#werwolf von anspach

The grisly werewolf of Ansbach (17th century/Germany)

Since Halloween is coming up, I am going out of my habits and post something non-medieval: The story of the werewolf of Ansbach, which took place in the year 1685 in the german village of Ansbach.

Back then, three children of Ansbach were killed in the course of three month by a monstrous wolf. Some citizens believed, that the killer was no mere wolf, driven by lack of deer, but the recently deceased Michael Leicht, which had a bad reputation for fraud.

Those citizens swore, that they had seen Michael Leicht watching his own funeral and that he haunted the city by night, shrouded in white linnens. In short: They thought the killer was possessed by the devil.

The beast was then hunted with traps and wolfpits. At last a chicken lured the wolf into an old well, where the creature was beaten to death. But that is not the end of the story.

Enraged, the Ansbachers skinned the wolf and formed a human face from papier-mâché. They attached a wig and a cloak and hanged the bloody carcass on the gallows at Nuremberg Hill, for all to see.

It seems, that Michael Leicht got away, eh?

The case of the werewolf of Ansbach inspired nevertheless several poems and songs. One of them goes like this:

Ich Wolf, ein grimmig Thier und Fresser vieler Kinder,
Die ich weit mehr geacht’, als fette Schaf’ und Rinder,
Ein Hahn, der bracht’ mich um, ein Bronnen war mein Tod;
Nun häng’ am Galgen ich, zu aller Leute Spott.
Als Geist und Wolf zugleich thät ich die Menschen plagen,
Wie recht geschiehet mir, daß jetzt die Leute sagen:
Ha! du verfluchter Geist bist in den Wolf gefahren,
Hängst nun am Galgen hier geziert mit Menschenhaaren.
Dieß ist der rechte Lohn und wohlverdiente Gab’,
So du verdienet hast, der Galgen ist dein Grab.
Hab’ dieses Trankgeld dir, weil du fraßt Menschenkinder,
Wie ein wuthgrimmig Thier und rechter Menschenschinder.