Therianthropy: A Look at Shapeshifting

[icymist]

The werewolf has passed down for hundreds of years through European myth the idea of a man who can become a wolf with the light of the full moon. This myth originated in Germany in roughly the late 16th century. Other cultures also have their own versions of werebeasts such as weretigers in India or werefoxes in China. Werebeasts can be found in myths throughout the world taking the shape of many different types of animals. The term for werebeasts is therianthropy from the Latin roots "ther" meaning wild beast and "anthro" meaning man. Is therianthropy real? Can a person really change into an animal?

Therianthropy or shapeshifting is not an easy thing to prove as to its validity. For those that believe, there is undoubtedly a real case of shapeshifting which occurs. The trouble is that the experience of shapeshifting is more often a subjective experience rather than an objective one. Subjective experiences by their very nature are difficult to prove to the non-experiencer. The non-experiencer may still believe it possible, but for those who don't believe, how can it be proven? The trouble with shapeshifting, as with most occult phenomena, is that it is difficult to prove the reality of it. The lack of a provable objective occurrence often means that psychology is used to explain shapeshifting. If many people claim to be eyewitnesses of a person changing to an animal or an animal to human, then it is a mass hallucination. If a person claims to be a werebeast then it is only that the person tries to use the "good" aspects of an animal for self-improvement which may bring a change to the person, but more in the realm of positive growth to the individual rather than any true shapeshifting. Essentially the believer will believe and there is not really a way to prove it to the non-believer.

What is shapeshifting to the believer? Therianthropy falls into three main types: spiritual, imitative, and physical. All three types are closely linked to shamanism, but one does not need to be a shaman to practice shapeshifting. In fact many people who have no link to shamanism practice one or more forms of therianthropy for their own personal fulfillment or for fun. And some would also claim they can't help it because they are more animal than human. The reasons behind the practice may be for good or evil, depending on the individual. No matter what the motivation for shifting, the shifter accepts all aspects of the animal, both good and bad, once the change occurs.

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[Ilsa]

1. Thanks for the link! nt