The origins of werewolves can be traced back to ancient civilizations, where they were depicted as shape-shifting creatures that could transform from human to wolf form. In many cultures, werewolves were believed to be supernatural beings that possessed the ability to transform into wolves at will. In some legends, werewolves were created when a person was cursed or bitten by a wolf, while in others, the transformation was voluntary. In many cultures, werewolves were feared and hunted, as they were believed to be dangerous and unpredictable. Over time, the myth of the werewolf has evolved and changed. In some stories, werewolves are portrayed as evil and monstrous creatures that prey on humans, while in others, they are depicted as sympathetic figures who struggle with their animal nature. In pop culture, werewolves have been depicted in a range of ways, from horror movie monsters to romantic figures.

In recent years, werewolves have gained popularity in young adult literature and media, with many stories focusing on characters who are struggling to control their transformation or who are part of a werewolf community. Werewolf culture encompasses the beliefs, practices, and traditions of those interested in werewolves. This can include a love of werewolf literature and media, a belief in the existence of real werewolves, or a desire to live as werewolves in modern society. Werewolf culture is often associated with the supernatural and paranormal, and it can include elements of folklore, mythology, and popular culture. Some people may embrace werewolf culture as a way to explore their own animalistic side, while others may simply be drawn to the myth and mystique of the werewolf.

A werewolf, also known as a lycanthrope (from the Greek λυκάνθρωπος: λύκος, lykos, "wolf", and ἄνθρωπος, anthrōpos, "man"), is a mythological or folkloric human with the ability to shapeshift into a wolf or a therianthropic hybrid wolf-like creature, either purposely or after being placed under a curse or affliction (e.g. via a bite or scratch from another werewolf). Early sources for belief in lycanthropy are Petronius and Gervase of Tilbury. The werewolf is a widespread concept in European folklore, existing in many variants which are related by a common development of a Christian interpretation of underlying Indo-European mythology which developed during the medieval period. From the early modern period, werewolf beliefs also spread to the New World with colonialism. Belief in werewolf develops parallel to the belief in witches, in the course of the Late Middle Ages and the Early Modern period.

Like the witchcraft trials as a whole, the trial of supposed werewolves emerges in what is now Switzerland (especially the Valais and Vaud) in the early 15th century and spreads throughout Europe in the 16th, peaking in the 17th and subsiding by the 18th century. The persecution of werewolves and the associated folklore is an integral part of the "witch-hunt" phenomenon, albeit a marginal one, accusations of werewolfery being involved in only a small fraction of witchcraft trials. During the early period, accusations of lycanthropy (transformation into a wolf) were mixed with accusations of wolf-riding or wolf-charming. The case of Peter Stumpp (1589) led to a significant peak in both interest in and persecution of supposed werewolves, primarily in French-speaking and German-speaking Europe. The phenomenon persisted longest in Bavaria and Austria, with persecution of wolf-charmers recorded until well after 1650, the final cases taking place in the early 18th century in Carinthia and Styria.