Glossary entry
Howl
A gathering of therians, traditionally held outdoors. The name and the custom both date from 1994.
In depth
The first howl was held in the autumn of 1994, when a handful of people who had met through an online discussion group for werewolf enthusiasts decided to meet in person. The name was a small joke that stayed. Since then the word has meant any in-person meeting of therians, from three friends on a hillside to a weekend camp with dozens of people.
There is no ceremony to a howl. People walk, cook, sit by a fire, and talk late about things that are hard to say elsewhere. For many it is the first time they have said "I am a lynx" aloud to someone who simply nods. In recent years the word has also been borrowed for scheduled online meetings, though the outdoor sense remains the original one.
In practice
- A regional group arranges a day walk in a public woodland each spring and autumn, open to therians and their friends, and calls it the spring howl and the autumn howl.
- A larger camp sets aside quiet hours, a shared meal, and an evening of reading aloud from essays and poems written by those attending.
Common questions
Do people actually howl?
Sometimes, and usually with laughter. It is not required, and a howl is no less a howl if everyone spends it drinking tea.
Is it safe to go to one?
Use the same care as for any meeting arranged online. Meet in public places first, tell someone you trust where you will be, arrange your own way home, and if you are under eighteen, involve a parent or guardian. A well-run gathering will welcome those precautions.
Related terms
Read further. The history of the therian and otherkin communities tells how the first gatherings came about.