Were

Were is a general term used as a prefix to indicate a type of shapeshifter, in relation to the mainstream concept of therianthropy (e.g. werewolves, werecats, etc).

Were and furry
In the furry fandom, "were" is a colloquial term to describe both fans of were-animals and therians. Were interest overlaps both the furry and transformation fandoms, combining aspects of both; people who call themselves weres may also be fans of these other genres.

Unlike furry characters, "were-animals" are generally more bestial and less intelligent, usually controlled more by animal instinct and impulses rather than intellect, often to violent results.

History
In the late 1990s, were fans originally gathered in the Usenet's newsgroup, alt.horror.werewolves, to discuss their interest in werewolves and other shapeshifting or humanoid animals from horror and mythology.

As time passed, three distinctive groups formed:


 * Fans of horror werewolves and other were-animals.
 * People who liked roleplaying werewolves and were-animals.
 * People who felt a personal, spiritual connection with werewolves or were-animals. Eventually this faction became their own group.

Views and community
Though originally a horror sub-fandom, not all weres are horror fans. Some prefer to see werewolves (and other were-animals) as more natural creatures, which aren't inherently violent or horrific, so that any violent actions they take are a return to a wild state of being. Were-fandom has a significant environmentalist streak because of this.

They enjoy the company of other like-minded weres, and sometimes meet at howls to commune with nature.

Art
Weres are generally interested less in anthropomorphic styled art than semi-human animals; much of were art is either based on wildlife painting styles, or roleplaying game styles. Were-art has become a term and style in and of itself in the furry fandom.