Wulver

The wulver is a kind of werewolf that is part of the folklore of the Shetland islands off the coast of Scotland.

History

The wulver kept to itself and was not aggressive if left in peace. Unlike most werewolves the Wulver is not a shapeshifter and is not, nor was it ever, a human being. It appears to be a sort of immortal spirit. Jessie Saxby, in Shetland Traditional Lore writes:

The Wulver was a creature like a man with a wolf's head. He had short brown hair all over him. His home was a cave dug out of the side of a steep knowe, half-way up a hill. He didn't molest folk if folk didn't molest him. He was fond of fishing, and had a small rock in the deep water which is known to this day as the "Wulver's Stane". There he would sit fishing sillaks and piltaks for hour after hour. He was reported to have frequently left a few fish on the window-sill of some poor body.

A similarly non-hostile werewolf is the Faoladh from Irish folklore, which was said to protect children and stand guard over wounded men.

References

• Briggs, Katherine An Encyclopedia of Fairies Pantheon Books, New York.