time machine essay done
TRANSCRIPT
Portraying how werewolfs are represented nowadays
Shayne Foskett
CG Art’s & Animation year 1
Chris Hunt
Word count:
Time Machine Essay
Introduction
This assignment will analyses critically on werewolves. I'm basing my research on
'twilight' the film . For it gives me information about how in the modern days have
changed the way the werewolves shape-shift, compared to the olden day myths.
In the olden day myths, people had believed that werewolves would shape-shift in
full moon light. But in 'twilight' our modern days they have made us believe that they
can change when they are showing stress.
Main Body
The myths and meanings behind werewolves:
The word werewolf is most likely to derive from two old-Saxon words, were (meaning
man) and wolf. A werewolf is also known as a lycanthrope, which in mythological or
folkloric human that have the ability to shape-shift into a wolf or even an
anthropomorphic wolf like creature. They were either under a curse or lycanthropic
affliction by a bite or a scratch off another wolf.
The transformation would only happen if there is a full moon, noted by the medieval
chronicler Gervase of Tilbury or even in the earlier times among the ancient Greeks
through there writings of Petronius.
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In the olden times people would also speak about werewolves could attribute
superhuman strength, speed and senses. Even though werewolves were believed to
be held as a European creature. The stories of these mythical creatures spread
throughout the world and became a tale to other places such as the Native
Americans who spoke deeply about these shape-shifting creatures.
Werewolves are always mentioned in modern day fiction such as films, books and
even television shows. From what myths have said that werewolves are only
vulnerable to silver bullets or they can even cause others to change by either biting
or wounding them. This is said in our old time shows that werewolves stance as a
dominant figure in horror.
Other meanings: The meaning term for lycanthropy is also referring to both abilities
to transform one into a wolf or to even act of doing. The word 'lyc' derives from the
proto-Indo-European root 'wlkwo' which means wolf, formally denotes the 'wolf-man'
transformation. There is also another term of saying a 'beast-man' which is called
therianthorpe, the word has also been linked to a classical mythology, Lycaon. The
king of Arcadia who was turned into a wolf in retribution for trying to serve his son to
visiting Zeus in an attempt to disprove the gods divinity.
Fig. 1 Lycaon Greek Werewolf
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The word lycanthropy is even classed as a mental illness that patients believed that
even both sex of the human has either transformed into an animal or behaved
accordingly. There is another ancient term for a shape-shifter between any animal
form is veripellis, for the English words tumskin and turncoat are derived, there is
also Latin, French, Russian and Old Norse word for werewolves.
History about Western Werewolves:
Men that change into wolves are found in the ancient Greek time and mythology.
There was a man called Herodotus, who wrote about that the Neuri, a tribe he places
at the north-east of Scythia. that people transformed into the creatures once every
coming year for several days and then they'd change back into a human form shape.
In the second century, the Greek geographer Pausanias had also related a story of
Lycaon, who could also transform into a werewolf and because of this he had ritually
murdered a poor innocent child.
Lycaon also did some bad things in his times like feeding human flesh to Zeus and
wanting to really know if he was a god or not. His transformation is no other then a
punishment for a crime, considered variously as murder, impiety and even
cannibalism.
What folks believed in:
In the European times folklore believed that humans, who have eyebrows
meeting in the middle, of the bridge of the nose, curved disgusting finger nails,
low-set of ears on them and a swinging stride. It gave off the identity of a
werewolf in a human form, the way of only finding this out was to cut the flesh
of the accused, that under he pretence the fur would be seen within the
wound. “In recent fiction the werewolf is represented as an involuntary and
even unconscious departure from the human, who is shocked when he learns
the truth about himself”(I.B.Tauris)
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But by a Russian superstition can recognise a werewolf by the bristles under the
tongue. Although an appearance of a werewolf is in an animal formed creature it can
vary from culture to culture, though it is most commonly portrayed as being
indistinguishable from ordinary wolves save for the fact that it has no tail but is larger
and has human voice and eyes.
The Swedish would believe that werewolves would only run on three legs and the
4th one would remain as a tail. When a werewolf has returned back to its human
form they believe that the human becomes weak, debilitated and undergoing painful
forms of depression.
They would also say in the medieval that werewolves known as 'Fennoscandian',
who were old, for example an old lady would possess poison-coated claws and even
had the ability to paralyse cattle and children with their gaze. In a tradional habit for
the Serbian vulkodlaks in the winter months they would strip off their wolf skins and
hang them all from the trees. They would even get hold of another vulkodlaks skin
and burn it just to release it from its curses. It was that bad that the Haitian would try
and trick poor mothers to give away their own children to volunteer by walking the
child in the night and ask for permission to take them away to which the disoriented
mother may either reply with a yes or a no.
How to get rid of the curse:
There is various ways to get rid of the curse of a werewolf. In the Ancient Greek and
the romans have believed in the power of exhaustion to get rid of the curse of
lycanthropy. The human with the curses of the werewolf would be subjected to a
very long period of physical activities in the hope of being purged of the malady. With
this fact many alleged werewolves would be left very weak and debilitated after
committing depredations.
There was also other methods used in the medieval Europe, traditionally they used 3
in all one was used to cure victims of werewolfism by using the wolfs bane, surgically
or even by exorcism. But many of the cures advocated by medieval medical
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practitioners proved fatal to the victims. They also believed in the Arabic origin which
they would strike the werewolf on the forehead or even scalp it with a knife. They
would also involve piercing the werewolves’ hands and nails.
They would do some less extreme methods as well like in German lowland they
would simply go up to the werewolf and call it by its Christian name three times and
in Danish belief they think if you scolder a werewolf it would get rid of the curse.
This has explained the olden times for how werewolves came alone, how they tried
to get rid of the curse and the bad things they did to their children thinking it would all
go away. But this is where I'd explain where twilight caught my eye about how in the
modern days they have made them shape-shift differently also how their life style is
a lot different.
Shape-Shifter:
A lot of people have mistaken werewolves as shape-shifters and are descended
from the ancient spirit warriors of the Quileute tribe. Back within the Native American
beliefs they have said the warriors and chiefs could leave thier bodies and wander as
spirits, communicating with the other creatures that live within the forest. They can
also hear each other’s thoughts but however, a change impacted the tribe members
hugely during Taha Aki's leadership and permanently changed their powers to
shape-shifting into massive werewolves. “If, as many religious teachers have
believed the body is only the vesture of the soul some men clearly have souls of
beasts” (D. Howison) very much representing that no matter how nice or in control
they have of their shape shift forms there’s still the odd one or two that would use
their powers not for good.
Appearance:
With a shape-shifters appearance it can vary in both human and wolf form. They
have a scary form which is described as enormous, jet black, as tall as a horse, but
thicker and much more muscular, with dagger-like incisors, and a grisly snarl like a
prolonged crack of thunder. This wolf form was even mistaken for a "bear".
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There is another form that has deep rusty-brown fur. In Eclipse, his fur becomes
shaggier than the other wolves' due to the fact that he allows his hair to grow to chin-
length. No other wolf has this appearance compared to others. In this modern term
they have explained it more and how they would look now than in the olden days,
they made them look all the same.
The "monstrous size" of these creatures is emphasized repeatedly. This links clearly
with the actual changes in the boys as well, which Bella notes, although she doesn’t
connect the two phenomenons until later. She describes the shape-shifters as "four
really big half-naked boys." As humans, they are between 6'0" and 7'0" tall, and after
phasing become bigger, more muscular, and harder in look and substance. Their
voices also deepen considerably. “Fear of what you’ll think of me” (B. Karg) is great
when relating to the whole of the Twilight series because both Jacob and Edward
both don’t want to tell Bella of their true forms encase of what she will think of them.
Fig. 2 Shapeshift Form
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The wolves become similar in their human forms, partly due to their appearances
(hard-muscled bodies, unusual height and cropped hair) and the synchronization of
their movements, so that they could be mistaken for biological siblings. the Twilight
series has made an impact it seems as people are now looking into the more
handsome side of werewolves much rather then actually thinking what werewolves
are supposed to look like or be represented as. For example Jacob (Taylor Lautner)
in fig 2 he seems much like a laid back chilled out skater kid that proberly just helps
out with little jobs around the house. But then in the next series of the Twilight series
you see him in fig 3 as short hair, ripped six pack and looking very much like a
model. . This very much gives away what has happened to today societies of the
views of a werewolf and it seems you might actually be better off becoming a
werewolf.
Conclusion
Over time we have seen that the word werewolf has been seen or portrayed
differently over time and that there is many view or ways in which the audience may
portray a werewolf to look like whether that be from one of the Twilight films or
maybe from another film. But technology has played a massive part within how
werewolf’s have been portrayed overtime due to the immense about of high quality
CGI that is being produced now compared to what it used to be and also as well
effects/ makeup artists have also improved not in technology but in better make up
practices which again improves on better more realistic looks when it comes down to
Fig. 3 Jacob Twilight 1 Fig. 4 Jacob Twilight 2
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the films, This has also aloud films to elaborate more on the wolfs emotions and
reactions to how they feel towards others, like for example if you was to have a
vicious werewolf and having a close up shot of him you would notice the rage in his
face, slimy mouth and razor sharp teeth, where in a more Twilight type approach
wolfs you see the true detail of CGI that has gone into it but also as well at times you
notice true werewolf expressions like you can feel as if someone is definitely in
control of this beast and there now as savage as there made out to be. How
werewolf’s have been portrayed over time as well with its funny to think now that
great CGI and great make up skills have made werewolfs go from savage beasts
into beautiful elegant wolfs in the space of one film.
Illustrations
Fig. 1, Lycaon Greek Werewolf, http://www.close-
upfilm.com/pictures/lycaon_greek_werewolf.jpg
Fig. 2, Twilight Jacob Wolf form, 2009,
http://www.cgsociety.org/stories/2009_12/new_moon/page02_img_03.jpg
Fig. 3, Jacob Twilight 1, 2008,
http://www.studentsoftheworld.info/sites/tv/img/27981_jacob1.jpg
Fig. 4, Jacob Twilight onwards +, 2008,
http://images2.fanpop.com/images/photos/8500000/HQ-JACOB-twilight-crepusculo-
8511492-410-724.jpg
Bibliography
I.B.Tauris (2006) (The curse of the werewolf: fantasy, horror and the beast within)
cultural context
http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=_4BVWXNcNJoC&printsec=frontcover&dq=The
+curse+of+the+werewolf:+fantasy,+horror+and+the+beast+within&hl=en&sa=X&ei=
pxhrT476FqKt0QWsrYDFBg&ved=0CEAQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q&f=false
Del Howison (2010) When Werewolves Attack: A Guide to Dispatching Ravenous
Flesh-Ripping Beasts
http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=2mBNTDjbsxcC&printsec=frontcover&dq=history
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+of+werewolves&hl=en&sa=X&ei=9BRrT6-zBKHC0QWV-
KjUBg&ved=0CFAQ6AEwAw#v=onepage&q=history%20of%20werewolves&f=false