The Book of Were-Wolves

In The Book of Were-Wolves, Victorian scholar and clergyman Sabine Baring-Gould embarks on a thrillingly erudite exploration of one of humanity’s darkest and most persistent superstitions—the belief in men who become beasts. Blending folklore, classical literature, anthropology, and chilling historical accounts, he traces lycanthropy from ancient Greece and Norse sagas to medieval Europe’s witch trials and modern folk tales. Far more than a mere catalogue of horrors, Baring-Gould’s study probes the psychological and moral roots of the werewolf myth, revealing it as a reflection of human cruelty, fear, and imagination. With its mix of gruesome confessions, scholarly insight, and gothic atmosphere, the book reads like an academic detective story—equal parts history, horror, and cultural psychology—inviting readers to question where myth ends and madness begins.