Was The Wolf Man the first werewolf movie? It was not. In fact, it wasn’t even the first werewolf movie released by Universal Studios. In 1935 Werewolf of London premiered but did not go on to be as popular as the later film. The concept of werewolves has been mentioned in legends and stories dating back to the first century AD by author Petronius and by Gervase of Tilbury in the 1100s. Werewolves were said in European folklore to bear certain physical traits in their human form including having a unibrow, curved fingernails, low-set ears, and a swinging stride. A Russian superstition suggests that a werewolf can be recognized by having bristles under their tongue.
What is the medical explanation for those who appear, physically, to be werewolves? Hypertrichosis is a condition that is characterized by an abnormal amount of hair growth over the body. Those who performed in circuses and “freak” shows likely had this condition. In the womb, humans are covered with a thin layer of hair called lanugo. Usually this hair is shed before birth but in some circumstances, for those with congenital hypertrichosis lanuginosa, the hair remains. There are other types of hypertrichosis, including acquired, which is due to side effects of medication. All types can be treated with hair removal products and services or by changing medications. The first recorded case of hypertrichosis is Pedro González in the 1500s. Despite living and acting as a nobleman, González and his children, who were also afflicted with the condition, were not considered fully human in the eyes of society. It is believed that his marriage may have partially inspired the fairy tale Beauty and the Beast (1740).
The only known case of someone being born with hypertrichosis in the United States was Alice Elizabeth Doherty. She was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota in 1887 with a layer of two-inch long, blonde hair all over her body. She appeared in side shows, as did others with this condition, including Fedor Adrianovich Jeftichew, also known as Jo-Jo the Dog-Faced Boy, and Julia Pastrana, also known as The Bearded Lady.
Another condition linked to werewolves is clinical lycanthropy. This is defined as a rare psychiatric syndrome in which the affected person is under the illusion that they can transform into, has transformed into, or is a non-human animal. A study was conducted in the McLean Hospital that stated:
Alice Elizabeth Doherty was born with hypertrichosis in 1887.
. . . we identified twelve cases of lycanthropy, ranging in duration from one day to thirteen years. The syndrome was generally associated with severe psychosis, but not with any specific psychiatric diagnosis or neurological findings, or with any particular outcome. As a rare but colourful presentation of psychosis, lycanthropy appears to have survived into modern times.2
Throughout history several serial killers claimed to have been wolves during their crimes including Gilles Garnier, Manuel Blanco Romasanta, Peter Stube, and Jean Grenier.
Werewolves are said to transform during a full moon. Does the moon actually have an effect on people or animals? This belief has been around for centuries. The word “lunatic” comes from the Roman moon goddess “Luna.” In ancient Greece and Rome, philosophers thought that the water in our brains must be subject to the same tidal motions as the sea. This would explain strange behavior whenever the moon was particularly full or large in the sky. What do experts say? There is a lot of anecdotal evidence claiming an increase in emergency room visits, crime, and accidents when there is a full moon. The science to support this theory, though, is lacking. A 2005 study by Mayo Clinic researchers, reported in the journal Psychiatric Services, looked at how many patients checked into a psychiatric emergency department during the evening hours over several years. They found no statistical difference in the number of visits on the three nights surrounding full moons versus other nights. Regarding how a full moon may affect animals, a study in 2006 stated that:
. . . the lunar cycle may affect hormonal changes early in phylogenesis (insects). In fish, the lunar clock influences reproduction and involves the hypothalamus-pituitary-gonadal axis. In birds, the daily variations in melatonin and corticosterone disappear during full-moon days. The lunar cycle also exerts effects on laboratory rats with regard to taste sensitivity and the ultrastructure of pineal gland cells.3
In many movies featuring werewolves, the person who has transformed has no memory of their exploits. How does science explain temporary memory loss? There are a few medical conditions that could affect memory as shown in these horror films. The first is transient global amnesia. People suffering from this condition will often not know where they are or how they got there. This type of amnesia is shown in werewolf media such as An American Werewolf in London (1981) and the TV show Being Human (2009–2013). The causes of this type of memory loss could also be explained by becoming a werewolf: change in blood flow and strenuous physical activity.
The main feature of werewolf stories is their ability to shapeshift. There are numerous examples of shapeshifters in literature and legends such as Skinwalkers in the Navajo culture and Sauron in The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Are there instances of shapeshifters in nature? Discovered in 1998, the mimic octopus can shapeshift and take on the form of other animals or objects. It’s even able to mimic color and texture. In 2011, a study found that cuttlefish were able to mimic pictures or other visual cues to “blend in” with their surroundings.4 They can mirror nearby plants or structures to evade predators. Pufferfish use their stretchable stomachs and their ability to quickly ingest huge amounts of water or air to puff themselves up to several times their normal size. Some species also have spines on their skin to make them even less edible. Another sea creature that can shapeshift is the deepstaria jelly. It relies on its entire body and its ability to change shape in order to catch its prey. At first glance it looks a bit like a floating blanket or a plastic bag. But when enveloping its victims, it cinches its bottom shut to “create a balloon of death.”5 It lives in deep water in complete darkness and was only recently captured on film in 2017.
Moving onto land, there are many shapeshifters in nature including the mutable rain frog, a type of frog that skips the tadpole stage and develops directly within their eggs. The frog was spotted in 2009 by researchers who took it to be photographed. When they initially saw it, it had a spiny texture to its skin. The next morning it was smooth. Eventually they realized the frog was able to morph into the texture that would protect it best in its environment. In 2015 the tentacled caterpillar was discovered in Peru. At first glance the caterpillar may appear to be just a twig or a branch on a tree but if disturbed, the caterpillar has the ability to shoot out four, white-tipped tentacles from its back. Chameleons can also be considered shapeshifters due to their ability to blend in with their surroundings. Chameleon skin has a layer which contains pigments, and under the layer are cells with guanine crystals. When the space between the guanine crystals shifts it changes the wavelength of light reflected off the crystals. This can be used for camouflage but also in social signaling and in reactions to temperature and other conditions.