Therianthropy. Defined and explained.

[AmberSekhmet]

Therianthropy is a generic term for any transformation of a human into an animal form, either as a part of mythology or as a spiritual concept. The word is derived from Greek therion, meaning "wild animal," and anthrôpos, meaning "man."


In folklore, mythology and anthropology, therianthropy can be used to describe a character that shares some traits of humans and some of animals. The most commonly known form is lycanthropy, from the Greek word lycos ("wolf"), the technical term for werewolves. Although lycanthropy specifically refers to man-wolf transformations, many people use that term loosely to refer to shape changing to any animal form.

In cases where someone actually believes to personally change into an animal form, or to possess supernatural animal traits, the term clinical lycanthropy is often used. This is a form of mental illness. People who call themselves shapechangers as a form of social identification are generally not considered ill by mental health professionals unless they have delusionary beliefs or take damaging actions as a result of their beliefs.
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[St. Vitance]

I never really noticed how fascinating this subject was before a little while ago.

Werewolves are probably the only therianthropy known, or regarded by people today.

I know of a few people who actually believe themselves to be a werewolf.

None really ever know if they are or not.

Contrary to belief, werewolves aren't the demonic killer creatures that folklore makes them out to be.

They hunt for food, without a doubt, but never human carnage. Even werewolves still have a side of man still in them, which disregards cannibalism.

So unless you extremely anger a true werewolf, you should be fine.

I do believe that I have some anmal instincts that most everyone else doesn't, but I don't believe that I ever have, or will ever, transform into an animal of any kind.

--Vitance

[AmberSekhmet]

vitanceii said:

I do believe that I have some anmal instincts that most everyone else doesn't, but I don't believe that I ever have, or will ever, transform into an animal of any kind.

Fair point. But i believe that everyone on us has some prmitive animal instincts. Although it is more " powerful" in some people than in others, we still have these instincts. If you push a person to far, they will snap and lashout, again some more violent than others but they are still animal instincts.

[St. Vitance]

You're thinking of something like A mother's instinct to protect her child at all cost or something, i think.

I mean I have some seriosuly messed up primal instincts.

Hard to explain, and kind of embarrasing when people look at me like I belong in the nut-house, but it's true.

Stuff like, telling the time by the sun, without even thinking about it...I suppose anyone could, if they wanted.

Also, I'm a better weatherman than all those meteorologists.

Well, whatever, a lot of people have talents like these, but I can 'smell' the weather.

Well, before I start rambling and someone calls an insane asylum, I'm gonna stop talking about it.

You're right, everyone does still have animal instincts from geneology and such, and yes, it's stronger in some than others...and a lot of different people have different traits, that's just the way it is...

--Blessed Be

[WiseMagicWillow]

I know exactly what you mean with smelling the weather its weird and i didn't know that anyone else could also do it but i to confess about the smelling. Mostly just rain it just smells different to everything else which when I think about what i just wrote then a big duh comes to mind but anyway i know what you mean.

[St. Vitance]

What's fun about it (and this happened just recently too), is I can go around, and the sky isn't very cloudy, I sniff the air, and say...."Hm....I see it's gonna rain" and everyone around me says I'm wrong and stupid, and then three hours later it's pouring.

I find great pleasure in proving people wrong....especially when they call me stupid for being right.

but a little while ago, I smelled something strange. It was cold, and bitter, and I knew that it wasn't the scent of Autumn.

I finally realized that it was the scent of Winter, and I just told the nearest person to me, who was right next to me..."Hmm.....smells like an early winter this year..."

Then they claimed to smell it too, which Im found slightly amusing.

I dunno if this has any relevance to smelling the weather, in fact I'm convinced it doesn't. But here goes.

Well, have you ever, this is hard to explain, had something happen, that caused something else, but you knew everything would be fine?

Well, here's an example: I was sitting at my desk a little bit ago, and I lean back a little, next thing you know, I'm laying on my back on the ground, after the whole tiop of the chair broke off.

I sat on my bed, and stared at the two pieces, and I felt this good aura surrounding the chair, and me, like it was saying everything would be fine, because I couldn't see myself having a different chair.

I come in the next day, and my chair is fixed with a note from my father on it.[/i]

Also, I feel this good aura surrounding my family. An aura of protection. I can sort of tell whether or not something bad will happen to oe of them. And I feel that nothing bad will. It's kind of hard to explain, I guess you'd have to have to same thing to understand.

[AmberSekhmet]

I think the majority of people can "smell rain" coming. I can usually tell if it will rain, just by looking at the sky (but then again so can most people!) Sadly i can't predict with weather quite aswel as you, but i do mny other things that tend to freak people out, well annoy them more than anything. Telethapy is great at finding out about people, but it can also be annoying when you do it accidentally and start having a conversation to someone about what they were thinking before they've said what it was they were thinking. I hate doing that, but i really cant help it. If someone had a really open mind i can just go in and have a wander!

[St. Vitance]

Wow, that's some really advanced telepathy!

Yes, most everyone can tell the weather by lookin at the sky, and most people can smell rain coming.

It rained here today, I went outside, looked up at the sky, saw the clouds, there weren't many of them, but then I scented the water in the air, and next thing I knew it was pouring out.

I'm not so good at telepathy, of course I do sometimes here thoughts aloud, but I can't just hear it all the time. I mostly use facial expressions and the thoughts near literally write themselves out on their face!

*ponders*

Funny how it got to this from Therianthropy, eh?

[AmberSekhmet]

just a little funny. haha. And as for the Telethapy, yes i guess it is advanced, i've been able to do it since i was a child, but im made an oath tomyself never delve too deep, normally i mjsut skim the surface of whoevers mind im in, sometimes i have no idea whose im in! I never go right inside to there secrets and inner soul, that to me is worse than know what some is going to say. I only every go in deep if i need to know something. I a person has been convicted of a crime, say for example, i friend has been convicted of plagruism, but deny it, i look then to see if there are telling the truth, I also look if i think the person is lying to me. If i feel that they are not being completely honest with me, (based on body and facial language) i tend to go deeper just to clarify what i may or may not know,

[rodolfo]

Lycanthropy and this meteorologist ability may be connected. I myself have smelled rain, and other things. I smell a flowery, burning scent around certain people who claim to be vamps. I smell a calming, welcoming smell among lycans.