``Wolfwalkers'' An ultimate animation experience inspired by Celtic folklore

“Wolfwalkers” synopsis

1650, Irish town of Kilkenny. Robin is a girl whose father was a hunter who came from England to exterminate wolves. One day, in the forest, he happens to befriend Maeve, a ``Wolfwalkers'' who is a healer who is a human and wolf who coexists in one body and can heal wounds with magical powers. Maeve reveals to Robin that her mother has left the forest in the form of a wolf and is worried that she has not returned. Robin, who knows what it feels like to be without a mother, promises to help find her mother. The next day, Robin is forbidden to go to the forest and is taken to the kitchen by her father to help clean the kitchen, where she learns that a wolf that looks like Maeve's mother is being held captive in a cage. The forest is getting smaller every day, and the wolves have little time left. Robin must do whatever it takes to rescue Maeve's mother and stop the wolf extermination. This meant conflict with his father Bill, a hunter. Still, Robin is determined to do what he believes in. And the battle between wolves and humans was about to begin.

Index

• man and wolf
• irish post ghibli
• The role of wolves in controlling the balance of the natural world

man and wolf

Since ancient times, in Japan, animal spirits have been believed to be symbols of happiness, or quite the opposite, as gods of misfortune. In these traditions, animal spirits such as foxes, dogs, and snakes are common, and there are various legends that say that people who are possessed by animal spirits will have their spirits eroded, or that they will bring happiness.

European countries believe in wolf possession, and various cases have been reported, such as fox possession in Japan. Wolfwalkers(2020), the latest work by Irish animation studio Cartoon Saloon, depicts wolves from the medieval kingdom of Ossory (an old kingdom in Ireland, currently consisting of counties Kilkenny and Laois). The theme is human tradition. The legend of werewolves dates back to ancient Greece. The motif of wolves frequently appears in Greek mythology, and there were reports of humans turning into beasts at the end of the Roman Empire.

“Wolfwalkers” preview

Ancient Celts believed that humans could transform into wolves, and records show that humans could leave their human bodies behind and transform into wolves if they had a friend or family member watch over them. The wounds received in wolf form are reflected in the original human body. The story of Wolfwalkers is based on these ancient Celtic records.

In the ancient Celts, wolves were worshiped as sacred beings, and it is said that humans and wolves lived in a symbiotic society. The same was true in Japan, where wolves were associated with sacred animals, but in 1905, the last wolf died and it is said that wolves disappeared from Japan.

In Ireland, the image of wolves changed completely with the Puritan Revolution. When Oliver Cromwell's army invaded Ireland during the Puritan Revolution, wolves were seen as objects of evil. Wolf hunters were hired from England and large bounties were paid for each wolf to be exterminated.

As Ireland rapidly modernized, its forests were cut down, taking over the habitat of wolves one after another. Having lost their homes, wolves often appeared in towns and began attacking livestock and crops. ``Wolfwalkers'' faithfully depicts historical aspects, such as depicting the background of the decline of wolves due to modernization and the dictatorial rule of Ireland by Lord Protector Oliver Cromwell.

irish post ghibli