The Book of Werewolves

Sabine Baring-Gould’s study of werewolf belief ranges from ancient Arcadian legends and classical writers to Norse sagas, medieval trials and European folklore. It considers wolf-skin transformations, berserkir traditions and stories associated with Icelandic literature, before turning to reports from France, Livonia, Italy, Scandinavia and beyond.

The later chapters examine notorious human cases, including Jean Grenier and Gilles de Rais, alongside accounts described as a Galician werewolf and the “human hyena”. Baring-Gould also considers natural explanations for lycanthropy, the mythological development of the werewolf and the way these beliefs appear in sermons, legal records and traditional narratives. The result is a historical account of werewolf lore shaped by Victorian scholarship and speculation.