Introduction

This digital exhibit will explore how the werewolf is often perceived as a sympathetic, human-like creature, greatly differentiating its characterization from other beasts in medieval literature. Accordingly, the werewolf is used to metaphorically blur the lines between man and beast, showing that one's inner core is retained regardless of their physical form.

The passage selected is from Bisclavret by Marie De France, starting at line 138 [1]:

When the hounds were loosed and let

Run, they found the bisclavret.

They chased him always that long day,

The huntsmen and the coursing dogs,

Till they had him--almost--at bay

And they would have torn him to rags,

But then he picked out the King

And ran there for mercy. To beg,

He seizes the King's stirrup-ring,

And kisses his foot and leg.

The King sees this, and feels great fear;

He calls all his companions over.

"My lords," he says, "come, come here!

Behold this marvel, see this wonder.

How this beast bows down to me!

Its sense is human. It begs for mercy.

Drive me those dogs away again,

See that no-one strikes a blow!

This beast understands, feels like a man.

Let's get going! You're all too slow!

To the beast my peace I'll grant.

Now, no more today will I hunt."

The primary artifact I will be using to support this passage is from Topographia Hiberniae, produced within the same time period as Bisclavret, by Gerald of Wales and Henry of Saltrey (f.17-18) which depicts the legend of the priest of Ulster who was approached by a werewolf to give communion to his dying wife. The legend suggests that the werewolf and his wife were humans, cursed into their beastly form. By showing the persistence of the wolves' humanity, through their retention of their religious beliefs and love and loyalty to each other, this artifact further humanises werewolves, showing that humanity may not be restricted to men in their physical form.

The passage and artifact both tell stories of good men turned into werewolves, using their behaviour in their werewolf forms to humanise them. This serves as a way to blur the binary between man and beast. Bisclavret tells the tale of a noble knight and Gerald of Wales describes the male wolf to be a loyal, loving, Christian husband, all traits associated with a moral human being. Through the progression of the story, we see that these positive attributes were a part of the wolves' personalities that they were able to retain despite being in a beastly form.

This is shown through highlighting Bisclavret's noble character as a knight and then his humility and loyalty to the King even in his beastly form. For the artifact, we see the wolves maintain their love and loyalty to each other, as well as their Christian faith (inferred from the request for last rites). Given that administering communion for a non-Christian is a blasphemous act, the priest's agreement confirms that the she-wolf, much like a human, had a soul. Furthermore, the peeling of the dying she-wolf's skin reveals a sick lady. This shows that while the "skin" shapes people's perception of the wolves, at their core they still hold their their "true self" and their values and (religious) beliefs are unaltered by their physical transformation.