Werewolf Legends and Lore with Dani Harper + Giveaway!

Dani’s shapeshifter series about the Macleod family and their friends! Long-lived and able to become wolves at will, they call themselves Changelings. Almost two centuries ago, they were forced to flee the wolf exterminations in Scotland and start a new life in the wilderness of northern Canada.

Today, that wilderness has been largely settled, and an entire community has sprung up around the Changelings. The Macleods and their pack live as humans most of the time, hiding in plain sight. But there’s just enough unspoiled forest left for them to joyfully run as wolves whenever they please. They seem to have the best of both worlds – but there are still dangers lurking for their kind. And love, when it arrives, brings dangers and complications of its own.

The two highest laws in the Changeling world are never harm a human and never turn a human against their will. The wolf within, however, has its own primal rules. If a Changeling’s life is in danger, the wolf will emerge to defend it. It will also rise, unbidden, to defend a mate at all costs. And Changelings mate for life.

Each book in the series can stand alone, because each focuses on one member of the Macleod family. The first novel is Changeling Moon, the second is Changeling Dream. The third novel was just released, Changeling Dawn.  For info and excerpts, check out Dani’s website at http://www.daniharper.com.

Hi, I’m Dani and one of my hobbies is collecting wolf and werewolf myths and legends, and I’ve brought seven of my favorites to share with you.

1. In some European legends, particularly in Scandinavian countries, some rivers and streams are said to be “lycanthropic”. This means that you can become a werewolf just by drinking the water! Lycanthropic water is said to possess a “lurid sparkle” and a faint smell that is like nothing else. As it flows, the water makes sounds that resemble human voices, and dogs and horses are afraid of it.
2. Reports of an enormous wolf-like animal in North Wales date back to 1790, when a stagecoach travelling between Denbigh and Wrexham was attacked and overturned by an enormous black beast almost as long as the coach horses. Known as the Welsh Werewolf, its attacks continued for a few years then mysteriously died out. Two centuries later, beginning in 1992, over 70 sightings of a large wolf-like animal have been reported!
3. In Mexico, the werewolf is called the “nahual”. A nahual is a witch who can shapeshift into a black wolf or coyote. According to the legend, not every witch can achieve this transformation — only a few have a natural gift. In addition to having the inborn talent, the witch must also jump over a wooden cross, or go into deep trance-like sleep, or put on an animal skin, or cover his or her body with an ointment made of herbs.
4. Werewolves in Sweden and Norway are called the ‘Varulv’. According to the legends, these people become werewolves by choice by putting on an enchanted article of clothing such as a belt. They are not necessarily evil, and in fact, in some stories only the most faithful could achieve the transformation!
5. In Latvia, ancient texts show that the wolf was honored as a deity or as a servant of God. In old Latvian folk songs the wolf is called God’s dog. When wolves howled, they were once said to be praying to God and should not be ridiculed or hunted. The Greeks of Athens also had great respect for the wolf and decreed that any man who killed one had to pay for the funeral for the animal.
6. The 11th Century Russian Prince Vseslav was considered to have been a werewolf and capable of superhuman speeds. One account says: “Vseslav the prince judged men; as prince, he ruled towns; but at night he prowled in the guise of a wolf.” A commemorative coin, showing Vseslav and a wolf, was released in 2005.
7. Legend says that the town of Gubbio, Italy, was being terrorized by a large wolf that preyed on both livestock and humans. Saint Francis was said to have the power to talk to animals, and he went alone to speak to the wolf about its habits. He was successful in negotiating peace between the villagers and the wolf, and the creature lived among them like a dog for the rest of its li

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