| “ | Snow White: ...an ancient magic — an enchantment that lets men walk as wolves. Bigby Wolf: I've encountered those impostors, once or twice. They didn't impress me. |
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| ~ Snow White and Bigby Wolf, Fables: Legends in Exile — "A Wolf in the Fold" |
The werewolf is a species first mentioned in Fables: Legends in Exile — "A Wolf in the Fold," who debut, with their only appearance, in Fables: Werewolves of the Heartland.
Physiology
Werewolves are a supernatural shapeshifting species of individuals who unwillingly transform into a large, fearsome, and extremely hostile wolf-like creature on the night of the full moon.[1]
History
The werewolves of the Homelands were created from an ancient magic which lets men walk as wolves. Bigby Wolf refers to them as "impostors," who didn't impress him. The spell works both ways, enabling a wolf to walk as a human, thereby allowing Bigby to adopt a human form.[2] According to Bigby, werewolves are rare, hunted almost to extinction. However, in the mundane world there exists a breed of werewolves (coined homo sapiens lupus) that were created from being infected by Bigby's blood, which contained the lycanthropic virus.[1]
Arthur Harp and Doctor Sieglibde von Abusberg und Traun had been the first to be transformed into immortal werewolves. After the two had been fully transformed, Sieglibde used her specialization in blood disorders to isolate the lycanthropic mechanism and transmitted it to several chosen subjects by injecting them with their "tainted" blood.[1]
Known members
Appearances
Fables
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Jack of Fables
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Original source
According to European folklore, a werewolf is a man who transforms into a wolf at night, consuming animals, people, or corpses, and subsequently returns to his human state by day. While some werewolves can alter their form at will, others, who have inherited the trait or have been bitten by a werewolf, transform involuntarily when a full moon occurs. Should he sustain injuries while in wolf form, those wounds will manifest in his human form, potentially resulting in his identification. The belief in werewolves exists globally, although in territories where wolves are uncommon, the monster might transform into another dangerous animal, like the bear, tiger, or hyena. It is believed that werewolves undergo a transformation into vampires after death. In the ancient legends of Arcadia, it is said that humans can completely transform into wolves and associate with them. Conversely, in various traditions, especially in Hollywood horror cinema, werewolves are depicted as humanoid creatures, typically characterized by a canine head, claws, and a body covered in fur.[3]
References
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