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W –WEREWOLF, WILL O’ THE WISP

Werewolves can be found in myths and folklore. Also known as a lycanthrope in Greek, they are humans able to shapeshift into a wolf once they have been either bitten by another werewolf, or placed under a curse. The cycle of shifting usually revolves around the full moon.

Having superhuman strengths and senses, werewolves can be found in literature, film, and television. The actual metamorphosis from human into werewolf varied. Swedish myth showed a special beer and incantation ritual, while Italy, France, and Germany had certain days of the week, along with a summer night’s full moon needing to be shone on the face of the person.

A more current myth has werewolves succumbing to silver bullets and weapons. Before this legends told of rye, mistletoe, and wolfsbane being used for this.

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A will o’ the wisp, also known as a ghost light or corpse candle, appears at night over swamps, bogs, or marshes. It is said to look like a flickering lamp and will recede if you go near it.

A scientific explanation could be the oxidation of methane and phosphine igniting with the oxygen in air to produce ephemeral fires. An element of decay is also usually present to catalyze.

Some cultures regarded them as spirits of the dead or other supernatural forces such as fairies, and ghosts.

The above information was found at Wikipedia.