The Circle Of Rings (#1 in The Circle series)

Chapter 1 - 3 years ago

THERE IS A REWRITE OF THIS STORY -- PLEASE SEE CHAPTERS TITLED "REWRITE" FOR A MUCH BETTER VERSION

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The Circle Of Rings - chapter 1

In Mesoamerican folk religion, a Nagual or Nahual (both pronounced [na'wal]) is a human being who has the power to magically turn him- or herself into an animal form: most commonly a donkey, turkey, or dog,[1] but also other and more powerful animals such as the jaguar and puma.

Such a Nagual is believed to use his powers for good or evil according to his personality.[2] Specific beliefs vary, but the general concept of nagualism is pan-Mesoamerican. Nagualism is linked with pre-Columbian shamanistic practices through Preclassic Olmec depictions which are interpreted as humans transforming themselves into animals. The system is linked with the Mesomerican calendrical system, used for divination rituals. The birth date often determines if a person will be a Nagual. Mesoamerican belief in tonalism, wherein all humans have an animal counterpart to which their life force is linked, is also part of the definition of nagualism.[3] In English the word is often translated as "transforming witch", but translations without the negative connotations of the word witch would be "transforming trickster" or "shape shifter".[4]

In some Native American legends, a skin-walker is a person with the supernatural ability to turn into any animal he or she desires, though it is not necessary, most of them wear a pelt of the animal, to be able to transform. Similar lore can be found in cultures throughout the world and is often referred to as shape shifting by anthropologists.

A werewolf, also known as a lycanthrope (from the Greek λυκάνθρωπος: λύκος, lukos, "wolf", and ἄνθρωπος, anthrōpos, "man"), is a mythological or folkloric human with the ability to shape shift into a wolf or an anthropomorphic wolf-like creature, either purposely or after being placed under a curse and/or lycanthropic affliction via a bite or scratch from a werewolf, or some other means. This transformation is often associated with the appearance of the full moon, as popularly noted by the medieval chronicler Gervase of Tilbury, and perhaps in earlier times among the ancient Greeks through the writings of Petronius.

In addition to the natural characteristics inherent to both wolves and humans, werewolves are often attributed strength and speed far beyond those of wolves or men. The werewolf is generally held as a European character, although its lore spread through the world in later times. Shape-shifters, similar to werewolves, are common in tales from all over the world, most notably amongst the Native Americans, though most of them involve animal forms other than wolves.

Werewolves are a frequent subject of modern fiction, although fictional werewolves have been attributed traits distinct from those of original folklore. For example, the ideas that werewolves are only vulnerable to silver bullets or pierced by silver weapons, or that they can cause others to become werewolves by biting or wounding them derive from works of modern fiction. Werewolves continue to endure in modern culture and fiction, with books, films and television shows cementing the werewolf's stance as a dominant figure in horror.

Horror. Horror? Werewolf and horror? Now-a-days it's more like romance! With their mates and imprinting and all that... Sex!!! It gets under my skin. Werewolves aren't something I despise, but they aren't something I love or even like. They think they can just go prancing around like they own the place, but so do humans... And every other creature on this planet. Some actually do rule over others. Like a carnivore vs. a herbivore. Or the government vs... well everyone else. but everyone has an enemy. The werewolf just happens to have the same one as me. Hunters. But they also have rogues. Since my species doesn't like to stay in the security of a pack (or any type of group) we put a couple people in charge of rules and do whatever we feel like. Following the rules of course.