Citation

Groh A, Heberlein A, Thürauf N, Garlipp P, Kornhuber J, Frieling H, Bleich S, Hillemacher T. Psychiatry Res. 2020; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Affiliation

Department of Psychiatry, Social Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical School Hanover, Carl-Neuberg-Str. 1., 30625 Hannover, Germany; Paracelsus Medical University, Nuremberg, Germany.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2020, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.psychres.2020.112796

PMID

31983506

Abstract

Lycanthropy is the belief of being transformed into an animal, seen either in animal-like behaviour or in the explicit verbal expressions of the patient. Garlipp and Machleidt (2003) describe Lycanthropy as a delusion. The denomination “Lykanthropy” goes back to the ancient Greek mythology, telling the transformation of Lykaon, who tried to trick Zeus by entrapping him to eat human flesh. Because of this manoeuvre Lykaon was punished by transformation into a wolf. Various case reports have described man-animal metamorphoses not only into (were-)wolves, but also into other animals like dogs, rabbits, horses, tigers, cats, birds or gerbils. Cultural aspects seem to be involved in the animals chosen for transformation: for example in South Asia and Africa animals previously chosen are the tiger, the crocodile or the shark (Benezech and Chapenoire 2005).

A 39-year-old man was referred to the emergency ward having harmed himself by stabbing into his thorax trying to hit his heart using a screwdriver. He told the psychiatric consultant of his belief to be a werewolf, being responsible for the custody of the parcel of his family. In his view, the transformation into a werewolf likely occurred because he was bitten by the neighbour´s dog when he was about five years old. He believed the owner of the dog possessed evil forces, being the king of vampires, menacing his family and him. During the first phase of care ...

Language: en

Keywords

Delusion; Lycanthropy; Schizophrenia