Lightboxes
Cart
alb3815547

Werewolf of Ansbach, 1685

In 1685 the Bavarian town of Ansbach was being terrorized by a large vicious wolf. The rumors were that the wolf was actually a werewolf whose identity was that of the town's dead mayor. When the wolf was killed, the people of Ansbach dressed the wolf's carcass to resemble their mayor. It was then put on display in the town square and later moved to a museum. A werewolf, in European folklore, is a man who turns into a wolf at night and devours animals, people, or corpses but returns to human form by day. Some werewolves change shape at will; others, in whom the condition is hereditary or acquired by having been bitten by a werewolf, change shape involuntarily, under the influence of a full moon. If he is wounded in wolf form, the wounds will show in his human form and may lead to his detection. Belief in werewolves is found throughout the world. The psychiatric condition in which a person believes he is a wolf is called lycanthropy. In French folklore, the werewolf is called loup-garou. France was particularly afflicted with reports of them in the 16th century, and there were many notable convictions and executions of loups-garous.
Share
pinterestPinterest
twitterTwitter
facebookFacebook
emailEmail

Add to another lightbox

Add to another lightbox
add to lightbox print share
Do you already have an account? Sign in
You do not have an account? Register
Buy this image. Select the use:
Loading...
Title:
Werewolf of Ansbach, 1685
Caption:
In 1685 the Bavarian town of Ansbach was being terrorized by a large vicious wolf. The rumors were that the wolf was actually a werewolf whose identity was that of the town's dead mayor. When the wolf was killed, the people of Ansbach dressed the wolf's carcass to resemble their mayor. It was then put on display in the town square and later moved to a museum. A werewolf, in European folklore, is a man who turns into a wolf at night and devours animals, people, or corpses but returns to human form by day. Some werewolves change shape at will; others, in whom the condition is hereditary or acquired by having been bitten by a werewolf, change shape involuntarily, under the influence of a full moon. If he is wounded in wolf form, the wounds will show in his human form and may lead to his detection. Belief in werewolves is found throughout the world. The psychiatric condition in which a person believes he is a wolf is called lycanthropy. In French folklore, the werewolf is called loup-garou. France was particularly afflicted with reports of them in the 16th century, and there were many notable convictions and executions of loups-garous.
Category:
ILLUSTRATION • black & white • History: Early Modern • Culture: Mythology
Credit:
Album / Science Source / New York Public Library
Releases:
? Model Release: No - ? Property Release: No
Rights questions?
Image size:
3300 x 1619 px | 15.3 MB
Print size:
27.9 x 13.7 cm | 11.0 x 5.4 in (300 dpi)
Keywords: