J-M's History Corner

[Sorry for the length.] Cannock Chase is an area in central England teeming with paranormal activity - including UFOs, black-eyed children, hell hounds, werewolves, etc. I first heard about it in this article, although it doesn't go into as much detail as I'd like, so for the sake of brevity I'll just give its link: https://www.ranker.com/list/cannock-chase-werewolf-sightings/hugh-landman?utm_source=sendgrid_newsletter&utm_medium=graveyardshift&utm_campaign=active Specific details about some of the sightings: Cannock Chase is a large densely woodland area which has become known as one the UK's most active paranormal hotspots. In recent times there has been reports of werewolves, UFO's and ghosts by the local residents. On April 26, 2007, the local Stafford Post newspaper ran the following story: "A rash of sightings of a 'werewolf' type creature prowling around the outskirts of Stafford, have prompted a respected Midlands paranormal group...

You might remember my post The Werewolves of Ireland , in which I discussed the Emerald Isle’s history of lycanthropy (werewolves), which was particularly disturbing as they were my direct ancestors. Well, here’s another mediaeval werewolf tale – this one of the warrior Sigmund and his son Sinfjötli , who dabbled in something they shouldn’t, becoming wolves for a short period of time.  This is actually a fairly common occurrence in werewolf folklore and old eyewitness accounts – that a magic (i.e. demonic) pelt/belt could transform someone into a beast simply by being worn. This tale tells of two men, Sigmund and Sinfjotli. One day these two are wandering through a great wood when they come upon a house. Inside they find two sleeping men who are under a spell – for nine days they are wolves , and on the tenth day they can take off the enchanted wolf skins and live as men again. The mischievous Sigmund and Sinfjotli, eager for a good adventure, steal the wolf-skin...

Ah, werewolves.  Popular trope in horror movies and novels.  Usually portrayed as a human who transforms into a humanoid wolf (or as a human-wolf hybrid).  Sometimes the condition (known as lycanthropy) is genetic and hereditary, sometimes it’s the result of a werewolf bite, sometimes the result of a curse.  It’s often (but not necessarily) related to the full moon.   https://youtu.be/TKIbuXsN2F4   https://youtu.be/myjd4uoq6dY https://youtu.be/kzZcDHHNINk However, these nightmarish beasts are not limited to the world of fiction; they are a legendary creature, seen and encountered by many people up until the present day. What are they?  Some are Nephilim – the hybrid products of fallen angels mixing with humans and animals (and possibly humans with animals) in centuries and millennia past.  Others are demonically possessed humans, at least some of which got into “the dark arts”, to borrow Harry Potter ‘s term for ...