In
Ancient Greece, the
Lykaia was an archaic festival with a secret ritual on the slopes of
Mount Lykaion ("Wolf Mountain"), the tallest peak in rustic
Arcadia. The rituals and myths of this primitive
rite of passage centered upon an ancient threat of
cannibalism and the possibility of a
werewolf transformation for the
epheboi (adolescent males) who were the participants. The festival occurred yearly, probably at the beginning of May.