FenrisUlf Posted January 30, 2007 Report Share Posted January 30, 2007 Was just scoping out the competition, and I saw these two sweet minis: http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/mi/20070125a I have only a few things to say -- 1) That werewolf lord is so what my Champions PC looks like. 2) The more important question, why are wolves always utterly evil in fantasy? The only good one I can remember is Aragh from Dickson's Dragon Knight series. Okay, and one good female werewolf from a Forgotten Realms novel. 3) What's up with 'dire' animals always being studded with horns and spikes? Are they all into piercings or what? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karmakaze Posted January 30, 2007 Report Share Posted January 30, 2007 Re: Why must wolves be evil? 2) The more important question' date=' [b']why are wolves always utterly evil in fantasy?[/b] The only good one I can remember is Aragh from Dickson's Dragon Knight series. Okay, and one good female werewolf from a Forgotten Realms novel. Because most fantasy is based on European myth, and in Europe, wolves were generally seen as dangerous predators. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobGreenwade Posted January 30, 2007 Report Share Posted January 30, 2007 Re: Why must wolves be evil? It could be worse. It could be squirrels. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mayapuppies Posted January 30, 2007 Report Share Posted January 30, 2007 Re: Why must wolves be evil? 2. Bob nailed it on the head...same reason black cats are "evil" 3. Because D$D needed a way to make artistic representations for their creature upgrade package called "Dire". Since the definition of the word is rather negative it makes sense to make the imagery also a bit nasty/negative. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super Squirrel Posted January 30, 2007 Report Share Posted January 30, 2007 Re: Why must wolves be evil? It could be squirrels. I need to dig out and update the villain Super Squirrel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thia Halmades Posted January 30, 2007 Report Share Posted January 30, 2007 Re: Why must wolves be evil? True, we canines get a bad rap. But it's also true that it goes way back in mythology; wolves represent the untamed wilderness, the Big Bad Wolf ate Lil'Red, and so on. There are a couple of other old classics where the wolf is the villain, but the meds are making clear thought impossible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CraterMaker Posted January 30, 2007 Report Share Posted January 30, 2007 Re: Why must wolves be evil? Theres a heroic wolf in one of Terry Pratchetts Diskworld novels - The Fifth Elephant, I think. Wolves are an excellent metaphor for human predators in society - Wolves look similar to our trusted companions, dogs, but are very dangerous. -CraterMaker Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobGreenwade Posted January 30, 2007 Report Share Posted January 30, 2007 Re: Why must wolves be evil? I need to dig out and update the villain Super Squirrel.Likewise myself, for the Squirrel King and Dairisu. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Mhoram Posted January 30, 2007 Report Share Posted January 30, 2007 Re: Why must wolves be evil? Wolves were not evil in the Belgariad either. And I agree with the "traditional dangerous predator" reasoning. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Savinien Posted January 30, 2007 Report Share Posted January 30, 2007 Re: Why must wolves be evil? A wolf in a children's trilogy I read recently was good and ended up helping the heroine quite a bit. I don't think they're always depicted as evil... You see what you're looking for. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teh bunneh Posted January 30, 2007 Report Share Posted January 30, 2007 Re: Why must wolves be evil? Wolves are depicted as evil 'cause they are evil! Bill. (They eat cute widdle bunny-wabbits!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RPMiller Posted January 30, 2007 Report Share Posted January 30, 2007 Re: Why must wolves be evil? I think it depends on the wolf's companion a lot. If the wolf is with a druid, or druid type, character they tend to be more good or neutral. If the wolf is with a 'good' character they tend to also be good and usually serve as the protector. If the wolf is alone or with an 'evil' character then they tend to be evil as well. It seems like the more solitary the wolf the more evil the wolf. There are many exceptions to the above of course, but I think that is a good thumbnail at least. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RPMiller Posted January 30, 2007 Report Share Posted January 30, 2007 Re: Why must wolves be evil? (They eat cute widdle bunny-wabbits!) At least the ones not toting razor sharp teeth or automatic weapons. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teh bunneh Posted January 30, 2007 Report Share Posted January 30, 2007 Re: Why must wolves be evil? Heh. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
"V" Posted January 30, 2007 Report Share Posted January 30, 2007 Re: Why must wolves be evil? I was raised on Elfquest and have trouble seeing wolves as bad guys as a result. To human settlements with meagre resources in a pre-industrial society however... there is a certain amount of competition, and that colours the perception. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrosshairCollie Posted January 30, 2007 Report Share Posted January 30, 2007 Re: Why must wolves be evil? Probably also, from the more pre-industrial times, when wolves would regularly take chunks out of livestock that was needed for human survival, even though that's all the wolves were really doing, too, was trying to survive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JmOz Posted January 31, 2007 Report Share Posted January 31, 2007 Re: Why must wolves be evil? I find it odd no one has mention Wheel of Time yet, where wolves get a fairly positive rap (better than most of the humans for that matter) Also Tara Harper has a series of Fantasy/sci-fi series about wolves w/a telepathic relationship to humans worth a read In my own campeign there is a race of wolf /human hybrids that while not good are far from evil... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pattern Ghost Posted January 31, 2007 Report Share Posted January 31, 2007 Re: Why must wolves be evil? Let's see... there's the wolves in Julie of the Wolves, the children's story. While not a fantasy per se, they got a pretty good rap. I'd suppose that Romulus and Remus's surrogate mom kind of balances Fenris mythologically speaking. Fairy tales seem to be the biggest place wolves get a bad rap: the Big Bad Wolf, the wolf that ate Little Red Riding Hood and her Granny, are a couple that come to mine. Then again, folk tales, one step or so removed from fairy tales has stories of people being raised by wolves, showing their familial side is recognized, as with the Romulus and Remus story. Then there's the wolf from the old WB cartoons (at least I think it's WB), who's a leering lady's man. Guess he's just an average guy, if a little seedy. Lord of the Rings gives dire wolves a bad name, but then again, they're dire, so that's probably to be expected. The Jungle Book has some pretty nice, family-minded wolves in it, though. But Maugrim from Narnia is definately a heel. I think most of the modern stuff has already been covered (WoT, Belgariad, Poul Anderson, Dickson, etc.) I think that while some wolves are definately shown as evil, there are many instances of their loving, family side shown too. It's kind of a toss up to me. It seems that on the one hand, you have the formidable predator that kills and eats your livestock (and by extension, possibly YOU) and on the other hand, you have an animal not unlike the ancestor to your loving family dog, with its strong family instincts and nurturing instincts. In fact, one quality that's huge in livestock guard dogs, the anti-wolf if you will, is that strong nurturing instinct combined with the capability for ferocity. The Turkish breeds of herd guard dogs, some of which are capable of taking down a wolf one on one, actually don't look that far removed from wolves themselves. I think the best wolves in literature recognize both the family side and the predatory side at once. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sbarron Posted January 31, 2007 Report Share Posted January 31, 2007 Re: Why must wolves be evil? Mama said evil is as evil does. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Njiall Posted January 31, 2007 Report Share Posted January 31, 2007 Re: Why must wolves be evil? 2) The more important question, why are wolves always utterly evil in fantasy? The only good one I can remember is Aragh from Dickson's Dragon Knight series. Okay, and one good female werewolf from a Forgotten Realms novel. Because the wolf is the second predator of the nutritional pyramid: intelligent, organized… for that reason the first predator (the man) must eliminate his immediate competitor. The best form to eliminate an enemy is to give him a bad name to generate hate and injustificated deaths. I am not going to put examples of this tactics in international politics Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucius Posted February 1, 2007 Report Share Posted February 1, 2007 Re: Why must wolves be evil? A wolf in a children's trilogy I read recently was good and ended up helping the heroine quite a bit. I don't think they're always depicted as evil... You see what you're looking for. He pretty much said it. While there may be more "evil" wolves around, there are also plenty of counterexamples. There are some good guy wolves (or wolflike creatures anyway) in the Herald Vanyel stories for example. Lucius Alexander Megascaling a palindromedary Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NuSoardGraphite Posted February 1, 2007 Report Share Posted February 1, 2007 Re: Why must wolves be evil? Wolves are good guys in The Wheel of Time. And as far as werewolves are concerned, I don't think they're evil in the true sense of the word, they simply give in to their beastial side and let their hunters nature take over. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Narf the Mouse Posted February 1, 2007 Report Share Posted February 1, 2007 Re: Why must wolves be evil? Because wolves have big, nasty teeth. And eat innocent little mouseys. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JmOz Posted February 1, 2007 Report Share Posted February 1, 2007 Re: Why must wolves be evil? something interesting about the wold in Little Red Riding Hood, in some of the older versions it is actualy an ogre, vampire, or were wolf just something interesting... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super Squirrel Posted February 1, 2007 Report Share Posted February 1, 2007 Re: Why must wolves be evil? I just watched Never Cry Wolf last night. This is, at least subtly, addressed in this movie. People perceive wolves as many different things than what they actually are. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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