So maybe you’ve heard about this concept before: werewolf-vampire hybrids. Things that are both werewolf and vampire. Sound familiar? Yes? No? Let’s talk about them a little, either way.
You might know them as various names – or, really, you might not, because there is no actual name for them. Most people just use werewolf-vampire hybrid. When I was growing up, there was this game called Adventure Quest (I have no idea if it’s still a thing), which used the word “werepyre.”
But werepyre is a terrible word, let’s not use it, please. Like, what does that even mean? It means nothing. “Were” means “man” and “pyre” comes from vampire, the etymology of which is itself largely unknown (but many arguments and speculations exist; I won’t be going into all that in this post, but keep an eye out for it in the future!), so werepyre means man-something. There’s no “wolf” there and there’s not really any vampire there. What an ugly, meaningless word.
Anyway, sidetracked. Are werewolf-vampire hybrids a thing in folklore?
The answer is: No. Absolutely, positively no.
The closest we get to anything associated with both werewolves and vampires is the vrykolakas, which I covered in another post. And they are by no means “hybrids.”
So how about werewolf-vampire hybrids? What’s up with them, anyway?
Well, me, I don’t really know. They’re fairly popular in pop culture today, like in the Underworld series (my opinions of which are oft-lamented, and I try not to repeat too much to avoid upsetting those who enjoy them), even though that one was just some kind of weird blue dude who seemed to have nothing in common with vampires and definitely absolutely nothing remotely in common with werewolves… Not that the werewolves, excuse me, “lycans” in the Underworld series were even remotely intimidating at any point, anyway, except maybe a little in that prequel one but only when they were hordes again of course–
Ah. Where was I?
I used to see ads for browser-based games with werewolf-vampire hybrids all the time, like Adventure Quest, and some thing with blood in the name that I briefly played; I forget. There were a lot popping up back then. It was pretty wild.
So what do these 100% pop culture creatures usually look like, though?
Well, that varies a lot. Like I said, in Underworld, it’s some weird guy that basically has nothing in common with a werewolf whatsoever, no matter what kind of hybrid it is. Then you have the ones that are pretty much just werewolves with wings and sometimes extra large teeth, but a lot of werewolves have big teeth anyway, so that’s kind of moot.
What I wanna know is do they still have to just drink blood if they’re also part werewolf? Because they’re giant flesh-rending monsters, are they still going to be dainty and just want blood? Why not just eat people instead? That’d be a lot easier.
(side-note: these are purposefully rhetorical questions for the purpose of good-natured satire)
Anyway, there it is, though! They weren’t a thing. I personally don’t often like them, but I am also very willing to like them if someone does them right. I admit I think it might be fun if done well, but at the end of the day, I’d rather just have a werewolf and a vampire than something trying to be both, since they’re both awesome in their own ways. That’s just personal preference! Whatever totes your goats.
Oh and by the way, if you were wondering about any other werewolf hybrids? That’s also a nope.
Werewolves are werewolves, as far as folklore is concerned. And I can personally appreciate that, since it gives them a lot more oomph.