The Werewolf in Lore and Legend is a Supernaturalism novel by Montague Summers. Read summary below.
The Werewolf in Lore and Legend (Dover Occult) Summary
Written by a venerable author of occult studies, The Werewolf in Lore and Legend is the first definitive book on werewolfery and the remarkable successor to Montague Summers’s popular work, The Vampire. Unsurpassed in its sheer scope and depth, it employs an extensive range of historical documentation and folklore from throughout Europe to powerfully portray the horror associated with belief in werewolves.
Summers adopts a comprehensive theological and philosophical approach, cataloging a series of literary connections between witch and wolf. Drawing upon the work of anthropologists, totemists, and rationalists, he examines the supernatural practice of shapeshifting, notes the finer distinctions between werewolfery and lycanthropy, and explores the differences of opinion on exactly how ordinary humans are transformed into creatures of “unbridled cruelty, bestial ferocity, and ravening hunger.”
The author’s Gothic style, rich in fascinating examples and anecdotes, offers compelling fare for lovers of esoteric lore. Even the most skeptical of readers can appreciate the evocative ways in which The Werewolf in Lore and Legend conveys the dread of those for whom these monsters were not mere superstition but terrifying reality.
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The Werewolf in Lore and Legend (Dover Occult) Review
4.0 out of 5 stars Good gothic horror style book about the history of werewolves in Europe
Reviewed in the United States on May 13, 2017
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Being a big werewolf fan, l felt this would be a good addition to my library. This is a wordy book written in older fashioned English, and could lose someone who isn’t too passionate about the subject matter. But it is still very in-depth and informative on the origins of this phenomenon.
Montague Summers discusses lycanthropy, and the fact that he believes it to be a mental illness separate from actual shapeshifting abilities. Summers is clearly not an objective observer, and his Christian bias is ever-present. Honestly it doesn’t take anything away from the book though. The most famous cases surrounding the idea of werewolves are examined, as well as beliefs and customs from around the Old World, mostly Europe.
The biggest drawback in my opinion are all the quotes and paragraphs written in foreign languages, chiefly Latin, that are either left untranslated or explained at the end of the chapter in tiny footnotes. lt’s kind of laborious to keep track of all the notes and look them up as you go. Otherwise it’s a good read on one of my favourite topics.
About Montague Summers Author Of The Werewolf in Lore and Legend (Dover Occult) Book
Augustus Montague Summers Author Of The Werewolf in Lore and Legend (Dover Occult) Book was an English author, clergyman, and teacher. He initially prepared for a career in the Church of England at Oxford and Lichfield, and was ordained as an Anglican deacon in 1908. He then converted to Roman Catholicism and began styling himself as a Catholic priest.
The Werewolf in Lore and Legend (Dover Occult) pdf, Paperback, Hardcover Book Information
- Publisher : Dover Publications; Illustrated edition (December 19, 2003)
- Language : English
- Paperback : 338 pages
- ISBN-10 : 0486430901
- ISBN-13 : 978-0486430904
- Item Weight : 12.6 ounces
- Dimensions : 5.5 x 0.75 x 8.25 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #125,261 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #84 in Supernaturalism (Books)
- #178 in Occultism
- #263 in Folklore & Mythology Studies
- Customer Reviews: 4.5 out of 5 stars 141 ratings
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