The Book of Were-Wolves

The Book of Were-Wolves is a book by Sabine Baring-Gould, first published in 1865. It is one of the earliest serious studies of lycanthropy, combining folklore, myth, historical accounts, and speculation about the psychological and criminal origins of werewolf legends. Drawing on tales from across Europe, the book explores grisly case histories and cultural beliefs, and attempts to understand how such monstrous transformations became embedded in the popular imagination. While its style reflects the Victorian fascination with the grotesque and the gothic, it also speaks to a broader 19th-century interest in the blurred boundaries between man and beast. Though at times sensational, the work has remained a touchstone in the study of supernatural folklore.