wolves in mythology

[Akynatta]

Hi, not sure if any of u can help me, but its worth a shot.  Basically what I need to know is: is there a wolven equivalent to the Egyptian Goddess Bast?  She is the goddess of cats… is there a any culture whatsoever that had a wolf god?  I know the Egyptians had some wolf gods (such as Anubis) but over time they changed them into jackals.  Is there a wolf out there that’s godly that stays a wolf???

Ive tried googling this, but wot Im after is something real and not some role play wolf.  Im trying to find something I can incorporate into the book I am writing…  I know being a fantasy based book, I can make my own up, but if there’s a real one out there, Id rather use that.  If I have to use Anubis I will but I know people think of him being a jackal not a wolf.

Ok… here’s the scenario (I think… it’s a woman’s perogative to change her mind and I may still do so) think of The Lion King.  U know the scene where Simba’s feeling a little unsure and he’s out stargazing and the stars form the shape of his father (who has died) and pass on all sorts of wisdomy stuff about being the lion king?????  Im looking for a wolfy equivalent, except the character has no relatives that she knows of that she can call on which is why Im thinking along the lines of a god.  A wise wolf god who people may have prayed too in times of hardship.

I have tried to research this, but I keep coming up blank and thought maybe one of u might be able to point me in the right direction at least?????

Any help u might be able to give would be greatly appreciated.

[WingedZephyr]

The wolf

Many people are familiar with the big, bad wolf from fairy tales such as "Little Red Riding Hood" or "The Wolf and the Seven Little Goats". Countless times, the wolf is referred to as being wild, tearing, snappish, grim and sanguinary. Grimm (1887) even describes him as being the most evil creature of all animals. While examining the role of the wolf in mythology in more detail, it turns out that the wolf, like the fox, plays many different roles:

   1. Demonic and devilish: In the Edda, the ancient Icelandic sagas, the wolf was a symbol for demonic powers: Odin, the God of war and death was accompanied by two wolves, and the mythical wolf, Fenrir, played an important role during the apocalypse. In Indian mythology, the wolf is described as demonic. Furthermore, the wolf is portrayed as thievish, deceptive and false. In India, the demons were named after the wolf. In Christianity the wolf was even equated with the devil: Jesus Christ advised against false prophets dressed in sheep’s clothing which in fact were wolfs. Numerous myths from Eastern Europe, Russia and Scandinavia tell about the creation of the wolf by the devil. During the creation of the wolf, the devil relied on the help of God and it was God’s will that the wolf kills sheep and goats.
   2. Transformed: During the Middle Ages, the belief was widely accepted that men would transform into werewolves. The werewolf, a creature from the devil, obsessed, half human and half animal, roamed the streets at night and, "drank the still warm blood, gorged the bowels from its innocent victims during orgies of satanic cruelty". The belief in werewolves already existed in the ancient world, but during the Middle Ages this belief grew to be much stronger. Mostly women and children became victims of werewolves which, in reality were men that felt and acted like wolves while under the influence of drugs and rituals. It was believed that with the help of the Malleus Maleficarum (the hammer of the witches) in 1489, one could not only recognize witches but also werewolves, which resulted in countless men being burned to death on bonfires as so-called werewolves. To contemporaries it was clear that one would turn into a werewolf through an evil spell or as a punishment for a serious sin.
   3. Outlawed: The word wolf is widely common in the Indo-European roots of language and often not only stands for the animal but describes in the old Germanic languages the bandit, murderer, slayer, defied criminal, the banned and the evil ghost. In particular, the Old High German word "warg" was equated with evil itself. Outlaws were called "wolves" and the verdict "thou art a warg" declared the condemned as officially excluded, and forced to live in the wilderness. It was said to be forbidden to provide the "warg" with food and shelter. Even a condemned man’s own wife was not allowed to care for him, otherwise she herself would be condemned as a "warg" (Grimm 1887).
   4. Worshipped: Many different cultures worshipped the wolf. For the Egyptians the wolf symbolized the god of the empire of the dead. The Mongols saw in the wolf their first ancestor and for the Romans the wolf was the symbol for Mars, the God of war. The combination of the wolf with war was not meant to be negative but, instead, correlated it to the glorious death of a warrior or emperor. Furthermore, the fighting heroes were compared with furious wolves. Examples of wolf worshipping can be found in the combination of proper names with the word wolf attached: Wolfgang, Wolfdietrich, Wolfram, Wolfhart. The wolf is also worshipped as the protector of human beings. The most famous myth may be the one of Romulus and Remus, the founders of the city of Rome, who were abandoned as small children. A wolf found them and raised them as her own cubs. The Luperkaliefest (celebration in honor of fertility) is celebrating this myth, during which the female wolf is worshipped each year as the symbol for motherly sacrifice and fertility. The "Jungle book" has a similar theme as the main character, "Mowgli", is raised by wolves.

Taken from: http://www.waldwissen.net/themen/wald_gesellschaft/forstgeschichte/wsl_raubtiere_mythologie_EN

Basically, wolves are often the "bad guys" of mythology, so if you're looking for a "good" wolf, probably the closest you'll get is with the Roman god Mars.

[Akynatta]

wow... thanx so much for that.  Yes I was aware of the Big Bad Wolf, but generally I thought wolves were thought of favourably in most cultures; just shows how wrong i was.  Having said that, some of my dearest friends are wolves and i love them to bits!!!  Thanx again; u've given me a lot to go with

[WingedZephyr]

Glad I could help.