When “Caradhras had defeated them” the fellowship of the Ring turned southward, but unfortunately at night they are attacked by wolves. Or so it seemed. In short:
A wolf snarled and sprang towards them with a great leap. … [Gandalf] lifted a burning branch and strode to meet the wolves. … The last arrow of Legolas kindled in the air as it flew, and plunged burning into the heart of a great wolf-chieftain. All the others fled.
But, the day after, “They looked in vain for the bodies of the dead. Not trace of the fight remained …”
‘It is as I feared,’ said Gandalf. ‘These were no ordinary wolves …’*
ETA : in the Tolkien mythos, these are descendants of evil werewolves, that have degenerated to the point that they can’t shift into man anymore. But they kept the intelligence, malevolence, and allegiance to Sauron.
I don’t think the Perfesser’s werewolves were shapeshifters. They were, rather, wolves inhabited by powerful, malicious spirits. I cannot prove that one of them survives to this day and, being much diminished, is now trading under the name Ann Coulter, but I am going to start a rumor to that effect anyway.
Wargs leave bodies behind just like any other mortal creature. They may have werewolf blood somewhere in their ancestry, but it’s running pretty thin. And even werewolves leave corpses: Carcharoth’s corpse had to be cut open to retrieve Beren’s hand and the Silmaril, after all.
Of the kind Skald noted, yes - malevolent spirits that took the forms of great wolves. Just like Ungoliant took the shape of a gigantic spider.
As far as shape-shifting goes, I seem to recall the young, boyish Sauron transforming into a great wolf in the Silmarillion. Not quite the stereotypical werewolf, but transformation nonetheless. It may be those other “werewolves” were of similar mien.
That had never even occurred to me, actually. The next time I’m re-reading, I’ll have to keep that possibility in mind. On the other hand, it says that not a trace of the battle remained, not just no trace of the wolves themselves: You’d expect that Aragorn, at least, would be able to find scuff-marks in the grass, and char spots, and the like. No trace at all sounds pretty supernatural to me.
Skald, you’re getting lazy these days. Time was, you wouldn’t even have “usual threats”: You’d tailor-make a new one for every transgressor. What’s the world coming to, anyway, when Skald the Rhymer can’t even come up with new forms of poetic justice?
That thing all those self righteous do gooders who invaded your volcanic lair a few years back were trying to bring you to. I wouldn’t worry too much about it.
As to the wolves I always took them to be werewolves (of the spirits who take the forms of wolves type). Take a look at this more full quote:
If they were wargs dragging off their companions for consumption, they would have not taken the time to carefully remove each arrow unharmed from their companions. Nor could they have done so without anyone noticing. Nope, these were something that disappears without a trace when slain. Spirits that have taken physical form, seems to be the best match.
On the other hand Aragorn (and the narrator) does directly name them as wargs… so what do I know?
Hmmm. You’re probably right. Man, it’s been too long a time since I last read the book.
A third possibility would be that the “dead” did what Wolverine does : regen, and when the CGI is over you hear the clink of the expelled bullet hitting the ground.
