Polish Werewolf myth's and origin stories

ArcticPaul:

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 fictionalise character development and events.

pongofubu	May 15, 07, 22:04 / #
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...

GoonieThreads: 10 Posts: 297 Joined: Mar 6, 07	May 16, 07, 00:52 / #
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	May 16, 07, 01:04 / #
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?

Polonius3Threads: 1,005 Posts: 4,833 Joined: Apr 11, 08	Apr 18, 08, 05:57 / #
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.

ArcticPaulThreads: 49 Posts: 245 Joined: Apr 7, 08	Apr 18, 08, 12:47 / #
ser: May 16, 07, 01:04 #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? 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 fictionalise 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 grey skies and pine clad hills of Niedzwiedz/Biala Pod Stolem/Warowkrac....even though you can probably eat in a McDonalds in every small town.

isthatu2Threads: 13 Posts: 5,221 Joined: Apr 3, 08	Edited by: isthatu2 Apr 18, 08, 13:56 / #
I think werewolves were a French legend....Poland is more witches and woodland/river type fairies and stuff.

miranda	Apr 18, 08, 14:10 / #
isthatu2: Poland is more witches and woodland/river type fairies and stuff. that is correct;)

southernThreads: 116 Posts: 10,948 Joined: May 17, 07	Apr 18, 08, 15:06 / #
I think the legend came from Jaruzelski.

SophiaThreads: 1 Posts: 145 Joined: Apr 8, 08	Edited by: Sophia Apr 18, 08, 15:35 / #
werewolf mythology

southernThreads: 116 Posts: 10,948 Joined: May 17, 07	Edited by: southern Apr 18, 08, 17:02 / #
Who was Draculowski?

wildroverThreads: 180 Posts: 8,188 Joined: Jun 7, 07	Apr 20, 08, 06:00 / #
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....

MatyjaszThreads: 2 Posts: 1,786 Joined: Jul 20, 06	Edited by: Matyjasz Apr 20, 08, 03:54 / #
ArcticPaul: 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 fictionalise character development and events. 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.