Living Folklore: A Werewolf in Henrico County, Virginia

Suburban Terror or Harmless Prank?

By Misty Thomas
QuailBellMagazine.com

Throughout history, there have been many legends and stories of werewolf sightings written and passed on by word of mouth. These stories date back to early European times when most history was communicated orally and seldom written down. Back in the 1700’s, werewolves were made out to be bloodthirsty beasts who only wanted to kill when the moon was full. These stories of “wolf men” also hinted at their ability to shape shift from a man into a wolf. Werewolves, much like vampires, have been portrayed lately in movies and television shows (ever heard of "True Blood" or Twilight?) as handsome, young men who woo women with their charm. Stories have been handed down to us about “wolf men” for centuries and it wasn’t until recently that I found out that my new town of Richmond, Virginia has a werewolf legend as well.

The most recent of these werewolf sightings have occurred in Henrico County, a suburb of Richmond. Most of these sightings have taken place at the Confederate Hills Recreation Center at Lee Avenue in Highland Springs. There have been quite a few incidents of these sightings in this area. Some of the first sightings were indeed pranks and the proper measures were taken to prove so. However, the newest sightings have not been proven to be pranks. In fact, many of the inhabitants of the neighborhood have had more than one sighting of this so-called werewolf. 

Those who have seen this creature all say that it is covered with black hair with touches of silver. Many have even said that it was walking upright until it noticed it was being watched and then ran off on all fours. Many say that they hear it howling at night and more so on nights with a full moon. Everyone that has seen this so-called werewolf have never gotten a feeling that it wanted to hurt them. One woman even said that it came so close to where she was sitting that it almost showed its face, but then as soon as she realized it was there, it ran off into the woods. A few other onlookers have said that the wolf man seems playful and has chased them around like a puppy, but has yet to harm anyone. It runs away scared when people attempt to chase or hurt it. Perhaps it is more afraid of us than we are of it.

If there really is a werewolf in Henrico County, clearly it does not want us to get a full view of it. It could be a different set of people trying to pull a prank or perhaps it’s just a lonely, aging, hairy man who is trying to scare people. If we ever find out, I’m sure the story will turn out to be a great one. Until then, keep your eyes open for him to meet the so-called Richmond Vampire. We could have a movie series on our hands here at Quail Bell HQ!