Let us consider the wolf in particular, that insatiable murderous beast of prey, especially dangerous at night and in winter, he would appear to be the natural symbol of night, of winter and of Death… But the wolf is not only the most bloodthirsty, he is swiftest and lustiest of our larger quadrupeds. This hardiness, his fierce boldness, his cruel lust for fight and blood, together with his hunger for the flesh of corpses which makes him a night visitor on battlefields, make the wolf a companion of the Gods of Battle.
W. Hertz, Der Werewolf