Thirty Monsters in Thirty Days From Across the World: Monster Number Twenty Six Name: Loup Garou, Rougarou, Rugaru From: French Canada, Louisiana, France Classification: shape shifter Ability: change from human into werewolf at will, independent of lunar cycles, full human awareness while in wolf form. And, here, we have the staple of horror movies the world over; the werewolf. Ha! If only it were! This is no mere werewolf rabble. This is the Loup Garou. Their claws are fierce and their fangs are more vicious. They look similar to the standard European werewolf but the Loup Garou requires nothing silly like a full moon to transform into a monster. The human afflicted with this type of lycanthropy can transform into the Loup Garou at will. Furthermore, the Frankish Loup Garou retains its human consciousness while in werewolf form which makes it more dangerous. When standard issue werewolves revert back to human form, the hapless human can’t recall being a werewolf. The lycanthropic affliction is said to be so virulent, some legends say just a glimpse of the Loup Garou can turn a human into the creature. The standard werewolf lycanthropy is not as strong as they have to physically bite or scratch the victim to turn that human into a werewolf. Clearly imported from France where the European werewolf lore is prevalent, the Loup Garou has been syncretized with local Native American and Native Canadian lore. In some communities, the Loup Garou, locally known as the Rougarou in Louisiana, is interchangeable with the Bigfoot or Wendigo. North of the border in the Laurentine regions of French Canada, beliefs in the Loup Garou, locally known as the Rugaru, has been orally passed down through the generations. In the 16th Century, when French traders and trappers settled the area, they intermarried with the local tribes. The European werewolf were infused with details of local lore giving rise to the more cunny more dangerous Loup Garou. The human form of the Loup Garou is fully aware of his powers, or curse. The afflicted keeps to himself and tells no one of his condition out of self-preservation. Once transformed into the creature, it can do as it wishes with impunity. But, according to the French legends, the Loup Garou shape-shifting power only lasts for 101 days. The human becomes a Loup Garou by encountering and fighting the beast. Although much more powerful and cunning than the regular werewolf, once the Loup Garou is injured by a human, it returns to its human form. The monster would then reveal the secret to being the Loup Garou and attacking human will gain the lycanthropic affliction. As mentioned above, they never reveal their condition because in doing so, the other person also becomes a Loup Garou. After the 101 days, the lycanthropic affliction wears off and the super werewolf reverts back to being an average human. Although monstrous, some Loup Garou legends paint a picture of the monster as a doer of good deeds. They used their powers for good as they could chose to do so since their human awareness is intact. Indeed, some folklores even tell of ‘divine’ Loup Garou. The Loup Garou lore is everywhere in Louisiana. Basketball teams, university gazettes and reality TV shows feature the Loup Garou (Rougarou). There is even a Mardi Gras character who dresses as the werewolf. Sources: H. Rowe, imgarcade dot com, mythical creatures guide dot com #scary #halloween #monsters
Posted on: Mon, 27 Oct 2014 12:12:39 +0000
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