Vampires & Werewolves & Others [information]

Therianthropy

Therianthropy is a genetic term for any transformation of a human into another animal form, or for a being which displays both human and animal characteristics, either as a part of mythology or as a spiritual concept. The word is derived from Greek therion (Θηριον), meaning "wild animal" or "beast", and anthropos (ανθρωπος), meaning "man".

SCHOLARLY USE OF THE TERM

In folklore, mythology and anthropology, therianthropy can be used to describe a character that shares some traints of humans and some of non-human animals.

The most commonly known form is lycanthropy (from Greek words lycos ("wolf") and anthropos ("man")), the technical term for the transformation from man to animal form. Although the precise definition of Lycanthropy specifically refers only to the change into wolf form (as with a werewolf), the term is ofthen used to refer to shape changing to any non-human animal form.

Therianthropy can also refer to characters that share man and animal trails at the same time, for example with the animal-headed human forms of gods in Egiptian mythology (such as Ra, Sobek and others) as well as creatures like centaurus and mermaids.

ETYMOLOGY OF VARIETIES

Terms referring to specific varieties of therianthropy are based on Greek words for specific animals combined with anthropos. A nearly endless number of types of therianthropy could thus be referred to by their own individual terms, though most of these would be neologisms. Rare alternate derivations based on Latin are considered nonstandard at best, incorrect at worst, because they both break precedent and mix a Latin prefix with a Greek suffix. Other than lycanthropy, cynanthropy and ailuranthropy are the best known varieties (Greene, 229). Cynanthropy existed by at least 1901, when the term was applied to myths from China about humans turning into dogs, dogs becoming people, and sexual relations between humans and canines (De Groot, 184).

Self-identified therianthropy

Therianthropy is a generic term for any transformation of a human into another animal form, or for a being which displays both human and animal characteristics, either as a part of mythology or as a spiritual concept. The word is derived from Greek therion (Θηριον), meaning "wild animal" or "beast", and anthrōpos (ανθρωπος), meaning "man".

Scholarly use of the term

In folklore, mythology and anthropology, therianthropy can be used to describe a character that shares some traits of humans and some of non-human animals.

The most commonly known form is lycanthropy (from the Greek words lycos ("wolf") and anthropos ("man")), the technical term for the transformation from man to animal form. Although the precise definition of lycanthropy specifically refers only to the change into wolf form (as with a werewolf), the term is often used to refer to shape changing to any non-human animal form.

Therianthropy can also refer to characters that share man and animal traits at the same time, for example with the animal-headed human forms of gods in Egyptian mythology (such as Ra, Sobek and others) as well as creatures like centaurs and mermaids.