSwabia, the Köterberg, and also on the Hui near Halberstadt.He reported her. She was arrested, interrogated, and flogged with rodof alder wood, with which others suspected of magic, but who had deniedthe charges, had been punished. She was then locked up in chains. Butsuddenly the woman disappeared from the prison, and no one knew where shehad gone.Some time later the poor, unsuspecting shepherd saw the hated wolfbreak out of the forest once again. However, this time it had not come toattack his herd, but the shepherd himself. There was a furious struggle.The shepherd gathered all of his strength together against the teeth andclaws of the ferocious beast. It would have been his death if a hunterhad not come by in the knick of time. In vain he fired a shot at thewolf, and then struck it down with his knife. The instant that bloodbegan to flow from the wolf's side, the old woman from the villageappeared in the field before them, writhing and twisting terribly. Theyfinished killing her and buried her twenty feet beneath the earth.At the place where they buried the woman they erected a large stonecross, which they named the "Wolf Stone" in memory of these events. Itwas never peaceful and orderly in the vicinity of the stone. TheMalicious Messenger (der Tückebote) or the Burning Man (der brennendeMann), in the language of the people, still goes about his dangerousbusiness here.Source: Hans Sponholz, Der verwunschene Rehbock: Sagen aus Bayernum Wald, Wild und Jagd (Hof [Saale]: OberfränkischeVerlagsanstalt und Druckerei GmbH, 1981), pp. 56-57.Sponholz's source: Alexander Schöppner, Sagenbuch derbayerischen Lande: Aus dem Munde des Volkes, der Chronik und derDichter (München, 1874), II/165f.Return to the table of contents.The Werewolves in GreifswaldJ. D. H. TemmeTwo hundred years ago for a time there was a frightfully large number of werewolves in the city of Greifswald. They were especially prevelant in Rokover Street. From there they attacked anyone who appeared outside of their houses after eight o'clock in the evening. At that time there were a lot of venturesome students in Greifswald. They banded together and one night set forth against the monsters. At first they were powerless against them, until finally the students brought together all of the silver buttons that they had inherited, and with these they killed the werewolves.Source: J. D. H. Temme, Die Volkssagen von Pommern und Rügen (Berlin: In der Nicolaischen Buchhandlung, 1840), no. 259, p. 308.Return to the table of contents.The Werewolf near ZarnowJ. D. H. TemmeIn the vicinity of Zarnow a few years ago a terrible wolf was on the loose and was causing great harm to humans and cattle. Once he even ripped a child to pieces. Then all the peasants of the region banded together and pursued him, finally surrounding him in some brush. They were about to kill him when suddenly a large strange man with a club appeared before them. Then they knew that they had a werewolf before them. This happened in the year 1831. Source: J. D. H. Temme, Die Volkssagen von Pommern und Rügen (Berlin: In der Nicolaischen Buchhandlung, 1840), no. 260, p. 308.Return to the table of contents.Werewolves in PomeraniaJ. D. H. TemmeThe belief in werewolves is common throughout all of Pomerania. One cantransform oneself into a werewolf by girding oneself with a strap that hasbeen cut from the back of a man who has been hanged. Werewolves areespecially fond of attacking horses. In the village of Bork not far fromStargard for a long time a man made his entire living by walking aroundthe horse pasture in the village every night and whispering mysteriouswords by which he protected the horses against werewolves and otherwolves, and this in spite of the fact that wolves had long not been seenin that region.Source: J. D. H. Temme, Die Volkssagen von Pommern undRügen (Berlin: In der Nikolaischen Buchhandlung, 1840), pp.340-341.Temme does not give this tale a title. It is part of a larger sectionentitled "Superstitious Beliefs and Practices in Pomerania andRügen." Temme's source: "Oral."Pomerania (German Pommern, Polish Pomorze) is a historicregion in northeastern Europe on the Baltic coastal plain between the Oderand the Vistula rivers. Formerly of mixed German and Slavic population,Pomerania's western part now belongs to Germany, the eastern portion toPoland.Stargard is the German name for Stargard Szczecinski, a city innorthwestern Poland.Return to the table of contents. The Werewolf in HindenburgJ. D. H. TemmeOne still believes in werewolves in the Altmark. Even today in thevillage ofHindenburg they tell about a man who could turn himself into a wolf, andthereare people still alive who knew him during their childhood.He had a strip of leather made from wolf skin which still had its hair. Whenever he tied it around his body, he turned into a wolf. Then he hadsuchextraordinary strength that he could pull an entire load of hay by himselforgrab a whole ox in his mouth and carry it away.In this state he had the nature of a wolf. He strangled cattle and evenatehumans. He once pursued one of his neighbors, who narrowly escaped fromhim. But however furious he became, he did spare his wife. She knew a magiccharmthat brought him under control, a charm that he himself had taught her.Thenshe would take off the leather strip, and he would become a reasonablehumanonce again. The Altmark is a district in northeastern Germany.Source: J. D. H. Temme, Die Volkssagen der Altmark (Berlin:In derNicolaischen Buchhandlung, 1839), no. 63, pp. 56-57.This legend is also recorded by J. G. Th. Grässe in hisSagenbuch des Preußischen Staats (Glogau: Verlag von CarlFlemming, 1868), v. 1, no. 244, p. 215.Return to the table of contents. Return to:The top of this document.D. L. Ashliman's folktexts, a library of folktales, folklore, fairy tales, and mythology. The Yahoo index forSociety and Culture:Mythology and Folklore:FabulousCreatures:Werewolves. Tabulation by WebCounter.Revised June 6, 2002. |
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