Little Red Riding Hood is one of the most well-known folktales in the world. It has spawned thousands of retellings that range from werewolf shifter romances to stories of female empowerment. Some are set in modern day, while others remain firmly rooted in the past. But one thing they all seem to have in common is the age of the heroine (sixteen to early twenties). The original, however, was a children’s morality tale that warned young girls of a very specific danger: falling prey to predatory men. The wolf was merely used as a symbolic stand-in, a choice that has unjustly painted wolves as storybook villains for hundreds of years. Even two narratives I love – The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe and The Never-Ending Story – are guilty of reinforcing this harmful stereotype.
So what exactly led to the vilification of wolves? Unfortunately, it can be traced back to the bible. Wolves were the natural enemies of sheep, and because Christ is symbolically linked to the lamb, the wolf became synonymous with Satan. And during the witch hunt frenzy in medieval Europe, wolves and “werewolves” were persecuted as servants of the devil. These negative portrayals have resulted in their endangerment and extinction all around the world. Even now, people are still allowed to hunt them despite their numbers being drastically diminished. Wolves have been the victims of a relentless campaign of “bad press” for millennia.
Thankfully, I didn’t grow up with this ingrained bias because I saw positive depictions of wolves in media. I became a fan in the early 90s after seeing White Fang and White Wolves. And when I saw Sully’s pet wolf on Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman, I desperately wanted my own. Fast forward to 2004 when I read A Game of Thrones for the first time, and you can imagine my delight when the Stark children were given the orphaned direwolf pups to raise! An example of a newer film that portrays wolves and shifters in a sympathetic light is Wolfwalkers from Apple TV+. It may be fictionalized, but it touches upon the historical genocide of wolves in Ireland. The story features reformed hunters, single parents, unlikely friendships, and beautiful scenery. To further entice you to check it out, here’s a short video:
More book recommendations: By These Ten Bones – Clare B. Dunkle (a new twist on the werewolf myth set in medieval Scotland); The Warlock and the Wolf – Marianne Fox (the protagonist has the ability to communicate with animals, and she develops a heartwarming friendship with a wild wolf). Let me know in the comments if you’ve read any good books about wolves – I’m always looking for more titles to read!
I was fortunate enough to visit the Colorado Wolf and Wildlife Center this week, where I saw some beautiful wolves close up. I learned that they are loving, loyal, intelligent, and family-oriented. The tour guide explained how one of the older wolves went into a lengthy grieving period after the death of his mate. To me, this reinforced how much we have in common with wolves. As we were leaving the center, one of the white wolves was standing at the fence as though bidding us goodbye. I wasn’t able to snap a photo, but I did purchase this greeting card from the gift shop:
If you’d like to learn more about wolves, here are some interesting articles to check out:
Wolf Myths and Folklore From Around the World
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Coming up next week: My version of Little Red, featuring a heroic wolf!
The Vilification of Wolves
I love your pictures from the wildlife centre! I'm looking forward to reading your version of Little Red.
Wolves are an integral part of the chain of life. Man, for all of his intellectual power, never seemed to realize this, and unfortunately, old myths die hard. Wouldn't it be nice if homo sapiens could cull societal sick ideas and myths as successfully as the wolf does when hunting a herd? Think about that...