What are the origins of werewolves?

Answer 1

One "origin" is:

During the 15th - 17th Century, Europe was full of suspicion, the fear of wolves was like a nightmare, Their attacks were so frequent that people even feared to travel from one place to another. Every morning, countryside people would find half-eaten human limbs scattered on their fields.

The first recorded Werewolf sighting took place around the countryside of a German town: Colongne and Bedburg in 1591. A few people saw a large wolf and set their dogs upon it. They started to pierce at it with sharp sticks. Surprisingly the large wolf did not run away or tried to protect itself, rather it stood up and turned out to be a middle-aged man. He was Peter Stubbe from the same village.

Peter Stubbe was put on a torture wheel where he confessed sixteen murders including two pregnant women and thirteen children.

Another "origin" is:

In Greek mythology it also testifies the existence of werewolves. Their God Zeus once disguised himself as a traveler and looked for hospitality to the court of vicious Arcadian King Lycaon. The King recognized the God and tried to kill him by serving him human flesh. God Zeus caught the terrible trick and did not eat. Outraged, Zeus condemned Lycaon to spend rest of his life as a wolf. Most probably this mythology originated the Greek word "Lycanthrope" . Lycanthropy comes from the Greek lykoi: "wolf" and anthropos: "man".

Answer 2

The concept of werewolves dates back to ancient folklore from various cultures, such as Greek and Roman mythology. These stories typically involve humans transforming into wolves or wolf-like creatures under certain circumstances, such as a full moon. Werewolves have been featured in literature, art, and film for centuries, often symbolizing themes of transformation, duality, and primal instincts.