by SABINE BARING-GOULD
CHAPTER I
CHAPTER II
LYCANTHROPY AMONG THE ANCIENTS
Definition of Lycanthropy—Marcellus
Sidetes—Virgil—Herodotus—Ovid—Pliny—Agriopas—Story from
Petronius—Arcadian Legends—Explanation offered
CHAPTER III
Norse Traditions—Manner in which the Change was effected—Vlundar
Kvda—Instances from the Völsung Saga—Hrolf’s Saga—Kraka—Faroëse
Poem—Helga Kvida—Vatnsdæla Saga—Eyrbyggja Saga
CHAPTER IV
THE ORIGIN OF THE SCANDINAVIAN WERE-WOLF
Advantage of the Study of Norse Literature—Bear and Wolf-skin
Dresses—The Berserkir—Their Rage—The Story of Thorir—Passages from
the Aigla—The Evening Wolf—Skallagrim and his Son-Derivation of the
Word “Hamr:” of “Vargr”—Laws affecting Outlaws—“To become a
Boar”—Recapitulation
CHAPTER V
THE WERE-WOLF IN THE MIDDLE AGES
Stories from Olaus Magnus of Livonian Were-wolves—Story from Bishop
Majolus—Story of Albertus Pericofcius—Similar occurrence at
Prague—Saint Patrick—Strange incident related by John of
Nüremberg—Bisclaveret—Courland Were-wolves—Pierre Vidal—Pavian
Lycanthropist—Bodin’s Stories—Forestus’ Account of a
Lycanthropist—Neapolitan Were-wolf
CHAPTER VI
Pierre Bourgot and Michel Verdung—‘Me Hermit of S. Bonnot—The
Gandillon Family—Thievenne Paget—The Tailor of Châlons—Roulet 69
Chapter VII
On the Sand-dunes—A Wolf attacks Marguerite Poirier—Jean Grenier
brought to Trial—His Confessions—Charges of Cannibalism proved—His
Sentence—Behaviour in the Monastery—Visit of Del’ancre 85
CHAPTER VIII
FOLK-LORE RELATING TO WERE-WOLVES
Barrenness of English Folk-lore—Devonshire Traditions—Derivation of
Were-wolf—Cannibalism in Scotland—The Angus Robber—The Carle of
Perth—French Superstitions—Norwegian Traditions—Danish Tales of
Were-wolves—Holstein Stories—The Werewolf in the Netherlands—Among
the Greeks; the Serbs; the White Russians; the Poles; the Russians—A
Russian Receipt for becoming a Were-wolf—The Bohemian
Vlkodlak—Armenian Story—Indian Tales—Abyssinian Budas—American
Transformation Tales—A Slovakian Household Tale—Similar Greek,
Béarnais, and Icelandic Tales
CHAPTER IX
Innate Cruelty—Its Three Forms—Dumollard—Andreas Bichel—A Dutch
Priest—Other instances of Inherent Cruelty—Cruelty united to
Refinement—A Hungarian Bather in Blood—Suddenness with which the
Passion is developed—Cannibalism; in pregnant Women; in
Maniacs—Hallucination; how Produced—Salves—The Story of
Lucius—Self-deception
CHAPTER X
MYTHOLOGICAL ORIGIN OF THE WERE-WOLF MYTH
Metempsychosis—Sympathy between Men and Beasts—Finnbog and the
Bear—Osage and the Beaver—The Connection of Soul and
Body—Buddhism—Case of Mr. Holloway—Popular ideas concerning the
Body—The derivation of the German Leichnam—Feather
Dresses—Transmigration of Souls—A Basque Story—Story from the
Pantschatantra—Savage ideas regarding Natural Phenomena—Thunder,
Lightning, and Cloud—The origin of the Dragon—John of Bromton’s
Dragon a Waterspout—The Legend of Typhoeus—Allegorizing of the
Effects of a Hurricane—Anthropomorphosis—The Cirrus Cloud, a
Heavenly Swan—Urvaci—The Storm-cloud a Daemon—Vritra and
Rakschasas—Story of a Brahmin and a Rakschasas
CHAPTER XI
THE MARÉCHAL DE REZT I: THE INVESTIGATION OF CHARGES
Introduction—History of Gilles de Laval—The Castle of
Machecoul—Surrender of the Marshal—Examination of Witnesses—Letter
of De Retz—The Duke of Brittany reluctant to move—The Bishop of
Nantes
CHAPTER XII
THE MARÉCHAL DE REZT II: THE TRIAL
The Appearance of the Marshal—Pierre de l’Hospital—The
Requisition—The Trial adjourned—Meeting of the Marshal and his
Servants—The Confession of Henriet—Pontou persuaded to confess
all—The adjourned Trial not hurried on—The hesitation of the Duke of
Brittany
CHAPTER XIII
MARÉCHAL DE RETZ III: THE SENTENCE AND EXECUTION
The adjourned Trial—The Marshal Confesses—The Case handed over to
the Ecclesiastical Tribunal—Prompt steps taken by the Bishop—The
Sentence—Ratified by the Secular Court—The Execution
CHAPTER XIV
The Inhabitants of Austrian Galicia—The Hamlet of Polomyja—Summer
Evening in the Forest—The Beggar Swiatek—A Girl disappears—A
School-boy vanishes—A Servant-girl lost—Another Boy carried of—The
Discovery made by the Publican of Polomyja—Swiatek locked up—Brought
to Dabkow—Commits suicide
Chapter XV
ANOMALOUS CASE—THE HUMAN HYENA
Ghouls—Story from Fornari—Quotation from Apuleius—Incident
mentioned by Marcassus—Cemeteries of Paris violated—Discovery of
Violator—Confession of M. Bertrand
CHAPTER XVI
The Discourses of Dr. Johann—The Sermon—Remarks
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