Wolves in Fantasy...

[the_hound]

Your boyfriend "made" you go and see New Moon? Is there something he might be hiding from you? :$

[Overlord]

Your boyfriend "made" you go and see New Moon? Is there something he might be hiding from you? :$

So, you automatically assume he is jay and ready to join either the Edward / Jacob fan club?

Maybe he thought Bella was hot... that is an acceptable excuse.

Erm... I just admitted I know their names... dammit.

[Overlord]

I have a tattoo of a wolf on my foot. I got it for its symbolic meaning, kind of a reminder to myself. And because they are just awesome.

I'd be quite horrified if someone thought it was a 'Team Jacob' thing..
I covered it up when my boyfriend made me go see New Moon with him, just in case.
I'll never forgive him for that... *twitch*

I don't think I'd ever wear one of those shirts though.

I have one of a dragon on my chest / back / arm (One tattoo... just wraps around).

These are the shirts I mean by the way (for people outside UK - not sure if they have USA type markets)

[the_hound]

I m very small minded. Any man who enjoys Twilight is clearly jay :-P

[Vilutheril]

Your boyfriend "made" you go and see New Moon? Is there something he might be hiding from you? :$

So, you automatically assume he is jay and ready to join either the Edward / Jacob fan club?

Maybe he thought Bella was hot... that is an acceptable excuse.

Erm... I just admitted I know their names... dammit.

He hasn't read the books but he likes the movies for some reason. I'm pretty sure he's not gay.
Unfortunately I also know their names - I read the 1st 3 books because a friend recommended them. I couldn't bring myself to read the 4th though...

Haha! That wolf on the shirt looks quite pissed off. :S

I've seen the shirts at markets and shops but I've only ever seen older ladies wearing them.. I'm not sure if that's the target market though. :/

[Overlord]

Your boyfriend "made" you go and see New Moon? Is there something he might be hiding from you? :$

So, you automatically assume he is jay and ready to join either the Edward / Jacob fan club?

Maybe he thought Bella was hot... that is an acceptable excuse.

Erm... I just admitted I know their names... dammit.

He hasn't read the books but he likes the movies for some reason. I'm pretty sure he's not gay.
Unfortunately I also know their names - I read the 1st 3 books because a friend recommended them. I couldn't bring myself to read the 4th though...

Haha! That wolf on the shirt looks quite pissed off. :S

I've seen the shirts at markets and shops but I've only ever seen older ladies wearing them.. I'm not sure if that's the target market though. :/

That is a damned aggressive shirt for an old lady... it deserves to be captured on cam-phone!!!

Glad your boyfriend isn't gay - it could be awkward for that to come out on an internet forum! I actually have seen all the films and thought they were watchable... if I go watch them with the GF she lets me watch my male-orientated stuff (like A-Team or Fringe) in return. The point I really thought 'oh... f off now' was at the end of film 3 where they were planning a wedding and such... how would that possibly work!?!?!?

[Vilutheril]

If I see one of them I will try to take a photo.
Usually it's just one or two who buy fantasy books at my work but because of that I see them quite a bit.
I found the movies quite tedious and overdramatic.

[Autumn2May]

Wolves are awesome. If only there were a t-shirt with wolves on it. Maybe two. No, go crazy Daniel... THREE WOLVES! And the moon, where there's wolves you've got to have the moon. A t-shirt like that would be the most incredible t-shirt on Earth. It's a crying shame that no such t-shirt exists...

BUT WAIT! IT DOES! Sweeeeeeeeeeeet... The Most Awesome T-Shirt Ever! Don't believe me? Read the reviews.

So I...ummm...bought this shirt for my husband for Christmas without knowing its 'special history'.  My friends dubbed it the most awesome Christmas present ever!

[Autumn2May]

I have a tattoo of a wolf on my foot. I got it for its symbolic meaning, kind of a reminder to myself. And because they are just awesome.

I'd be quite horrified if someone thought it was a 'Team Jacob' thing..
I covered it up when my boyfriend made me go see New Moon with him, just in case.
I'll never forgive him for that... *twitch*

I don't think I'd ever wear one of those shirts though.

I have one of a dragon on my chest / back / arm (One tattoo... just wraps around).

These are the shirts I mean by the way (for people outside UK - not sure if they have USA type markets)

These types of shirts are big with the geek community where I live.  Wolves howling at the moon, dragons attacking castles, wizards shoot lighting, that kind of thing.  Not exactly classy attire, but then classy is not really a word I would use to describe the geeks I know.

[Reece Bridger]

In my opinion, wolves play a rather important part in fiction, even if they're just referenced rather than shown in the story. The wolf itself is a social animal, and a lot of people draw on this characteristic; the pack 'laws' show up a lot in many stories, showing just how human they can be when looked at from a different angle. Hell, they have ranks and systems of punishment, like alpha wolves and omega wolves, almost princes and paupers. The idea of a lone wolf has become a cliché but can still be powerful, and it almost gives a reverse-anthropomorphism when used to characterise a human; it brings the human back to an animalistic idea in the eyes of the reader.

Wolves are a spiritual figure in some ways, too; how many different myths are there about wolves howling at the moon? They can be used as spiritual guide characters in stories, á la every native American culture observed in popular culture. Wolves are a great figure of symbolism that can be added to any story, and miraculously, if played right, it's almost impossible to make them into clichés.

N.B.: I'm referring to wolves strictly in the feral sense here; nothing about lycans, werewolves, Therians, shapeshifters, shamans, or furries. I really mean wild, born and live on all fours, tooth and claw wolves.

[Rodin D. Inting]

I've always seen Wolves as a personification for teamwork, like how snakes are associated with deception and lions with bravery. With Wolves they're cunning creatures that work together to strive for a greater goal that'll benefit the entire pack, and for authors that appeals towards their story.

[Bahl]

Most probably because most of the fantasy writers come from the northern hemisphere? Not any wolves south of the equator.

[dbaskls]

Just howled laughing (see what I did there?) at those reviews. My 8 year old has a wolf T shirt from Lake Tahoe which he refuses to give up despite it being way too small for him now! Not sure what that means based on those reviews!

[TheGreyPilgrim]

I think Wolves are revered creatures, that convey such power, cunning and strength (much akin to the Dragon). I think this does stem from the Scandinavian mythology - according to legend, The Fenris Wolf (aka Fenrir) is strong, invulnerable and the gape of his jaws was so large that it reached between heaven and earth. Apparently at Ragnarok (the twilight of the Gods) the wolf will break free of his chains and join in battle against the Gods, devouring Odin and with him the sun.

Let's not forget also that Romulus and Remus, the founders of Rome, were said to have been raised by a she-wolf and the huntress Artemis had a wolf emblazoned on her shield. So it's easy to see where the attributes we apply to wolves have derived from.

[Caroline Bott]

Saying wolf on Artemis's shield made me wonder if wolves had been used in Medieval heraldry - I couldn't picture any crest with a wolf snarling or staring out of it.  Lions, unicorns, bear, wild boar, swan but not a wolf.  So did a search and yes there were lots of wolves in heraldry - see
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wolves_in_heraldry

But they don't look at all like the T-shirt wolves - actually to the point on Wikipedia that  I wouldn't have realised their example shield was supposed to be a wolf at all.

Question to folks in countries which still have wolves in the wild - do you happen to know whether werewolf books and other fantasy with wolves in it are popular where you are?  Especially in areas where farmers lose livestock to wolves?