The Book of Were-Wolves

audiobook

The Book of Were-Wolves

by S. (Sabine) Baring-Gould

EN·~5 hours

Chapters

Description

Delve into a sweeping survey of the were‑wolf myth, where ancient scholars, medieval chroniclers and 19th‑century investigators converge. The work opens with a personal encounter at a stone circle in France, setting the tone for a meticulous examination of how societies have defined and feared the shape‑shifting creature. From Virgil and Ovid to Norse sagas and Balkan folklore, each chapter gathers legends, legal testimonies and medical musings, revealing a tapestry of belief that stretches across continents and centuries.

Beyond storytelling, the author probes the psychological and natural explanations once offered for lycanthropy, weighing cruelty, hallucination and cultural symbolism. Detailed accounts of court trials, curious customs and even exotic transformation tales from India to Abyssinia illustrate how deeply the were‑wolf has haunted human imagination. Readers will come away with a richer understanding of why this beast continues to rove through myth, law and the human mind.

Details

Language

en

Duration

~5 hours (310K characters)

Publisher of text edition

Project Gutenberg

Release date

2004-03-01

Rights

Public domain in the USA.

Subjects

About the author

S. (Sabine) Baring-Gould

S. (Sabine) Baring-Gould

1834–1924

A Victorian clergyman with a gift for storytelling, he wrote across an astonishing range of subjects, from novels and folklore to hymn texts and travel writing. He is still especially remembered as the writer of “Onward, Christian Soldiers” and as a vivid collector of local legends and odd histories.

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