When Wesen woge, they are able to recognize a Grimm by looking into their eyes. They can see an "infinite darkness" in a Grimm's eyes that allows a Wesen to see their reflection, where they can see their true Wesen nature. Many Wesen find it unsettling to see themselves reflected, and Monroe and Rosalee told Nick that it took some time for them to get used to it. Wesen were once worshiped as gods in Egypt, hence why many Egyptian gods, such as Anubis, Bastet, Tefnut, Ammit, and Khepri, are depicted with animal-like features. A few thousand years ago, thousands of slaves were tortured in search of Anubis, and a few of them were successfully mummified fully woged.
Publication Information
- Grimm : Wesen
- Version : Creatures visible to Grimm
- Type : Who's possessing incredible powers
- Basis : Fairy tales
- Appeareance : Grimm
The Beati Paoli are a group of Wesen that formed in the 17th century who are fully against the display of deceased Wesen for the world to see, and they go after things like museums, archaeological digs, antique auction houses, and sometimes private Wesen collectors if the collector is trafficking stolen Wesen antiquities. Most Wesen do not condone their methods, but they often have the same disapproving opinion of deceased Wesen being on display. During and before the Fourth Crusade, Wesen were used to fight in the armies of the Royal families, who used the Grimms to control and police their Wesen armies. Over the years, the Royal families either lost so much global power and influence that they could no longer use the Wesen as armies, or they had no need for Wesen soldiers and let the creatures spread across the world.
Characteristics
To date, if there has been a study on Wesen origins, it has not surfaced. Wesen are liminal, that is, they display two states of existence simultaneous within one physical body. Physiologically, Wesen are parahuman, exhibiting two distinct sets of DNA within the same system. When in human form, Wesen are, by all accounts, physiologically that way and thus, can pass as human. However, certain aspects about them still sets them apart from the rest of humanity, such as the addictive effects that Jay has upon them and their susceptibility to the Yellow Plague. Certain species are also susceptible to specific Wesen diseases, such as a rare blood disease that affects canid Wesen and turns them into Wældreór, a rare genetic disease affecting Indole Gentile called Kallikantzaroi, and a rare genetic disease affecting only Blutbaden that turns them into Lycanthropes during the three nights of the full moon. Every creature encountered by Nick Burkhardt is Wesen.
Behavior
Some species, such as Blutbaden and Fuchsbaus, will perform an action called Vertrautheiten, which is a way for two different species to start trusting each other more, as being very close to another being is a special and sacred thing for Wesen. They let another Wesen get close enough to "memorize" their scent. To complete the action, the Wesen involved woge and then smell and rub up against each other on both sides of the other's face. If Wesen force their woge too many times and too often, their Wesen side can eventually start to take over, a situation known as the Umkippen. If a Wesen is suffering from the Umkippen, their Wesen side could get out of control and completely eclipse any shred of humanity left if one does not go through some form of intervention. The suffering Wesen suffers blackouts and doesn't remember anything during the time that they lose control
Genetics
The complexity of Wesen genetics can be hard to understand, but Monroe and Rosalee explained a few things, In a grundfalsch or grundverschiedene mixed-Wesen relationship, there is a Vorherrscher the offspring will be the "more dominant" Wesen type. There are health risks for the developing offspring, of course.
Hybrids
In some cases, genetics can get more complicated when it comes to hybrids. It is possible for the offspring of a human and a Wesen, such as a Hexenbiest, to not be able to woge fully and only have parts of their face and/or other body parts woge as with the case of Sean Renard. It is also possible for the DNA of one Wesen species to be spliced with the DNA of another while in utero, which is what Dr. Higgins did with her son, Pierce. Doing so caused Pierce to experience something equivalent to a split personality disorder, where he could woge into both his Genio Innocuo self and his Löwen self, though his Löwen side would come out without him realizing it, and it would only do so to protect him or eliminate threats/competition from his life. However, since this transformation was the result of forced genetics, it is left unclear what would happen if the two species had bred naturally.
Species
There have been a total of 132 Wesen species encountered, mentioned, seen in a diary or seen in Rosalee's spice shop books. There have also been 17 other species seen or mentioned in the Grimm comics, 1 species in the novels, and 2 species that have never been seen or mentioned anywhere except for on the Season 1 DVD packaging and in Aunt Marie's Book of Lore.
- Alpe : Nightmare creature
- Anubis : Jackal-like creature
- Apgadnieks : Husky-like creature
- Aswang : Ghoul-like creature
- Ataktos Fuse : Cicada-like creature
- Balam Balam : Jaguar-like creature
- Barbatus Ossifrage : Bearded vulture-like creature
- Bauerschwein : Pig-like creature
- Blutbad : Wolf-like creature
- Coyotl : Coyote-like creature
- Cracher-Mortel : Puffer fish-like creature
- Cupiditas : Cupid-like creature
- Dämonfeuer : Dragon-like creature
- Dickfellig : Rhinoceros-like creature
- Drang-Zorn : Badger-like creature
- Eisbiber : Beaver-like creature
- El Cucuy : Bogeyman-like creature
- El Cuegle : Monster-like creature
- Excandesco : Devil-like creature
- Folterseele : Frog-like creature
- Fuchsbau : Fox-like creature
- Fuchsteufelwild : Goblin-like creature
- Fuilcré : Ox-like creature
- Furis Rubian : Horned toad-like creature
- Gedächtnis Esser : Octopus-like creature
- Geier : Vulture-like creature
- Gelumcaedus : Alligator-like creature
- Genio Innocuo : Tortoise-like creature
- Gevatter Tod : Assassin bug-like creature
- Glühenvolk : Alien-like creature
- Hasenfussige Schnecke : Blobfish-like creature
- Hässlich : Troll-like creature
- Heftigauroch : Bull-like creature
- Hexenbiest : Witch-like creature
- Zauberbiest : Warlock-like creature
- Höllentier : Hellhound-like creature
- Hundjäger : Hound dog-like creature
- Huntha Lami Muuaji : Flatworm-like creature
- Indole Gentile : doe-faced creature
- Inugami : Ghost dog-like creature
- Jägerbar : Bear-like creature
- Jinnamuru : Fly-like creature
- Kackenkopf : Dung beetle-like creature
- Kitsune : Fox-like creature
- Klaustreich : Alley cat-like creature
- Königschlange : King cobra-like creature
- Koschie 309-Koschie : Radioactive skeleton man-like creature
- Krampus : Anti-Santa creature
- Lausenschlange : Snake-like creature
- Lebensauger : Leech-like creature
- Löwen : Lion-like creature
- Luisant-Pêcheur : Otter-like creature
- Luison : Wolf-like creature
- Malin Fatal : Boar-like creature
- Manticore : Half lion, half scorpion-like creature
- Matança Zumbido : Electric eel-like creature
- Mauvais Dentes : Saber-toothed cat-like creature
- Mauzhertz : Mouse-like creature
- Mellifer : Bee-like creature
- Murciélago : Bat-like creature
- Musai : Muse-like creature
- Musasat Alsh-Shabab : Scarab beetle-like creature
- Naiad : Mermaid-like creature
- Nuckelavee : Horse-like creature
- Pflichttreue : White panther-like creature
- Phansigar : Komodo dragon-like creature
- Quijada Vil : Gila monster-like creature
- Raub-Kondor : Condor-like creature
- Reinigen : Rat-like creature
- Schakal : Jackal-like creature
- Scharfblicke : Owl-like creature
- Schinderdiv : Warthog-like creature
- Seelengut : Sheep-like creature
- Seltenvogel : Rare bird-like creature
- Siegbarste : Ogre-like creature
- Skalengeck : Lizard-like creature
- Skalenzahne : Crocodile-like creature
- Spinnetod : Spider-like creature
- Stangebär : Porcupine-like creature
- Steinadler : Hawk-like creature
- Taureus-Armenta : Minotaur-like creature
- Taweret : Hippopotamus-like creature
- Uhranuti : Falcon-like creature
- Ungeziefer Greifer : Weasel-like creature
- Unnamed Red Herring-like Wesen : Red herring-like creature
- Varme Tyv : Snake-like creature
- Vibora Dorada : Chimeric snake-like creature
- Vulpesmyrca : Black fox-like creature
- Wældreór : Diseased canid-like creature
- Wasser Zahne : Aquatic reptile-like creature
- Wendigo : Cannibal-like creature
- Weten Ogen : Lynx-like creature
- Wettbewerbsgewinner : Avian + reptilian-like creature
- Wildermann : Bigfoot-like creature
- Wildesheer : Wolf-like creature
- Willahara : Rabbit-like creature
- Yaguaraté : Jaguar-like creature
- Ziegevolk : Goat-like creature
- Riesen-Ratte : Giant rat-like creature
- Zerstörer : Destroyer-like creature
- Abartige Aasfresser : Hyena-like creature
- Abath : Shark-like creature
- Amarok : Yeti-like creature
- Ammit : Chimera-like creature
- Augapfel-Aushacken : Bird-like creature
- Bastet : Feliform-like creature
- Bhari Kadama : Elephant-like creature
- Curupira :
- Empousai : Chimera-like creature
- Faeteo fatalis : Skunk-like creature
- Fétide Taillader :
- Fossegrim : Frog-like creature
- Gefrierengeber :
- Handwerksburschen : Goblin-like creature
- Karkinos : Giant crab-like creature
- Khepri : Beetle-like creature
- Leshy :
- Lob Hombre : Wolf-like creature
- Mordstier : Bull-like creature
- Peau de la Mort :
- Rißfleisch : Tiger-like creature
- Rotznasig Carcaju : Wolverine-like creature
- Sairento Shi : Mantis-like creature
- Sangrienta Manos :
- Schneetmacher :
- Shnabeltiermörder : Platypus-like creature
- Tefnut : Lion-like creature
- Trasque : Dragon-like creature
- Ukufu Okusheshayo : Cheetah-like creature
- Volkodlak : Wolf-like creature
- Waage : Raccoon-like creature
- Schmerzen-Kaninchen : Rabbit-like creature
- Grauhund : Greyhound-like creature
- Spokelseshorn : Skeletal elk-like creature
