The dark history of werewolves - Craig Thomson

Translator: Edo Fitriyanto Reviewer: Rizka Anjani

In the fall of 1589, the town of Bedburg, Germany,

Pada musim gugur 1589, kota Bedburg, Jerman,

held a highly publicized trial.

diadakan persidangan publik.

Peter Stubbe was accused of several gruesome crimes,

Peter Stubbe dituduh melakukan beberapa kejahatan mengerikan,

including murder, assault, and cannibalism.

termasuk pembunuhan, penyerangan, dan kanibalisme.

But perhaps the most sinister accusation of them all,

Namun, mungkin tuduhan yang paling keji

was of being a werewolf.

adalah menjadi manusia serigala.

In his confession, Peter claimed that the devil had given him a magic girdle,

Dalam pengakuannya, Peter mengklaim bahwa iblis telah memberinya sabuk ajaib,

which allowed him to transform into a wolf and perform his horrific acts.

yang memungkinkannya menjadi serigala dan bertindak mengerikan.

Stories of werewolves existed well before this trial and continue to live on today.

Kisah manusia serigala ada jauh sebelum persidangan ini sampai sekarang.

They’re especially prominent in European literature and folklore,

Mereka sangat menonjol dalam sastra dan cerita rakyat Eropa,

and often found in cultures where the wolf is the largest natural predator.

dan sering ditemukan dalam budaya di mana serigala adalah predator alami terbesar.

Over the years, the image of the werewolf has continuously evolved,

Selama bertahun-tahun, citra manusia serigala terus berkembang,

often reflecting the fears and prejudices of that time.

sering mencerminkan ketakutan dan prasangka pada masa itu.

In early literature, werewolves were sometimes painted as sympathetic figures:

Dalam sastra awal, manusia serigala kadang digambarkan sebagai sosok simpatik:

victims of curses who longed to return to their human form.

korban kutukan yang ingin kembali ke bentuk manusia mereka.

In the story of Gilgamesh,

Dalam kisah Gilgames,

one of the earliest written accounts of werewolves from over 4.000 years ago,

catatan paling awal tentang manusia serigala lebih dari 4.000 tahun lalu,

a shepherd falls in love with the goddess of love, Ishtar,

seorang gembala jatuh cinta dengan dewi cinta, Ishtar,

who transforms him into a wolf when she grows tired of his affection.

yang mengubahnya menjadi serigala ketika dia bosan dengan kasih sayangnya.

In this and several other stories that followed,

Dalam cerita ini dan beberapa cerita lain berikutnya,

werewolves were often men who had fallen prey to deceitful, alluring women.

manusia serigala acapkali ialah pria yang jadi mangsa wanita penipu dan pemikat.

In the medieval story of “Bisclavret,”

Dalam kisah abad pertengahan “Bisclavret”,

a knight is trapped in wolf form by the cunning of his wife,

seorang ksatria terperangkap dalam bentuk serigala oleh kelicikan istrinya,

who leaves him to elope with another man.

yang melarikan diri dengan pria lain.

Other early stories explored fears about the darker side of human nature,

Cerita lainnya mengeksplorasi ketakutan terhadap sisi gelap manusia,

including taboos such as cannibalism and murder.

termasuk tabu seperti kanibalisme dan pembunuhan.

In ancient Greek mythology,

Dalam mitologi Yunani kuno,

King Lycaon was transformed into a wolf by Zeus,

Raja Likaon diubah menjadi serigala oleh Zeus,

after he attempted to trick the god into eating human flesh.

setelah dia berusaha menipu dewa agar memakan daging manusia.

As Catholicism spread throughout Europe,

Ketika Katolik menyebar ke seluruh Eropa,

werewolves became increasingly linked to magic, sorcery, and pagan belief.

manusia serigala semakin dikaitkan dengan sihir dan kepercayaan pagan.

By the 16th century, many people struggled separating werewolf fiction from fact.

Pada abad ke-16, orang sulit memisahkan cerita manusia serigala dan kenyataan.

Political, economic, and religious upheavals

Pergolakan politik, ekonomi, dan agama

gave rise to the infamous European witch trials.

memunculkan pengadilan penyihir Eropa yang terkenal.

And while witches were the main targets, in some areas,

Meskipun penyihir adalah target utama, di beberapa daerah,

alleged werewolves like Peter Stubbe were also tried and executed.

terduga manusia serigala seperti Peter Stubbe juga diadili dan dieksekusi.

Today, some historians view the trials as driven by a fear of outsiders,

Menurut sejarawan, ketakutan akan orang luar mendorong persidangan tersebut,

as well as society's early attempts to understand brutal crimes.

serta upaya awal masyarakat untuk memahami kejahatan brutal.

While public belief in werewolves died down by the 17th century

Sementara kepercayaan publik pada manusia serigala mereda pada abad ke-17

as medicine and psychology advanced,

seiring kemajuan kedokteran dan psikologi,

the myth would re-emerge in literature.

mitos itu muncul kembali dalam sastra.

By the Victorian period, werewolves had transformed again,

Pada periode Victoria, manusia serigala telah berubah lagi,

often embodying fears of moral and psychological decay.

sering mewujudkan ketakutan akan kerusakan moral dan psikologis.

In George Reynolds’s “Wagner the Wehrwolf,”

Dalam karya George Reynolds “Wagner the Wehrwolf”,

the protagonist makes a pact with the devil to achieve eternal youth.

protagonis membuat perjanjian dengan iblis untuk mendapatkan keabadian.

But in return, he transforms into a violent howling wolf

Namun sebagai imbalannya, dia berubah menjadi serigala melolong kejam

at the end of every month.

di akhir setiap bulan.

By the mid-20th century,

Pada pertengahan abad ke-20,

werewolves found a new home to haunt— the silver screen.

manusia serigala menemukan rumah baru untuk dihantui—layar perak.

Here, the werewolf began to take its modern form.

Di sini, manusia serigala mulai mengambil bentuk modernnya.

For example, the idea that the curse could be transmitted through bites

Misalnya, gagasan bahwa kutukan itu dapat ditularkan melalui gigitan

and triggered by a full moon

dan dipicu oleh bulan purnama

was first popularized with the 1935 film “Werewolf of London.”

pertama kali dipopulerkan di film tahun 1935, “Werewolf of London”.

Produced in the United States,

Diproduksi di Amerika Serikat,

the film identifies the werewolf infection as originating from the east—

film ini mengidentifikasi infeksi manusia serigala berasal dari timur—

specifically Tibet.

khususnya Tibet.

This mirrored xenophobic fears of the time—

Ini mencerminkan ketakutan xenofobia saat itu—

that East Asian immigrants into North America and Europe

bahwa imigran Asia Timur ke Amerika Utara dan Eropa

threatened the stability and power of the west.

mengancam stabilitas dan kekuatan barat.

Werewolf hunters adopted silver as their weapon of choice

Pemburu manusia serigala mengadopsi perak sebagai senjata pilihan mereka

after its use in 1941′s “The Wolf Man.”

setelah digunakan dalam “The Wolf Man” tahun 1941.

Written by Jewish writer Curt Siodmak,

Ditulis oleh penulis Yahudi Curt Siodmak,

the film is viewed by many scholars as an allegory for Nazi brutality.

banyak sarjana memandang film ini sebagai alegori untuk kebrutalan Nazi.

In the film, a pentagram appears on the palm of the werewolf’s next victim,

Dalam film itu, pentagram muncul di telapak tangan korban manusia serigala,

which is thought to allude to the compulsory Star of David badges

yang dianggap mengacu pada lencana wajib Bintang Daud

found in Europe during the 1930 and 40s.

yang ditemukan di Eropa selama tahun 1930 dan 40-an.

Since the 1950s, cinematic werewolves have frequently infected

Sejak 1950-an, manusia serigala sinematik sering menginfeksi

a new group of victims:

kelompok korban baru:

the teenager.

para remaja.

Here, werewolves are often symbols of male aggression

Di sini, manusia serigala sering menjadi simbol agresi pria

and the uncertainty of adolescence.

dan ketidakpastian masa remaja.

By the end of the century,

Pada akhir abad ini,

some films began to use the beastly transformation

beberapa film mulai menggunakan transformasi mengerikan

to explore themes of puberty,

untuk mengeksplorasi tema pubertas,

occasionally with a distinctly feminist perspective.

kadang-kadang dengan perspektif feminis yang jelas.

Yet, like all great monsters, the werewolf lives on,

Namun, seperti monster hebat lainnya, manusia serigala tetap hidup,

and will continue changing to fit its future audience’s needs.

dan akan terus berubah menyesuaikan kebutuhan penonton masa depannya.

But, for the time being, it may be best to stock up on silver,

Namun, untuk saat ini, sebaiknya simpanlah perak,

keep to the road, and beware the moon.

tetap di jalan, dan waspadalah terhadap bulan.