Shapeshifters (Anita Blake mythology)
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Numerous different types of shapeshifters exist in the Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter universe, including werewolves and wererats. Anita distinguishes between lycanthropes, which includes solely persons infected by contact with another lycanthrope's bodily fluids, and shapeshifters, a class that includes both lycanthropes and persons who are able to shapeshift as a result of magic, such as a personal or family curse.
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[edit] Shapeshifter attributes
[edit] Shape change
Lycanthropes can assume at least two forms - human and animal. Many can also assume a "hybrid" form that is bipedal with animal characteristics or even transform a small part of their body at will (for example, "growing" fingers into claws).
Changing between forms takes a great deal of energy; most lycanthropes must feed immediately after changing to animal form and collapse into a comatose state for several hours after returning to human form. Stronger lycanthropes do not need to feed immediately or collapse, but are extremely tired. The lycanthropes Anita encounters most frequently can change shape almost at will.
Lycanthropes who spend too much time in animal form may not be able to shift back completely. As a result, some of the lycanthropes Anita meets have fangs or voices or eyes resembling their animal form, even when in human shape.
Other shapeshifters may have different forms available, and may experience different effects. For example, Kaspar is able to shift back and forth to his swan form without unconsciousness, and it is not clear if he has an intermediate "swanman" form.
[edit] Contagion
Lycanthropes' bodily fluids are contagious, but only when the lycanthrope is in an animal or hybrid state.
[edit] Physical abilities
- All lycanthropes are extremely fast, strong, and resistant to damage. Lycanthropes' strength appears to depend somewhat on their actual size and somewhat on their level of supernatural power.
- Lycanthropes can recover from almost any wound other than that caused by silver weapons. For example, in Circus of the Damned, Rashida is able to regenerate an entire arm, and Richard Zeeman is able to recover from having his throat literally torn out.
- Lycanthropes have extremely acute senses, even in human form. For example, in The Lunatic Cafe Richard claims to be able to "smell" emotions or lies. Narcissus in Chains mentions that sometimes being anxious changes the smell of a person and perhaps that is what the lycanthropes smell. The same book has Nathaniel remarking he can hear a person's heart beat or the blood moving in the body, even in human form.
- Lycanthropes are effectively allergic to silver and feel physical pain from even skin contact, although some seem to enjoy silver jewerly.
[edit] Command of animals
Lycanthropes appear able to command animals of their species. (For example, wererats can command rats).
[edit] Reaction to vampire's call
Lycanthropes can be "called" and commanded by a vampire with the ability to call their species of animal. Sufficiently powerful lycanthropes can resist a vampire's call, or even interfere with the call, preventing the vampire from calling other lycanthropes or animals. For example, Rafael, as the Rat King, was able to prevent Nikolaos from calling actual rats and from calling wererats against their will.
Similarly, sufficiently powerful shapeshifters, such as Richard, are able to look vampires in the eyes without being affected by their mental powers.
[edit] Alpha weres
Some shapeshifters reach "alpha" or "master" status, a power level similar to that of a master vampire. Alpha shapeshifters may display some of the following traits:
- An ability to resist transforming.
- The ability to partially shapeshift, for example shifting hands into claws, or even "cosmetic" shapeshifting - shifting bones or flesh simply to alter appearance.
- The ability to force other shapeshifters to change form, or to prevent them from doing so.
- Some shapeshifters, such as Richard can share their power with others by allowing them to feed on the shapeshifter's blood.
- The ability to heal others, by a variety of means. (For example, Raina was able to heal through sex).
[edit] Lycanthrope social organization
[edit] Werewolves
The social habits of werewolves are probably the most fully described in the series, both because of Anita and Jean-Claude's association with the wolves and because werewolves appear to be the most prevalent type of shapeshifter, particularly in the St. Louis area.
[edit] Dominance
Dominance is a key element in werewolf social organization. The pack is structured in a clear hierarchy, and pack members move up or down by winning or losing challenges against other pack members.
- Although most dominance battles end when one participant backs down, leadership of the pack is only transferred by a battle to the death.
- A dominant pack member may issue any order to submissive member, provided that the dominant does not order the submissive to do anything illegal.
- A pack member may offer or receive "protection" to or from another member. A pack member must accept all challenges on behalf of any person to whom he or she has offered protection.
- Non-werewolves, such as Jean-Claude and Anita Blake may be classified as "dominant" to certain members of the pack, but may not typically be considered "alpha" or full members of the pack. (Anita is an exception, as usual).
[edit] Werewolf terminology
The werewolves have a variety of private terms, primarily borrowed from Norse mythology.
[edit] Bolverk
The Bolverk, named after Bolverk of Norse mythology, is the enforcer of the Ulfric. The Bolverk carries out punishments or performs duties the Ulfric does not want to do himself, or if he is not available to do so. For example, in the Thronnos Rokke clan, Richard makes Anita the Bolverk of his pack because he is too kind-hearted to carry out punishments necessary to those who challenge his authority.
[edit] Erato and Eros
Erato, a muse of erotic poetry, and Eros is the god of love or lust. For the werewolves, these roles are held by other werewolves who help the new werewolves control themselves from changing during sex.
[edit] Fenrir
An official challenger to the Ulfric, named after Fenrisulfr or Fenrir, the wolf that is destined to kill Odin in Norse mythology.
[edit] Freki and Geri
The Ulfric's two seconds. Named after Odin's wolves of Norse mythology.
[edit] Lukoi
The werewolves' name for themselves, in honor of King Lykaon, a historic werewolf.
[edit] Lupa
Named for Lupa, the mother of Romulus and Remus, the position is reserved for the Ulfric's chosen mate. Although the lupa need not fight for her/his position, the position of most dominant female (or male in the case of male Lupas) is determined by conflict. The term is Latin for "she-wolf" and "prostitute."
[edit] Lupanar
A meeting place for the lukoi, possibly their place of power. For Richard's clan, there is a huge rock that the Ulfric sits on that looks like a throne, hence Thronos Rokke clan. In Blue Moon, the lupanar of the Oak Tree Clan has an incredibly huge oak tree in it.
[edit] Munin
The munin are the spirits or memories of the dead pack members, named after Munin, Odin's raven of memory in Norse mythology. Live pack members can "call the munin," drawing on memories or abilities of former members. Various packs appear to preserve the munin by different methods. For example, the werewolves of the Thronos Rokke clan preserve the munin of dead pack members by eating their bodies. Anita has called the munin of Verne's pack. She can also channel the munin of former Lupa of the Thronos Rokke clan, Raina. This is possible because Anita personally killed Raina, and her necromancy powers and ties with the Ulfric of the clan allowed Raina to bind her munin to Anita.
[edit] Thronos Rokke
The name of the St. Louis clan of werewolves, named for the "throne rock" on which their Ulfric sits.
[edit] Ulfric
The ultimate alpha male of the pack. An alpha werewolf may become Ulfric only by killing the existing pack leader. Theoretically, female weres may become Ulfric, but female Ulfrics are rare because the strongest males normally have a significant strength advantage over even the strongest females. The term is a derivative of the Norse "ulfr," meaning "wolf."
[edit] Wereleopards
St. Louis's wereleopards are substantially less numerous than its werewolf and wererat counterparts. A likely reason for this phenomenon is the low contagion characteristic of cat-based lycanthropy.
The social rituals of the leopard pard is more difficult to discern in comparason to the wolf pack. There could be many reasons for this difficulty. It is possible their smaller numbers or Gabriel's decision to reshape the pard members into submissive prostitutes warped their social structures beyond recognition. Another possibility is their introduction as a group occurred later in the series (Burnt Offerings - book 7) as opposed to the wolves and they have not been featured in as much detail as the wolf pack.
The principal social characteristic of the pard members is a need for physical contact as a source of emotional reassurance. Pard members frequently rub against one another and against Anita as if they were cats.
An interesting and notable characteristic in wereleopard terminology is the existence of three different titles for their leaders: Nimir-Raj/Nimir-Ra, leoparde lionne, leopard passant. The titles do not affect the functional, internal authority of the leader, but they do describe the type of leader currently in power.
[edit] Wereleopard terminology
[edit] Pard
Similar to Lukoi for the werewolves, "pard" is the term wereleopards use to refer to their group. (In Middle English, "pard" referred to panthers or leopards).
[edit] Nimir-Ra and Nimir-Raj
A given pard's queen is its "Nimir-Ra," and its king is its "Nimir-Raj." (Nimir appears to be a version of "Namir," the word for panther in Hindi, Arabic, and Hebrew. "Raj" is Hindi for king or ruler.)
[edit] Léoparde lionné and lion passant
Terms based in French heraldry to describe a wereleopard leader who is not of a Nimir-Raj or Nimir-Ra status. According to Gwen in Burnt Offerings, a "léoparde lionné" refers to a rampant leopard -- an alpha who is a brave protector or avenger such as Anita. Gwen states that a "lion passant" refers to a sleeping lion -- an alpha that leads but does not protect.
In fact, the pard's understanding of heraldry appears to be in error. Under standard heraldry terms, passant means a walking animal (three legs on the ground, one leg up), while dormant means a sleeping animal. The term "léoparde lionné," however, is used correctly -- the term referred to a leopard in the typical pose of a heraldic lion, i.e. rampant.[1]
[edit] Wererats
The wererats of St. Louis refer to their community as the Rodere. They are led by Rafael, their Rat King. Rafael's rats include a disproportionately high number of soldiers and mercenaries, and are more likely to use guns than most other lycanthropes.
Rafael has allied his Rodere with Richard and Anita and, through them, to the Thronos Rokke clan and Blooddrinkers clan. The name of Rafael's clan is the Dark Crown Clan, and Rafael has a crown branded into his arm to show he is the king.
[edit] Werehyenas
The werehyenas are one of the major power groups in the St. Louis shapeshifter community, together with the werewolves and wererats. Their leader, Narcissus has recruited only men as werehyenas, because hyenas in nature are matrilineal, and Narcissus therefore fears that if his group included a female alpha, she would displace his leadership.
[edit] Wereswans
Wereswans are shapeshifters but not lycanthropes. Being a wereswan is most often a result of a curse or of heredity. They are also the only non-predator form of lycanthropy yet seen in the Anita-verse, and therefore often risk being victimized as prey by the other species.
Female wereswans are referred to as swanmanes. (See also Swan May). The wereswans of are currently led by Donovan Reece, their Swan King. Reece states that he is the first Swan King in a century, and that he has been destined from birth to that position, since he has a birthmark in the shape of a swan. Kaspar Gunderson, the former leader of the wereswans of St. Louis, was a Swan Prince.
[edit] Werelions
Mentioned in Danse Macabre, the werelions of St. Louis are a pride of mostly-submissives led by Joseph.
[edit] Werelion terminology
[edit] Pride
[edit] Rex and Regina
A given pride's king is its "Rex," and its queen is its "Regina." ("Rex" is Latin for absolute ruler or king, and "Regina" is Latin for queen.)
[edit] Uncommon wereanimals
[edit] Weresnakes
Throughout the series, the only weresnakes Anita has encountered are werecobras and (perhaps more indirectly) wereanacondas.
Of the werecobras, the leaders are called Kadra (female) and Kashyapa (male). They have the ability to have offspring like mammals or like reptiles.
[edit] Werebears
The queen of this group is called an Ursa, which might imply there are more than a handful of members but Anita only meets a few.
[edit] Weretigers
One of the rarest forms of lycanthropes, there is only one weretiger in St. Louis, named Christine.
[edit] Weredogs
One weredog is mentioned, Janet Talbot, who says her shapeshifting ability is inherited.
[edit] Werefox
There is only one werefox mentioned, Gilbert (also called "Gil"), who is exceptionally timid.
[edit] Werejaguars
Primarily located in New Mexico, there hasn't been any mention of them in St. Louis.
[edit] Other shapeshifters
[edit] Panweres
Panweres have the power to transform into more than one type of lycanthrope. The one panwere mentioned in the Anitaverse was Chimera, who was capable of transforming into a werelion, wereleopard, werehyena, weresnake, and werebear. Anita Blake was also believed to be a panwere by Chimera because he sensed that she was part leopard and wolf.
[edit] Miscellaneous shapeshifters
The St. Louis community includes a number of other shapeshifters, include weretigers, werelions, werebears, werefoxes, and weredogs.
[edit] Lamia
A Lamia is a half human, half snake. They are supposed to be extinct except for one. She was Mr. Oliver's servant but when he died she began working at the Circus of the Damned. They are also believed to be "true immortals". When Anita Blake tried to kill her nothing worked she just healed like water. They can change from human to a half snake form (snake tail/human torso). They have retractable fangs that inject lethal poisons into a body that has been bitten. Their fangs also inject a substance that can change a human into a Lamia, which was what she was trying to do to her harem in Circus of the Damned.
[edit] Nagas
A Naga is a snake-like Hindu creature that is immortal. In The Lunatic Cafe one naga survived being skinned alive, by someone who wanted the skin for shape-shifting. However, that plan was foiled since Nagas are immortal and the spell for skin shape-shifting requires the original occupant of the skin to be dead by the end of the spell.
Nagas are known as the guardians of pearls and raindrops, in Hindu legend. Their skin has a pearl on the forehead. They are usually shown as cobras/snakes, or human-headed snakes, but could take on a full human form.
[edit] Magical shapeshifters
Witches could potentially shape-shift, with the proper spell and with the skin from a werecreature. Shifting this way has benefits since the person gains all the power of the skin but is not tied to simply changing with a full moon. Unfortunately, for the spell to work properly, the werecreature has to die at the end of the spell.
A witch was also responsible for Kaspar Gunderson's ability to shift into a swan, she cast a spell on him, hoping it would make him more compassionate.
