The 80 yr old Livonian Werewolf Shaman

Theiss of Kaltenburg was an 80 year old man of Livonia, tried for heresy in the late 17th century.

He claimed to be part of benign cult of Werewolves who fought the devil and brought back stolen grain and property.

The judges in the case did not agree with his defence, and he was sentenced to flogging and banishment.

Historian Carlo Ginzberg, in his 1966 paper “The Night Battles: Witchcraft and Agrarian Cults in the Sixteenth and Seventeenth Centuries” suggested this was linked to the agrarian Benandanti cult of Northern Italy. He further theorised that it was evidence of an ancient shamanic shape shifting cult.

Unfortunately an interesting story does not always make for the best theory and Ginzbergs intriguing hypothesis has been strongly criticised; most notably by Dutch historian Willem De Blécourt in his 2007 paper “A Journey to Hell: Reconsidering the Livonian “Werewolf””.

However, recently Bruce Lincoln gave a measured reappraisal of the notion. In his 2015 Hayes-Robinson lecture ‘The Werewolf, the Shaman, and the Historian: Rethinking the Case of “Old Thiess” after Carlo Ginzburg’

Full audio of Lincoln’s lecture can be found here:-

https://tinyurl.com/y85hny9y

Boundaries of Wilderness and Civilisation

This intriguing book by Hans Peter Duerr was a slightly controversial bestseller in its time, but includes a fascinating perspective on Medieval Werewolves.

Duerr posits the theory that those accused of witchcraft, possession and werewolf behaviour in early modern Christianity were actually having hallucinogenic visionary journeys with the aid of a herbal salve.

Although mostly dismissed by anthropologists, its contemporary sales likely had a larger impact on the emerging pagan culture, in a similar same way to Margaret Murray’s 1921 Witch Cult in Western Europe.

The author also readily admits to esoteric practices, in an opening statement that warns the reader not to try and make their own salves.

In the past few years, I have frequently received letters from readers expressing interest in the composition and dose of witches’ salves. I have also found in the American ‘freak’ literature totally irresponsible ‘recipes’ that were praised as ‘tickets’ California-style. I discussed the matter with some nightshade spirits who are friends of mine, and they asked me to transmit the following to the readers of this book:

1 They do not want to be called just for fun or out of craziness. If they feel like striking up a friendship, they will let the respective person know.

2 The tickets they issue are often one-way, singles i.e.: the return part is missing.

This sort of admission is either a positive or negative recommendation depending upon one’s view of the mystical.

Nevertheless the chapter topics alone should prove enticing to those interested in werewolves

1. Witches’ Salves: for Flying to the Sabbat or into the Trap of the Demon?
2. From the Lioness of Women to the Night Travellers
3. The Vagina of the Earth and Venus Mountain
4. Wild Women and Werewolves
5. The Bedevilling of the Senses, especially those of Women
6. Wolves, Death and the Island of Ethnographers
7. The Upside-down World or ‘Pot in Every Chicken’
8. A Midsummernight’s Dream?
9. Fear of Flying
10. The Half-truths of the Coyote or Castaneda and the Altered States of America
11. Dreamtime and Dream Journey
12. Road Bilong Science

Most surprising of all is the notes and bibliography which comprise nearly half the book!

Published in Germany in 1978, Felicitas Goodmans English translation was published in 1985.

Latvian Werewolves

𝗩𝗶𝗹𝗸𝗮𝗰̌, 𝗩𝗶𝗹𝗸𝗮𝘁𝗶, 𝗩𝗶𝗹𝗸𝗮𝗰𝗶

Olaus Magnus, (1555) in his 𝐻𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑜𝑟𝑖𝑎 𝑑𝑒 𝐺𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑖𝑏𝑢𝑠 ‘𝑆𝑒𝑝𝑡𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑟𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑎𝑙𝑖𝑏𝑢𝑠’ (A Description of the Northern Peoples), mentions:-

“𝘐𝘯 𝘗𝘳𝘶𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘢, 𝘓𝘪𝘷𝘰𝘯𝘪𝘢, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘓𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘶𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘢, 𝘢𝘭𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘩𝘢𝘣𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘴𝘶𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘺 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘢𝘱𝘢𝘤𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘸𝘰𝘭𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘮𝘢𝘭𝘴 𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘭𝘦, 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘴𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵 𝘯𝘶𝘮𝘣𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘰𝘥𝘴, 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘺 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘵, 𝘺𝘦𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘨𝘢𝘳𝘥𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘢𝘴 𝘴𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘢 𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘮𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘸𝘰𝘭𝘷𝘦𝘴.”

“𝘖𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘕𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘊𝘩𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘵, 𝘢𝘵 𝘯𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵, 𝘴𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘢 𝘮𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘪𝘵𝘶𝘥𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘸𝘰𝘭𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘴𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘦𝘥 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘮𝘦𝘯 𝘨𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘰𝘨𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘪𝘯 𝘢 𝘤𝘦𝘳𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘴𝘱𝘰𝘵, 𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘷𝘦𝘴, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘴𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘸𝘰𝘯𝘥𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘰𝘤𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘵 𝘩𝘶𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘣𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘮𝘢𝘭𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘥, 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘨𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘴𝘶𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘥𝘦𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘦, 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘥𝘰 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘢𝘭 𝘸𝘰𝘭𝘷𝘦𝘴; 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘢 𝘩𝘶𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘩𝘢𝘣𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘥𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘪𝘴𝘰𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘰𝘥𝘴, 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘣𝘦𝘴𝘪𝘦𝘨𝘦 𝘪𝘵 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘢𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘤𝘪𝘵𝘺, 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘬 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘰𝘰𝘳𝘴, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘥𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘰, 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘥𝘦𝘷𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘶𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘣𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘮𝘢𝘭 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘪𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯.”

“𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘣𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘵 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘳-𝘤𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘢𝘳𝘴, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘦𝘮𝘱𝘵𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘶𝘯𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘳 𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘥, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘪𝘭𝘦 𝘶𝘱 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘮𝘱𝘵𝘺 𝘤𝘢𝘴𝘬𝘴 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘪𝘥𝘥𝘭𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘢𝘳, 𝘵𝘩𝘶𝘴 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘥𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘢𝘭 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘶𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘭𝘷𝘦𝘴. . . .”

“𝘉𝘦𝘵𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘓𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘶𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘢, 𝘓𝘪𝘷𝘰𝘯𝘪𝘢, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘊𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘢 𝘤𝘦𝘳𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘰𝘭𝘥 𝘳𝘶𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘤𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘭𝘦. 𝘈𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘱𝘰𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘨𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘴, 𝘰𝘯 𝘢 𝘧𝘪𝘹𝘦𝘥 𝘰𝘤𝘤𝘢𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘳𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘢𝘨𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘪𝘯 𝘫𝘶𝘮𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘨. 𝘛𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘶𝘯𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘭𝘭, 𝘢𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘰𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘴𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘴𝘵, 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘧𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘯 𝘶𝘱𝘰𝘯 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘴𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘨𝘦𝘴 𝘣𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘱𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘭𝘢𝘪𝘯.”

The earliest Latvian werewolf stories hint at a ritual disrobing and transformation.

The werewolf would leave his or her clothing and would be unable to turn back if somebody touched the clothes. There are conflicting reports on what forces they serve. According to one view, they “𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘭 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘨𝘶𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘥𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘦𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘥𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘭𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘰𝘳𝘤𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘳𝘴”.

These raids could also be a distorted oral history of raiding ‘männerbunde’ warrior bands. The protection of sorcerers perhaps suggests guarding a priest class or non-Christian pagan group; an hypothesis even more likely if one considers another older legend of “good” Werewolves.

This myth tells of “𝘥𝘰𝘨𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘨𝘰𝘥“ who fight sorcerers trying to steal flowers of grains, thus ensuring good harvest. Almost certainly a reference to a now long lost fertility rite.

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