Don’t ask how many times it took me to correctly spell chupacabra.
Chupa-what? Yeah, I ran across this beauty a while back and couldn’t resist. You’re about to learn all about it in our mythological creatures dissection today.
Chupacabra
This poor creature is as ugly as its name. Okay…it’s uglier. If you break down the name into its original meaning, it means “goat-sucker.” I know you are running to christen your firstborn Chupacabra, the goat-sucker, but hold off until you know more about this creature.
It’s a three-foot-tall, blue-spiked, fanged monster that hops like a kangaroo and sucks the blood of animals (preferably goats.) How’s that for a visual?
The chupacabra was first sighted in the 1990s (it’s real, I tell you! Real!) The creatures have hollow fangs (what better to suck your blood with, my dear?) and can hypnotize its victims with its eyes.
Books with chupacabras in them:
Um…know of any? Maybe you should write one! 😉
Werewolves
I remember the original werewolf movie with Lon Chaney Jr. I was terrified of wolves all through my childhood after that movie (hence forcing my main character in A Time to Die to face my fear. I’m so mean.)
The werewolf originated from Greek mythology, which surprised me because it’s most popular in European settings. Werewolves began with a curse from Zeus. After that initial incident, however, the cause of werewolf “infection” varies from culture to culture.
- Europe – werewolves form at the full moon.
- Russia – all children born on December 24th are werewolves
- Portugal – the seventh son can often turn into a werewolf
- Armenia – a sinful woman will pay penance by being a werewolf for seven years.
Werewolves are also called lycenthropes and is, in general, a person who transforms into a wolf either because of a curse/affliction or on purpose. Even after the person has transformed into a wolf, legend has it that there are still human characteristics — eyebrows, curved nails, human eyes, and a swinging stride.
How to cure werewolfism:
Yes, it can be cured! (By something other than death. Sorry vampires…) In medieval Europe there were specific remedies (use of wolfsbane), surgeries, and exorcisms that could save the afflicted person. The Sicilians believe that striking it on the forehead with a knife or piercing its hands with nails will cure it.
But death is still an option. Werewolves are often killed by similar methods as the vampire. The simplest cure (and the one I’d prefer if I were a werewolf) is having another person refer to the werewolf by its Christian name three times.
Books with werewolves in them:
- Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, by J. K. Rowling
- The Twilight Series, by Stephanie Meyer
- Shiver, by Maggie Steifvater
What are some werewolf stories you’ve run across?
I did read one book called Chupacabra. In that one, a guy had created one through genetic tampering. Other than that, I haven’t seen them much in media.
I like werewolves, but not romance, so I haven’t read many werewolf books. There is Wereworld, which is fantasy where most of the characters are some werecreature. It’s got everything from werewolves (the main character is one) to weresharks and is geared at boys. These critters don’t like silver. They can shift on any day, though the full moon tends to give them more power, if I remember correctly.
Another book I liked was the Raised by Wolves trilogy, though it is more of a paranormal story, the romance isn’t the main issue. These werewolves are closer to traditional werewolves, but it takes being mauled to turn someone, not just a bite. (Very few survive being mauled.) The werewolves also use cellphones.
I’m also working on a short story involving werewolves after the vampire/zombie apocalypse. In that word, I figure chupacabras are one of the few things that don’t exist. The legend started because of werewolves with a bad case of mange. These werewolves are larger on the full moon, and bites turn people into werewolves, but the turned ones are less powerful than a pureblood werewolf.
Um, (ahem) my WIP has a pack of chupacabras. Truly. Although they’re vampiric coyotes, none of this hopping blue creature stuff. 😉