Werewolfkin?

Written by Cavern-Risen:

Someone who our system considers a friend of ours online has been talking about people who identify as vampirekin. Now, I’m not talking about vampirism where someone feels a need for energy or blood, but rather actually identifying with and as the vampire from some form of mythos over the years. Which got me think - werewolfkin. As in people who identify with or as werewolves in some form of mythos at some time or other.

I’m not talking about the “I can pshift!” or “the moon and silver actually effect me” darlings. (You know such people who you want to hand a physics and biology textbook over to them and ask them to get back to you.) No, I mean people who don’t identify as being non-physically werewolves rather than wolves.

Course that makes me think, is there a difference? I certainly do being a werewolfkin/fictive, but again I’m a fictive. There still seems to be so much interchangeability between the terms wolf therians and werewolves though by some in community though. I certainly don’t identify as a wolf therian that is for sure.

I see myself as a werewolf in our system, baring of course physical nature of things. Just like how gray wolf therians identify as gray wolves in a human body, I identify with having a self image that is a werewolf and can take forms between human and wolf. (Course, being a fictive its not exactly truly wolf-like all the way.) I do identify/second-think along the lines of the mythos I identify with/originate from/what-have-you.

So you thoughts on werewolfkin? Are people who identify as anthropomorphic wolves “werewolfkin” or “wolf therians?” Are werewolfkin otherkin or therians? Or has there been so much role-playing and troll activity no werewolfkin could ever find a place for them somewhere in the community.

- Cavern-Risen

I think a lot of people who identify as wolf therians also identify with an anthropomorphic version of the animal. I don't know if I'd consider werewolfkin to be a separate animal so to speak. I'd probably just consider them to be therians who identify with an anthropomorphic version of the wolf.

Seems like we're looking at two different things. In terms of identifying as an anthropomorphic wolf, I tend to agree with Sera. On the other hand, given what Cavern-Risen was talking about, I could see that. This is the first I've heard of it, so I don't really have any concrete opinions on the subject, but the idea of identifying as the creature that is normally human but sometimes becomes a wolf in some form or another...yeah, I've heard stranger things. After all, in some lore the werewolf is a completely separate species from humans and wolves, just as a minotaur is neither a human nor a bull (theoretically; I've never actually met a minotaur kin). So given that, it certainly seems possible.

Seraphyna Wrote:I think a lot of people who identify as wolf therians also identify with an anthropomorphic version of the animal. I don't know if I'd consider werewolfkin to be a separate animal so to speak. I'd probably just consider them to be therians who identify with an anthropomorphic version of the wolf.

But that brings to mind the question, would they be werewolfkin if their identify as only an anthropomorphic wolf?

- Cavern-Risen

Chimera Wrote:

Seraphyna Wrote:I think a lot of people who identify as wolf therians also identify with an anthropomorphic version of the animal. I don't know if I'd consider werewolfkin to be a separate animal so to speak. I'd probably just consider them to be therians who identify with an anthropomorphic version of the wolf.

But that brings to mind the question, would they be werewolfkin if their identify as only an anthropomorphic wolf?

- Cavern-Risen

If you ask me they're the same thing *shrug*. The exception being identifying with werewolves of myth and legend that would regularly shift back and forth from anthropomorphic wolf or giant wolf to humanoid.

Exactly, that's what I was thinking. They fall into the theme of being stuck between humanity and savagery; as such, I'd think even in terms of kin they would be different.

Ya, that makes sense. Then again I wonder if I should even call myself a werewolfkin and if I should only refer to myself as a werewolf fictive.

- Cavern-Risen

Seraphyna Wrote:I think a lot of people who identify as wolf therians also identify with an anthropomorphic version of the animal. I don't know if I'd consider werewolfkin to be a separate animal so to speak. I'd probably just consider them to be therians who identify with an anthropomorphic version of the wolf.

Identifying with something is not the same thing as identifying as that same something. Yes, many wolf therians identify with werewolves, that seems only natural as werewolves are the perfect combination of wolf and human, but then I would also think feline therians identify with werecats the same way. Or bear therians with werebears, etc. etc. ad nauseum. That does not mean that someone who is a tiger therian is also a weretiger, the two are different creatures. Now that doesn't mean there cannot be overlap, I myself am one of those who identifies as a wolf therian and as a werewolf too.

But in general, I think wolf therians are more likely to identify as simply wolves, not as werewolves. They are obviously similar, but they are not the same thing. And being a furry or liking anthro art doesn't automatically mean someone is going to identify as a werewolf either.

Chimera Wrote:But that brings to mind the question, would they be werewolfkin if their identify as only an anthropomorphic wolf?

In my opinion, they'd be werewolves or werewolfkin, not wolf therians. It comes down to how you view your core self. If you see yourself as an anthro/bipedal/shapeshifter/etc. then you're a werecreature. If you tend to see yourself more as a four-legged animal, then you're the four-legged animal. See the difference? I tend to view myself as both, so I use both wolf therian and werewolf. However, they are not interchangeable.

Seraphyna Wrote:If you ask me they're the same thing *shrug*. The exception being identifying with werewolves of myth and legend that would regularly shift back and forth from anthropomorphic wolf or giant wolf to humanoid.

But coming from someone who identifies as both, they are not actually the same. True, they can be in some cases, but not usually. A wolf is a four-legged, proven to exist earth animal. A werewolf is an anthropomorphic hybrid of a human and a wolf that can change shape. Big differences in even those small comparisons if you ask me!

Think of it this way, are sanguine vampires the same as psychic vampires? No. The commonality is that they're vampires, but they get their vampiric needs met differently. Same thing here: wolf relates the two, but is then broken down into wolf therians and werewolves. Again, overlap can occur (me!), but not even usually.

Seraphyna Wrote:If you ask me they're the same thing *shrug*. The exception being identifying with werewolves of myth and legend that would regularly shift back and forth from anthropomorphic wolf or giant wolf to humanoid.

So as far as you are concerned even though I am a garou fictive in reality I should just consider myself a… wolf theiran? That just seems really wrong and incorrect. Plus that could get confusing fast if I started talking about my innerworld forms and confusion related to my Source.

Elinox Wrote:In my opinion, they'd be werewolves or werewolfkin, not wolf therians. It comes down to how you view your core self. If you see yourself as an anthro/bipedal/shapeshifter/etc. then you're a werecreature. If you tend to see yourself more as a four-legged animal, then you're the four-legged animal. See the difference? I tend to view myself as both, so I use both wolf therian and werewolf. However, they are not interchangeable.

That is what I’m trying to get at. But then again, some people who say they are “anthropomorphic wolves” simply consider that to be their form because they see their identity to be a mixing of both wolf and their nonhuman traits.

- Cavern-Risen

Chimera Wrote:

Elinox Wrote:In my opinion, they'd be werewolves or werewolfkin, not wolf therians. It comes down to how you view your core self. If you see yourself as an anthro/bipedal/shapeshifter/etc. then you're a werecreature. If you tend to see yourself more as a four-legged animal, then you're the four-legged animal. See the difference? I tend to view myself as both, so I use both wolf therian and werewolf. However, they are not interchangeable.

That is what I’m trying to get at. But then again, some people who say they are “anthropomorphic wolves” simply consider that to be their form because they see their identity to be a mixing of both wolf and their nonhuman traits.

- Cavern-Risen

I've yet to meet someone who claims to identify as an anthropomorphic wolf. But, I would just catelogue that under werewolfkin. Anthro wolves are just a specific type of werewolf in my mind, probably based on the furry fandom and not as violent as traditional mythological werewolves (after the 1600's according to WVZ on the Werelist).