WEREWOLF

Among beliefs, the myth of the wolf-man is well-anchored and common to many cultures. It talks about a man who changes himself in a werewolf during the full moon: it is licanthropy.

There are traditional signs of lycanthropy: broad hands with squat fingers and hairs within the hollows of the palm,
eyebrows which meet together, abnormal pleasure to cruelty and extreme brutality.

Even if the werewolf can change himself into an enormous animal (of the size of a calf), it is unable to hidde
its human intelligence which sparkles in its eyes. Apart from this subtlety, it has superhuman forces which combine animal ferocity and human trickery. Pushed by his taste of blood, the werewolf kills all people and animals that crosse its way. Carnages are signing its passage.

In Serbia, one calls them VOKOSLAK, in China one tells that they are covered with fur, but it is in France, till today, country of the Lights, that since the 18th century, the fear for wolves is strongest .

Indeed, on the contrary of the Italian shepherds who do not fear it, French shepherds are conducing since years a terrible cruisade against the re-introduction of wolves in France. It is surprising how this fear is well anchored in France.

For foreigners, this french fear is easy to explain: French people have been greatly suggested since the dramatic episode of the "Beast of the Gevaudan", at the end of the 18th century. This beast killed, during several years, hundreds of people, in the south-west of France and spread fear among the french kingdom. The King’s soldiers tracked vainly this monster who was killed at last, by a christian hunter. It has been reported this beast was read-haired and used to walk upon its rear feet. The victims of the monster was so numerous that till today, this fear of the wolf is still anchored in french mind. The various reports of this period described a wolf out of the norms.

Then, after this dramatic event, the fear of wolf spread again more and anchored firmly in France, during the 19st century, till nowadays, particulary thanks to a tale told to -still today- to little french children: "Le petit chaperon rouge", where a monstruous wolf eats the poor grand-mother of a little child and then, wants to eat the little innocent girl. And so, goes on the fear of the werewolf in this country!

On the contrary, in Italy and Romania, wolves are well-considered and protected in the mountains both by nature protecters and farmers.