REALizing Rage/3

Let’s further consider these epitomes of rage, these vampires and werewolves. It is enjoyable to be frightened by them from the security of our favorite chair or a movie theater seat surrounded by friends. These wild creatures allow us to experience our inner rage, to feel both the wonderful power and the horror of rage unleashed. And, in most stories civilized behavior wins out over the demonic forces, even though the protagonists may have to briefly embrace their own inner wolf to defeat the demons. Yet these tales are short releases, brief respites from the occurrence of real rage. While they let us succumb to it, join with it for some period of time, they serve mainly to remind us that we are supposed to be civilized, social beings who do not give in to dark powers. Rarely do they show us how to understand or deal with rage in our daily lives; we just get through it. It is time to revisit the stories, the myths, and our own inner urges and see whether a path to understanding, to treatment when necessary, is available.

The literature regarding werewolves and vampires and such is too large and too diverse to examine in detail here, so only a small portion will be mentioned and just a few of the most extensive works referred to, without detailed citation. The majority of the existing literature has taken a theological or philosophical position. The authors try to prove or disprove the existence of such creatures, and whether they are abominations or are objects of intrigue. Montague Summers’ The Werewolf in Lore and Legend published in 1933 is a vast compendium of earlier records. It is…