Introduction

Werewolves have long been monsters of human fascination. Their portrayal in stories and art, blend elements of their viciousness and their humanity. Bisclavret is a lai written by Marie de France in the twelfth century. The lai tells the story of a beloved knight, who turns into a werewolf, who needs his clothes to change back into a human. Upon discovering this, his wife cruelly hides his clothing and marries her lover. Time passes and eventually the King discovers the wolf while hunting. The wolf acts in a docile manner and people begin to wonder if he might be the knight they once loved. The King and his court return Bisclavret’s clothing, and he  changes back into the man he was. Lines 4 - 19 of the lai help to illuminate  the dichotomy of   werewolf behaviour, favouring a more human, less savage portrayal. This idea of a gentle werewolf is also reflected in the illustration the Werewolves of Ossory,  found in the Topographia Hiberniae, a book about Ireland, its land and its peoples. It was written by Gerald of Wales circa 1188. Many believed that the idea of a humane werewolf, seen in this text, was inspired by Marie de France’s Bisclavret. Supported and contrasted with Lucas Cranach the Elder’s The Werewolf, Otto Schubert’s St Francis and the Wolf, and the Loup Garou illustration, these works will  highlight the differences between the savage and the gentle werewolf of medieval culture.