Beauty and the Beast Werewolf and Shifter Romances

- July 04, 2024

Beauty and the Beast has been around for a looonng time - evolving from variations of Cupid & Psyche from the 2nd century AD. What about the werewolf trope? It was myth and folklore long before it was a paranormal trope today. Early writings about lycanthropy popped up early in the 1st century AD and then later in the 1100-1200s. Dealing with werewolves was concern enough in medieval Europe to write about it.

Both mythologies involve the animal nature of man - whether good or evil, whether to embrace or to tame. The original Beauty and the Beast used a similar animal magnetism to demonstrate how young women can claim their own agency to tame the beast in a coming of age experience.

It's not surprising then, to see these two mythologies cross over from time to time. Jerry Griswold comments in his fun Beauty and the Beast commentary, The Meanings of "Beauty and the Beast:" A Handbook, that "in a hyper-civilized society like our own, this theme of Missing Wildness is omni-present and being a beast is not such a bad thing" (p 23).

Which brings me to the question: Why do we love these stories about men (or women) as transformational beasts so very much? Why does the idea of a hairy, smelly, wolfy kind of romance appeal?

Beauty Loves a Smelly, Wolfy Kind of Beast

Maybe it's just that? A call to the animal, wild side. A call to the primal, wild aspect of humanity that we've lost in current "hyper-civilized" society. As I write this, I'm sitting in a café watching families - parents, kids, grandparents - all on their phones. Ensconced in individual experiences, heads bowed over bright screens, engaging with others in the ethos verses with those sitting beside them.

We are planned, teched-out and highly caffeinated. We may not want to get outside and be primal, but some part of us longs for it. I mean, I sure do. I'll lose track of time with a story that romanticizes the animal nature in a wild, unruly setting unlike my everyday. Beefy, nature-savvy alpha romancing the girl and making mince meat of the bad guy, who might also be a flannel wearing alpha beefcake. You bet.

Beauty and the Beast short story art, "Tiger's Bride"

Tiger's Bride by Joanna Barnum

Angela Carter wrote a fantastic Beauty and the Beast story where the beauty makes a different choice at the end - I won't ruin it for you. It's called "The Tiger's Bride" in The Bloody Chamber collection of short stories, and you should read it. In this feminist tale, Beauty finds that she needs the animal Beast as much as he needs her.

How about a Beauty and the Beast retelling embracing the wolfy kind of Beast? With a nod to the primal in all of us, in this version of a contemporary retelling, Beauty and her beau get familiar while he's in beast form (if ya know what I mean): To Love a Monster by Marina Simcoe. 🧨

Beauty Tames the Beast Into a Gentleman

On the other hand, maybe we love Beauty and the Beast tales because we relish the idea of Beauty taming Beast. Jerry Griswold wrote one of my new favorite books - a commentary on why the Beauty and the Beast fairytale is important mythology for the current era. He says that we appreciate Beauty and the Beast because she tames the huge and formidable beast, changing him into a gentleman (p 16).

Beauty and the Deformed Beast

But really, Beast doesn't even need to be a smelly, wolfy, animal suitor. There are plenty of riffs on Beauty and the Beast where Beast is a crusty recluse, typically with a physical deformity that keeps him out of society. In fine Beauty fashion, she tames the crusty, alpha male so that he's thoroughly smitten and now focused on her happiness and wellbeing. He's still deformed, he's just dealt with it via Beauty's loving charms and has re-entered society as a gentleman.

Here are three Beauty and the Beast HEAs (that's, happily ever afters) with Beasts who rediscover their civilized selves through Beauty's love:

The Vixen and the Vet by Kat Regenry - In this contemporary romance a down-on-her-luck journalist reconnects with a wounded veteran, kindling a lasting love.

The Cowboy's Beauty by Jessie Gussman - This contemporary western features a Beast damaged in a ranching accident and a Beauty escaping an abusive modeling career.

Beast by Judith Ivory - A fun take on a period romance, in this tale a scarred Beast seduces his young heiress fiancé as a ruse to determine her true nature.

But back to werewolves and shifters…!

Beauty and the Beast Shifter Romances

The paranormal shifter trope that has become popular lately ties both of these concepts together. Beauty tames the beast, creating a passionate, protective, alpha-gentleman - one who "wolfs out" to address danger or when that essential wildness is needed (or maybe wanted) and then back into a caring, attentive lover.

In these Beauty and the Beast retellings, the main characters are werewolves:

Beauty in the Beast (Shattered Fairytales) by Tea Spangsberg - I like this author's take on the main characters and how Beauty and her Beast work through challenges together. It's an alternate take that I bet you'll enjoy.

Outfoxed: A Beauty & the Beasts Tail by Maggie Lynn Heron-Heidel - This one is more of an inspired by Beauty and the Beast tale than a retelling. The main characters are wolf shifters working through a love triangle, fighting off the bad guys and attending to sentient roses.

I bet you have a favorite shifter series, and I'd love to know about it. Even better if it plays on Beauty and the Beast! Please share in a comment.