Baring-Gould The Book of Werewolves

New Auflage of the original and unabridged text
ISBN: 978-3-96130-147-8
Verlag: apebook Verlag
Format: EPUB
Kopierschutz: 0 - No protection

E-Book, Englisch, Band 053

Reihe: ApeBook Classics

A survey of the myths and legends concerning lycanthropy from ancient times to the Victorian Era. If you are looking for accounts and retelling of encounters with werewolves, this is a great starting point. Be mindful this was published in 1865 and the content will have 'current' events the author had encountered as well as mythological findings in terms of what was known and understood at that time. From the legends of using magical wolf skins to the terrifying accounts of lycanthropy, you will find both known and forgotten accounts. It is amazing to see the variety of cultures covered side-by-side as the author takes us to North America, Africa, India, France, and even Iceland and Russia. This scholarly investigation in the subject of werewolves is made all the more meaningful with illustrations that augment the material. The size of the eBook is about 200 pages. ABOUT THE BOOK SERIES The ApeBook Classics (ABC) bring to life famous and lesser known masterpieces of world literature in digital format. This means that even works that have almost been forgotten are preserved for cultural memory. apebook adheres to the highest standards in eBook production and offers you high quality, aesthetically pleasing classics at a fair price. Don't settle for cheap and loveless versions if you love good literature, instead choose low-priced but beautiful editions from a real publisher. With the ApeBook Classics you get professionally created eBooks that appreciate the literary value of their content through an appropriate design. Search for more ApeBook Classics titles to build your digital library by typing 'apebook' in the browse field. By the way, apebook also offers selected titles as paperback editions. And last but not least: apebook supports the environmental organization 'Save the rainforest'. By buying the books from our shop, you are doing the same. You can find a complete overview of the publishing programme at: www.apebook.de

Autoren/Hrsg.

Baring-Gould, William S.

Leseproben

CHAPTER III.
THE WERE-WOLF IN THE NORTH
Norse Traditions — Manner in which the Change was effected — Vælundar Kvæda — Instances from the Vælsung Saga — Hrolf's Saga — Kraka — Faroæse Poem — Helga Kvida — Vatnsdæla Saga — Eyrbyggja Saga IN Norway and Iceland certain men were said to be eigi einhamir, not of one skin, an idea which had its roots in paganism. The full form of this strange superstition was, that men could take upon them other bodies, and the natures of those beings whose bodies they assumed. The second adopted shape was called by the same name as the original shape, hamr, and the expression made use of to designate the transition from one body to another, was at skipta hæmum, or at hamaz; whilst the expedition made in the second form, was the hamfær. By this transfiguration extraordinary powers were acquired; the natural strength of the individual was doubled, or quadrupled; he acquired the strength of the beast in whose body he travelled, in addition to his own, and a man thus invigorated was called hamrammr. The manner in which the change was effected, varied. At times, a dress of skin was cast over the body, and at once the transformation was complete; at others, the human body was deserted, and the soul entered the second form, leaving the first body in a cataleptic state, to all appearance dead. The second hamr was either borrowed or created for the purpose. There was yet a third manner of producing this effect—it was by incantation; but then the form of the individual remained unaltered, though the eyes of all beholders were charmed so that they could only perceive him under the selected form. Having assumed some bestial shape, the man who is eigi einhammr is only to be recognized by his eyes, which by no power can be changed. He then pursues his course, follows the instincts of the beast whose body he has taken, yet without quenching his own intelligence. He is able to do what the body of the animal can do, and do what he, as man, can do as well. He may fly or swim, if be is in the shape of bird or fish; if he has taken the form of a wolf, or if he goes on agandreiæ, or wolf's—ride, he is fall of the rage and malignity of the creatures whose powers and passions he has assumed. I will give a few instances of each of the three methods of changing bodies mentioned above. Freyja and Frigg had their falcon dresses in which they visited different regions of the earth, and Loki is said to have borrowed these, and to have then appeared so precisely like a falcon, that he would have escaped detection, but for the malicious twinkle of his eyes. In the Vælundar kviæa is the following passage:—    I.  Meyjar flugu sunnan  Myrkviæ igægnum  Alvitr unga  Orlæg drægja;  æær æ savarstrænd  Settusk at hvilask,  Dræ sir suærænar  Dært læn spunnu.   II.  Ein nam æeirra  Egil at verja  Fægr mær færa  Faæmi ljæsum;  ænnur var Svanhvæt,  Svanfjaærar dræ;  En in æriæja  æeirra systir  Var i hvætan  Hæls Vælundar.   I.  From the south flew the maidens  Athwart the gloom,  Alvit the young,  To fix destinies;  They on the sea—strand  Sat them to rest,  These damsels of the south  Fair linen spun.   II.  One of them took  Egil to press, Fair maid, in her  Dazzling arms.  Another was Svanhwit,  Who wore swan feathers;  And the third,  Their sister,  Pressed the white  Neck of Vælund. The introduction of Sæmund tells us that these charming young ladies were caught when they had laid their swan—skins beside them on the shore, and were consequently not in a condition to fly. In like manner were wolves' dresses used. The following curious passage is from the wild Saga of the Vælsungs:— "It is now to be told that Sigmund thought Sinfjætli too young to help him in his revenge, and he wished first to test his powers; so during the summer they plunged deep into the wood and slew men for their goods, and Sigmund saw that he was quite of the Vælsung stock. . . . Now it fell out that as they went through the forest, collecting monies, that they lighted on a house in which were two men sleeping, with great gold rings an them; they had dealings with witchcraft, for wolf—skins hung up in the house above them; it was the tenth day on which they might come out of their second state. They were kings' sons. Sigmund and Sinfjætli got into the habits, and could not get out of them again, and the nature of the original beasts came over them, and they howled as wolves—they learned "both of them to howl. Now they went into the forest, and each took his own course; they made the agreement together that they should try their strength against as many as seven men, but not more, and. that he who was ware of strife should utter his wolf's howl. "'Do not fail in this,' said Sigmund, 'for you are young and daring, and men would be glad to chase you.' Now each went his own course; and after that they had parted Sigmund found men, so he howled; and when Sinfjætli heard that, he ran up and slew them all—then they separated. And Sinfjætli had not been long in the wood before he met with. eleven men; he fell upon them and slew them every one. Then he was tired, so he flung himself under an oak to rest. Up came Sigmund and said, 'Why did you not call out?' Sinfjætli replied, 'What was the need of asking your help to kill eleven men?' "Sigmund flew at him and rent him so that he fell, for he had bitten through his throat. That day they could not leave their wolf—forms. Sigmund laid him on his back and bare him home to the hall, and sat beside him, and said, 'Deuce take the wolf—forms!"'—Vælsung Saga, c. 8. There is another curious story of a were-wolf in the same Saga, which I must relate. "Now he did as she requested, and hewed down a great piece of timber, and cast it across the feet of those ten brothers seated in a row, in the forest; and there they sat all that day and on till night. And at midnight there came an old she—wolf out of the forest to them, as they sat in the stocks, and she was both huge and grimly. Now she fell upon one of them, and bit him to death, and after she had eaten him all up, she went away. And next morning Signy sent a trusty man to her brothers, to know how it had fared with them. When he returned he told her of the death of one, and that grieved her much, for she feared it might fare thus with them all, and she would be unable to assist them. "In short, nine nights following came the same she—wolf at midnight, and devoured them one after another till all were dead, except Sigmund, and he was left alone. So when the tenth night came, Signy sent her trusty man to Sigmund, her brother, with honey in his hand, and said that he was to smear it over the face of Sigmund, and to fill his mouth with it. Now he went to Sigmund, and did as he was bid, after which he returned home. And during the night came the same she—wolf, as was her wont, and reckoned to devour him, like his brothers. "Now she snuffed at him, where the honey was smeared, and began to lick his face with her tongue, and presently thrust her tongue into his mouth. He bore it ill, and bit into the tongue of the she—wolf; she sprang up and tried to break loose, setting her feet against the stock, so as to snap it asunder: but he held firm, and ripped the tongue out by the roots, so that it was the death of the wolf. It is the opinion of some men that this beast was the mother of King Siggeir, and that she had taken this form upon her through devilry and witchcraft."—(c. 5.) There is another story bearing on the subject in the Hrolfs Saga Kraka, which is pretty; it is as follows:— "In the north of Norway, in upland—dales, reigned a king called Hring; and he had a son named Bjærn. Now it fell out that the queen died, much lamented by the king, and by all. The people advised him to marry again, and so be sent men south to get him a wife. A gale and fierce storm fell upon them, so that they had to turn the helm, and run before the wind, and so they came north to Finnmark, where they spent the winter. One day they went inland, and came to a...