Neuri

We see it in ancient Greek texts as well.

The historian Herodotus wrote about a tribe called the Neuri who supposedly transformed into wolves once a year.

Wow.

Yeah.

The first reference to periodic shape-shifting, however, was made in ancient Greece by historian Herodotus.

He wrote that the Neuri, not sure if my pronunciation of that is correct, a nomadic tribe northeast of Scythia, transformed into wolves for a few days each year before returning to human form.

From Werewolf in London to Wolf Man, Harry Potter to Twilight, their lore has developed and changed over the years across literature, movies, television, and even our own history has seen them persecuted alongside witches during werewolf witch trials.

However, werewolves are only one of the many ther- therianthropes, however you pronounce that word, across history, although certainly the most famous.

Infuriated, Zeus permanently transforms Lycaon into a wolf, establishing the root word for lycanthropy.

Then we have Herodotus and the Neuri.

Writing in the 5th century BCE, the Greek historian Herodotus recorded a Scythian tribe called the Neuri, whose members supposedly turned into wolves for a few days each year.

Modern scholars believe this reflects ancient warrior rituals of wearing wolf pelts.

And then we have clinical lycanthropy.

Right

... north of the Scythians, in what is now Belarus, he called the Neuri, N-E-U-R-I.

Mm-hmm.

He wrote, "It may be that these people are wizards, for the Scythians and the Greeks settled in Scythia say that once a year, every one of the Neuri becomes a wolf for a few days and changes back again to his former shape."

The whole people, all of them.

Then he immediately s- he immediately says, "I do not believe this tale, but all the same they tell it and even swear to the truth of it."