Were-hyena

The were-hyena is similar to werewolf but is a hyena that transforms into a human. Unlike werewolves, were-hyenas don't need the full moon to transform. Were-hyenas use night and darkness to hunt. They can be far more scarier than werewolves and stories of these entities are found across many cultures in Africa, Asia and Europe. 

They're associated with blacksmiths because the craft has been regarded as a form of wizardry by some people and were-hyenas are beings of magic and the paranormal. Were-hyenas are also blamed for destroying crops, slaughtering livestock, killing people, digging up corpses from graves to eat and other nasty activities. 

These creatures can be dangerous alone but they often work in infamous packs of other were-hyenas, always at night and resuming human form in the day. A creepy method of luring human victims is by calling someone by their own name. The way to identify a person as a secret were-hyena is to look out for shining red eyes, hairiness and a smell of rot. 

The bite of a were-hyena is more powerful than that of a werewolf. The were-hyena is much bigger than a werewolf, and in the natural world, a spotted hyena is larger than the grey wolf. We know that hyenas "laugh" so the were-hyena laughs to scoff at their victims. 

Posted by She Wolf Night

Picture of the month

 Look who's been eating my porridge! What does the wolf have to say about it? "Well that was so delicious and my face is just really covered in it!" 

A very cold snack without sugar.

She Wolf Night 

East of the Sun and West of the Moon

 

A Norwegian fairy tale called "East of the Sun and West of the Moon" is a cold wintry story. A polar bear visits the house of a peasant, and asks for his daughter to keep for a year, in the promise he will make the man rich. The maiden is handed over to the bear,  and she's taken to a castle east of the sun and west of the moon in a strange dark place. She's encouraged to lay beside the bear each night, and she's unable to see much in darkness. Afraid, she has to lay next to the polar bear, and she misses her home. The bear agrees to let her return home to visit and asks her never to talk to her mother, but this doesn't happen. 

At home, the maiden is persuaded to discuss everything with her mother. So the mother believes the polar bear is really a troll, and gives her daughter candles to light when she returns to the dark castle. The maiden has to go back to the bear, and at night when he's asleep, she lights a candle. Instead of a polar bear, there is a handsome man. The wax from the candle melts and a drop wakes him up. Then the man says that if the maiden had continued to wait for the year to finish, he would've been freed of a curse but now he's forced to marry a scary troll princess. 

The following day, the castle has gone and the maiden is lost. She discovers an old woman with a golden apple. She asks the old woman where to find the castle east of the sun and west of the moon. The old woman can only offer her the golden apple and a horse. She rides until she reaches a house where a woman is sitting outside with a golden comb. The maiden asks her where to find the castle east of the sun and west of the moon. The woman doesn't have the answer but gives the maiden the golden comb and a different horse. The maiden rides the second horse until she reaches another house, where a woman is sat beside a golden spinning wheel. She asks her where to find the castle, and the third woman doesn't know either. Instead she gives the maiden another horse and the gold spinning wheel, telling her the horse will take her to the East Wind. 

The maiden rides the third horse, and arrives to the dwelling of the East Wind but he's never seen the castle she's seeking. He tells her that the West Wind may know, so the East Wind carries her there. The West Wind doesn't know the answer but suggests he take her to see the South Wind and lifts her there. Of course, South Wind doesn't know either, and he carries her to the North Wind. Well, by luck the North Wind remembers blowing an aspen leaf to the castle East of the Sun and West of the Moon. He carries her there, and Maiden is thankful and tired. 

By morning, the Maiden finds the troll princess who is going to marry the bear-man. Maiden gives the troll princess her golden apple and said she can have it so long as she spends a night with the bear-man. Troll princess accepts but in spite she drugs the man so that he sleeps very deeply that night. Maiden lays beside the man who is no longer a polar bear, but she's not able to wake him up. 

The following day, the maiden pays another night with the man, giving the troll princess the golden comb. Again, the troll princess agrees, and drugs the man so he sleeps deeply, and the Maiden can't wake him up. The following day, the man wakes up and is told by the people of the town that they heard the voice of a maiden, who was loud, distressed and crying because she couldn't wake him up in the night. The Maiden gives the troll princess the golden spinning wheel to spend a third night with the man. Troll princess agrees, and again she makes a sleeping brew to drug the man, only this time, the man doesn't drink it. 

When Maiden visits the man, he's awake. He informs her what happened, tells her how she can help him. He will tell everyone that he'll marry the one who can wash tallow wax from his clothes. The Maiden succeeds in washing out the tallow wax, but the troll princess can't touch it and fails. So the man who was a bear, is freed from the curse, and takes the gold, marries the maiden, makes her father rich and escapes the castle. 

Posted by She Wolf Night 

Jinmenju

The Jinmenju (also called Ninmenju) is a tree of Japanese legend that grows fruits that look like human heads. Treated as a yokai (spirit), and also listed as a cryptid in the plant category. This tree also found in the book "Wakan Sansai Zhu", an illustrated encyclopedia of plants and animals that was published in 1712. 

The jinmenju sprouts childlike human heads called jinmenshi. The fruit is described as round with eyes, ears, nose and mouth. The fruit "laughs" and falls off branches if they become too hysterical with laughter! Farmers planted orchards of such trees and they blossom in spring, and the flowers have smiling human faces. Fruits that look like human heads grow in the autumn and their laughing is heard for miles.  

She Wolf Night team 

A list of winter goddesses

Khione is a snow maiden and goddess in Greek mythology. She's the daughter of Boreas, god of the north wind, and Orithyi the lady of mountains. 

Tengliu is a snow goddess in Chinese mythology. She often appears as subject in songs an poems or fu since the Tang Dynasty.   

Cailleach or Beira the Queen of Winter from Gaelic myth and folklore. The goddess appears as an old crone, associated with storms, snow, darkness and winter. 

Morana is a Slavic goddess of winter and death. Her name is also Marzanna, Mara, Marena, Morena and Mora. A goddess of death, rebirth and winter. Dolls representing her are "drowned" ritually. 

Nane Sarma also called Grandma Frost is a magical old woman of snow in Iranian folklore.

Skadi is an ice Jotunn or giantess from Norse myth. Associated with hunting, mountains and winter.

Perchta is an Alpine goddess linked to Winter traditions. Also called "the Bright One", she has two features. One is a divine snow white goddess of beauty and the other aspect of her is sinister in nature and appearance.  

Posted by She Wolf Night

 

Befana

While children have been visited by Santa on 25th December, little is known about Befana. Much like a sweet fairy sister of Santa, she's an elderly woman who flies through the air on a broomstick, delivering gifts to children in January. 

It's believed that on the Feast of Epiphany's eve, Befana works her magic. She carries a sack full of toys and sweets, then travels on a flying broomstick (instead of a sleigh pulled by a team of reindeer). Befana lands on rooftops and climbs down chimneys, at times covered in soot, and leaves presents within the rooms. 

The legend is from Italy, and is believed to symbolise the celebration of the New Year. Italian children would get a lump of coal for being naughty in the previous year, (today this would really be hard toffee or liquorice). Families leave out some wine and food for Befana in thanks for the gifts. 

Some also have linked Befana with the Roman goddess Strenua or Strenia. A goddess of new beginnings, purification, healing and the new year.

Posted by She Wolf Night  

Happy New Year!