Werewolves have always fascinated; they are familiar to us from such films as An American Werewolf in London and the Twilight series, television series such as Being Human and Buffy the Vampire Slayer as well as books and pictures. The human cursed to transform into a wolf at full moon, becoming subject to wild emotions and howling at the moon, is a compelling story and one which clearly fascinated the ancient world as much as the modern one. Daniel Ogden's densely written and source-filled book covers not only werewolves but the ancient obsession with wolves themselves and their connections to ghosts, sorcerers and projected souls (also called astral projection). This book is packed full of source material for those who are keen to research more deeply into the phenomenon, but it is also helpfully written for those, perhaps teachers, who are wishing to find out more about werewolves for, perhaps, the Eduqas Latin GCSE Component 2, or the Cambridge Latin Course Stage 7 - both of which use Petronius' spooky werewolf story. Ogden opens with an interesting overview of the way that werewolves and folklore intertwine with that well-known Petronius story from Satyricon in prime position. For students, one of the most ‘interesting’ parts of this tale is why Niceros' friend urinates around his clothes before howling and running off into the woods. In the third chapter this is explained and there are several examples of the ‘restraining use of urine magic’, including Apuleius' account of two witches ‘emptying their bladders’ on Aristomenes to stop him pursuing them after they have killed his companion, Socrates. In the former example, the clothes are being protected by being turned to stone and in the latter Aristomenes will be trapped in a building with his murdered companion until daybreak, thus allowing the witches to get a head start. In the Petronius story, the turning of the clothes (a symbol of humanity), to stone and their encirclement with urine as a protective measure or even as a way of marking territory, is clearly explained by Ogden. There is a wide range of stories relating to shape-shifters (versipelles) and to witches and ghosts referenced in this book which might be a little overwhelming for the casual reader, but the immense wealth of written and oral folklore included is impressive, ranging from Norse sagas, such as the Völsunga Saga, through Tibullus, Virgil, Ovid, Pliny and right up to Grimms' Fairy Tales. For me, one of the most interesting parts of the book was the final chapter which dealt with the Arcadian Lykaia Festival and the various myths and rituals associated with it. The story of Lykaon is told by Ovid in Metamorphoses I and in Ibis, also in Hesiod's Catalogue of Women, as well as in Hyginus, by Servius as a note on Virgil's sixth Eclogue, and many later writers. The final chapter presents the theory that werewolfism (with its connections to disappearance into wild country, eating of raw flesh, or abstaining from it) was the basis of a rite of passage, such as the ephebeia, retold in the Aristotelian Constitution of Athens, or the possibly better known krypteia practised by the Spartans; Plutarch talks of a similar rite at Delphi, where a boy was sent into ‘exile’ and had to wander for a set period, as it seems werewolves did, before returning to the fold. All things considered, this is a fascinating book, giving the reader much to think about and many rabbit holes to plunge down in search of answers. Each chapter has a handy conclusion at the end which is helpful in synthesising the array of sources and theories covered and this is really helpful, especially when going back to reread something or to find a particular theory; here are copious footnotes with references too. I would say that this book is probably a little dense for the average student, but for someone doing an Extended Project Qualification in ancient magic or folklore, it would be a godsend; it would also be a useful source-book for teachers who want to be able to give a bit more context for source material, as in the Eduqas literature paper, as it deals not only with werewolves but magic of all kinds.
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