Wagner, the Wehr-Wolf by G. W. M. Reynolds
"Wagner, the Wehr-Wolf" is a Victorian thriller novel by G. W. M. Reynolds, centering on the character Fernand Wagner, who becomes a werewolf due to a pact with Faust. The story begins with an aging and destitute Wagner living in the Black Forest, mourning the loss of his granddaughter Agnes. In exchange for youth and knowledge, Wagner agrees to serve Faust, resulting in a curse that compels him to terrorize humanity one night each month in his wolf form. The plot unfolds as Wagner travels to Florence, where he encounters his granddaughter's tragic fate and becomes embroiled in a series of dramatic events involving love, betrayal, and vengeance.
Key characters include Nisida, a woman Wagner falls in love with, and Francisco, her brother, who harbors dark intentions. As the narrative advances, themes of loyalty, morality, and the struggle against fate emerge, culminating in emotional turmoil for both Wagner and Nisida. The conclusion resolves Wagner's curse through a harrowing revelation that confronts the characters' pasts. Ultimately, the story explores the duality of human nature and the consequences of one's choices, set against a backdrop of supernatural elements and personal tragedy.
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Wagner, the Wehr-Wolf
First published: 1847 (serial form, 1846-1847)
Type of work: Novel
Type of plot: Fantasy—cautionary
Time of work: 1516-1521
Locale: The Black Forest; Florence and Leghorn, Italy; and other Mediterranean regions
The Plot
Wagner, the Wehr-Wolf is a popular Victorian “blood,” or thriller, by G. W. M. Reynolds, one of the most popular masters of the form. The story relates the adventures of Fernand Wagner, who becomes a werewolf. As the novel opens, the aging Wagner is destitute and starving in his hut in the Black Forest. He laments the disappearance of Agnes, his granddaughter and only relative. Wagner accepts Faust’s offer of youth, wealth, and learning; in exchange, Wagner must accompany Faust for eighteen months and after that serve his master, the Devil, by ravaging the human race once a month in the form of a werewolf. After the prescribed period, Wagner makes his way to Florence, where he is reunited briefly with Agnes at the funeral of Andrea, Count of Riverola, the lover who carried her away.
Wagner confronts the Riverola survivors, the deaf-mute Nisida and her brother Francisco, with Agnes’ plight. He immediately falls in love with Nisida. Francisco promises restitution, but Nisida considers Agnes as a rival for Fernand’s love and murders her. Suspicion falls on Wagner, and eventually he is sentenced to execution by beheading.
Meanwhile, Nisida discovers that Francisco plans to marry her maidservant, Flora Francatelli. Nisida considers this to be an unsuitable match, and she commits Flora to the underground dungeon of the Carmelites. The dashing but wicked Stephano Verrina frees her in a spectacular assault by a gang of banditti. Verrina’s raid is intended to rescue the similarly committed Giulia Arestino for her lover, Manuel d’Orsini.
Wagner escapes execution by turning into a werewolf and fleeing. Afterward, Nisida is abducted by Verrina, but they are shipwrecked on the Isle of Snakes. Wagner arrives and kills the bandit. Nisida reveals that she was feigning her affliction so her brother could enjoy majority under the terms of her father’s will. Wagner and Nisida live a nearly paradisiacal existence together on the island, but Wagner’s monthly disappearances and a demoniac revelation that Francisco is again preparing to marry the despised Flora trouble Nisida. She is rescued by a Muslim fleet (linking a subplot not explored here), and she returns to Florence, where she resumes her role as a mute.
Wagner, by thrice refusing the temptation to sell his soul and by remaining basically good and noble, is divinely informed that his ordeal will end soon. He returns to Florence and Nisida. Unable to prevent her brother’s marriage, Nisida fulfills the terms of her father’s will by making certain that Francisco and his new wife view the horrific contents of a secret room and read an explanatory document. Two skeletons (victims of Andrea’s jealousy) hang together from a single beam. This is the vision Wagner must witness to break his spell. The newlyweds are able to endure the sight and bear the revelations, and Wagner is released from his curse and returned to his true age. Disappointment over her brother’s marriage and shock at Wagner’s dissolution prove too much for Nisida, and she falls mortally ill, but she is reconciled to all before death. She and Wagner are buried together, and Francisco and Flora live happily ever after.