Having werewolf hunters in a werewolf novel you say is probably a given. A staple. What is a werewolf novel without Werewolf Hunters . Okay so I do have werewolf hunters in my novel but they aren’t the main antagonistic force or main villain like in most werewolf novels and they don’t have a main storyline.
I chose to do this because they aren’t really that important to the storylines. I mean they are but in a different kind of way. What do I mean? Let me discuss further .
Before I discuss I will like to relay some
REAL WORLD RESEARCH
The stories of Werewolf hunters stems from true legends about the beast of GEVAUDAN and the real werewolf and wolf trials that took place across Europe in the 17th and 18th century .
But also from real wolf hunters that go all the way back before the middle ages in the sixth century . All over the world except in a couple of places wolf hunting was legal.
For instance wolf hunting in France was first institutionalized by Charlemagne between 800–813, when he established the louveterie, a special corps of wolf hunters. The louveterie was abolished after the French Revolution in 1789, but was re-established in 1814. One of the reasons why wolf hunting was legal around the world was that many believed that wolves posed a problem to crops and livestock. They also hunted wolves for their pelts.
In ancient times hunting wolves were prevalent because they used the wolves for the purpose in folk medicine and sacred spiritual rituals.
Wolf teeth would be used as talisman against evil spirits . Wolf tongue and liver was said to cure epilepsy and or other ailments.
In today’s world in places like Idaho, Montana , and Minnesota in America , some parts of France and Russia wolf hunting is still legal because of the problems that haunted people in ancient times . The wolves kill livestock. But today unlike in the past it is very controversial as most of the countries around the world has put a ban on killing wolves and conservative groups have filed lawsuits to save the wolves.
IN MY WIP NOVEL
There are 3 main types of hunters. Why so many ? I thought they weren’t important characters? They aren’t. They are secondary characters. But they are mostly human .
VENATORS/VENATRIX
Are MORTAL hunters who go after the caninruh werewolves. They are members of the Dímios socity , an ancient society that kills werewolves . They possess strong tracking and fighting skills . The weapons they use to hunt the caninruh are strychnine nux poison, fire, spike chain collars, animal cages, and a high frequency whistle device that draws out the caninruh and immobilizes them. They are very perceptive and knowledgeable.
They are the main hunters that are mentioned in the Blue Hour Series . They are usually secret government officials . Some have made a truce with the Kraldire(wolf leader) out of fear. But others secretly seek to take down the Kraldire and the rest of the werewolves.
CASTUS
Are usually MORTALS that are natural healers and exorcist who believe in curing the caninruh werewolves of their evil spirits by cutting out the heart, through their stomach in order to cure them. Afterwards they sow the stomach up.
They live and hunt in the FOREST mountainous regions of RED SILVA MOUNTAIN . They are perceptive and possess very strong tracking skill, using the luring, and calling method of hunting and usually a Safyral, the sword of burning hearts, a healing dagger that has been blessed with Monk’s Pepper to cut through the stomach which is poisonous to the caninruh after it has been blessed.
The CASTUS men are the only ones who can perform the exorcism and the woman are usually the ones who trap and hunt the caninruh.
Members of the Castus are mentioned and seen in my work in progress During the Blue Hour . They usually disguise themselves as regular everyday mortals to lure unsuspected Caninruh werewolves.
DIRE HOUNDS
Or sometimes called the Hounds of Sothic are Caninruh werewolves who hunt other Caninruh werewolves for their freedom from the Kraldire (werewolf leader) .
They are also usually drifters or deserters from the Kraldire werewolf communities who associate themselves with the MORTAL Hunters from the Dímios society because they want to be Mortals themselves . They hate their werewolf existence. They can be very cruel and calculative in order to capture their prey. They choose to stay in human form thus suppressing the Canin form altogether.
They usually use the same hunting tactics as the Venators.
A Dire Hound is widely prevalent in my first novel During the Blue Hour but I don’t reveal that he is one until the very end and then its only speculations. My readers won’t know for sure until the second book.
If you liked this blog post and you want to see more content involving my work in progress During the Blue Hour Follow , Like , share . But first LET’S START A DIALOGUE
What novel have you heard of or read that has the best hunter characters in them?
I want to know so let me know in the comments below.
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