Does anyone know lesser known shape changers or people that have the powers of animals

[A. E. Lowan]

Since when were you an Old English linguistics scholar?!

It’s interesting though.

*raises hand* Pmmg may not be, but I am, if a bit out of practice, and I can confirm that she's right. I was interdisciplinary Medieval Lang and Lit and Medieval History, and one of the things I focused on was the politicizing of language, specifically English, or what would eventually become our Modern English. But, I wander a bit. Spellings and how we sound out our letters change over time, and in the case of Old English and the span of time it took to evolve through the centuries until it becomes something we can recognize that represents a whole lot of change. For example, "knife" was pronounced phonetically, as were most words before French came along and screwed up English but good. This isn't even starting the discussion of how spelling of English wasn't standardized until the 18th century, and then not very well. So, yes, you will absolutely see the same word spelled fifteen different ways and that's just how people heard the sounds.

Also, a viable alternative to were-anything is the proper term, which is "therianthrope," which can be used with any species of animal shapeshifter. I find it very useful, since we have a lot more than wolves running around.

 

[Finchbearer]

Oh A E Lowan you are a treasure trove of knowledge how wonderful to have you around.

 

[A. E. Lowan]

Oh A E Lowan you are a treasure trove of knowledge how wonderful to have you around.

I have a head full of random crap and a reference library that will eventually turn into a hoarder situation.

 

[pmmg]

*raises hand* Pmmg may not be, but I am, if a bit out of practice, and I can confirm that she's right.

What was she right on, that I wasn't?

 

[Finchbearer]

I think you were the one that was right.

 

[pmmg]

Hmmm...I thought we were both kind of right

 

[A. E. Lowan]

Hmmm...I thought we were both kind of right

And you were. You were just a bit righter. Or would that be 'writer?'

 

[Jadink6]

*raises hand* Pmmg may not be, but I am, if a bit out of practice, and I can confirm that she's right. I was interdisciplinary Medieval Lang and Lit and Medieval History, and one of the things I focused on was the politicizing of language, specifically English, or what would eventually become our Modern English. But, I wander a bit. Spellings and how we sound out our letters change over time, and in the case of Old English and the span of time it took to evolve through the centuries until it becomes something we can recognize that represents a whole lot of change. For example, "knife" was pronounced phonetically, as were most words before French came along and screwed up English but good. This isn't even starting the discussion of how spelling of English wasn't standardized until the 18th century, and then not very well. So, yes, you will absolutely see the same word spelled fifteen different ways and that's just how people heard the sounds.

Also, a viable alternative to were-anything is the proper term, which is "therianthrope," which can be used with any species of animal shapeshifter. I find it very useful, since we have a lot more than wolves running around.

The problem i have found with using therianthrope and therianthropy is now its used for people who think they are a animal in a human body and i can never find anything that is using for its true meaning.

 

[pmmg]

The problem i have found with using therianthrope and therianthropy is now its used for people who think they are a animal in a human body and i can never find anything that is using for its true meaning.

Be the first and restore its proper use.

 

[Azul-din]

The problem i have found with using therianthrope and therianthropy is now its used for people who think they are a animal in a human body and i can never find anything that is using for its true meaning.

So why be bound by a word which is after all a way of psychologising what should by rights be a magical transformation? The important element, it seems to me, is to show how perception, sensation and thought processes would change during an actual transformation. Here's how I handled the change from man to wolf in a novel I wrote about a Werewolf growing up:


I turned then to find him staring at me, his dark eyes gleaming and his mouth beginning to open. He placed a hand on my forearm. 'Look at me,' he said huskily, 'look deep into my eyes.' A sliver of moonlight fell upon his pale features and gleamed on the unnaturally long canine teeth between his lips. Then I saw his eyes widen in surprise and he drew back. 'No!' he gasped, 'It cannot be!'

But of course by then it was too late.

Have you ever seen one of those Hollywood movies about werewolves? Remember how painfully long it took for the Transformation? It used to make me laugh, as if any chosen victim would just stand there and wait for it to happen. All I had to do was relax my mind and the wolf sprang forth in an instant, snarling savagely. He fought his way clear of my clothes and sprang upon the man who had turned to run in a futile attempt to escape.

Some time later, when I was done, I nosed what remained of the foreign gentleman into the river, where it vanished with a sullen splash. I licked my fur clean and pawed my own clothes into a shadowed corner where I could retrieve them later. Then, just like in the movies, I raised my muzzle to the moon and let loose with a long ululating howl that had dogs barking all over the neighborhood.

Then I trotted away. The night was young, after all.

 

[A. E. Lowan]

Be the first and restore its proper use.

We use it. Ran across it several years ago in a book on human predators and it fit our needs perfectly. And another Scribe, Svrtnsse, he also uses it and also 'therry' (sp?) for short. It's starting to make its way into the genre.

 

[Rexenm]

Well, I’m going to do my job, and critique a bit like Wall-E.

I turned then to find him staring at me,
I turned to find them staring at me. A little less archaic.
his dark eyes gleaming and his mouth beginning to open.
His eyes darkened. Mouth opened. For suspense.
He placed a hand on my forearm. 'Look at me,' he said huskily, 'look deep into my eyes.'
Perfect, a little homoerotic, but mature.
A sliver of moonlight fell upon his pale features and gleamed in the unnaturally long canine teeth between his lips. Then I saw his eyes widen in surprise as he drew back.
I changed on to in and to as.
'No!' he gasped, 'It cannot be!'
Becomes, ‘No!‘ he grasped, ‘It cannot be!’

But of course by then it was too late.
A little silly, can’t always be tamed.

Have you ever seen one of those Hollywood movies about werewolves? Remember how painfully long it took for the Transformation? It used to make [us?] laugh, as if any chosen victim would just stand there and wait for it to happen. All I had to do was relax my mind and the wolf sprang [Forward…] in an instant, snarling savagely. He fought his way clear of my clothes and sprang upon the man who had turned to run in a futile attempt to escape.

Some time later, when I was done, I nosed what remained of the foreign gentleman into the river, where it vanished with a sullen splash. I licked my fur clean{,}and pawed my own clothes into a shadowed corner where I could retrieve them later. Then{}just like in the movies{}I raised my muzzle to the moon and let loose with a long {undulating} howl that had dogs barking all over the neighbourhood.

Then I trotted a way. The night was young, after all.

It reminds me a little of twilight. Without the homoerotic twist.

 

[Azul-din]

Well, I’m going to do my job, and critique a bit like Wall-E.

I turned then to find him staring at me,
I turned to find them staring at me. A little less archaic.
his dark eyes gleaming and his mouth beginning to open.
His eyes darkened. Mouth opened. For suspense.
He placed a hand on my forearm. 'Look at me,' he said huskily, 'look deep into my eyes.'
Perfect, a little homoerotic, but mature.
A sliver of moonlight fell upon his pale features and gleamed in the unnaturally long canine teeth between his lips. Then I saw his eyes widen in surprise as he drew back.
I changed on to in and to as.
'No!' he gasped, 'It cannot be!'
Becomes, ‘No!‘ he grasped, ‘It cannot be!’

But of course by then it was too late.
A little silly, can’t always be tamed.

Have you ever seen one of those Hollywood movies about werewolves? Remember how painfully long it took for the Transformation? It used to make [us?] laugh, as if any chosen victim would just stand there and wait for it to happen. All I had to do was relax my mind and the wolf sprang [Forward…] in an instant, snarling savagely. He fought his way clear of my clothes and sprang upon the man who had turned to run in a futile attempt to escape.

Some time later, when I was done, I nosed what remained of the foreign gentleman into the river, where it vanished with a sullen splash. I licked my fur clean{,}and pawed my own clothes into a shadowed corner where I could retrieve them later. Then{}just like in the movies{}I raised my muzzle to the moon and let loose with a long {undulating} howl that had dogs barking all over the neighbourhood.

Then I trotted a way. The night was young, after all.

It reminds me a little of twilight. Without the homoerotic twist.

Actually it was supposed to resemble a superficially homoerotic encounter, which I thought was funny when the foreign gentleman in the musty smelling suit turned out to be a vampire trying it on with a werewolf. Me rather than us because my MC has at this point never met another werewolf. This was an introductory chapter, about two pages long. As the story developed it became clear that my MC was aware of the wolf within him as a separate entity, so yes, the wolf sprang out. The transformation from man to wolf was instantaneous. 'Undulating howl'? Your dictionary need to be consulted. 'Ululating ' means 'to howl or wail expressing strong emotion.' Hey, I'm 80 years old, I'm entitled to be a bit archaic. 'Grasped' rather than 'Gasped'? As my creative writing professor used to say, your dictionary needs to do more work.

But thank you for taking the time for the unexpected critique.

 

[A. E. Lowan]

Actually it was supposed to resemble a superficially homoerotic encounter, which I thought was funny when the foreign gentleman in the musty smelling suit turned out to be a vampire trying it on with a werewolf. Me rather than us because my MC has at this point never met another werewolf. This was an introductory chapter, about two pages long. As the story developed it became clear that my MC was aware of the wolf within him as a separate entity, so yes, the wolf sprang out. The transformation from man to wolf was instantaneous. 'Undulating howl'? Your dictionary need to be consulted. 'Ululating ' means 'to howl or wail expressing strong emotion.' Hey, I'm 80 years old, I'm entitled to be a bit archaic. 'Grasped' rather than 'Gasped'? As my creative writing professor used to say, your dictionary needs to do more work.

But thank you for taking the time for the unexpected critique.

And don't forget you're a writer. We can make up our own words to meet our needs, just like Shakespeare. I've done 'dudetastically' to describe the fade on a pair of jeans, 'singlasses' - demons wear them, 'scruffed' - this one drives my younger writing partner nuts (they all do, really, but it isn't healthy for a 30 year-old to be this uptight, either), but it makes perfect sense. That thing we all do when we sit up on the edge of the bed and scruff our fingers through our hair to try to wake up a bit. "He sat naked on the edge of the bed and scruffed his hands through his long hair, trying to find an answer in the dark. But no answer was forthcoming." So, yes, absolutely make the dictionary and the thesaurus both work for their keep, but in the end only we as creators can choose.

Also to the OP, this means you can call your shapeshifters anything you want. Your world, your rules. Rock it.

 

[Rexenm]

"He sat naked on the edge of the bed and scruffed his hands through his long hair, trying to find an answer in the dark.

True dat. We all writers!

 

[Gallio]

Were-wolf means Man-wolf.

Historically (etymologically) true, but the etymology of a word does not determine its current meaning (e.g. 'black' and 'bleach' both come from the same root). Nowadays, I would say, 'werewolf' can refer to a person of either sex who can change into a wolf. And the prefix 'were-' is used in fantasy for both male and female changers.

 

[Azul-din]

And don't forget you're a writer. We can make up our own words to meet our needs, just like Shakespeare. I've done 'dudetastically' to describe the fade on a pair of jeans, 'singlasses' - demons wear them, 'scruffed' - this one drives my younger writing partner nuts (they all do, really, but it isn't healthy for a 30 year-old to be this uptight, either), but it makes perfect sense. That thing we all do when we sit up on the edge of the bed and scruff our fingers through our hair to try to wake up a bit. "He sat naked on the edge of the bed and scruffed his hands through his long hair, trying to find an answer in the dark. But no answer was forthcoming." So, yes, absolutely make the dictionary and the thesaurus both work for their keep, but in the end only we as creators can choose.

Also to the OP, this means you can call your shapeshifters anything you want. Your world, your rules. Rock it.

View attachment 3594

The English language is a marvelously expressive and endlessly idiomatic tool.

 

[pmmg]

Historically (etymologically) true, but the etymology of a word does not determine its current meaning (e.g. 'black' and 'bleach' both come from the same root). Nowadays, I would say, 'werewolf' can refer to a person of either sex who can change into a wolf. And the prefix 'were-' is used in fantasy for both male and female changers.

I return to my original comment. They would be unlikely to be called this. How long have they been kicking around on the planet? I bet long enough that the people who coined their names did not think them archaic words.

If these just showed yesterday than the unimformed term might apply.

You can have thropenlyces if you want, but it seems lazy to me.