And in the story of "Little Red Riding Hood," it is. Given his impersonation of Grandmother, the Big Bad Wolf is the first werewolf most people are exposed to. Granted, he's a pseudo-werewolf. He doesn't actually turn into a human, but he must do a pretty good job, because Little Red is initially taken in by the ruse. It takes scrutiny and questioning to expose him for the monster he truly is.

So how do you recognize a werewolf when it's in its human form? In Russia, bristles under the tongue were one giveaway--an odd indicator, given the hairless palates of the canine family. In the folktales of continental Europe, a monobrow was a tell-tale sign, as was having long, curving fingernails and hairy palms. Frida Kahlo would have been a good candidate for a lycanthrope. Modern depiction of the werewolf usually focus on his behavioral differences--a werewolf is often aggressive, uneasy or just plain odd.

The next time you're riding the bus with a nervous-looking, one-eyebrowed fellow, switch seats. Then you might want to call your grandmother, just see how she's doing.

Image here is from http://www.moonlight-whispers.com/ by Annie Rodrigue.