Myth & Folklore: Lobisome, the Galician Werewolf

By Jessica Knauss 

Art by picsfair.com 

The werewolf is a manifestation of fear in folklore all over the world. Some scholars believe the werewolf legend got its start in proto–Indo-European times, when warriors wore the skins of their animal totems. Such intimacy with the spirit of the wolf leads me to believe that more than fear of the unknown, the werewolf represents the dread that comes from recognition. In ancient times, and in rural areas today, wolves come sneaking in the night to kill livestock or babies and often the only evidence of their presence is a corpse found in the morning. When our ancestors did catch sight of a wolf, it stirred something deep inside, making an eerie connection between human and wolf in spite of their eternal antagonism. Don’t we all have a little wolf in us?

If the werewolf is universal, what makes the lobisome, the Galician werewolf, special? Perhaps it’s that in Galicia, a werewolf ended up in court to answer for his crimes.

Shrouded in ancestral Celtic lore, Galicia in the northwest is the most mythic region of Spain. On a rocky, windswept coast, Galicia is pelted by rain that leaves tendrils of mist where liminal beings, neither man nor wolf, might jump out at any moment to seize a lonesome traveler.

Manuel Blanco Romasanta didn’t have to do any jumping. In 1852, he was accused of pretending to be a guide for several women and their children, sending letters to their families to let them know that the victims had reached their destination while in reality killing them and using their fat to make fine tallow soap.

Romasanta is not the only man to have been accused of the bizarre (yet plausible at the time) tallow soap accusation. He is, however, the only accused to admit to the crime and present lycanthropy as a defense.

A 2004 film dramatizing the Romasanta case.

Romasanta was Spain’s first serial killer on record, but the most interesting aspects of his case are the ones that have a mythical or folkloric feel. Just as a werewolf is neither man nor wolf, but both, Romasanta is said to have been raised as a girl until he was six years old. People perceived him as effeminate throughout his life, something his short stature (under 4' 11'') probably encouraged. He seems to have always lived in-between.

Werewolf folklore in Galicia specifies that the seventh child of any union is likely to be afflicted with a curse. If the child is a girl, she’s liable to become a witch; if a boy, a werewolf. The godfather may ward off the curse by saying certain prayers at the baptism. Generally the curse doesn’t manifest until later in life. An afflicted werewolf will feel compelled to undress at a crossroads and wallow in the mud. If a wolf has already wallowed there, the transformation occurs and the werewolf uncontrollably attacks and eats defenseless people and babies. The most reliable way to reverse the curse at this point is to take the discarded clothing and burn it. Given this preoccupation with clothes and how they show or conceal one’s identity, it’s interesting that Romasanta also worked as a tailor.

His case was brought to trial in Allariz in October 1852. Romasanta admitted to killing thirteen people while in wolf form with two other wolves. According to him, their first spree lasted five days, and when he returned to his human form, he was surprised to see that the other wolves were also men, both from Valencia.

When asked to undergo the transformation in court, Romasanta claimed that his curse had lasted thirteen years, and the time period was over just the previous week, so he could no longer transform at all.

A page from Romasanta's phrenology report,
courtesy Wikimedia Commons.

The claims were believable enough that the court ordered an investigation. Using phrenology, court-appointed doctors concluded that Romasanta displayed no signs of lycanthropy and that his crimes were committed by choice. The court found Romasanta guilty of nine of the slayings to which he had confessed and sentenced him to death. A French hypnotist who had been following the case was convinced he could cure Romasanta, who was merely suffering from monomania. After a few unsuccessful appeals, the hypnotist obtained a royal commutation of the death sentence from Queen Isabel II so Romasanta could be studied.

Unfortunately, Romasanta’s psychology will always remain a mystery. He died only weeks after his sentence was commuted. Although his cause of death was likely stomach cancer, there was still enough belief in the possibility of werewolves that it was rumored Romasanta was shot by a guard who wanted to see him transform.

Having based his defense in a myth, Romasanta himself gave rise to a legend: the Sacaúntos, a boogeyman who murders children for their fat, has been scaring Galician kids into good behavior ever since.

Jessica Knauss earned her PhD in Medieval Spanish with a dissertation on the portrayal of Alfonso X’s laws in the Cantigas de Santa Maria, which has been published as the five-star-rated Law and Order in Medieval Spain. A driven fiction writer, Jessica Knauss has edited many fine historical novels and is a bilingual freelance editor. Her historical novel, Seven NobleKnights, will be published in December 2020 by Encircle Publications. Find out more writing and bookish activities here. Follow her on Facebook and Twitter, too!

Executed: Diogo, Duke of Viseu—Portugal 1484

By Ginger Myrick

It is a commonly held belief that the court of England has a monopoly on ruthlessness and treachery when it comes to dirty deeds done in the name of the king. There was the assassination of Thomas à Becket caused by an ‘inadvertent’ suggestion during a rant by Henry II, who was later turned upon by his own wife and sons. Edward II and Richard II were forced to abdicate and then imprisoned, both eventually succumbing under mysterious circumstances while in custody of their keepers. Add to that the still unsolved disappearance of the Princes in the Tower, the atrocities committed by Henry VIII, the infamous reign of Bloody Mary, and the list goes on. But just because well-read Anglophiles have found more information available about their monarchs, does not mean it didn't happen elsewhere. There have been similar acts carried out in the name of securing the succession throughout time immemorial.

The urge to eliminate the competition runs strong in every culture. All of the aforementioned acts are very shocking, indeed, but none more so than the brutal stabbing of Diogo, Duke of Viseu by his cousin, King João II of Portugal. Anyone who has read even a bit of European history knows that the thrones of several major countries were constantly intermarrying with each other and are all related by blood in one way or another. This is also true for the ruling house of Portugal. In 1387, John of Gaunt, third son of King Edward III of England, married two of his daughters to the future kings of Portugal and Castile. On the Portuguese side, his daughter, Philippa of Lancaster, wed João I, and along with the direct line of succession to the throne, they also begat the seeds of the dukedoms of Braganza and Viseu. Three generations later, João II, who had earned the moniker ‘the Perfect Prince’—because he was incorruptible and impervious to external influence—sat on the throne and his cousins, Fernando and Diogo, managed their respective territories.

During the reign of King João’s father, Afonso V, Fernando had supported and accompanied the king on his expeditions and had been rewarded with many favors. He had amassed honors and riches, and had fostered a friendly relationship with rulers of the neighboring country of Castile. In 1478 he inherited the Dukedom of Braganza and soon became the richest and most powerful aristocrat in all of Portugal. He believed that he had as much right to the Portuguese crown as his cousin and had let his opinion be publicly known.

The nobles who had increased their riches under King Afonso were now in danger of losing their wealth under João. They formed a conspiracy to back the strong and valid claim of the Duke of Braganza, going so far as to even seek support from Isabella and Ferdinand of Castile. They were so confident in their cause that they became lax about security, and their illicit correspondence was intercepted by royal spies. Braganza was arrested, charged with treason, convicted, and beheaded at Évora on June 20,1483. His supporters fled to Castile, and his estates were confiscated by the Portuguese crown.

After the execution, João suffered recriminations from other members of the aristocracy who claimed that what he had done was reprehensible and perhaps even illegal. How dare he try a man of royal blood in the courts designed for the common man? Even if Braganza had been a traitor, shouldn't exile have been enough? João, being a very shrewd man and a quick study, took it all in and decided to learn from his mistake. He would not have his spotless reputation and his reign tainted by a second such scandal, so the following year when he sought to reprimand his other cousin, Diogo, Duke of Viseu, he went about it in a very different manner.

João invited Diogo to his royal apartments under the guise of a personal meeting and stabbed him to death with his own hands. He then summoned Diogo’s younger brother, Manuel, and after commanding him to give homage, João showed him his brother’s murdered corpse. The duke had been stabbed several times in the abdomen, and João defended his actions by accusing Diogo of treason and the heading of a conspiracy to do away with the king and place himself on the throne. He terminated the audience by granting Manuel the ducal titles and estates, insisting that he should now consider the king as his own father.

Manuel went on to become the most revered ruler in Portuguese history. During his reign the beloved king accomplished much for his country. He was a staunch supporter of the exploration and foreign trade that had expanded the Portuguese Empire and made it a world power. He established trade treaties and diplomatic relations in the Orient. He was a religious man and had sought to enlighten the people of the new Portuguese colonies through the work of missionaries. He reformed the courts and modernized taxes. He used the country’s wealth to attract the attention of illustrious scholars and artists to his court, even inspiring the Manueline style of architecture. The second half of his reign was considered the most prosperous period in Portuguese history.

But to this day, very little is known about Diogo. Information about him is so scarce, in fact, that I could not even find a picture of him for this article. He would seem a minor personality, and yet João found him important and charismatic enough to construe him as a threat. It is true that mystery breeds romance, and it was this intriguing paradox that influenced my decision more than 500 years later to dramatize these scandalous events in the novelette Maria’s Story: A Tale from Renaissance Iberia and use Diogo as the basis for the father of the title character in the full-length book, El Rey: A Novel of Renaissance Iberia.

Ginger Myrick was born and raised in Southern California. She is a Christian who writes historical fiction with a 'clean' love story at the core. Although having researched, written, and self-published her first novel, El Rey: A Novel of Renaissance Iberia, in just under two years, she still does not consider herself a writer. She took first prize in the Rosetta Literary Contest 2012 with The Converso, a novelette chosen from a field of worldwide submissions. She is currently in the finishing stages of her second novel, The Welsh Healer: A Novel of 15th Century England, which takes place during the reign of King Henry V and will be available later this month at Amazon.

Guest Blog: Ginger Myrick

This week, we’re welcoming historical romance author Ginger Myrick, whose novel El REY, is a 16th century story of love set in the Iberian Peninsula. Ginger is here to talk about the novel and offer a copy to a lucky winner. Leave your comment with an email address for a chance to win. Here's the blurb:

Winner of the Rosetta Literary Contest 2012 from a field of worldwide submissions, the soul-stirring novelette, The Converso: A Tale From Renaissance Iberia, was adapted from a chapter in this stunning work of historical fiction by Ginger Myrick. Written in the the tradition of classic period romance from such authors as the Bronte sisters, Anya Seton, and Jean Plaidy, and set against the backdrop of 16th century Portugal and Spain at the dawn of the dynamic Age of Exploration, EL REY boasts an inspiring cast of courageous characters that will touch your heart and capture your imagination. At its core is the turbulent love story between Inez García and El Rey.

Inez is the outspoken, independent daughter of a wealthy merchant who fled the Spanish Inquisition and a domineering mother of English noble stock with secrets of her own. At a dinner party in his honor, she falls in love with El Rey, a dashing, charismatic sea captain with a golden voice who has spent his life expanding the Portuguese empire. He is nephew of the King of Portugal with blood ties to the illustrious royal houses of Castile’s Queen Isabella and England’s King Henry VIII.

Inez and El Rey strike up an immediate friendship and discover that they have much in common. Inez has spent her childhood in the shadow of her beautiful elder sister, Serafina, so when El Rey befriends her based on her own merits, she vows that she will never love another. Captivated by her spirited charm and mesmerized by her bewitching silver and gold eyes, El Rey promises to one day return and ask for Inez’s hand in marriage. Though misfortune, class prejudice, and El Rey’s foolish pride conspire to keep them apart, life’s disappointments only make Inez more determined to seek out the elusive happiness in which she has never stopped believing.

But it is much, much more than just a love story.

EL REY is a sweeping family saga worthy of Colleen McCullough or James Michener. Interwoven in the main body of the work are four meticulously researched narratives representative of the time. Spanning three continents and two centuries in the history of the warring kingdoms of medieval Portugal and Castile, the vignettes chronicle the heroic struggles of three families to overcome racial discrimination, murder, plague, war, and the Spanish Inquisition. Filled with food and travel, and tempered with humor, tenderness, and tragedy, this intriguing story tells the timeless tale of the triumph of true love and the resilience of the human spirit.

EL REY has something in it for everyone. You will laugh, and you will cry. No one who reads this book will remain unaffected.

**Q&A with Ginger Myrick**

What inspired your story?

I was exploring an idea for a short story about a Welsh girl growing up during the reign of King Henry V of England. I had spent the day scouring old folklore books, because I wanted to add an element of magic to her tale. I needed a break, so I turned on the computer to search for a new recipe or knitting pattern. I found myself reading some posts about my old favorite, Katherine by Anya Seton. I have always had a keen fascination with the Plantagenets, and this time John of Gaunt’s bid for the Castilian crown struck my fancy. After contemplating the relationship between England, Castile, and Portugal—the Portuguese lent their support to John, resulting in the marriage of his oldest daughter, Philippa, to King Joao I—the entire storyline for EL REY flashed into my mind in what I can only call ‘Divine Inspiration’. It took a couple of days to pinpoint a suitable location and significant events that fit the setting, but for the most part, the story flowed out of me more or less in its finished form. The biggest challenge was finding the time to write it all down.

What do you think about the label “unusual”?

I suppose that because the whole idea of writing a novel seemed so foreign to me, that the rarity of the setting was not enough to warrant notice. I was warned at the outset of this venture that anything outside of the accepted Britain, France, and sometimes Italy would be a hard sell, but it’s not like I wrote the book in Portuguese or Spanish! The thrones of Portugal and Spain have ever been entwined with those of England and France. Beyond that, there is enough in El Rey that is relatable and familiar. The love of a mother for her child, a wife for her husband, sibling rivalry, for anyone who has ever loved an animal or had a childhood crush on a movie actor or rockstar—these themes are timeless and universal and transcend any gap of language or setting.

El Rey is a love story. Why is it not classified as historical romance?

El Rey is more a work of historical fiction with a ‘clean’ love story at the core than a romance. Part of my intention in writing El Rey was to give a fairly thorough representation of the relationship between the neighboring nations of Castile and Portugal. I did my very best to give a basic understanding of the events of the time, especially the ones that had a lasting impact on the face of our modern world. Of course without the human element it would have been quite dry. After all, the history would have been meaningless if it had had no bearing on people.

But, although I cringe at the classification of romance and the implication of what that label has come to signify, El Rey is a love story. I am a Christian, and I hope to show the reading community that a romance need not include graphic details to convey deep love and passion. I very much like the classification coined by a fellow author, Emery Lee—romantic historical fiction—and I use it on my website.

Which historical events are touched upon in El Rey?

On the Portuguese side I cover Vasco da Gama’s first and final voyages to India, discovery of China, occupation of Northern Africa in effort to subdue the Moors, the executions of the Dukes of Braganza and Viseu, and Portuguese settlement of the Azores. On the Castilian side are the continual pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela, the Castilian Inquisition, and the Wars of Succession between the two nations. These are all subjects that I explore. It may sound like a lot, but believe it or not, there was so much history that occurred during the 200-year period covered by El Rey that I struggled to contain the story to only these events.

A story from your book took first place in a literary contest. Tell us about that.

From the very beginning El Rey cried out to be translated into Portuguese and Spanish, but at over 500 pages the cost is prohibitive. I submitted an 11,000-word section from El Rey to the Rosetta Literary Contest 2012. It is a story about a family of conversos who escape from the Inquisition. Out of a field of worldwide submissions THE CONVERSO won first prize, which was translation of the story into Spanish and a professional book cover. At the very least, potential readers will know that my writing has some merit.

How have you handled the lukewarm reception of your unusual setting?

Sometimes when I watch my sales ranking tumble or see a mediocre review of El Rey, I look around me and see the blessings that abound in my life. When I cook a big family meal and my loved ones are all lying around the living room digesting their food while a roaring fire blazes in the fireplace, or when my cat, whom we affectionately but fittingly call Mr. Stinkerpuss, climbs up behind me in my computer chair, or when I head out to the backyard to play catch with my eager, scruffy-faced puppy—I often find myself asking, “Do I really need anything more than this to be happy?” Of course the answer is no, but if any of you ladies were interested in reading my book, that would be nice, too!

What is your current work in progress?

I am currently working on the story that I was researching when the inspiration struck for El Rey. It is another work of historical fiction, also a love story, tentatively titled The Welsh Healer. It takes place in 15^th century England and is about a young girl who comes from a long line of healers. She is the fulfillment of a prophecy and is destined to eventually preserve the Tudor bloodline. It covers the time period from the reign of Richard II through Henry V, from the Welsh rebellion through the conclusion of the Hundred Years’ War and the Wars of the Roses.

Thank you, Ginger, and best of luck with El Rey.

Learn more about Ginger at:

Twitter 

Facebook   

Goodreads 

Author Central page at Amazon 

El Rey Product page at Amazon 

Excerpt Thursday: EL REY by Ginger Myrick

This week, we’re welcoming historical romance author Ginger Myrick, whose novel El REY, is a 16th century story of love set in the Iberian Peninsuala. Join us Sunday, when Ginger will be here to talk about the novel and offer a copy to a lucky winner. Here's the blurb:

Winner of the Rosetta Literary Contest 2012 from a field of worldwide submissions, the soul-stirring novelette, The Converso: A Tale From Renaissance Iberia, was adapted from a chapter in this stunning work of historical fiction by Ginger Myrick. Written in the the tradition of classic period romance from such authors as the Bronte sisters, Anya Seton, and Jean Plaidy, and set against the backdrop of 16th century Portugal and Spain at the dawn of the dynamic Age of Exploration, EL REY boasts an inspiring cast of courageous characters that will touch your heart and capture your imagination. At its core is the turbulent love story between Inez García and El Rey.

Inez is the outspoken, independent daughter of a wealthy merchant who fled the Spanish Inquisition and a domineering mother of English noble stock with secrets of her own. At a dinner party in his honor, she falls in love with El Rey, a dashing, charismatic sea captain with a golden voice who has spent his life expanding the Portuguese empire. He is nephew of the King of Portugal with blood ties to the illustrious royal houses of Castile’s Queen Isabella and England’s King Henry VIII.

Inez and El Rey strike up an immediate friendship and discover that they have much in common. Inez has spent her childhood in the shadow of her beautiful elder sister, Serafina, so when El Rey befriends her based on her own merits, she vows that she will never love another. Captivated by her spirited charm and mesmerized by her bewitching silver and gold eyes, El Rey promises to one day return and ask for Inez’s hand in marriage. Though misfortune, class prejudice, and El Rey’s foolish pride conspire to keep them apart, life’s disappointments only make Inez more determined to seek out the elusive happiness in which she has never stopped believing.

But it is much, much more than just a love story.

EL REY is a sweeping family saga worthy of Colleen McCullough or James Michener. Interwoven in the main body of the work are four meticulously researched narratives representative of the time. Spanning three continents and two centuries in the history of the warring kingdoms of medieval Portugal and Castile, the vignettes chronicle the heroic struggles of three families to overcome racial discrimination, murder, plague, war, and the Spanish Inquisition. Filled with food and travel, and tempered with humor, tenderness, and tragedy, this intriguing story tells the timeless tale of the triumph of true love and the resilience of the human spirit.

EL REY has something in it for everyone. You will laugh, and you will cry. No one who reads this book will remain unaffected.

**An Excerpt from EL REY**

As they stepped outside, they saw El Rey swinging down from his mount. He casually tossed the reins to a waiting groom, and as he flipped his hair back over his shoulder, his face was revealed. Striding toward them in his cool, self-assured manner was the most beautiful man Inez had ever seen. Her head swam, and she found it difficult to breathe. In an attempt to keep her pounding heart a secret, she dropped her gaze and inconspicuously inched behind her mother. From there she peeked out to get a better look.

Inez had expected ‘The King’ to be a giant of a man, but that was not the case. The confidence that radiated from him added to his stature, but in reality he was only slightly taller than the average man. His long tenure as a sea captain had left him well-muscled and broad-shouldered yet still slender. His hair fell to the middle of his back and was dark and glossy as a raven’s wing. The dark eyes that peered from his sculpted face sparkled with intelligence and humor, and their slight almond shape lent an exotic cast to his extraordinary visage. He had a prominent Roman nose, which on another might have been a distraction but on him was not uncomely and suited his face. As he drew closer, his face broke into a smile showing strong white teeth, and Inez had to catch her breath.

“Senhor García,” began El Rey in Portuguese, bending slightly at the waist. “At last we meet, and what a pleasure it is. And this enchanting creature?” he asked, turning to Joanna. “Your daughter I presume?”

She giggled like a young girl as he bowed over her hand with a courtly flourish and grazed it with his lips. “Por favor, Señor,” she stressed in Castilian, “Your flattery is well-intended, but I am far past the age to believe it. Welcome to our home. May I present our daughter,” she said and pushed Inez to the fore.

Inez, feeling completely exposed, kept her head down and dropped a curtsey. “Pleased to meet you, Señor,” she mumbled. She tried but could not bring herself to look him in the face, fearing that if she did, he would read her thoughts.

Finally, to her relief her father said, “Well then, shall we go inside?”

Learn more about Ginger at:

Twitter 

Facebook   

Goodreads 

AuthorCentral page at Amazon 

El Reyproduct page at Amazon