I can’t leave this topic without taking a moment to compare werewolf hunters of old to the homophobes of today. During the famous European witch hunts, a number of werewolf hunts and trials also took place. Many of the witch and werewolf hunters were pious God-fearing Christians, or else men who entered the profession for prestige or political reasons. Some of the hunters may have entered the profession for genuine reasons – they thought they were doing “God’s work” and benefitting the community. Some perhaps were motivated by selfish reasons or by an instinctive need to hate and to ostracize others who didn’t fit their moral values. Those accused of witchcraft or of being werewolves were painted as heretics, evil, sinners, predators, deviants, and even a threat to society that must be eliminated. This doesn’t sound that far off from the motivations and accusations of today’s homophobes. Perhaps the hunters (and homophobes) themselves were the proverbial “wolf in sheep’s clothing.” Perhaps they are better examples of Robert Bly’s “savage man” than the accused witches and werewolves themselves.
As I’ve already mentioned times are changing and many werewolves are showing positive and empowering traits in popular culture. For LGBTQ+ folks too, times are changing. For the most part we are no longer considered victims or predators, though some still consider us sick, in need of a cure, or sinners. In time, those people will be relegated to the fringes of society like we once were. Their bloodlust and hateful natures will be exposed for what they are.