THE SCENE: The 16th century mind turns and twists as it struggles to make sense of a tale of werewolves in Ireland.
THE TEXT: There is also in Ireland one nation, whereof for one man and woman are at every seven years end turned into wolves, and so continue in the woods the space of seven years and if they happen to live out the time, they return to their own form again. And another twain are turned for the like time into the same shape, which is a penance (as they say) enjoyed those folk by Saint Patrick for some wickedness of their ancestors & this is true : witnesses a man whom I left alive in Ireland, who had performed this seven year’s penance, whose wife was slain while she was a wolf in her last year. This man told to many men whose cattle he had worried & whose bodies he had assailed, while he was a wolf, so plain and evident tokens & showed such wounds which other men had given him, both in his man’s shape before he was a wolf, and in his wolf’s shape since, which all appeared upon his skin. That it was evident to all men, yea and to the Bishop too (upon whose grant it was recorded and registered) that the matter was beyond doubt.
But as for the transformation of the wolves, is either miraculous or else is shameful, crafty, malicious sorcery. And as the one way is unsearchable: so I think there might means be found to guess how it is done the other way. For witches are by nature exceedingly malicious. And it may be that some witches took displeasure with this wolfish nation, gave her daughter charge in her death bed, when she taught her the science (for until that time witches never teach it nor them but to their eldest and best beloved daughter) that she should at every seven years end: create some ointment which for seven years space might be in force to represent unto men’s eyes the shape of a wolf, and in the night season to go herself in likeness either of a mare or some other night form, and anoint therewith the bodies of some couple of that kindred which she hated, & that after her time she should charge her daughter to observe the same & charge her daughter after her to do the like for ever so this charge is always given by tradition with the science, and so is continued & observed by this witch’s offspring by whom two of this kindred, as it may be supposed, are from every seven for every seven years turned into wolves.
– Beware the Cat, William Baldwin, 16th Century AD
[Image Credit: The Werewolf Howls, Mont Sudbury: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Mont_Sudbury#/media/File:WeirdTalesv36n2pg038_The_Werewolf_Howls.png]
