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1150
The Origins of the Werewolf
The werewolf folktale first started to appear as early as 1150 in Europe and was described to be a human who could transform into a wolf rather than a human and wolf hybrid. Most of their basic qualities were known at this time such as their cannibalistic nature. -
1400
The Salem Wolf-Trials
Similar to the Salem witch trials were the wolf trials held in Switzerland in the early 15th century. This event brought the problem of "werewolves" to the forefront and greatly boosted the popularity of the mythical creatures. As the title suggests these trials were held much like the Salem witch-trials in which suspected werewolves were prosecuted and punished. -
The Salem Wolf-Trials Part Two
In 1589, the case of Peter Stummp raised the interest in werewolves for the common folk much like the initial start-up of the trials had and along with the ever-increasing interest came more and more prosecutions of suspected werewolves. This was because he ended up confessing to the accusations against him and in his confession mentioned that he ate 14 children and two pregnant women. Along with the crimes he confessed to he also stated that he transformed into a werewolf through a magic belt. -
The End of the Trials
With the end of these trials came the end of the worries about the mythical and mysterious werewolf creatures and, for a while, left the folktale fairly alone and untouched except for the occasional sighting over the next couple of centuries. -
The Silver Bullet
One of the most widely known things about werewolves is that they can killed by being shot with a silver bullet and silver objects in general. This feature of werewolves is first mentioned in German folklore of the 19th century in which an infamous Beast of Gavauden was described as a werewolf creature that was vulnerable to silver. -
Period: to
Werewolf Novels and Short Stories
Not many novels or short stories were very influential in the popularizing of werewolves, but a few examples of these novels are , "The Wolf of St. Bonnot" by Seabury Quinn (1930), The Werewolves of London by Brian Stableford (1990), and The Wolfman by Nicholas Pekearo (2009). -
Werewolves in Hollywood
In 1935, the first film to use an anthropomorphic werewolf was the Werewolf of London which was one of the most important works that assisted in pushing werewolves to the global forefront. -
The Wolf Man
In 1941, the film The Wolf Man was created and was the final push needed for werewolves to be apart of public consciousness. This film greatly helped in popularizing the modern day werewolf and can be seen as the biggest reason that werewolves ever became popular. -
The Final Quality of the Modern Werewolf
Werewolves have been had qualities such as being cannibalistic and being vulnerable to silver objects for a very long time at this point but the final and possibly the most famous trait of a werewolf is that they transform while looking at a full moon. This conception only appeared for the first time in the movie Frankenstein meets the Wolf Man made in 1943. -
Period: to
Modern Adaptations of the Werewolf
Werewolves have appeared most recently in two famous series that are titled Twilight and Underworld which have also assisted in keeping the idea of werewolves in the minds of the young and upcoming generations.