1 00:00:03,279 --> 00:00:05,600 Speaker 1: Welcome to Stuff to Blow Your Mind, a production of 2 00:00:05,680 --> 00:00:10,440 Speaker 1: My Heart Radio. Hi, my name is Robert Lamb and 3 00:00:10,480 --> 00:00:13,840 Speaker 1: this is The Monster Fact, a short form series from 4 00:00:13,840 --> 00:00:18,200 Speaker 1: Stuff to Blow Your Mind, focusing in on mythical creatures, ideas, 5 00:00:18,239 --> 00:00:24,240 Speaker 1: and monsters in time. I need not describe for you 6 00:00:24,360 --> 00:00:29,760 Speaker 1: the horrors of the werewolf, for this particular monster lurks everywhere. 7 00:00:30,240 --> 00:00:33,280 Speaker 1: It waits in the folkloric dark, it leaps off the 8 00:00:33,320 --> 00:00:37,400 Speaker 1: cinematic screen. The werewolf is the human who became a wolf, 9 00:00:37,600 --> 00:00:40,959 Speaker 1: and yet is neither a cannibal and murderer. The bestial 10 00:00:41,159 --> 00:00:46,200 Speaker 1: nature of man overriding the safeguards of society and culture. 11 00:00:46,240 --> 00:00:49,800 Speaker 1: You are all too familiar with this monster already, and 12 00:00:49,880 --> 00:00:53,159 Speaker 1: you're also quite familiar with the most popular versions of 13 00:00:53,240 --> 00:00:56,800 Speaker 1: the curse itself. In some werewolf stories, the curse may 14 00:00:56,800 --> 00:01:00,440 Speaker 1: be the result of past crimes or the viral of 15 00:01:00,480 --> 00:01:04,080 Speaker 1: another werewolf. In many cases, the full moon is to 16 00:01:04,120 --> 00:01:07,360 Speaker 1: blame for drawing out the wolf form and drowning the 17 00:01:07,400 --> 00:01:11,280 Speaker 1: countryside in blood. Other times, the transformation might be the 18 00:01:11,280 --> 00:01:14,520 Speaker 1: result of a potion or rain water consumed from the 19 00:01:14,520 --> 00:01:18,480 Speaker 1: footprint of an animal. Other times, however, the curse of 20 00:01:18,520 --> 00:01:24,200 Speaker 1: the werewolf depends on a curious leather strap. Consider the 21 00:01:24,319 --> 00:01:28,840 Speaker 1: boxing wolf, a particular variety of werewolf native to the 22 00:01:28,920 --> 00:01:32,920 Speaker 1: Schomberg region of Germany. As Brad Steiger relates in The 23 00:01:32,959 --> 00:01:35,800 Speaker 1: Werewolf Book, if one makes a pact with the devil, 24 00:01:36,280 --> 00:01:39,440 Speaker 1: the devil provides a leather strap that, when worn around 25 00:01:39,440 --> 00:01:44,320 Speaker 1: the waist, transforms the individual into a mighty, murderous wolf. 26 00:01:45,000 --> 00:01:47,680 Speaker 1: There are other variations of the tail for other reasons 27 00:01:47,720 --> 00:01:52,240 Speaker 1: that don't involve the direct presence of the devil. Sometimes 28 00:01:52,240 --> 00:01:55,280 Speaker 1: a king is tricked into wearing the strap. Other times 29 00:01:55,280 --> 00:01:58,120 Speaker 1: a child discovers the cursed strap of a parent and 30 00:01:58,240 --> 00:02:01,360 Speaker 1: wears it. In at least one tale, as are counted 31 00:02:01,360 --> 00:02:05,360 Speaker 1: by Michael Sumpson in The Werewolf in nineteenth century Denmark. 32 00:02:05,600 --> 00:02:08,960 Speaker 1: The strap is used defensively. Leave it in front of 33 00:02:09,000 --> 00:02:11,919 Speaker 1: your door, and should someone try to enter in the night, 34 00:02:11,960 --> 00:02:15,000 Speaker 1: the mere act of stepping over the cursed object will 35 00:02:15,080 --> 00:02:19,240 Speaker 1: transform them into a were wolf. Now, personally, I have 36 00:02:19,360 --> 00:02:24,000 Speaker 1: questions regarding how this protects you in your home. It 37 00:02:24,000 --> 00:02:28,359 Speaker 1: seems like you would not want to transform potential trespassers 38 00:02:28,400 --> 00:02:32,200 Speaker 1: into were wolves. But we have to trust the wisdom 39 00:02:32,240 --> 00:02:36,440 Speaker 1: of this previous age. Now, the notion of The transformative 40 00:02:36,480 --> 00:02:40,440 Speaker 1: strap might seem counterintuitive, but it connects quite strongly to 41 00:02:40,480 --> 00:02:45,160 Speaker 1: global traditions of where wolves where creatures and monstrous transformations 42 00:02:45,200 --> 00:02:48,360 Speaker 1: in general, because in some cases the strap of the 43 00:02:48,400 --> 00:02:51,000 Speaker 1: boxing wolf is said to be made of wolf leather, 44 00:02:51,280 --> 00:02:54,359 Speaker 1: and numerous tales from around the world speak of humans 45 00:02:54,440 --> 00:02:57,000 Speaker 1: donning the hide of an animal and using it to 46 00:02:57,120 --> 00:03:02,000 Speaker 1: magically transform into the creature, or otherwise being overtaken by 47 00:03:02,040 --> 00:03:05,840 Speaker 1: the beastial nature in the pelt. In some cases, this 48 00:03:06,000 --> 00:03:08,959 Speaker 1: vile garment must be hidden during the day and then 49 00:03:09,000 --> 00:03:12,760 Speaker 1: worn at night. Far from a simple monster, the werewolf 50 00:03:12,880 --> 00:03:17,079 Speaker 1: resonates with numerous complex properties of the human condition and 51 00:03:17,240 --> 00:03:23,520 Speaker 1: human history, animosity towards and fear of wolves, accounts of 52 00:03:23,639 --> 00:03:28,160 Speaker 1: fur clad invaders, the recognition of our animal nature's, the 53 00:03:28,240 --> 00:03:34,000 Speaker 1: reality of psychopathy, and the fear of the unknown. It 54 00:03:34,120 --> 00:03:37,800 Speaker 1: is probably best not to accept anything from the Devil 55 00:03:38,120 --> 00:03:40,400 Speaker 1: should you have the chance to meet him, but certainly 56 00:03:40,560 --> 00:03:43,880 Speaker 1: refuse any straps he might offer you. You may find 57 00:03:43,920 --> 00:03:55,440 Speaker 1: it very difficult to take back off again. Tune into 58 00:03:55,440 --> 00:03:59,960 Speaker 1: additional episodes of the Monster Fact each week incept him 59 00:04:00,120 --> 00:04:03,760 Speaker 1: in October. As always, you can email us at contact 60 00:04:04,080 --> 00:04:14,840 Speaker 1: at stuff to blow your Mind dot com. Stuff to 61 00:04:14,840 --> 00:04:17,360 Speaker 1: Blow your Mind is production of I heart Radio. For 62 00:04:17,440 --> 00:04:19,640 Speaker 1: more podcasts from my heart Radio, visit the i heart 63 00:04:19,720 --> 00:04:22,440 Speaker 1: Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your 64 00:04:22,480 --> 00:04:23,160 Speaker 1: favorite shows.