My generation was formed and divided by one simple question: Team Jacob or Team Edward?
You could tell everything you needed to know about a person by their answer.
However, maturing is realizing that you can be both Team Jacob and Team Edward (I mean not them specifically because I’m a grown adult.) If you haven’t realized yet, we are talking about werewolves and vampires. Both creatures have been the backbone of paranormal/ monster romances for decades. They walked so minotaur milking facilities could run. I shall not expand.
I've explored the history of the vampire, tracing its evolution from a creature of foul folklore to a refined, dapper figure.
Now, it's time to turn to the werewolf.
Origins of the Werewolf
Like many creatures of folklore, the werewolf appears in various forms across the globe. At its core, the werewolf is a type of shifter—a being that transforms between human and animal forms. The prefix were- (‘wer’ meaning ‘man’ in Old English) is commonly used in a similar fashion, as seen in terms like were-fox or fox shifter.
What distinguishes the European werewolf from similar legends worldwide is its inherent humanity. In Asian and Indigenous American folklore, wolf shifters are often magical creatures rather than humans. In contrast, European folklore typically portrays the werewolf as a cursed human, emphasizing themes of transformation as punishment or affliction.
Shifting the Narrative
Initially, the story of the werewolf was not so different from that of the vampire. Both rose to prominence in Gothic literature, sharing themes of darkness, transformation, and the supernatural. Guy Endore published The Werewolf of Paris in 1933, a foundational werewolf novel.
The story follows Bertrand Caillet, a man cursed with lycanthropy, as he struggles against his violent, bestial urges amid the chaos of the Franco-Prussian War. Horrifyingly, the author was inspired by a real-life soldier who indulged his cannibalistic and necrophilic desires.
Many consider The Werewolf of Paris to be the Dracula of werewolf fiction, portraying lycanthropy as both a supernatural affliction and a psychological struggle, blending historical events, Gothic horror, and philosophical themes. The novel's dark, tragic tone and its in-depth exploration of the werewolf mythos cemented it as a foundational text in werewolf literature.
However, as werewolves entered romance literature, a dramatic shift occurred. Unlike the dark, brooding heroes of Gothic fiction, werewolves in romance were increasingly linked to Native American lore. This is an area I plan to explore further, but here are my early thoughts:
Shapeshifters appear in Native American folklore, as they do in many cultures worldwide, but they do not closely resemble the European werewolf. In fact, some Native American legends feature figures that bear a stronger resemblance to the European vampire. Despite this, modern romance fiction often depicts werewolves as pack-oriented creatures originating in North America.
Consider Twilight: the vampires are Old World Europeans adhering to classic Gothic tropes, while the werewolves are Native Americans, positioned as their natural counterforce. Essentially, werewolves have been extracted from Gothic literature and recast in the role of the "Noble Savage," a trope that romanticizes Indigenous peoples as primitive yet virtuous defenders of their land against an encroaching threat.
As I mentioned, this research is still in its early stages. Several areas require further exploration, including a deeper analysis of authors' source material and inspirations for their werewolf romances. Additionally, I aim to examine the portrayal of lycanthropy—whether it is primarily depicted as an affliction/ curse or as an inherent species. Building on that, I will explore whether werewolves are typically portrayed as beings one can become or must be born into. Lastly, I will investigate the contrast between lone wolves and werewolves as pack animals.
Werewolf Imagery in Early Romance
Early "werewolf romances" do not feature actual werewolves but instead use werewolf imagery to depict wild, untamed heroes. These characters embody wolf-like traits—strength, dominance, and primal allure—without literal transformations. The symbolism explores themes of passion, danger, and the struggle between civilization and instinct, setting the stage for later supernatural werewolf romances.
Wolf and the Dove by Kathleen Woodiwiss (1974)
The Wolf
Noble Aislinn grieves as the Iron Wolf and his minions storm through her beloved Darkenwald. And she burns with malice for the handsome Norman savage who would enslave her. . .even as she aches to know the rapture of the conqueror's kiss.
The Dove
For the first time ever, mighty Wulfgar has been vanquished — and by a bold and beautiful princess of Saxon blood. He must have the chaste, sensuous enchantress who is sworn to his destruction. And he will risk life itself to nurture with tender passion a glorious union born in the blistering heat of hatred and war.
Moonstruck Madness by Laurie McBain (1977)
She's one thing by day, something else altogether by night...
After escaping the slaughter of her clan at a young age, Scottish noblewoman Sabrina Verrick provides for her siblings by living a double life, until the night she encounters the Duke, and her secret and all she holds dear is threatened...
He's so disillusioned, he's completely vulnerable...
With his inheritance at stake, Lucien, Duke of Camareigh, sets a trap for the Scottish beauty with the piercing violet eyes, never imagining what will happen when the trap is sprung...
As their lives become irreversibly entangled, Lucien and Sabrina become each other's biggest threat, as well as their only salvation...
True Werewolf Romance
‘True’ werewolf romance as a distinct genre emerged in the 1990s, blending elements of paranormal fantasy with traditional romantic tropes. The earliest example I could find is The Prince of Wolves by Susan Krinard, published in 1994. Unlike earlier stories that merely used werewolf imagery to symbolize animalistic traits in human characters, The Prince of Wolves fully embraces the werewolf as a shapeshifter, highlighting the tension between human and beast. Krinard’s work laid the groundwork for the explosion of werewolf romance novels in the 2000s, influencing a new wave of authors who expanded on the genre’s mythology and appeal.
Prince of Wolves by Susan Krinard (1994)
Through with running from the past, Joelle Randall has come to the rugged Canadian Rockies determined to face her pain and begin anew. All she needed was a guide to lead her through the untamed mountain wilderness to the site where her parents' plane had crashed so long ago. But the only guide Joelle could find was Luke Gevaudan, a magnetically attractive loner with the feral grace of a wolf and eyes that glittered with a savage intensity. She couldn't know that Luke was the stuff of legends, one of the last survivors of an ancient race of werewolves... a man whose passion she would not be able to resist--no matter how terrible the price.
More to come…
As I mentioned, I find the history and evolution of werewolf romance fascinating, so there’s much more to explore. We haven’t even touched on major werewolf tropes like fated mates and the Omegaverse. I’ll probably write about the Omegaverse once I figure out how to remove family members from specific email distributions. Until then!