noun ly·can·thro·py \lī-ˈkan(t)-thrə-pē\
1: a delusion that one has become a wolf
2: the assumption of the form and characteristics of a wolf held to be possible by witchcraft or magic
Werewolves have permeated pop culture for centuries, including heavily influencing Bram Stoker's novel, Dracula. In fact, the term lycanthropy was coined in the 16th century. According to BBC, next month for three days starting on September 3, an actual conference devoted to the lore and lure of the werewolf will take place at the University of Hertfordshire, thanks to organizers, The Company of Wolves.
Experts in the field will gather for lectures that include such topics as; Rabid Bitches and Fanged Whores, I'm Hairy on the Inside and Barebacking Werewolves in Rural America. Sign me up! Better yet? Conference attendees "will be able to walk with (real) wolves, eat Red Riding Hood biscuits and picnic beside the Berkhamsted churchyard where the 18th Century remains of 'Peter the Wildboy' lie."
The organizers take this subject very seriously and relay why this is an important event. According to Dr. Sam George, "People have been fascinated by human-to-wolf transformations down the years, especially in film. Many remember Lon Chaney in Wolf Man or the cult classic An American Werewolf in London, which brought werewolves to contemporary audiences. But how many people actually know the different ways that you can become a werewolf according to folklore or that there were actually werewolf trials in France and Germany where people were hanged and found guilty of lycanthropy? At the conference we want to draw attention to these little-known facts and discuss the werewolf in all its many manifestations and cultural meanings."
