Therianthropy History Timeline

1233    Pope Gregory IX urges bishops to rid Europe of shape-shifting witches, initiates the Inquisition. Witches are identified by the abilities to shapeshift, fly or ride objects through the air, and use of cannibalism, child murder, salves, animal familiars, and demon invocations.

1246    Hundreds of cathars are burned at the stake when Montsegur falls.
1246    Toulouse becomes the headquarters of the Inquisition.

1250    LAI DE MELION composed.

1252    Inquisitors are placed above the law by Pope Innocent IV's papal bull, AD EXTIRPANDA.

1257    The Roman Catholic Church sanctions torture to force witches, werewolves, and shape-shifters to confess.

1275    Toulouse woman gives birth to a half-wolf, half-snake child after having sex with a succubus.

1275-1300    The Viking saga of VOLSUNGA (or VÖLSUNGASAGA), containing the story of Sigmund and his son Sinfiotli who don ulf-har to become werewolves for a time, is recorded.

1305    Knights Templar are accused of worshipping cat demons and having intercourse with succubi.

1312    Templars are burned at the stake en masse and their order is disbanded by Pope Clement V.

1320    Women who worship Diana and transform men for serfdom in Elfland are targeted by the Inquisition, as per PRACTICA and FASCICULUS MORUM.

1324    Alice Kyteler is found guilty of consorting with a demon in Ireland's 1st witchcraft trial.

1336 c.    Tales of human transformations into animals written by Klaus Wisse and Philipp Colin are put in a new version of Wolfram von Eschenbach's PARZIVAL.

1344    Wolf child of Hesse (feral child) discovered.

1347-51    Bubonic Plague spreads across Asia and Europe as the Black Death.

1390    Gypsies begin to appear in Europe.

1407    Werewolves are tortured and burned during witchcraft trials at Basel.

1440    Gilles de Rais, the monstrous Marshall of France (and former ally of Joan of Arc) is tried and burned for nearly 1000 child murders, worshipping Satan, and shape-shifting.

1450    Else of Meerburg accused of riding a wolf.

1458    THE BOOK OF THE SACRED MAGIC OF ABRAMELIN, translated from Hebrew, describes the summoning of tutelary spirits.

1469    Sir Thomas Mallory pens the definitive book of Arthurian legends, Le Morte D'Arthur. In Book XIX, Chapter 11, he relates the story of a werewolf among King Arthur's Knights of the Round Table; Sir Marrok.

1484    Inquisitors are tasked with crushing witchcraft in Germany by Pope Innocent VIII's papal bull, SUMMIS DESIDERANTES AFFECTIBUS.

1486    Publication of MALLEUS MALEFICARUM ("Hammer to Strike the Witches") by Inquisitors Institoris and Sprenger, which becomes the 'bible' of the Inquisition's heretic-hunters.

1494    Swiss woman tried for riding a wolf.