74 The Poets Beasts. 



" Therewith stalked forth into the way 

 From out the thicket a huge wolf and gray, 

 And stood with yellow eyes that glared on me. 



My folly made me see 



No wolf, but some dread divinity in him." 



{Hopponons loq.) 



To this day the supernatural wolf is an article of popular 

 belief in Europe, and, if I am not mistaken, the men-wolves 

 are far more dreaded than the beast- wolves in, say, Lithe- 

 rania. At the feast of the Nativity they used to assemble 

 in the churchyards, so it was said, and proceed at midnight 

 to search for the dead or the belated living. They were, in 

 fact, ghouls. Indeed the literature of this amazing supersti- 

 tion passes belief. What are we to say of a whole multitude 

 turning were-wolves in the canton in Jura, hunting for 

 human flesh in pack, and being executed six hundred at 

 one time ! 



Beware of men with meeting eyebrows ; it is from these 

 that legend says the were-wolves recruit their packs. 



That wolves — "assiduous in the shepherds' harms" (King) 

 — prey on flocks, is in itself quite sufificient to set poets 

 against them. Does not the vulture suffer miserably in 

 poetry from being accused of "pouncing" doves? And 

 are not doves and lambs equally engaging; and is not, 

 therefore, the wolf as detestable as the vulture, with which, 

 indeed (when it is seen abroad in daylight), it is nearly 

 always to be found in partnership. So the poets have little 

 sympathy for " the grim wolf that with privy paw daily 

 devours apace," even when it is most hungry. Hunger, 

 indeed, would hardly seem to be allowable at all in wolves : 

 " wolf s-nagen " is a term of reproach. It is an aggravation 

 of the offence instead of a palliation. If they would con- 

 sent to eat strawberries they might fare no worse than the 

 bears, but, as it is, that they should deliberately go forth 

 and satisfy their detestable cravings with mutton — and now 



