Werewolves | King Lycaon

So here we are, I can't believe it's taken me this long to cover this all too familiar topic: Werewolves. But I fought with the best place to start, so I figured why not right at the beginning? In Greek Mythology there was a figure who went by the name King Lycaon - and the name should be a dead giveaway as to what he became. The king was the ruler of Arcadia before it was called as such, and he did a very bad thing. One day, he decided to do something that would royally anger Zeus, which is never a smart move. For his punishment, he had lightning bolts (naturally) thrown by Zeus to demolish his home, among other things. But that wasn't enough, and he was eventually cursed to be a wolf that resembled his human appearance. 

That's if you belief Ovid's recollection of the story. Some say it was actually some of Lycaon's 50 sons that did the deed, damning their father. In the end though, the result was the same and Lycaon was transformed into a wolf, at least for nine years. Should he not consume human flesh within that time, he could have his humanity restored. The question is, could he fight his primal urges, or succumb to them. It's an interesting story, and one that has a ton of backstory, but thankfully I was able to narrow it down, and condense a lot of it down for you. 

There were stories around the same time, if not a little before of Ishtar turning one of her lovers into a wolf in the Epic of Gilgamesh, but that's a topic for another day. Ultimately, the werewolf legend is one that transcends time, and has carried on through the ages. 

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