why are wolves assumed to be Shadowspawn?

[ROB_88]

i've read several times, mostly by the Whitecloaks when talking about Perrin that it is well known that they serve the Dark One.

now, what could have caused this idea besides normal Whitecloak foolishness. the Borderlanders know that wolves hate Trollocs.

 

is it just cause there exist Trollocs with wolf-heads?

cause with that logic boars and goats would be seen as evil as well.

does it have to do with the mysterious and wild nature of the wolves that might be misunderstood?

 

is there anything that could to the normal everyday human be seen as supporting a wild tale of wolves serving the Dark One at all?

[Kestrel]

The portrayal of wolves in classical Terran literature is that of evil-connected creatures. Thus we have The Wolfman, Peter and the Wolf, Red Riding Hood and the Wolf, The Boy who cried Wolf, The Three Little Pigs and the Wolf, and a whole host of others.

 

In Europe and across Northern Asia during the Dark Ages and Medieval periods, wolves were a genuine threat to villagers and their livestock. It was not unheard of, especially during winter and famine periods, for wolves to attack humans.

 

Now, while there is no reason for us to assume that the "wolves" in the WoT bear any actual physical resemblance to Terran wolves, RJ selected the name for that species of WoT creature to make a connection with the readers and evoke the particular imagery in our minds.

[T00thbrush]

In Europe and across Northern Asia during the Dark Ages and Medieval periods, wolves were a genuine threat to villagers and their livestock. It was not unheard of, especially during winter and famine periods, for wolves to attack humans.

 

I think that is the main reason. Even nowadays, European farmers are up in arms when there is talk of re-introducing wolves to their neck of the woods. That's after we've exterminated them in the first place, and it's happening in an eco-aware 21st century. Wolves take the occasional sheep, causing a loss of money (or, in worst-case scenarios, loss of food and life), hence they are evil and must be terminated. It's a very human reaction. In fact, probably any creature than can kill then eat a human being would be considered evil.

[zshadez]

Or we could answer it the easier way.... if you haven't noticed, the Whitecloaks assume pretty much everything is shadowspawn/darkfriend.

[Warder117]

Or we could answer it the easier way.... if you haven't noticed, the Whitecloaks assume pretty much everything is shadowspawn/darkfriend.

 

 

Lol @ Zshadez, very true :D But.... people in general are afraid of things hey don't understand. Their has been instances of wolfs and other carnivores attacking people, especially in hard times. But these instances are very rare. Many more people die from well... other people than animals. But in "Randland", the days after the Breaking were a very difficult time, it can be compared to the Dark Ages. Knowledge and well civilization was lost in great amounts. Out of this gap in knowledge is where many myths and legends spawn.

[username13]

Maybe in the past when people let the wolves cut in front of them in traffic the wolves didn't give them the little wave

[mb]

The Whitecloaks assuming everything/everyone is shadowspawn/darkfriend seems to be the most accurate reason.

 

Though they seem to be changing their mind about that to some degree. Galad might be able to change all of his faction's opinion about it.

[Sarner]

I think we can agree that the previous answers pretty much covers it up.

 

But I recon I would make sense that Wolves become associated with evil when there exist wolfbrothers and other such "abnormal" beings to rise suspicion. If cats became the Aes Sedai trademark, then you bet the whitecloaks would considder cats connected to the shadow as well.

 

Lets face it, at a glance of a Wolfbrother on a bad day, they could appear a little shadowy, even more so when they go feral... And if a person like That seem to love wolves, then its a fair reason to be suspicious about them.

[Jblaylock]

Why do people today in the real world think wolves are vicious killers? Because people, in general, are idiots. RJ captured that common stupidity and portrayed it pretty accurately. People fear what they don't understand, and very few people understand wolves.

 

 

If you do the research, you will find that there has not been a single modern documented case of a healthy wolf, or a pack of wolves, attacking a human. Ever. Ever. It's only ever been a sick wolf, an injured wolf, or a captured/domesticated/mistreated wolf. Medival french "history" cannot be trusted as modern, accurate, or verified, so please nobody go there.

[Durinax]

I think its because wolves are creatures of the night in some regards, along with villagers being at odds with them. it does make some sense for them to be assumed evil

[waffle]

It´s because wolves don´t wear fetching white cloaks. They also don´t put civilians to the sword. Clearly darkfriends.

[Guest Jayden Dove]

The Whitecloaks hate wolves and assume that they are Shadowspawn, because of their general 'Not Whitecloak? Kill!' policy and because sections of the Karaethon Cycle speak of a king of wolves, who will lead all wolves into battle on the Last Day at Tarmon Gai'don. It speaks also of the announcement of the final days when the wolf king carries a hammer. Note that this section of the Karaethon Cycle does not say which side the wolves will be fighting on, and since wolves are characterized as 'evil' the Children of Light assume that they are going to fight for the Shadow when the Last Hunt comes.

[clutzyninja]

I'm not sure how much reading the whitecloaks do.  They are to me very reminiscent/parallel to the uneducated, paranoid religious fanatics you see preaching doom and hellfire on anyone that doesn't pay them tribute.  They're dumb as a box of hair, but fill the holes in intelligence with blind faith and call themselves superior.  I hate Whitecloaks...

 

If they do ever make a Skyrim style game for WoT, I will kill every Whitecloak I see, lol.

[mb]

Whether or not they read, that matters little to me.  The type of education they received (if any) would to me matter more.

 

By the way, at least some Whitecloaks seem able to read.  I guess the main things they read would be written orders from their superiors; for superiors, probably reports from those who are under them.  Maps and building signs would probably be other things both groups read.

[clutzyninja]

It matters because if they did read or receive any type of education outside of the WCs, they would easily learn that not everyone and everything is evil except for them.  The fact that they take what is told to them on blind faith is what speaks to their intelligence level.  Almost every WC ever given lines in the books show a complete lack of critical thinking skills. 

A: "Look, they're different.  DARKFRIENDS!"

B: "But they're slaughtering Trollocs."

A: "Yeah, but they're different, killing trollocs must be a trick!"

B: "That guy just cut off a Myrdraal's head and spit on the corpse."

A: "DARKFRIEEEEEENDSSS!!"

[threadnecromancer]

It is because the Children are not a bunch of city people who watched too many Disney movies as a kid.

 

Although there seems to be a recognition in the Borderlands (or at least amongst Warders) that Trollocs and wolves don't get along that would cut little ice with the Children since after all many Trollocs are part wolf, and then there are garbled legends and records of dark shadow wolves. Coupled with the wolves at that location behaving so strangely and one of the people there going crazy and murdering several of the Children merely for killing dangerous wild animals (not to mention his yellow eyes and other shadowspawny qualities) then the Children's suspicion of Perrin and the wolves was quite reasonable. Although as I recall Lord Bornhald did not think the wolves were shadowspawn, he thought the pack was merely there for the water and then got scared when people showed up, but Perrin's response to the Whitecloaks on the other hand was suspicious in the extreme.

[clutzyninja]

The Whitecloaks en masse didn't decide on wolves being dark at that moment.  There were already the preconceived notions.  I can't recall any mention of dark shadow wolves, but it IS mentioned several times throughout the series that the wolves of WoT avoid men whenever possible, and no mention is made of even killing livestock that I can remember, so seems to me the people there should have even less reason to fear them as we do in our world.  Remember, RJ's wolves are sentient, to a degree, and are plenty smart enough to know that antagonizing men will only lead to them being hunted down.

[mb]

dark shadow wolves; I guess the poster meant the darkhounds.

some scene tells that when a darkhound kills a wolf, another darkhound is created.  Do not remember which book/chapter nor the exact words.