Lycan and Werewolf can be described as two distinct mythical creatures. They can both transform from humans into wolves, but there are significant differences.
Lycan Vs. Werewolf
A Werewolf and a Lycan can both shapeshift anywhere. The latter, however, can transform automatically at night’s full moon and cannot be controlled. Lycan is also mentioned in Greek folklores, while Werewolf can be traced back to old English folklore, particularly in the Americas after the Spanish invasion.
Lycan is a Greek mythological creature. Lycan was a naked man who ran the streets and bit anyone he met with his bare teeth, according to Greek folklore. It was also called lunacy in folklore. These stories evolved into the tale of men becoming wolves over time.
The folkloric Werewolf is an English-derived creature. According to English folklore, a werewolf was a man who turned into a wolf at night. He ate corpses and animals. During the day, however, they could transform into human beings.
What is Lycan?
It is a mythological creature that can transform from a human into a wolf. This transformation can be made at any moment and anywhere. Lycans can also shapeshift at will.
Lycans are sometimes considered to be Transylvanian. Its first mention dates back to the Greek city-states. Lycan, in Greek folklore, is described as a naked man who runs on the streets and bites anyone he meets.
It is also called lunacy in other Greek stories. Lycan is actually an abbreviated form of Lycanthropy, which refers to a mental disorder where a person sees himself as a wolf. It can be used to describe a viral disease called rabies, which is transmitted to humans by animal bites, particularly stray dogs.
The original stories of Lycans were altered as the stories passed down from generation to generation. As a result, the story of a man becoming a wolf was generated. When bitten by another Lycan, a human being becomes a Lycan.
Lycans can bite people, causing excruciating pain. The pain is temporary. The bite causes the victim to transform into a wolf immediately. He can return to his human form only if his maker encourages him.
Lycans are intelligent, strong, and hard to kill. They resemble a real wolf but are larger and have deadly claws. They are a symbol of religious devotion. Silver is the only weakness of a Lycan. It cannot kill them. If someone inflicts injury on their spine or separates their skull, they can be killed.
The film ‘Underworld: Rise of the Lycans’ was released on 23 January 2009, and it popularized the mythical Lycan character in popular culture.
What is Werewolf?
This folkloric creature transforms from a human being to a wolf at the full moon and preys upon humans, animals, or dead bodies. However, such a transformation cannot be controlled by the person concerned. It happens naturally, and it is not possible to stop it. The person will return to his human form after the night ends.
The origins of werewolves can be traced back to old English folklore, which is based in America after the Spanish occupied and settled there. The derivation of “werewolf” is further evidence of this proposition. It is a combination of two words from old English. These terms refer to ‘Wer’, which means men, and ‘Wulf’ meaning ‘wolf.’
When another werewolf bites a person, he transforms into a werewolf. The transformation causes a person to experience a lot of bodily changes. His bones grow and change in shape. Sometimes, it can cause a skin rupture. This process takes several minutes, and the final product is a wolf that has the appearance of a human.
Werewolves, like Lycans, have inhuman strength, speed, and agility. They are able to track everything with their incredible senses. They have the ability to regenerate but also have a weakness that can lead to their death, and that is silver.
A person must shoot or stab a Werewolf’s heart or head with silver to kill him. It is safer to shoot than be bitten or scratched by the Werewolf.
There are medical reasons for the werewolf phenomenon, including food poisoning, hypertrichosis (a condition that causes abnormal hair growth), hallucination, and rabies. Pitt-Hopkins syndrome, which was discovered in 1978, can also explain the werewolf mania. This medical condition causes seizures, difficulty breathing, intellectual changes, and aphonia paralytic.
These conditions were not explained by science in the past. These conditions were therefore described by mythological creatures such as Werewolves.
However, Werewolves remain a popular horror icon in modern times. The 1941 Hollywood film, The Wolf Man, is the main reason for their popularity.
Difference between Werewolf and Lycan
- Lycans, as well as Werewolves, mythical creatures that transform humans into wolves, are both Werewolves and Lycans. Lycans can transform at will, but this is not the case with Werewolves. The transformation occurs involuntarily in the case of Werewolves.
- A Lycan can change itself at any time. A Werewolf can only transform on full moon nights.
- Lycans are Greek-born. While werewolves are English-derived, Lycans are Greek.
- A Lycan is a large wolf-like creature that transforms into itself. A werewolf, however, looks more like a wolf when it transforms.
- To kill a Lycan, one must injure or remove the cranium. You can kill a Werewolf by either shooting at his head or slashing his heart with silver.
Conclusion
Werewolves are nearly the same in terms of strength as Lycans. Both are agile and quick. They can regenerate their bodies and have superhuman abilities. They are also extremely coordinated and have incredible tracking abilities.
Lycans, however, are more intelligent than Werewolves and have stronger muscles. They are harder to kill. Lycan, which is an abbreviation for Lycanthropy, is used to describe a person who feels like he is a Wolf.