The origin of the enmity between Vampires and Werewolves

The origin of the enmity between Vampires and Werewolves.

Why are Vampires and Werewolves enemies?

In principle it must be said that the rivalry between Vampires and Werewolves is strongly rooted in horror films, but completely absent from literature. In fact, there are no classic stories that use this resource; However, what does exist are legends, certainly very old, about the enmity between Vampires and Werewolves.

To know the origin of this rivalry between Vampires and Werewolves, it is necessary to put aside current beliefs on the subject.

Just as Vampires were always seen as diabolical creatures, Werewolves enjoyed an excellent reputation well into the Middle Ages, where the view of them changed radically. Until then, werewolves were considered allies of good, and therefore enemies of Vampires.

It is common that, when referring to Werewolves, we quickly think of the Middle Ages, where it was believed that witches and necromancers could become wolves after signing a pact with the devil. In this sense, the werewolves became allies of Lucifer, and therefore persecuted by the Holy Inquisition, but this was not always the case.

The Werewolves did not always oppose the Church, in fact, they worked for it on many occasions. The first record of this relationship occurred in the year 617 AD

A pack of werewolves entered an ancient Roman monastery, upon which the monastery of San Giovanni would later rise. Although it may have been a real carnage, only three monks were attacked, and the rest were unharmed. The three victims were being prosecuted for various acts of heresy, including becoming vampires through the use of black magic.

From then on, the Werewolves were known as the Hounds of God, and they really acted accordingly, chasing and hunting Vampires throughout Europe.

Werewolves were so well regarded by the religious authorities that even several saints exercised the power to turn someone into a wolf, and thus also turn them into a warrior of faith. There is the story of Saint Patrick, who turned Vereticus, king of Wales, into a wolf (and a meek follower of religious principles); and that of Saint Natalis of Ulster, who condemned an Irish family to wander the forests like wolves and serve the Church for seven years.

From the Vampires’ perspective it is logical to assume that the Werewolves became their natural enemies.

It is still curious that, during the Middle Ages, where Vampires and Werewolves were equally persecuted, the enmity between both races continued. In general, agents of evil—such as witches, sorcerers, and necromancers—were allies of each other; That is, they respected the same hierarchical order, with Satan being the supreme leader, but this does not happen with Vampires and Werewolves in the Middle Ages. Legends generally consider them sworn enemies.

It is true that both races, according to legend, responded to the evil one, but the relationship between them was broken, and it was not uncommon for there to be conflicts of all kinds.

Another interesting fact regarding the enmity between Vampires and Werewolves is found in a trial held against Thiess of Kaltenbrun, accused of being a werewolf in Livonia, in the year 1692. Thiess, eighty years old, confessed to being a Werewolf, but he denied the accusations of witchcraft, and maintained that werewolves were not monsters or agents of evil, but rather creatures in the service of God.

According to the accused, Werewolves have been part of the hosts of good since time immemorial, and one of their main occupations is hunting Vampires, Succubi and Incubi.

Thiess was one of the few werewolves who shed some light on the Werewolves’ agenda in terms of the Hounds of God. He further maintained that their souls were not condemned, but on the contrary, that they would ascend to heaven when they died, as long as they fulfilled their duty: exterminating Vampires from the face of the earth.

At this point it is fair to think that the Vampires did not sit idly by. The clearest evidence of their triumph is that werewolves also began to be persecuted by the Church, despite the fact that all chronicles prior to the Middle Ages maintain that Werewolves worked tirelessly to defend human souls.

Among the oaths that bound the Werewolves to the Church was the obligation to respond to any summons, official or not, to hunt down the Vampires. They were also bound by oath to descend into the depths of hell to fight demons, if necessary, preventing them from escaping to this world.

Unlike Vampires, who were always seen as agents of evil, the reputation of the Werewolves changed over time. At first they were protectors and guardians of good, but then they fell from grace, perhaps due to the subtle political arts of their adversaries. The only thing that remained unchanged was the enmity between Vampires and Werewolves, regardless of which side they represented.

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