The Book Of Were Wolves Being An Account Of A Terrible Superstition

"Sabine Baring-Gould (1834-1924) was a prolific writer, priest, and an eclectic scholar. He considered collecting folk songs and lore to be among his greatest achievements. His studies of folklore led him to delve into the study of werewolves and why superstitions about lycanthropy persisted over the ages in so many cultures. In addition to providing a history of the subject in this book he also recounts in detail the story of the Maréchal de Retz, who was executed in 1440 for the serial murders of children but was also suspected of being a werewolf. This work is one of the most frequently cited studies on the subject. Bound in the original red publisher's cloth with ornate gilt title to spine and gilt ornament with figure of a wolf on the front cover." -- description from The Kelmscott Bookshop, bookseller.

Reproduction of the original.

A reference book for the 19th-century werewolf seeker, Sabine Baring-Gould’s ‘The Book of Were-Wolves’ explores the trying tales and magic myths of werewolves from ancient folklore, Greek and Norse myths. Unpacking the truth behind legendary beliefs, cases of Lycanthropy, and tips and tricks for curing yourself of a werewolf conviction, Baring-Gould deep dives into the dark psychological reasons as to how and why people may believe themselves to be part wolf. Asking the age-old question of how anyone can feel capable of maiming and killing another being, ‘The Book of Were-Wolves’ invites readers to ponder how and why some members of society may harbour secret desires to inflict cruelty on other animals - big and small. Weaving an intoxicating narrative, ‘The Book of Were-Wolves’ is ideal for fans of Netflix’s ‘Werewolves Within’. Sabine Baring-Gould (1834-1924) was a British novelist and Anglican priest. A prolific writer, his bibliography spans more than one thousand publications, including the best-known hymns ‘Onward, Christian Soldiers’, ‘Sing Lullaby’ and ‘Now the Day is Over’. Baring-Gould's interest in folklore led to the publication of one of the most frequently cited studies of lycanthropy, ‘The Book of Were-Wolves’.

Reprint of the original, first published in 1865. Being an account of a terrible superstition.

This work is one of the finest ever penned on the subject of lycanthropy and werewolf lore. Written in the mid 1800s by the rather eccentric Sabine Baring-Gould, it covers more than 1,000 years of lore from a half dozen paths- the berserker of Norse lore, French mythology, and then-modern anecdotes of cannibalism and madness. Not relegating the werewolf just to a secular and skeptical study, nor simply to spiritual banter, Baring-Gould manages to compress an enormous span of historical material into his work; a work which is no doubt of value to the academic and those involved with the occult at the same time.