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Polish Werewolf myth's and origin stories


pongofubu  
15 May 2007 /  #1
I really need to know if anyone has ANY info on Polish Werewolf myth's, names, places, ANY info will help!!!!! Please let me know...
Goonie 8 | 242  
16 May 2007 /  #2
One of the Pan Klex series had a werewolf thing to it... damn i used to watch that as as a kid all the time :)
ser  
16 May 2007 /  #3
In polish tradition we don’t have many stories about werewolves. This is “specialty” of Western Europe. I have done a research in this matter long time ago, and it has definitely (ethnically) western origin. Surprised?
Polonius3 994 | 12,367  
18 Apr 2008 /  #4
Mikołaj Rey (1505-1569), popularly called 'the father of Polish literature' (as to first major author to write entirely in Polish - earlier writers and some contemporaries had included Latin) wrote a 'Fraszka o Wilkołku' ('Fable about the Werewolf'). In general, werewolfery is rather thin in Poland. The term for werewolf is wilkołak, but Rey used an older form: wilkołek.
ArcticPaul 38 | 233  
18 Apr 2008 /  #5
In Polish tradition we don't have many stories about werewolves. This is "specialty" of Western Europe. I have done a research in this matter long time ago, and it has definitely (ethnically) western origin. Surprised?

Yes and no.
the western authors had East European place names and origins for their inventions.
Transylvania, Vlad the Impaler (etc) for Vampires.

I would guess it's because these places and names are vague or completely unknown to most West Europeans allowing the authors huge amounts of freedom to fictionalize character development and events.

Even now names like the Carpathians or Tatras bring me images of beautifully bleak wildernesses with wolves or bears and locals who avoid eye contact as they scurry past strangers in the area, suspicious of their presence and afraid.... Afraid to even hint of the terrible secrets they and their neighbours share with the leaden gray skies and pine clad hills of Niedzwiedz/Biala Pod Stolem/Warowkrac....even though you can probably eat in a McDonalds in every small town.
isthatu2 4 | 2,694  
18 Apr 2008 /  #6
I think werewolves were a French legend....Poland is more witches and woodland/river type fairies and stuff.
miranda  
18 Apr 2008 /  #7
that is correct;)
southern 74 | 7,074  
18 Apr 2008 /  #8
I think the legend came from Jaruzelski.
Sophia - | 99  
18 Apr 2008 /  #9
werewolf mythology
werewolves.monstrous.com/werewolf_poland.html
southern 74 | 7,074  
18 Apr 2008 /  #10
Who was Draculowski?
Matyjasz 2 | 1,544  
20 Apr 2008 /  #11
Yes and no. :)

As much as the part of EE being unknown for the westerners is true, the reason why Bram Stoker used Transylvania in his horror story about vampires was because it is the place of its origin (not Stokers of course but the figure of vampire as we know it today). The term vampire came most probably from the languages of western Slavs and spread all over eastern and central Europe.
wildrover 98 | 4,441  
20 Apr 2008 /  #12
Werewolves are not a legend.....check out my pic.....or come visit me after midnight.....best time is when there is a full moon......come alone , and no silver bullets please....

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