A werewolf is a human with the ability to shape-shift into a wolf-like creature, that possesses super human strength far superior to that of any human. The metamorphosis from human to wolf is typically associated with a full moon, although shape-shifting is also thought to be possible when a human is placed under a curse or upon being bitten by another werewolf.

The legends of werewolves date back to ancient Greek, Romanian and Chinese civilizations. One of the oldest and most widely circulated legends of the Werewolf comes from the Roman poet Ovid and his poem the Metamorphoses. In this poem King Lycaeon is visited by travelling gods and because he doesn’t believe that they are true gods in order to test them he attempts to serve them human flesh. Cannibalism then, as it is now, was widely frowned upon and not a practice that gods would partake in. When the gods discover his attempts to trick them they turn him into a savage werewolf. The gods believed this appearance far more suitable for a man who wanted to partake in the consumption of human flesh.

The worlds best known Werewolf, no not Teen Wolf, remains the werewolf from the Little Red Riding Hood fairy tale which sees a crafty shape-shifter dress up as a grandmother in order to eat a young girl. Werewolves continue to be popular characters in modern fiction and film, most notably the recent Twilight series of films and books.