How to destroy a werewolf

The werewolf, or lycanthrope is a mythical person who is said to be affected by the full moon, transforming into a wolf like animal at every full moon. They have a reputation of being very savage, attacking vulnerable people when in their transformed state, their bite is said to be infectious, causing those that they attack to become afflicted with the same condition.

As with any such myth there is often an element of truth in the legend, no more so than the werewolf where, surprisingly enough, a similar version of the legend can be heard from widely ranging parts of the world, from differing cultures and geographic locations.

Why can this be? Surely the werewolf is a thing of fiction, a character from horror stories, something used to frighten children against going outside at the full moon.

It has long been known that people’s characters can change with the cycles of the moon. People can feel differently at different phases and the condition was recognised many years ago with certain mental illnesses being attributed to the moon’s phases, these people were known as Lunatics, after the Latin word for the Moon.

There is another condition that may have contributed to the growth of the legend, known as Lupus or Lupus erythematosus, which is a condition that can affect skin and joints, causing frightening symptoms.

Time and story telling may well have coloured society’s view and given rise to the legend of the lycanthrope.

In popular fiction the werewolf is an evil predatory being that requires nothing short of total annihilation but incredibly difficult to deal with. Maybe the pain of lupus caused a madness that could not be stopped without a lot of effort.

The usual way to dispose of these dangerous creatures is to shoot them with a silver bullet, something that must have caused some concern before the invention of firearms. Some legends refer to stabbing the animal with a silver knife or sword. Mercury has also been promulgated as a means of killing them, I managed to find a text that suggested making bullets from mercury but you don’t need me to point out the impracticality of this. The same source also suggests piercing the heart of the beast with a wooden stake, but I always thought that this was for vampires.

Decapitation is also a favoured method for dealing with these creatures, although you may be pushed to find a knife capable of a clean decapitation in the toolbox of your local Rentokil operative. There’s no arguing with the efficacy of decapitation, I have yet to hear of any creature that can survive having its head removed.

The good news is that it is pretty likely that the werewolf is completely fictional but if you are of a cautious nature you may find it useful to carry a silver knife with you at all times. Should you be arrested for carrying a concealed weapon you may sway the jury’s opinion by pleading self defence against werewolves but don’t bank on it.