Darwin may have killed off werewolves

[Michael]

Interesting article I just stumbled across on Science Daily. Earlier this year a scientist suggested that the dropoff in werewolf anecdotes in the 19th century may coincide with Darwin's introduction of the theory of evolution.

ScienceDaily (June 30, 2009) — It was Darwinian theory that did away with the werewolf. For much of recorded history, humans have reserved their greatest fears for dog-human hybrids like the werewolf. These beasts were once thought to be real, hiding behind every tree waiting for the unsuspecting traveler.

But, argues Brian Regal, assistant professor of the history of science at Kean University in Union, New Jersey, USA, the publication of Charles Darwin’s On the Origin of Species 150 years ago focused minds on a different kind of monster – ape-men such as the Yeti, Bigfoot and Sasquatch.

Regal will present his thesis in July at the annual meeting of the British Society for the History of Science in Leicester, UK. He will use period artwork to chart the ‘evolution’ of the werewolf into Bigfoot.

Read the full article here.

Of course, Darwin was not the only scientifically significant event to occur in the 19th century. Technology began to leap forward and both travel and communications became simpler and less expensive. Railroads, telegraphs, and steam ships dominated the technological advances of the period and they enabled people to share and exchange knowledge and information very quickly.

Werewolf tales could have been displaced by stories of foreign creatures and other things.

[august]

And here I thought from the thread title that we were going to get a another literary mash-up: Charles Darwin: Werewolf Hunter, soon to be a film w/ Hugh Jackman.

[Michael]

Sorry to disappoint. I wasn't sure where to put the thread. It's not really related to the special interests forum, in my opinion. But neither is it an ancient history or anthropological thing.

And mythologies do evolve. They are like living literary traditions. The whole werewolf thing falls into that category, I think.

[badlands]

HMmm interesting theory. Instead of finding werewolves' skulls, we find homo erectus skulls. I am surprised feminists don't use either werewolves or apes as part of their belief system. Either it is apes becoming men or men becoming wolves. Evolution is gradually but the turning into a werewolf in rapidly and only under the moon.