The modern myth of the werewolf may be traced back in substantially the same form to ancient Greece, where it was believed that werewolves were hereditary, and originated from a curse of the gods on particular families or clans. The Greek werewolf actually transformed into a wolf, and was condemned to seek out human flesh while in its wolf state.

S. Patrick is said to have changed Vereticus, king of Wales, into a wolf, and S. Natalis, the abbot, to have pronounced anathema upon an illustrious family in Ireland; in consequence of which, every male and female take the form of wolves for seven years and live in the forests and career over the bogs, howling mournfully, and appeasing their hunger upon the sheep of the peasants.

The lycanthrope is then both the villain and the victim of his metamorphosis, for when he returns to human shape the remembrance of the foul murders he has performed while in the form of a wolf will continually haunt him.

A person who becomes a werewolf against his will (birth, curse, or bite) is not completely damned until he tastes of human blood. Once he does, his soul is eternally damned and nothing may redeem him. Even without tasting of human blood, however, as long as the taint lays upon the immortal soul, it cannot enter Heaven, and will remain chained to the mortal plane upon death.

Counter-effects

A were-person is easily detected when there have been nighttime attacks in a neighborhood. He or she has no appetite, because of the feasts of raw meat taken during the night; and is always physically exhausted after his transformation and nocturnal activities, thus requires much rest in the daytime.

A werewolf in human form exhibits the wounds acquired from his lunar activities. An often-repeated story concerned a lone man attacked at night by a lone wolf, which he wounded, usually by cutting off a forepaw. Next day a woman would be found with her hand missing, which identified her as the werewolf. Such an incident was reported as fact by Jean de Nynauld in 1615; the woman in the case was burned alive. The story probably recommended itself to some men as a perfect way to dispose of a woman they had mistreated, such as a rape victim.

Sometimes, in order to see if the accusation was true, the suspect werewolf was cut open to see if there was fur on the inside of the skin, as many people believed that a werewolf could reverse its skin in order to avoid recognition.