Ladies and gentleman, I present to you a lovely October treat!
Ms. Shannon Reinbold-Gee. She's got her first published book coming out in June 2010 by St. Marten's Griffin called 13 to Life. I am really looking forward to the release of this new YA series! Shannon has agreed to do a guest blog outlining the lore and history of the werewolf and give insight to the lore of her own story.
So, feast your eyes on these bits of goodies. You'll be wishing for June to come along so you can sink your teeth into this new morsel of wolfey goodness! Take it away, Shannon!
The Beast Within: The Werewolf in History and Legend
October is one of my favorite months (and only partly because it's the month of my birthday). In the Upper Catskills the leaves have just peaked in color and are dropping--falling victim to biting winds and murderous frosts. Here it's easy to imagine werewolves as reality. Of course, my love of myths, legends and history doesn't hurt my ability to imagine such things either. Maybe that's why in my debut YA paranormal series, 13 TO LIFE, werewolves are so important.
To me, werewolves are one of the ultimate symbols for transformation, evolution and the struggle we all face with those beastly bits within—the parts of our personalities more interested in snapping at each other and being “top dog” than showing compassion.
This very human struggle during the confusing and frightening medieval and renaissance periods allowed stories of werewolves (and yes, vampires and vicious witches, too) to take hold. During this historical period religions were defined and the lines between them became far more than lines in Jerusalem’s sand—they were reasons for horrific wars in the name of God. People’s roles in society were being carefully cemented through concepts like feudalism. Things were chaotic, violent and death was the one true equalizer. Fear-based superstition reigned.
In the medieval and renaissance periods most cases of what they called lycanthropy were attributed to demonic possession. Anyone who acted oddly (“oddly” being in any way against what was defined as the local and often repressed “norm”), was surly or exhibited mysterious wounds was potentially a werewolf and meant to die.
Most of us would not have lasted long. As a farmer, I can’t account for most of my cuts and bruises—they’re hazards of my lifestyle. Am I surly some days? Please refer to the comment on cuts and bruises. ;-) And let’s not start on if I personally act “oddly”—I’m an author of werewolves, an award-winning cellphone novelist and I live in a town where most everyone has one of two last names (neither of which are mine). So here, I am the definition of “odd.”
Traditionally there were only a few ways someone could become a werewolf. Some Eastern Europeans believed in a spell that included use of a copper knife to help the wielder transform. Western Europeans tended to believe there was a salve or lotion that (while saying appropriate words) could be smeared across your body to start the change. Some believed werewolves had two skins (or a special set of clothes) that allowed the transformation. The full moon thing we’ve been trained to via Hollywood? It wasn’t really even a consideration in the original stories.
Regardless of how nice the werewolf appeared as a person, they were nearly always merciless as a beast. According to most traditions, the ability to transform came from making a pact with the Devil. There are exceptions to every rule though, and there’s a well-documented court case of a man who proclaimed he and other werewolves were the “hounds of God.” They were the good guys--nipping at demons’ heels and driving them back to Hell every year before they could ravage humanity’s potential earthly harvest.
My werewolves in the upcoming 13 TO LIFE series (launching June 2010 with St. Martin’s Griffin) are tied genetically to Eastern Europe and some really funky stuff I found while researching. I mix legends, lore, Hollywood and history to tell their story. My werewolves are as human as you and I (and just as flawed). They are at once as monstrous and as humane as their humanity allows.
Whereas people historically relegated werewolves to a level of horrendous beast, I’m asking readers to think again: to re-examine what makes someone a man and what makes them a monster.
Thank you, Shannon, for that bit of history and giving us an inside to your new series! If anyone is interested in learning more from Shannon, she can be found dawdling around Twitter as @Shannon_Delany. Find her on her website: http://13toLife.us. You can also check out her blog here: http://13toLife.us/blog. Look for Shannon here again in a few months as she gets closer to her debut and I'll be sure to get some exclusives just for my readers!
