Wolf

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The wolf (Canis lupus) is a large canine native to Europe, Asia, and North America.

Mythology[edit | edit source]

Greek mythology has a tale about the Arkadian king Lykaon, whom the god Zeus cursed for his wickedness to become a bloodthirsty wolf.^[1]

In Roman mythology, legend has it that a she-wolf protected the infants Romulus and Remus, the founders of Rome.^[2]

Wolves were a common threat in Scandinavia and they made their way into Norse mythology as well, in the form of Fenrir, a mighty wolf or warg, whose ability to hunt down its prey was emulated by Viking children in the 9th century CE.^[3]

According to Irish mythology, the goddess Morrigan could assume the shape of a wolf, among others.^[4]

History[edit | edit source]

Isu Era[edit | edit source]

The Isu city of Atlantis originally purposed the Garden of Benthesikyme as a sanctuary for the city's wolves, but as this led to Atlantis' human population to fear them, the Dikastes Basileus Poseidon cast the canines from the city.^[5]

Antiquity[edit | edit source]

During the Peloponnesian War, wolves inhabited various regions of Greece. Members of the Daughters of Artemis used tamed wolves to protect their territories and to accompany them on hunting trips. The Spartan misthios Kassandra also learned to tame wolves. She also hunted them, for their fur was valued at 40 drachmae apiece, and their fangs at 7 drachmae apiece.^[6]

The leader of the Daughters at the time, Daphnae, tasked Kassandra with hunting down the legendary Lykaon Wolf, amongst other legendary animals, and obtaining its pelt.^[1] One of the Two Kings of Sparta, Archidamos also tasked Kassandra to slay the beast, demanding its head as proof of the deed.^[7]

One of the members of the Cult of Kosmos, Zoisme of the Worshippers of the Bloodline, preferred living among wild animals, and was said to be accompanied by wolves, feeding her victims to them. This practice led to her eviction from Phokis, and she moved to the den of a white bear in Malis. Eventually Kassandra hunted her down and ended her reign of terror.^[8]^[9]

Wolves were also revered, and the Spartan polemarch Nikolaos was called the "Wolf of Sparta" due to his military proficiency.^[6]

The Order of Hunters, a branch of the Order of the Ancients which operated in Makedonia, utilized wolves to spread terror and doubt among the Greek population. The branch's Magus, Pactyas, was particularly fond of the animals after being saved by a wolf in his youth, and was known to own several dozens.^[10] In 429 BCE, Kassandra hunted all of Pactyas' wolves to stop them from terrorizing Makedonia's citizens.^[11]

At one point, Kassandra also hunted wolves for their intestines in order to repair the lyre belonging to the poet Praxilla.^[12]

Middle Ages[edit | edit source]

During the 9th century, wolves roamed the wilderness of Norway and the British Isles.^[13] The Viking shieldmaiden Eivor Varinsdottir was fearful of the animals after being attacked by a wolf in her childhood, which scarred her neck and led to her nickname of "Eivor the Wolf-Kissed".^[14]^[15] Despite this, as an adult, Eivor regularly hunted wolves for their pelts and fangs, which were considered valuable.^[13]

The Wolf Clan, the arch-rivals of Eivor's Raven Clan, revered the animals, and most of their equipment featured the clan's stylized emblem of two wolf heads.^[13]^[16]

In the 870s, a group of children from the Raven Clan's settlement of Ravensthorpe in Mercia came across a female white wolf trapped in a cage inside an abandoned hunting cabin. The children tricked Eivor into helping them save the caged wolf, which they affectionately nicknamed "Dwolfg".^[17] Eivor subsequently decided to adopt Dwolfg, and the animal would sometimes accompany the shieldmaiden on her travels, even assisting her in fighting enemies.^[13]

Renaissance[edit | edit source]

During the Renaissance, the Followers of Romulus wore wolf skins to emulate their god, and they also placed wolf skulls on the entrances to their Lairs.^[2]

The Templars also saw the potency of the wolf symbolism to the Assassins' preoccupation with eagles and other birds; one such example consisted of Baltasar de Silva and Fiora Cavazza dubbing their Assassin-styled protégé "Il Lupo" ("The Wolf").^[18] Akin to this, the Templar Shay Cormac's ship, the Morrigan, featured lupine design on her sails, figurehead, and wheel.^[4]

Meanwhile, in Spain, Álvaro de Espinosa formed a group of mercenaries who called themselves the Lobos Silenciosos (The Silent Wolves).^[19]

Colonial America[edit | edit source]

In the winter of 1754, while tracking Kaniehtí:io through the Frontier, the Templar Haytham Kenway was attacked by a pack of wolves, which he managed to kill using his Hidden Blades.^[20]

Haytham's son, the Assassin Ratonhnhaké:ton, became adept at hunting wolves, trading their pelts, meat and teeth for money.^[21] When he and Robert Faulkner arrived at Oak Island to search for William Kidd's treasure in 1777, they were attacked by a pack of wolves who were situated near the sinkhole it was buried under.^[22] Back at the Davenport Homestead, wolves would on occasion attack cattle at Warren and Prudence's farm during winter.^[21]

In an alternate reality created by an Apple of Eden, Ratonhnhaké:ton drank the Tea of the Red Willow and became one with the Spirit of the Wolf. In return, he gained the ability to turn invisible, and the power to summon wolves to attack his enemies.^[23]

Victorian era[edit | edit source]

Crawford Starrick, the Grand Master of the British Templars during the 19th century, used a stylized likeness of a wolf's head as part of his business symbol, most notably as the logo of the Starrick Telegraph Company.^[24]

Animus mods[edit | edit source]

In 2020, while reliving Eivor Varinsdottir's genetic memories through the Portable Animus HR-8.5, the Assassin Layla Hassan modified the Animus interface to allow for a variety of skins to be applied to her horse:

Name	Description	Availability
Geri	Named after one of the wolves accompanying Odin himself. Only a beast as powerful and majestic as this one could ever earn such a name.	Reda's Shop or Black Raven Pack
Ghost	This Spectral wolf usually roams the lands of the dead for a soul or two to feast on. No one knows why it decided to roam midgard on the other hand...	Reda's Shop or Gothic Pack
Hati	It's said these wolves escaped from the outer realms into Midgard where meat is more plentiful. They will tolerate riders if there is a meal at the end of the day.	Reda's Shop or Berserker Pack
Múspell Warg	Whispers say this wolf was banned to the charred lands of Muspelheim after a lost duel with Fenrir centuries ago. Consumed by a burning desire for revenge, it's skin was tempered like iron and his will unyielding to any but the mightiest warriors.	Reda's Shop or Hel's Damnation Pack

Behind the scenes[edit | edit source]

The Templar Order is often likened to wolves in memory names, such as "Wolves in Sheep's Clothing" or "In the Wolf's Lair", or in the Italian-named memories "In Bocca al Lupo" and "Crepi il Lupo". In contrast, Daniel Cross derided the Assassins as a "family of wolves" in Assassin's Creed: The Chain, while Major-General Edward Braddock stated "wolves often travel in packs" when he met Haytham Kenway and his fellow Templars in Boston in Assassin's Creed III.