Lycanthropy is a mental disorder where people believe that they are a wolf (or some other animal). (Incidentally, the dictionary also defines lycanthropy as – In folklore, the magical ability to assume the form and characteristics of a wolf.) For those of you interested in learning more about the “werewolf disease”, try searching for The Werewolf in Legend, Fact, and Art by novelist Basil Copper in 1977. Cooper discusses the werewolf disease and research done by Dr. Lee Illis who describes the werewolf disease as the mental condition congenital porphyria. Dr. Illis compiles evidence to show a link between porphyria and werewolves. Is the werewolf disease legitimate? You’ll have to do the research and be the judge, however this doctor certainly believes so!
Related posts:
Yes I remember the case. In 1976 there was a teenager who bit an elderly doctor on the hand. He said his wolf state was on the verge of coming out, and that the doctor would be sorry if he didn’t leave. In other words he was saying he was going to turn into a werewolf. Of course this didn’t happen, the doctor called the young man’s bluff and waited, and he waited, and he waited. Only to find to the doctors amusement and the young mans embarrassment that in an attempt to quote on quote transform the young lad let out gas instead. His attempts at stiffening his muscles caused him to fart, that was all. There was no transformation, no change whatsoever. The doctor recorded this on video tape and played it to the young man six years later. He was extremely embarrassed. Now whether or not this chap thought he was a werewolf, or he was just been a silly, I don’t know. But what I do know is that for the entirety of a year, the boy was been documented in the hospital, and there was no sign of his apparent werewolf state. Meaning there wasn’t any.
But that’s not saying that because there is such a thing as lycanthropy, that everyone who says they are a werewolf is suffering from it. That’s like saying because I lied about something today, means that I lie about everything.
Hah thats quite funny. I heard that in the 17th and 18th century there were lots of horrible murders in France and some of the suspects swore that they were werewolves. Because the court was so religious during that time, they were believed, and executed.