therianthrope

Therianthropy refers to the belief in or conception of deities that combine human and animal forms. This concept is closely related to lycanthropy, which is the delusion that one has become a wolf or another nonhuman animal.123

Myths worldwide feature transformations between humans and animals. In ancient Greece, gods like Zeus transformed into animals to deceive mortals, and humans were sometimes transformed as punishment. Werewolf legends, where humans change into wolves, are found in many cultures and have ancient origins, appearing in the Epic of Gilgamesh and Greek mythology. These transformations can be voluntary or involuntary, often linked to magic, curses, or the full moon. While often depicted as monstrous, these transformations explore the boundaries between human and nonhuman existence.4536