When werewolves were in their animal form, it is said that there are surprisingly few differences between the creature and an actual wolf. Russian folklore also claims that werewolves had bristles underneath their tongues that couldn’t be found on normal human beings. One of the most common tests was to cut the skin of the accused to see if fur could be found underneath the wound. If an individual was identified as a potential werewolf, they were often subjected to tests to see if the accusations against them could hold up. Other signs included curved fingernails (similar to claws), lower-than-normal ears, and a swinging stride that resembled that of a wolf. One of the most common identifiers of a supposed werewolf was a unibrow. With the search for werewolves in the Middle Ages as paranoia about witches and other such creatures was heightened by the Church, people began searching for tell-tale signs that an individual could be a potential werewolf. German lore proves to be much less violent – to cure an afflicted person, one must simply call the werewolf by its Christian name three times. Unfortunately, many of the supposed cures that were supported by Europe’s early doctors killed the majority of patients. In Europe, where werewolf lore became most popularized, it was thought that there were three ways to cure werewolf transformation: with wolfsbane (a poisonous plant), surgery, or exorcism. There are also reports of piercing a werewolf’s hands with nails to produce a cure. Others thought that striking a werewolf on the scalp with a knife was enough to stop the transformation. Some cultures believed extreme bouts of exercise would be enough to cure an afflicted individual. In fact, those who were excommunicated from the Roman Catholic Church were said to be cursed with werewolfism.Īlthough werewolf transformation was thought to be a terrible curse, there were remedies that were rumored to cure the afflicted person. Religious cultures sometimes explained werewolf transformations as being a divine punishment from God himself. Many historians believe this was a way to explain the violent and cannibalistic impulses of predatory serial killers in the Middle Ages. Many areas where Christianity was the dominant religion tell of werewolf transformations through an alliance with the Devil. Other transformation rituals include drinking rainwater out of the footprint of a wolf and sleeping with the light of a full moon on one’s face during a Wednesday or Friday summer night. Other sources tell of enchanted streams that gave people the ability to transform. There are also tales of magic salves that could transform a person.
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