Time Machine

Analysing the cultural impact of the werewolf both past and present
Oliver Nicholls CGAA Year 1

Introduction
! This assignment will critically analyse the werewolf s impact on popular culture and how peoples views on the mythological beast have changed from past to present. Sources for this assignment will be extracted from The Curse of the Werewolf: Fantasy, Horror and the Beast Within (2006) which will draw comparative views of the creature from the scientific to the mythological. The Werewolf in Lore and Legend (2003) will look at historical documentation and folklore along with Metamorphoses of the Werewolf: A literary study from Antiquity through the Renaissance (2008). Sources which will look at the contemporary werewolf will be extracted from the films Van Helsing (2004), Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004) and Twilight: New Moon (2009). This will be followed by a summary and conclusion of how the werewolf has impacted on both past and present culture.

Key Quotes
The story of Lycaon ostensibly offers us a dramatic case study exemplifying the vicious blood-lust and impiety that was characteristic of humanity in the iron age Liveley (2011:20) The unconscious part of the mind was regularly associated with the bestial, instinctive life of the natural, material world as opposed to the rational, cultured world of the conscious mind Du Coudray (2006:66) Never Trust a man whose eyebrows meet in the middle Company of Wolves, Jordan (1984) My transformations in those days were ..were terrible. It is very painful to turn into a werewolf. I was separated from humans to bite, so I bit and scratched myself instead. Remus Lupin, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. J.K Rowling (1999:259)

Key Individuals
! Historical Figures:
Publius Vergilius Maro (70 BC-19 BC) was an ancient Roman poet who wrote of humans that were able to turn into wolves .
Ovid (43 BC-AD 18) wrote Metamorphoses which tells the story of

Lycaon the King of Arcadia whom was turned into a wolf as punishment by Zeus.

Peter Stumpp (died 1589) known as Werewolf of Bedburg was a German farmer whom killed and ate 18 people believing himself to be a werewolf.

! Contemporary Figures ! Sigmund Freud (1856-1939) was an Austrian neurologist whom founded theories of psychoanalysis . ! Henry Hull (1890-1977) the first actor in mainstream cinema to portray a werewolf in the 1935 film Werewolf in London ! StephenieMeyer (1973) American author whom wrote the Twilight book series which has sold over 100 million books and been the foundations for the successful Twilight movie trilogy.

Historical Images

An engraving by Hugo Goltzius for a 158

9 edition of Ovid's "Metamorphoses.

Contemporary Images

Fig 1 American Werewolf in London (1981)

Fig 2 Van Helsing (2004)

Fig 3 Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004)

Fig 4 Twilight (2009)

Conclusion
! Tales of werewolves have been present since the Ancient Greeks whom told stories of humans being turned into wolves often as punishment for a sin. ! The characteristics of a werewolf can arguably be attributed to Freuds ideas of humans psychosexual development and/or of males anguished masculinity. Conscious/Unconscious ! As in the case of Peter Stumpp there have been cases of humans committing acts of murder and cannibalism believing themselves to be werewolves. ! With films such as Van Helsing and the Twilight saga it is apparent that the werewolf has changed to fit in with modern audiences. The werewolf is often portrayed to a romantic ideal and/or the fight between good/evil.

Bibliography
Ovids Metamorphoses: A Readers Guide, G. Liveley (2011) Continuum International Publishing Group The Curse of the Werewolf: Fantasy, Horror and the Beast Within, C.B Du Coudray (2006) I.B. Tauris & Co, Ltd The Company of Wolves, (film) N. Jordan (1984) Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, J.K Rowling (1999) Bloomsbury publishing

List of Illustrations
Historical Images Fig 1.Hugo Goltzius engraving for Ovids Metamorphoses (date not known) Fig 2.Jacob Schneiders 1685 engraving Fig 3.King Lycaom

Contemporary Images Fig1. American werewolf in London (1981) Fig2. Van Helsin (2004) Fig 3. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004) Fig 4. Twilight (2009)