WEBVTT - The Monstrefact Redux: The Boxenwolf

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<v Speaker 1>Welcome to Stuff to Blow Your Mind, a production of

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<v Speaker 1>My Heart Radio. Hi, my name is Robert Lamb and

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<v Speaker 1>this is The Monster Fact, a short form series from

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<v Speaker 1>Stuff to Blow Your Mind, focusing in on mythical creatures,

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<v Speaker 1>ideas and monsters in time. I need not describe for

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<v Speaker 1>you the horrors of the werewolf, for this particular monster

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<v Speaker 1>lurks everywhere. It waits in the folkloric dark, it leaps

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<v Speaker 1>off the cinematic screen. The werewolf is the human who

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<v Speaker 1>became a wolf, and yet is neither a cannibal and murderer.

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<v Speaker 1>The be steal nature of man overriding the safeguards of

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<v Speaker 1>society and culture. You are all too familiar with this

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<v Speaker 1>monster already, and you're also quite familiar with the most

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<v Speaker 1>popular versions of the curse itself. In some werewolf stories,

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<v Speaker 1>the curse may be the result of past crimes or

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<v Speaker 1>the viral bite of another werewolf. In many cases, the

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<v Speaker 1>full moon is to blame for drawing out the wolf

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<v Speaker 1>form and drowning the countryside in blood. Other times, the

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<v Speaker 1>transformation might be the result of a potion or rain

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<v Speaker 1>water consumed from the footprint of an animal. Other times, however,

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<v Speaker 1>the curse of the werewolf depends on a curious leather strap.

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<v Speaker 1>Consider the boxing wolf, a particular variety of werewolf native

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<v Speaker 1>to the Schomberg region of Germany. As Brad Steiger relates

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<v Speaker 1>in The Werewolf Book, if one makes a pact with

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<v Speaker 1>the devil, the devil provides a leather strap that, when

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<v Speaker 1>worn around the waist, transforms the individual into a mighty,

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<v Speaker 1>murderous wolf. There are other variations of the tail for

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<v Speaker 1>other reasons that don't involve the direct presence of the devil.

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<v Speaker 1>Sometimes a king is tricked into wearing the strap. Other

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<v Speaker 1>times a child discovers the cursed strap of a parent

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<v Speaker 1>and wears it. In at least one tale, as they're

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<v Speaker 1>counted by Michael Sumpson in The Werewolf in nineteenth century Denmark,

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<v Speaker 1>the strap is used defensively. Leave it in front of

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<v Speaker 1>your door, and should someone try to enter in the night,

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<v Speaker 1>the mere act of stepping over the cursed object will

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<v Speaker 1>transform them into a were wolf. Now, personally, I have

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<v Speaker 1>questions regarding how this protects you in your home. It

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<v Speaker 1>seems like you would not want to transform potential trespassers

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<v Speaker 1>into were wolves. But we have to trust the wisdom

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<v Speaker 1>of this previous age. Now, the notion of the transformative

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<v Speaker 1>strap might seem counterintuitive, but it connects quite strongly to

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<v Speaker 1>global traditions of where wolves where creatures and monstrous transformations

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<v Speaker 1>in general, because in some cases the strap of the

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<v Speaker 1>boxing wolf is said to be made of wolf leather,

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<v Speaker 1>and numerous tales from around the world speak of humans

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<v Speaker 1>donning the hide of an animal and using it to

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<v Speaker 1>magically transform into the creature, or otherwise being overtaken by

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<v Speaker 1>the beastial nature in the pelt. In some cases, this

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<v Speaker 1>vile garment must be hidden during the day and then

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<v Speaker 1>worn at night. Far from a simple monster, the werewolf

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<v Speaker 1>resonates with numerous complex properties of the human condition and

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<v Speaker 1>human history, animosity towards and fear of wolves, accounts of

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<v Speaker 1>fur clad invaders, the recognition of our animal nature's, the

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<v Speaker 1>reality of psychopathy, and the fear of the unknown. It

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<v Speaker 1>is probably best not to accept anything from the Devil

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<v Speaker 1>should you have the chance to meet him, but certainly

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<v Speaker 1>refuse any straps he might offer you. You may find

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<v Speaker 1>it very difficult to take back off again. Tune into

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<v Speaker 1>additional episodes of the Monster Fact each week incept him

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<v Speaker 1>or in October. As always, you can email us at

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<v Speaker 1>Contact at Stuff to Blow Your Mind dot com. Stuff

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<v Speaker 1>to Blow Your Mind is production of I heart Radio.

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