Inspired by the recently closed question. Most modern media call a vampire/werewolf cross breed 'hybrids'. Do these hybrids exist in mythology or ancient literature at all? If they do what are they called?
asked Mar 12, 2012 at 18:23
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Prehistory? Vampires and werewolves are both myths. Do you mean prehistory?– iandotkellyCommented Mar 12, 2012 at 18:24
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I mean not modern fiction and not modern by a long shot. For instance Gilgamesh is a prehistoric tales, but it may have some semblance of truth. It's not a myth per se, but may have mention of such a being, even if it is falsely believed to exist.– AncientSwordRage ♦Commented Mar 12, 2012 at 18:28
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I would perhaps change or remove your 'and do they exist' from the title, and change 'prehistory' to 'ancient literature'. I would make these edits myself but I don't have the reputation to make a direct edit. Your question would lead me to think that you are after references to real creatures.– iandotkellyCommented Mar 12, 2012 at 18:32
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@iandotkelly How does that sound?– AncientSwordRage ♦Commented Mar 12, 2012 at 20:29
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Much better - thanks– iandotkellyCommented Mar 12, 2012 at 20:39
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6 Answers
As implied by Christi's post, the Romanian legends (which is the base for most of the popular Western material concerning the behavior of werewolves and vampires) actually intricately link vampires and werewolves. In the "original" stories, a werewolf becomes a vampire by being killed and then improperly disposed of; if simply buried, the werewolf will rise from the dead as a vampire.
So, there is no such thing as a "hybrid" in the traditional vampire mythologies. They have common origins, but the traditional stories have both of these creatures wanting humans more for food than anything else, and not generally dealing with their brother species. The idea of a hybrid is mostly a "newer than they think they are" trope along the lines of "wouldn't it be cool if..."
Neither the vampire myth nor the werewolf myth universally treated those conditions as transmittable ones. See Creating Vampires and Becoming a werewolf on Wikipedia.
It is likely that hybrids did not exist in folklore; or if they did (e.g., a werewolf who drank blood or a vampire that could transform into wolf form) they would simply be called by one term or the other.
answered Mar 12, 2012 at 22:13
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1Grandpa Munster brewed up something in his lab & shapeshifted into a wolf... Commented Mar 12, 2012 at 22:53
I think I can remember in some sitcom, the hybrid of vampire and werewolf was called 'Werepire'. Not sure if canon or just a funny dialogue.
Coming to history, some myths have were-wolfs drinking blood. But this could be just a side effect of the attack and not for satisfying hunger. So a shapeshifter who drank blood would still be called a werewolf and so it might have been a case of mistaken chronicling and the idea of hybrid more modern due to man's penchant to create more and more horrible creatures in fiction.
But if we look at religious mythology, we have creatures drinking blood but are neither werewolf nor vampire. (ex: god narasimha in indian mythology.) So If one can find similar charactersitics even though they are neither werewolf nor vampire but have either's qualities, that would be the answer. remember that in different mythologies, werewolfs might not even be called werewolfs even if they fall under the same category. On the same principle we should look at creatures based on their characteristics rather than the name.
the hybrids that you speek of are more known as Vaewolves. they cannot be made only born half vampire and half werewolf ( or lycan as some call them). None of you have had the right answer and I am indeed sorry to introod but how do you people make names up? there are books older than any of us can imagine. they have answers to many "mythical creatures" and the Vaewolve is the correct word and spelling of the creature we speak of. they turn, but as wolves only and turn on instinct NOT full moons. they drink blood but do not need it constant. it would be considered more of a lust than a ways of living. blood makes them stronger in both forms and can turn them crazed if having to much. like as if a human were to drink to much alcohol until having no memory of the night.
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Your answer could be completely correct, though it would be a more authoritative read if the grammar was accurate, but without sources it seems like this was made up or based off a modern, minor source. Do you have any sources to prove your answer? "There are books", well, what are the names of these books? The only results Google gives for Vaewolves is your answer here and a wikia about "The Originals", which is indeed a very modern source. Commented Jul 15, 2014 at 9:09
The proper name for a cross-breed of a vampire and a werewolf wold be a vamwolf. Also so you know, there is another breed where a machia (a cat monster), a werewolf, and a vampire are crossed, producing a vamwolfia. It looks like a wolf or fox and has the tail of a cat with the blood lust of a vampire.
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3It's answers like this that makes time spent on SFF.SE most rewarding. :D– dlanodCommented Sep 13, 2012 at 1:24
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