Werewolves occupy a special place in folklore. But if in European they are, as a rule, evil, demonic creatures devouring people, then in Slavic tales everything is much more interesting.
The Slavs believed that not only a sorcerer can become a shape-shifter, but also the most ordinary one who learns a "special secret". At the same time, it is possible to turn into a beast (most often into a wolf) because of a curse or the intrigues of sorcerers (there are many folk tales, where magicians turn an entire wedding led by the bride and groom into a wolf pack).
All these tales, legends and epics date back to the times of paganism, when the forces of nature themselves were gods. And werewolves were considered part of the existing world. Not evil, not good … just "others."
I'm not going to talk about diseases like lycanthropy or hypertrichosis now. They probably contributed to the legends. I want to consider the phenomenon from the mythical side.
One creature and two forms - and here we have a classic "guide between the worlds". There were many of them. Let's recall the Cat Bayun, Baba Yaga (with her bone leg), various birds. And - the Gray Wolf. That's really who the werewolf is classic.
Let's talk about him.
So, in this case, we do not see a person with the ability to turn into an animal (the usual picture of werewolf), but an animal that can take the form of other animals. And human at the same time (these features are very well shown in the fairy tale "Ivan Tsarevich and the Gray Wolf"). There the tailed helper turns there, first into a golden-maned horse, then into a red maiden).
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In general, the standard translation of beliefs about totem animal helpers. Present in many religions. And, as a rule, everywhere it carries the functions of a conductor between the world of the dead and the world of the living.
The character is so popular that every region has its own, local werewolf legend. It will be similar to the others, differing only in small details.
But there is one "fairy wolf" who is very different about his fellows. Moreover, he has his own "registration".
Regular readers of my channel already know exactly where. Yes, in Samarskaya Luka. And specifically - in the Shiryaevsky ravine.
The name of this beast is Volkodir.
In the legends, his appearance is not clearly spelled out. It is only known that he looks like a huge, terrible wolf. He lives in the Shiryaevsky ravine and serves as a guard between the worlds of the dead and the living, making sure that no one pokes either from there or there, if the lines have not come.
And he also serves the Mistress of the Zhiguli Mountains. Faithful helper: he will protect the weak, he will show the lost way. But woe to the wicked man: he will not spare.
They say that Volkodir hides a magic stone in his mouth. Whoever takes possession of that stone will become the most powerful person in the world, and will also be able to understand the languages of all animals and birds. Yes, only there is no such hero to defeat Volkodir.
This is according to one legend. On the other - there was still a brave daredevil. And this is … Stepan Razin! Not the one we know from school history. And the one that remained in the memory of the people as a sorcerer and a great mocker of the tsarist generals and the tsar-father himself.
That is why - say the legends - neither stone walls, nor iron chains, nor charmed castles could keep Razin. But that's a completely different story.