RHC Fortnightly Quotemail
Compiled & Edited by Rob Chappell (@RHCLambengolmo)
Vol. XXIX, No. 5: January 11, 2025
Co-Editor: Sophie Fairgate
Art Director: Verena Keegan
Editorial Associate: Sabrina Saelind
Editorial Assistant: Jessica Breckinridge
“Even a man who is pure in heart
And says his prayers by night
May become a wolf when the wolfbane blooms
And the Moon shines full and bright.”
à Traditional Rhyme of Lore from the classic 1941 horror film, The Wolf Man
Editor’s Note
This year, the Full Wolf Moon falls on the evening of Monday, January 13th. Please join me in celebrating this astronomical event with poetry and prose from our wonderful staff writers – and more!
Sophie’s Introduction
A werewolf, also known as a lycanthrope, is a mythical creature that transforms into a wolf or wolf-like creature at least partially or fully. In ancient and medieval lore, werewolves were often portrayed as noble guardians of the natural world who were feared but respected. However, in more modern representations of werewolves, they are often depicted as vicious and dangerous creatures who cannot control their primal, animalistic natures.
“A Song for the Night”
By Lyra Kelly, Staff Writer
My heart whispers secrets to the night,
A language ancient as the trees,
Unspoken words that dance and twirl,
Like stars above where shadows flee.
A song of longing, hope, and light,
Where dreams and darkness are at play,
A rhythm deep as mountain streams,
A secret truth that cannot fray.
“The Monster with Many Names”
By the Editor (2020)
The werewolf appears in many stories from the ancient world as a shapeshifter that can transform from human into wolf form and back again. In Classical literature, the werewolf is a lykanthropos (“wolf-human” in Greek) and a versipellis (“skin-changer” in Latin). In ancient and medieval lore, humans did not transform into werewolves during a full Moon. Rather, such transformation was brought on through enchantments, curses, etc. In the Abrahamic faith traditions, the most famous werewolf was King Nebuchadnezzar II of Babylon (reigned 605-652 BCE. The tale of the King’s werewolfism is told in chapter 4 of the biblical book of Daniel.
Werewolves appeared in popular tales of the High Middle Ages, in which they were more often than not portrayed in heroic and sympathetic ways. Some of the more popular medieval werewolf tales, all composed around 1200 CE, include:
· Bisclavret, a French lay by Marie de France
· William of Palerne, a French romance later translated into English
· Melion, a Breton lay set at the court of King Arthur
Werewolves also appeared in Middle Eastern legends that were brought into Western Europe during the Middle Ages, such as the Acts of Andrew and Matthias in the Country of the Cannibals, the Acts of Andrew and Bartholomew among the Parthians, and Andreas (an Anglo-Saxon epic poem based on the foregoing Greek and Latin sources).
Moreover, St. Christopher, the patron saint of travelers, was often portrayed as a giant werewolf in Eastern Orthodox Christian icons. According to legendary biographies of the saint, he had been a fierce warrior in his youth, but in later life, he took up the peaceful occupation of carrying travelers on his shoulders across a great river. However, Christopher was portrayed as a giant canine figure because of a spelling mistake! He was, in the earliest versions of his legend, a “Canaanite,” which a later unknown scribe misinterpreted as a “canine.”
“The Moonlight Magic of the Wolf”
By Ravenna Kolbitar, Staff Writer
Under the silver light of the moon,
The wolf steps forth, with grace so pure.
The pale luminescence upon his form,
A transformation, with each hour.
The scent of the night, so fresh and crisp,
Fills the wolf's nose with new life and bliss.
Glimpses of prey, in shadow and light,
His predatory instincts take to flight.
The wolf's ears prick up, at every sound,
The forest is alive, with nature's profound.
The call of the owl, the whisper of wind,
His senses heightened, his spirit undimmed.
With a mighty bound, the wolf takes to stride,
His paws a blur, no time to hide.
The rustle of leaves, as he passes by,
His heart pulsating, alive and high.
The wolf's eyes gleam, with hunger and fire,
His senses aflame, with primal desire.
He stalks his prey, with keen and intent,
His muscles coiled, ready to pounce in the hunt.
The moonlight dapples the forest floor,
A playground of shadows, of light and lore.
The wolf's keen nose, picks up the scent,
Of its intended prey -- the chase has its bent.
The wolf's jaws widen, with vicious delight,
A growl of warning, as it pounces by night.
A fleeting moment, the prey takes to flight,
But the wolf is relentless in pursuit with might.
With a final lunge, the wolf takes the kill,
Its claws a-glinting, in the silvery chill.
The taste of victory, so sweet and so rare,
The hunger is sated at last, in the moonlight's affair.
“Lupina: The Lone Wolf”
By Kenzie Sheridan, Staff Writer
A lone wolf through the dark we see
Her glowing eyes, her ears and tail
Her sharp and strong wolfish form in the moonbeams’ light
The noble Lupina stands tall.
At once a queen, an angel and a beast
She walks with grace on velvet paws through the night
She moves with speed and power,
And with a kind and gentle ease.
Lupina is an ancient protector, warrior and sage
She brings hope and safety with her glowing gaze
As the world turns, and the seasons pass,
Her wisdom endures and thrives.
And all those who walk a righteous path
May know her as a loyal friend in battle
Her guiding star, her light within the dark.
She looks to the stars and to her soul
Her body, heart and mind all guided by the Moon’s light
As the Wolf-Princess, daughter of Luna,
She holds the wild world in her sight.
May her wisdom guide us always
And may we share her spirit of grace, strength and honor
Lupina, Lone Wolf, our guardian through day and night!
A female werewolf is transforming from her human into her wolflike form. Image Credit: Digital artwork by Verena Keegan, Staff Writer & Art Director.)
“The Law for the Wolves”
By Rudyard Kipling (1865–1936)
Excerpted from The Second Jungle Book (1895) – Chapter 2
Now this is the law of the jungle, as old and as true as the sky,
And the wolf that shall keep it may prosper, but the wolf that shall break it must die.
As the creeper that girdles the tree trunk, the law runneth forward and back;
For the strength of the pack is the wolf, and the strength of the wolf is the pack.
Wash daily from nose tip to tail tip; drink deeply, but never too deep;
And remember the night is for hunting and forget not the day is for sleep.
The jackal may follow the tiger, but, cub, when thy whiskers are grown,
Remember the wolf is a hunter — go forth and get food of thy own.
Keep peace with the lords of the jungle, the tiger, the panther, the bear;
And trouble not Hathi the Silent, and mock not the boar in his lair.
When pack meets with pack in the jungle, and neither will go from the trail,
Lie down till the leaders have spoken; it may be fair words shall prevail.
When ye fight with a wolf of the pack ye must fight him alone and afar,
Lest others take part in the quarrel and the pack is diminished by war.
The lair of the wolf is his refuge, and where he has made him his home,
Not even the head wolf may enter, not even the council may come.
The lair of the wolf is his refuge, but where he has digged it too plain,
The council shall send him a message, and so he shall change it again.
If ye kill before midnight be silent and wake not the woods with your bay,
Lest ye frighten the deer from the crop and thy brothers go empty away.
Ye may kill for yourselves, and your mates, and your cubs as they need and ye can;
But kill not for pleasure of killing, and seven times never kill man.
If ye plunder his kill from a weaker, devour not all in thy pride,
Pack-right is the right of the meanest; so leave him the head and the hide.
The kill of the pack is the meat of the pack. Ye must eat where it lies;
And no one may carry away of that meat to his lair, or he dies.
The kill of the wolf is the meat of the wolf. He may do what he will,
But, till he is given permission, the pack may not eat of that kill.
Lair right is the right of the mother. From all of her years she may claim
One haunch of each kill for her litter, and none may deny her the same.
Cub right is the right of the yearling. From all of his pack he may claim
Full gorge when the killer has eaten; and none may refuse him the same.
Cave right is the right of the father, to hunt by himself for his own;
He is freed from all calls to the pack. He is judged by the council alone.
Because of his age and his cunning, because of his gripe and his paw,
In all that the law leaveth open the word of the head wolf is law.
Now these are the laws of the jungle, and many and mighty are they;
But the head and the hoof of the law and the haunch and the hump is — Obey!
“How Medieval Werewolf Lore Inspired the Story of Beauty and the Beast”
By Tracy Albert, Staff Writer
Editor’s Note: Please refer to the medieval werewolf legends listed in my article, “The Monster with Many Names,” above, to learn more about lycanthropic lore in Europe and the Middle East.
The classic fairy tale Beauty and the Beast has enchanted generations of children and adults alike since the story’s first appearance in French literature. The earliest published versions of the story date back to 1740, and it was later retold and published by numerous writers in different countries throughout the 18th and 19th centuries. At the heart of the story is a mysterious and terrifying Beast who lives alone in a dark, abandoned castle, and who refuses to let any of his enchanted servants leave. Eventually, the Beast captures a young and beautiful girl named Beauty and holds her hostage in the castle until she agrees to become his wife and live with him forever. The story ends with Beauty accepting the Beast as her loving husband and bringing him out of his isolation, transforming him both physically and emotionally back into a handsome prince, and the two of them living happily ever after.
The storyline of Beauty and the Beast is so compelling and fascinating, it has been shared and retold throughout history, eventually inspiring countless adaptations, spin-offs, and modern interpretations in the theater, musical, television, film, ballet, opera, and literary world. One of the most well-known and enduring of the many adaptations of the story is the 1991 animated musical film Beauty and the Beast, produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios. The film tells the same story as the fairy tale and other adaptations, but it also has a number of unique elements which set it apart from its predecessors, and make it an interesting study within the context of fairy tale lore.
The first and most notable difference is that the film adds a number of elements to the story that are not found in the original French fairy tale or in earlier adaptations of the story. This article will discuss some elements unique to the Beauty and the Beast fairy and animated film, and will argue that they are based in the world of Werewolf Mythology.
The film’s narrative has several strong connections to various aspects of Werewolf Mythology, and it also contains examples of a few distinctly Werewolf characteristics in various characters and situations. The most important and compelling case for Beauty and the Beast being connected to Werewolf Mythology is the character of the titular Beast himself. I will be discussing the similarities between the character of the Beast and the myths of werewolves that arise from the film and the story, before delving into the connections presented in the overall narrative.
The most obvious connection between the Beast and the werewolf myths of folklore and modern imagination is their shared transformation into a supernatural creature. This transformation has an effect on the Beast’s physical appearance and behavior, and it also appears in a similar fashion in numerous other tales throughout history. Another major connection between the Beast and the myths of the werewolf is their shared connection to the natural world and to the forest landscape. The Beauty and the Beast film takes place in a French village surrounded by forests, and the Beast is a creature who lives amongst the wilderness in the abandoned castle and wanders about its surrounding woods. The werewolf is usually not accepted by civilized society, and is often perceived as a monstrous and dangerous being, which is also the case for the Beast in Beauty and the Beast. The Beast, as well as the werewolf in the myths, represents danger and isolation to other characters, and both are creatures whom civilized humans are naturally horrified of interacting with.
Another shared characteristic between the Beast and the myths of the werewolf is their ability to transform back into a human form. The werewolf is able to change back into human form during the day, and the Beast regains his human appearance after falling in love with and being forgiven by his Beauty. The act of transformation and the return to human form is a defining characteristic of the werewolf, and both the Beast and the werewolves in the myths undergo these changes due to a special and unique condition. Both the werewolf and the Beast are transformed through an otherworldly curse placed upon them, and this curse has affected them both through many years. Both the Beast and the werewolf are afflicted by a curse placed upon them by a powerful person or supernatural being who has the power to transform them into their supernatural/monstrous form. The Beast and the werewolf both are cursed to live in a state of isolation until a special person comes along to break their curse.
At the heart of the story of both the medieval werewolf and the Beast is a love story in which a young noblewoman comes along to redeem the supernatural monsters. The women involved in the stories of both the Beast and the werewolf fall helplessly in love with the monstrous creatures in spite of its horrifying appearance. The characters of the Beauty and the Beast fairy tale and the werewolf transformation myths both love and care for the women who love them regardless of their appearance, and are unable to harm the women even when they are in their supernatural form. In the end, the curses of the Beast and the werewolf are both completely broken by the love of the young woman, allowing the beastly beings to regain their human appearance forever. The stories of both the Beast and the medieval werewolf are ultimately love stories, in which both the human hero and the beastly monster are transformed into better people by the love of the woman who wins their affections.
Another connection between the Beast and the werewolf myths is their shared isolation from human society. Both the Beast and the werewolf are dangerous and feared by humans and so must live separate from them. As a result of their isolation from society, the Beast and the werewolf also have little or no connection to the modern world or to human culture, and are instead much more connected to the natural world. The Beast and the werewolf are both portrayed as living in a very old-fashioned time period, and they are often dressed in antiquated fashions and surrounded by furniture and decorations of a bygone era. The time period most often associated with the werewolf is the medieval era, and the Beast is portrayed in Beauty and the Beast as having come from the period of the French Baroque. They both also live far away from any large civilization, and spend most of their time in seclusion in abandoned castle ruins and deep in the wild forest. The werewolf and the Beast both spend the vast majority of their time alone with few or no companions, and as a result, they both have a great deal of self-loathing, regret, and self-disgust. While they are both isolated and self-loathing, the werewolf and the Beast both yearn to be loved and to have a companion, but are unable to break out of their isolation.
Both the Beast and the werewolf are depicted as being much larger and more powerful than normal men, and they both have a hairier appearance that is shared by the animal forms they transform into. Both the Beast and the werewolf have sharp teeth and nails, and they both share a certain degree of animalistic behavior that puts them outside the realm of normal human behavior. Both the Beast and the werewolf are depicted as having difficulty controlling their emotions and temper, which can lead to them frightening the people with whom they come in contact. Both the Beast and the werewolf have wild and uncivilized natures when they are first introduced, and are unable to fully control their powerful animalistic urges as well. Both the Beast and the werewolf share a certain level of aggression, especially in their supernatural forms, and this aggression makes people fear that they will attack them. Both the Beast and the werewolf are depicted as having enhanced strength and ability compared to normal humans, and are both very dangerous and powerful creatures. Both the Beast and the werewolf are depicted as extremely powerful supernatural beings who have a fierce, animal-like presence, and whose power and supernatural strength is intimidating and terrifying to the normal humans who encounter them.
The story of Beauty and the Beast ends with the enchanted transformation objects and the curse being destroyed, thus dissolving the Beast’s monstrous form and returning him to his human form, and the story of the medieval werewolf ends with the curse being broken, and the werewolf is transformed back into his human form as a young nobleman. In both stories, the beasts are turned back into their human forms, and the heroines are able to love them despite their previous monstrous forms, and both couples are able to find happiness. Both stories emphasize the power of true love in its ability to transform an evil and monstrous being into a kind and loving man, and the stories give hope to readers by showing how love can change someone from their darkest and most animalistic form into their natural, human self. Both stories emphasize the power of compassion and acceptance by showing how their heroines are able to see past the horrifying appearance of the beast and are able to see their true selves, and these stories are meant to encourage love and care for those who are different from us, and to show that the power of love can heal even the most broken mind. Both the medieval werewolf legends and the classic fairy tale emphasize the importance of seeing a person’s inner humanity, and they show that anyone can be redeemed and change their fate by learning to care for another person who loves them, and both stories have a happy ending in which love is triumphant.
“The Moonlight”
By Alyssa M. Brooks, Staff Writer
The pale moon beams down from high overhead,
Shining with a soft, soothing white.
Its moonlight glimmers on the tranquil, wide ocean,
Making the waves dance under its light.
It blankets the sky like a thin sheet,
And paints the world in delicate hues.
The moonlight is magical, wondrous,
And makes my heart swoon with its beauty.
Alyssa, the author of the poem printed above, is pictured here on a moonlit beach in Oregon. (Digital image processed by the Editor.)
Winged Words of Wisdom
By Viviana Rivera, Staff Writer
I’d like to remind our readers that embracing our differences and working together is fundamental to achieving true harmony. Let’s celebrate our unique perspectives, experiences, and backgrounds, recognizing that our collective strength lies in our diversity. May this Full Wolf Moon bring us closer together in love and understanding. 😊
Sayings of the Stoic Sages
By Amy Kendrick & Grace Whittier, Staff Writers
From Amy’s Desk
Here's one of my favorite quotes from Epictetus, a Stoic philosopher who lived in Rome around the 2nd century CE:
"Remember that when you meet anyone that that person is fighting a hard battle. You must not consider a man happy unless you know all the facts."
This quote encourages us to see beyond people's outward appearances and circumstances, and to recognize that everyone is dealing with their own struggles and challenges in life. We should approach others with empathy and compassion rather than judging them based on our limited perception.
From Grace’s Desk
The Stoics believed in the fundamental worth and value of all individuals, regardless of their background or differences. Epictetus, a prominent Stoic philosopher, said: "The difference between a man who's right and a man who is mistaken is that the latter mistakes and does not understand the origin of things, but the former fixes his mind on them and comprehends their true nature." So, in a sense, recognizing and accepting the 'other' as worthy, valuable, and interconnected is all about comprehending their true nature as fellow human beings with a divine spark within them.
Here's a quote about dharma protectors from the Buddhist tradition:
"Dharma protectors are also known as 'wrathful deities' because they harness the power of wrath to protect the dharma and help all beings. They are not to be feared, however, as they are actually expressions of enlightened wisdom and compassion. They are said to be 'wrathful' because they have the fierce appearance of a wrathful deity, but they are still very compassionate towards their devotees and those who seek their aid."
The source of the quote is the Great Compendium of Buddhist Wrathful Deities, by His Holiness the Fourteenth Dalai Lama. And yes, it could certainly include werewolves! As long as they are fierce and protective towards those they consider their own, they could fit the role of a dharma protector. ;)
