Lupercus

Lupercus

A Lupercus is a Fae of the Shapeshifter genus and the longtime enemy of Wolf-Shifters. Their full animal form was never depicted, but they possess characteristics similar to a canine such as fangs and claws, as well as lupine features such as pointed ears and an elongated nose.

Character arc

The Lupercus and Wolf-Shifter species have hated each other for thousands of years. Dyson is forced into a fight "to the death" with one of them by Dr. Isaac Taft.

In the fight scene there is a moment where both their faces slightly shape-shift — the lupercus revealed fangs, pointed ears, and pointed nose; and afterwards injured Dyson with claws.

The lupercus is a Shapeshifter, but never completely shifted into another form and we don't know exactly what he becomes. The species has not been seen or mentioned in another episode and nothing else is known about them.

Trivia

• The word "lupercus" originates from Lupercalia, the ancient Roman annual pastoral festival celebrating Lupercus, the god of shepherds. The Lupercalia festival was partly in honor of Lupa, the she-wolf who suckled the infant orphans, Romulus and Remus, the founders of Rome, explaining the name of the festival, Lupercalia, or "Wolf Festival." The rites were directed by the Luperci, the "brothers of the wolf (lupus)", a corporation of sacerdotes (priests) of Faunus (the horned god of the forest, plains and fields; equated in literature with the Greek god Pan).

• Due to the fact that Lupercus was a patron god of shepherds, one could extrapolate that the Lupercus shifter form would be that of a guard/shepherd canine. (e.g. German Shepherds or Irish Wolfhounds). This would explain the canine features similar to that of a wolf shifter seen during the lupercus' partial transformation, as well as explain the "thousands of years of hatred" between the two species.

• The Lupercal (from lupa, Latin for she-wolf) is a cave at the foot of the south side of Palatine Hill in Rome. In the legend of Rome's foundation, Romulus and Remus were found there by the lactating female wolf who suckled them until they were found by Faustulus. The priests of Lupercus later celebrated certain ceremonies of the Lupercalia there, from the earliest days of the City until AD 494, when the practice was ended by Pope Gelasius I.

• Although there has been no connection made to a Werewolf, the word "lycanthrope" comes from the combination of two Ancient Greek words: lýkos (wolf) and ánthropos (a human).

Appearances

• 3.12 Hail, Hale