The Shadow Archetype in Werewolf Legends: How Lycanthropy Reveals the Repressed Self in European and Slavic Folklore

In European and Slavic folklore, the werewolf is far more than a monster—it is a profound psychodynamic symbol of the Jungian Shadow, the repressed instincts, rage, and forbidden desires that civilization forces underground. This episode explores classic tales of lycanthropy from medieval France, Germany, and Eastern Europe, revealing how these stories dramatize the confrontation with the unconscious and the terrifying yet transformative process of integrating the shadow. Listeners gain deep insight into why the werewolf myth continues to resonate in modern psychology, literature, and clinical practice as a metaphor for the hidden parts of ourselves we fear most.