Almost every society has legends and myths of people able to shapeshift. Are these legends real? Do werewolves or shapeshifters exist?
In European legend, a werewolf is a man who changes into a wolf at night and devours animals, people, or corpses, but returns to human form during the day. Some werewolves may change form at will; others, who have the condition hereditarily or as a consequence of being bitten by a Werewolf or Wolfman, may only change shape involuntarily under the influence of a full moon. If he is harmed while in wolf form, the wounds will be apparent in his human form and may lead to his arrest. Werewolf or Wolfman belief is common around the world. Lycanthropy is a mental condition in which a person thinks they are a wolf.
In locations where wolves are sparse, the monster may adopt the shape of another dangerous animal, including a bear, tiger, or hyena. The Werewolf or Wolfman is known as a loup-garou in French folklore. In the 16th century, France was severely afflicted with claims of loups-garous, and there were numerous notable trials and executions of loups-garous. The werewolf legacy is second only to the vampire tradition in popularity as a theme for 20th-century horror films. Werewolves are reported to turn into vampires after death.
