User blog comment:HumboldtLycanthrope/Werewolves/@comment-24101790-20170310140335

I think the earliest form of the werewolf mythos is King Lycaon who was cursed by Zeus for serving him human meat (his son's) to see if the god was omniscient and turned into wolves. Of course I like the idea that St. Anthony's Fire (ergot-infected rye, which has hallucinogenic effects) really brought the idea of lycanthropy and witches to the forefront of the human mind out out of myths and stories.

As for movies and music, I've always been a fan of the cheese-y series The Howling and the more action-y Dog Soldiers as well as the obligatory An American Werewolf in London reference. Then there's Metallica's Of Wolf and Man.

Lately I've been looking over culture-bound syndromes (like Wendigo Psychosis and Run Amok) both of which seem to be rooted in a fear of losing control or being controlled by something and I think that has a connection to the main concept of lycanthropy. In the horror medium, it seems that the underlying fear of lycanthropy is connecting with your primal side, doing something horrific that is beyond your control, and the realization that it is an inevitable part of your life (every full moon) now.