Act Like a Werewolf
Also known as lycanthropes, werewolves are mythological beings that appear to be regular people on the surface, but transform by the light of the full moon into wolf-creatures. Popular creatures in books, comics, and television, werewolves make for great costumes and impressions. If you want to learn to take your werewolf impression to the next level, you can learn to make it real by spending time in the woods, getting the body language down, and looking like a werewolf for real.
Contents
Steps
Building the Myth
- Start spending time in the woods at night. Werewolves are drawn to the woods, to nature, and to being in the great outdoors. If you want to act like a werewolf, it’s a good idea to spend a considerable amount of time in the great outdoors, preferably at night. Get familiar with plants, animal tracks, and other essential survival skills.
- Learn when the next full moon will occur on the lunar cycle and plan to be outside to stargaze in a werewolf habitat. Make sure you get permission before you leave the house in the middle of the night.
- Get a guidebook of local plant life in your region and start learning to identify the local flora. Since werewolves spend so much time in the woods, it's a good idea to learn more about your surroundings.
- Sleep in blankets on the floor. Wolves are outdoor creatures, more comfortable and alert the closer to the ground they are. Act as if there’s just something uncomfortable about sleeping on your soft bed and create a little sleeping den in your bedroom on the floor.
- Since really sleeping on the floor is kind of uncomfortable, line up some sleeping bags, blankets, and pillows to create a little mat on the ground, then build up pillow walls around the outside, like a fort. You could even get an inflatable camping sleep mat, if you want to invest.
- When it’s time to go to bed, walk in three circles to burrow out a comfortable space in the blankets, then settle in by curling up into a ball.
- Develop a strong bond with canines. Start spending lots of time with your dog relatives will help you learn about their behavior to better mimic it, but it will also help you develop a strong emotional bond with dogs. If other people see dogs coming up to you familiarly, you’ll quickly get a reputation as a dog-person.
- If you don’t have a family dog, the Humane Society is always open to volunteers who want to give shelter dogs walks, baths, and feedings. It can be a great way of bonding with animals who need a little bit of love.
- Try to hang around big, wolf-like dogs. Siberian shepherds, German shepherds, and huskies are all good pets to observe to own your werewolf impression.
- Be territorial. Define your territory and mark it clearly. Whether it be your room, your yard, or your neighborhood, a good werewolf stakes some claim to a territory. Patrol your territory regularly and question anyone who comes in without being invited. Keep watch over what's yours.
- Make a sign for your room, with a full moon and picture of a wolf howling, clearly labeled "Stay out." Post "Beware of Werewolf" signs on the door.
- It's also a good idea to protect the people you care about. Your family and your close friends should be able to count on you at a moment's notice. Come through when they most need help. A werewolf should be reliable.
- Be moody. Prowling the edges of the woods, howling at the moon: a werewolf is connected to dark, lunar energy. That doesn't mean a werewolf is "bad," but that werewolves are connected to the unconscious feminine side of the psyche, as opposed to the conscious, thinking, controlling part. A werewolf should feel more and think less. Let your emotions guide your choices and your decisions. Go with your instincts, your gut reactions, and trust yourself. Be an animal.
Using Body Language
- Stare down your enemies like a wolf. Anyone who's ever looked a dog in the eye knows it's a hard staring contest to win. If you want to act like a werewolf, a good place to start is your alpha-wolf glare. If someone challenges you, never look away, or look down, and break their gaze. Stare straight back, as if you were trying to see behind their eyes, into their skull. Scrunch your eyebrows down to furrow your brow in a wolf-like manner.
- Bring your chin to your chest to emphasize your eyes. Imagine you were wearing glasses and trying to look over them to give your glare a wolf-like aspect.
- Move constantly. Wolves are restless, shifty creatures. When you walk or sit, you should Try to exude a wolf-like energy. Make your movements fluid and sleek, walking on the balls of your feet, rather than your heels.
- Don't walk, but stalk. Pretend that some prey has just appeared on the distant horizon, even if you're just walking to Jimmy John's.
- Never stand still. If you're standing somewhere waiting, like at the doctor's office of the BMV, get up and pace around. Look like an animal in a cage trying to get out. Keep your head low and your motions sleek. A wolf moves around like a hunter. Think stealthy, sneaky, and quick. Don’t clomp around like Frankenstein’s monster.
- Sniff the wind regularly. The sense-receptors of wolves are hundreds of times more sensitive than those in a human. To act like a wolf, practice using your smeller more actively as a way of experiencing the world. Wolves use scent to track prey, mark territory, and as a way of identifying other creatures.
- Occasionally, when you're standing around with friends and the wind blows, turn your nose to it and sniff gently, as if you smell danger coming.
- Become a connoisseur of smells, particularly the outdoor variety. Practice walking around the woods and identifying fragrances. Be able to tell jasmine from lilac from deer poop.
- Start running. Wolves are efficient and fast runners, conserving their energy by trotting after their prey at a quick lope until within striking distance, at which point they kick things into high gear. To get more wolf-like, start running and feel the wind in your fur. Er, your hair. The wind in your hair.
- For more of a werewolf-like experience, head to the woods and do some trail running, and consider investing in some "naked" running shoes to get closer to the earth.
- Snarl. Werewolves don't speak, they snarl. It's a good idea to start communicating in grunts, snarls, and barks, especially when you're frustrated (or just feeling goofy). Caught in the middle of a stare down? Slowly let your voice rumble from your throat, quietly, getting gradually louder as the stare-down continues. When your enemy breaks, pipe down.
Looking Like a Werewolf
- Start growing out your body hair. If there's one thing we know for sure about lycanthropes, it's that they're hairy. If you want to act like one, the act will be a lot more believable with a good set of mutton-chop sideburns and some super-hairy legs. Grow out the hair on your head and other places if you want to give yourself a were-vibe.
- Even if you're not the hairiest, growing out your hair and learning to tease it and tangle it can help you cultivate a werewolf-like appearance. Go to bed after washing your hair and let it dry overnight. When you wake up, you'll have a werewolf-do.
- Grow out your nails. Long and sharp fingernails are a sure sign of a werewolf. Grow them out and keep them strong with clear or dark reinforcing nail polish, and keep them filed so they won't grow raggedy. Keep them rounded, or pointy, depending on how far you want to take your impression.
- Wear earth tones and dark colors. While a werewolf usually rips out of their clothes upon transformation, you can cultivate a werewolf-like wardrobe by dressing in earthy colors, dark tones, and natural fibers. Wear sizes that are a bit larger than you might normally wear to give yourself room to transform, without shredding your clothes up. Also, you can't go wrong with a good wolf-howling-at-the-moon t-shirt.
- Forest green, black, and brown are the color schemes of the werewolf. Avoid bright neon colors and pastels.
- Cotton, wool, and natural hemp fibers would all work well in your clothes. Avoid silky shirts and artificial fabrics, like polyester.
- Get some grass stains. The clothes of the werewolf should look lived-in, worked out, and as if they've seen some wear. Jeans with rips and tears in the knee? Perfect. Old flannel work shirts with holey elbows? Even better. Outdoorsy clothes should look like they've been beat up, not like they just came off the rack.
- It's a lot cheaper and more accurate to buy used clothes, so you don't have to worry about distressing them yourself. Hit up second-hand stores in your town to find good used work-shirts on the cheap. Grass stains included.
- If you want to take your werewolf impression to the next level, roll around in the grass to get some dry-dirt and grass stains on your jeans and your shirt. Maybe stick a leaf and a twig or two in your hair. You'll look like you sleep outside and spend the night running through the woods.
- Wear hiking boots and outdoor shoes. No high heels or silly flip-flops for the werewolf. You've got to look like you're ready to go clomping around the woods, scrambling over rocky precipices and waterfalls at the drop of a hat. Wear chunky, practical shoes that will allow you to off-road in the great outdoors. Dark boots, hiking shoes, and other waterproof gear is all great for the werewolf.
- Sandals like Chocos, Tevas, Birkenstocks, or other outdoorsy sandals would also be appropriate for the budding werewolf.
Tips
- If there are dogs in the place where you're acting, stay closer to them than the people. Only do this if you are not allergic to dogs.
- Girls—wear little or no makeup, and if you wear jewelry, keep it minimal. Wood and leather are good, as well as wolf charms.
- If it is a full moon, go out the back yard and howl. Just don't in front of your parents.
- Be outdoorsy.
- Only do this around friends or family members if you're comfortable with, unless it's Halloween or a similar event.
- Try to avoid being cheesy!
- Growl if something makes you mad.
- Ask people like friends or other people who support you to be in your pack so outsiders will believe you are a werewolf.
Warnings
- Only act like this around friends. People may think you are insane, and may call the police.
Related Articles
- Get the Werewolf Look
- Throw a Werewolf Party
- Act Like Stiles in Teen Wolf
- Be an Awesome Werewolf
- Act Like a Werewolf Vampire Hybrid
