Claude Lecouteux presents an historical perspective on a subject that has generated interest for centuries and continues to appeal to the popular imagination. Certainly, the idea that people can transform themselves into something non-human is a fascinating notion, and the author provides numerous examples of the universality of beliefs surrounding doubles, werewolves, and other shapeshifters. Since a shapeshifter can assume the form of any type of animal, the collection includes an account of an Icelandic were-bear as well as several narratives from China involving humans who became tigers. However, the human-to-wolf transformation is the most frequently cited occurrence. Some of the ideas surrounding the causes and cures of lycanthropy include lunar cycles, curses, the use of certain magical items, and the influence of the demonic. As Lecouteux notes, lycanthropy has been a recurring subject of folklore, literature, and film, and its history “shows us how a belief connected to notions of the soul was recuperated by literature while still continuing to live in folk traditions” (19). In the book’s introduction there is a long list of the names of the werewolf in different languages, which emphasizes how widespread this belief has been.

Different narratives included in this volume depict a variety of causes for human-to-animal transformations. Sometimes a person desired to become a werewolf or some other beast out of simple curiosity. In other instances people willingly entered into a pact with the devil. Sometimes lycanthropy was a form of punishment, while at other times the transformation occurred as the result of heredity. Some people were doomed to become or remain a werewolf as the result of deception. For example, there are several somewhat misogynistic accounts of male werewolves who, when betrayed by evil women, were unable to regain their human form until some kind of intervention occurred to break the spell. Sometimes the clothing of a man who became a werewolf had to be left untouched, because without his clothes he would be unable to return to his human form. In some cases, a man who donned a wolfskin would automatically be transformed into a wolf, while in other instances, certain special types of clothing or belts were used to initiate the change. Some transformations required the use of special ointments. Sometimes people were cursed to become wolves for a certain period of time, usually a specific number of years. The description of some werewolves more closely resembles that of vampires, as they were viewed as damned creatures rising from the grave. Interestingly, there are also stories about groups of men involved in criminal activities who, although they were certainly human, were referred to as werewolves. Furthermore, the appearance of a were-creature would not always require that a person undergo physical change, and there are accounts of people who supposedly had animal doubles that caused destruction while their human counterparts slept. Two such stories, almost identical in their details, appear consecutively in this volume. One is from sixteenth-century Germany and the other is from seventeenth-century Latvia.

The author has also included numerous accounts describing different methods of recognizing werewolves and of releasing them from their affliction. One common way that a werewolf could be detected was by the observation of threads stuck between a man’s teeth. These threads were said to match the threads of the apron worn by a woman who was attacked by a werewolf, and consequently the identity of the werewolf was revealed. Several accounts describe how, when a werewolf suffered a bodily injury, the same injury would be apparent on its human body, thereby exposing its secret. Spilling the blood of a werewolf might free it from its curse, but in some cases it led to the execution of the werewolf. While injury or the loss of a limb could, under certain circumstances, end the cycle of lycanthropy, there are other stories of werewolves that could not be harmed by ordinary bullets. Some werewolves were cured of their affliction by an act of human kindness, and there are accounts from nineteenth-century Denmark that tell of werewolves who were released from their curse when, while in their human form, they were recognized and accused of being werewolves.

Overall, this book seems to be quite repetitious, but the repetition actually serves to emphasize the similarity of stories about shapeshifting that have been transmitted globally over a period of centuries. The book is well researched, and the notes section and bibliography would be useful for folklorists or anyone who might want to study the subject further. Following the introduction, there are six chapters and an appendix titled “Testimonials: From the Fifteenth Century to the Nineteenth Century.” Since people were put on trial for the crime of lycanthropy, it is apparent that some element of society found it expedient to claim that this was an actual physical condition requiring intent on the part of the accused. Therefore, it seems worth noting that this section includes incidences of reported lycanthropy that were ultimately determined to be caused by mental illness. Assuming that people cannot truly transform themselves into wolves or other animals, accounts of shapeshifting are primarily of interest because they deal with the question of what it means to be human. It seems probable that these stories remain relevant because they reference the anxiety that arises when the familiar suddenly appears strange. They also point out society’s inherent mistrust of the other. Furthermore, they reflect the fear of the consequences when, for whatever reason, people abandon their humanity.

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[Review length: 908 words • Review posted on February 4, 2022]