Jon Solo Sebastian 11/10/2024:

If I told you that werewolves were hunting the lands of Ossory, a kingdom of early medieval Ireland, would you believe it? Folktales of these fabled creatures have been spread across Irish, English, and Norse sources for hundreds of years, but where is the proof? Spoiler Alert: there is none. In saying that, I don’t mean they’re not interesting, I’m just saying we’ve yet to find proof of the Werewolves of Ossory actually being werewolves. What I can tell you is why, or how they got their name, and where they came from.

Given there are so many folktales about werewolves, I’d like to keep the focus on Ossory for this Creature Feature, but don’t worry, I’ll be tackling these beasts often because they’re a favorite of mine. If you’ve read my books, available on Amazon, you’ll know I love werewolves enough to place them into my own stories; with some twists to the typical lore, of course.

Who Are the Werewolves of Ossory

We can trace their lineage back to a legendary powerful warrior named Laignech Fáelad, who is said to be the first werewolf in Ossory. There is no proof Fáelad was a real person, but he and his warriors were said to shape shift into werewolves when they went “wolfing,” which I translate to “going viking” as in—going on raids. Some sources say that these warriors did not shape shift, but they wore the fur or skins of wolves and wore their hair in wild unnatural ways. They had the appearance of human-like wolves, but were essentially just humans dressed for battle. These wolf warriors weren’t very different from Vikings in that they were unpredictable, ferocious, and strong with almost savage-like tendencies during their raids.

These wolf-like warriors went on to make a name for themselves striking fear into anyone who may encounter them, and causing mortal harm to anyone who stood in their way. Legend tells us that descendants of Laignech Fáelad would go on to become kings of Ossory. Imagine being the king, and telling your kingdom you come from the lineage of the first werewolf of Ossory. I’m willing to bet the king could do just about anything he wants because the people would be too afraid to question his rule.

The Curse of the Werewolves

One of the most interesting stories about the werewolves of Ossory comes from historian and writer, Gerald of Wales. He tells the story of a priest who encounters a wolf in the woods. The priest discovers this to be no ordinary wolf because it speaks to him. The wolf tells the priest to not be afraid, and the priest asks the wolf to not attack him. They talk about God, and the wolf tells the priest of a curse placed on him and the sickly female wolf beside him.

“There are two of us, a man and a woman, natives of Ossory, who through the curse of one Natalis, saint and abbot, are compelled every seven years to put off the human form and depart from the dwellings of men. Quitting entirely the human form, we assume that of wolves. At the end of the seven years, if they chance to survive, two others being substituted in their places, they return to their country and their former shape. And now, she who is my partner in this visitation lies dangerously sick not inspired by divine charity, to give her the consolations of your priestly office.”

The story goes on to state the priest reads the female her last rites, but is hesitant. The male wolf pulls the wolf fur off the female to reveal she is in fact human underneath. What I find most interesting about this is the cursed werewolves are Christian-born humans wearing the skins of a wolf. While they’re transformed into werewolves, they are God’s children nonetheless. Meaning they’re fully aware of everything they do during this seven year curse, so if they survive the curse, they’re still doomed to relive all they’ve done in their time as wolves.

There is another version of this folktale with some similarities. “According to one account, when St. Patrick preached Christianity in Ireland, he encountered a clan that vehemently opposed him, resorting to mocking him by howling like wolves during his sermons. In response, St. Patrick prayed for God to punish them. The result was a temporary transformation of the entire clan into wolves, who roamed the woods as their now wolf counterparts. Despite their wolf-like nature, they retained their human thought processes and were equally dangerous, preying on humans as well as other creatures. This punishment was not permanent; they either transformed into wolves every seventh winter or underwent a seven-year period of wolf form, after which they never transformed again.”

I find both versions of the curse to be troubling considering these people are being cursed by god fearing men, and then the cursed people go on to terrorize humanity for seven years. I find it hard to believe this could happen, but also, why couldn’t it have happened? It’s an interesting take compared to other werewolf folktales I’ve heard. Similar, but different. It’s fairly similar to something I wrote in my most recent book that’s awaiting editing before being published. The strange thing is that I knew nothing about the Werewolves of Ossory until today, so it’s odd to me that I wrote something so similar to the lore here; odd and cool. Keep an eye out for that book by following me here and on my socials! Until the next creature feature, have howlingly wonderful day!