In 1685, the Principality of Ansbach was terrorized by a wolf that was believed to be a werewolf possessed by a vengeful spirit. But what is the truth behind the legend?
History is full of stories of man-eating beasts and shapeshifting killers.
From the 14th to the 17th century, thousands of people were executed in Europe after being accused of being werewolves.
During that time there were also plenty of stories of real wolf attacks that were attributed to the supernatural.
While it’s easy to write these stories off as incidents of mass hysteria, there are some cases that deserve a more in-depth look.
One story from 1685, tells of a town terrorized by a vicious werewolf with a surprising identity.
The Attacks of Wolf of Ansbach
In 1685 in the Principality of Ansbach, which today is a part of Germany, the locals began reporting that their livestock were being killed by a monstrous wolf.
This was alarming to the villagers, but things took a turn for the worse when the beast began to attack and kill children.
This wasn’t as unusual as it would seem today, since back then wolf attacks were a very real and very common concern for people.
But what made this particular case strange was the rumors that began to circulate as to the identity of the wolf.
Reincarnation of the Evil Magistrate
You see the attacks began not too long after the death of a very cruel chief magistrate named Michael zur Strafe.
The Evil Magistrate of Ansbach had passed away, and it was rumored that the wolf was actually a werewolf possessed by the spirit of the magistrate who was intent on taking revenge on the town.
Some believed that it was in fact a werewolf being a reincarnation of their late and cruel chief magistrate whose recent death had gone unlamented.
In this flyer from the time, you can see the magistrate in the form of a wolf wrapped in white linen, returning to his old home in order to scare the new residents.
It started preying on women and children causing mass panic around the community. It’s not clear how many victims the wolf had taken but it was enough for the citizens to take action. Eventually, a wolf-hunting mob was formed.
The Werewolf Hunt
The hunt was on and in mass, hunters pursued the wolf knowing that the person who would kill the werewolf would be deemed a hero, exacting a final revenge on their former chief magistrate.
It proved to be a difficult hunt as the hunters prepared traps to capture it. They placed raw meat and a live rooster inside the holes and then covered the entrance with straw and branches.
But the wolf was too clever and didn’t fell in any of the traps set by the hunters.
After numerous chases, eventually the hounds chased the wolf into a forest until it could run no further. The wolf jumped into an uncovered well to escape the hunters.
Trapped inside the well, the wolf was immediately killed.
The Parade of Wolf of Ansbach
As would be custom, the body of the wolf was paraded down the streets around back and displayed in the marketplace because it was believed to be no ordinary wolf.
At some point the hunters skinned the wolf, cut off its muzzle, dressed it in human clothing, and placed a mask on its head that resembled the dead magistrate, complete with a fake beard.
They then hanged the wolf from a gibbet, which was a common punishment for human criminals that was used as a way to deter future wrongdoers.
Also the exhibition of the hung wolf was a presentation on the belief this was their tyrannical former magistrate.
The town could now sleep easily knowing that the werewolf was no more and the spirit of the cruel magistrate would never haunt them again.
The Truth
Reading about this case, I can’t help but wonder if many people out there actually thought the possessed werewolf was real or if it was actually just political propaganda.
Was the werewolf a result of superstitious hysteria or was the hunting and hanging of the wolf a symbolic assassination of their deceased and hated leader?
Or was it both? Either way, this was only one of many such incidents that plagued Europe at the time.
While many people are familiar with the Salem witch trials in America, Europe also had a wave of witch and werewolf trials that led to the deaths of thousands.
The tale has lived long in memory and has transcended its symbolic and mythical status into something serving many meanings and lessons.
