Werewolves
Ergot [Claviceps purpurea] is a parasitic fungus that can be found growing on rye or other cereal grasses. Rye grass is by far the most widespread species parasitized, though wheat and barley are also commonly affected. The 'ergots' appear as a blackish-purple club-shaped growth [sclerotia] on the tops of the rye where the seeds are, and are referred to as "heads of ergot"; from these heads sprout the Claviceps purpurea fungal fruiting bodies. They have long stems with bulbous heads when seen under a strong glass or microscope. (See reference [1] for more information.)
Ergotamine has medical uses; for example it is frequently prescribed [often in combination with caffeine] as a therapy for migraine headaches.
Ergot naturally produces a wide range of chemical compounds, the ones of relevance here are collectively known as the "Ergot Alkaloids", and include ergotamine, ergosine and beta-ergosine, ergonine, ergovaline, ergostine, ergotine and beta-ergotine, ergocornine, ergocristine, ergocryptine and beta-ergocryptine. These compounds all have some degree of psychoactivity; indeed LSD was first synthesized from ergot compounds. Their other major medical effect is vasoconstriction [narrowing of blood vessels], which, if severe, can lead to gangrene of the extremities
Ergot was a widespread parasite of cereal grains in Europe in the middle-ages, growing particularly well during excessively damp summers. The psychoactive components of ergot are *not* broken down by heat, so it is fair to assume that they would be present in bread baked from flour milled from ergotized grains. There was a significant outbreak of ergot-poisoning in France in the early 1950's; this outbreak gives a good insight into what may have been experienced in medieval times.
Symptoms of ergot poisoning include hallucinations [the 1950's French victims reported 'being chased or attacked by horrible beasts', 'terror of the dark', and 'feeling that my body was not mine'] together with tingling/burning sensations in the extremities & the scalp. These tingling sensations were known in medieval times as "St. Anthony's Fire", after the saint to whom sufferers prayed for relief
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