VAMPIRES IN MYTH AND HISTORY by Beverley Richardson Vam ire my!hs "o bac# !

ho$sands o% years and occ$r in almos! every c$l!$re aro$nd !he &orld' Their varie!y is almos! endless( %rom red eyed mons!ers &i!h "reen or in# hair in )hina !o !he *ree# +amia &hich has !he $ er body o% a &oman and !he lo&er body o% a &in"ed ser en!( %rom vam ire %o,es in -a an !o a head &i!h !railin" en!rails #no&n as !he Penan""alan" in Malaysia' Ho&ever. !he vam ires &e are %amiliar &i!h !oday. al!ho$"h m$!a!ed by %ic!ion and %ilm. are lar"ely based on Eas!ern E$ro ean my!hs' The vam ire my!hs o% E$ro e ori"ina!ed in !he %ar Eas!. and &ere !rans or!ed %rom laces li#e )hina. Tibe! and India &i!h !he !rade caravans alon" !he sil# ro$!e !o !he Medi!erranean' Here !hey s read o$! alon" !he Blac# Sea coas! !o *reece. !he Bal#ans and o% co$rse !he )ar a!hian mo$n!ains. incl$din" H$n"ary and Transylvania' O$r modern conce ! o% !he vam ire s!ill re!ains !hreads. s$ch as blood drin#in". re!$rn %rom dea!h. reyin" on h$mans a! ni"h!. e!c in common &i!h !he Eas!ern E$ro ean my!hs' Ho&ever many !hin"s &e are %amiliar &i!h( !he &earin" o% evenin" clo!hes. ca es &i!h !all collars. !$rnin" in!o ba!s. e!c are m$ch more recen! inven!ions' On !he o!her hand. many %ea!$res o% !he old my!hs s$ch as !he lacin" o% mille! or o y seeds a! !he "ravesi!e in order !o #ee !he vam ire occ$ ied all ni"h! co$n!in" seeds ra!her !han reyin" on rela!ives. have all b$! disa eared %rom modern %ic!ion and %ilm' Even amon" !he Eas!ern E$ro ean co$n!ries !here is a lar"e varie!y o% vam ires'

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// S+AVI) VAMPIRES0 The Slavic eo le incl$din" mos! eas! E$ro eans %rom R$ssia !o B$l"aria. Serbia !o Poland. have !he riches! vam ire %ol#lore and le"ends in !he &orld' The Slavs came %rom nor!h o% !he Blac# Sea and &ere closely associa!ed &i!h !he Iranians' Prior !o 1!h cen!$ry AD !hey mi"ra!ed nor!h and &es! !o &here !hey are no&' )hris!iani2a!ion be"an almos! as soon as !hey arrived in !heir ne& homelands' B$! !hro$"h !he 3!h and 45!h cen!$ries !he Eas!ern Or!hodo, )h$rch and !he &es!ern Roman )h$rch &ere s!r$""lin" &i!h each o!her %or s$ remacy' They %ormally bro#e in 4567 AD. &i!h !he B$l"arians. R$ssians. and Serbians s!ayin" Or!hodo,. &hile !he Poles. )2echs. and )roa!ians &en! Roman' This s li! ca$sed a bi" di%%erence in !he develo men! o% vam ire lore / !he Roman ch$rch believed incorr$ ! bodies &ere sain!s. &hile !he Or!hodo, ch$rch believed !hey &ere vam ires' The ori"in o% Slavic vam ire my!hs develo ed d$rin" 3!h ) as a res$l! o% con%lic! be!&een re/)hris!ian a"anism and )hris!iani!y' )hris!iani!y &on o$! &i!h !he vam ires

and o!her a"an belie%s s$rvivin" in %ol#lore' )a$ses o% vam irism incl$ded0 bein" born &i!h a ca$l. !ee!h. or !ail. bein" conceived on cer!ain days. irre"$lar dea!h. e,comm$nica!ion. im ro er b$rial ri!$als e!c' Preven!a!ive meas$res incl$ded0 lacin" a cr$ci%i, in !he co%%in. or bloc#s $nder !he chin !o reven! !he body %rom ea!in" !he shro$d. nailin" clo!hes !o co%%in &alls %or !he same reason. lacin" mille! or o y seeds in !he "rave beca$se vam ires had a %ascina!ion &i!h co$n!in". or iercin" !he body &i!h !horns or s!a#es' Evidence !ha! a vam ire &as a! &or# in !he nei"hbo$rhood incl$ded0 dea!h o% ca!!le. shee . rela!ives. nei"hbo$rs. e,h$med bodies bein" in a li%eli#e s!a!e &i!h ne& "ro&!h o% !he %in"ernails or hair. or i% !he body &as s&elled $ li#e a dr$m. or !here &as blood on !he mo$!h and i% !he cor se had a r$ddy com le,ion' Vam ires co$ld be des!royed by s!a#in". deca i!a!ion 8!he 9ash$bs laced !he head be!&een !he %ee!:. b$rnin". re ea!in" !he %$neral service. holy &a!er on !he "rave. e,orcism'

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// ROMANIA0 Romania is s$rro$nded by Slavic co$n!ries. so i! isn;! s$r risin" !ha! !heir vam ires are varian!s o% !he Slavic vam ire' They are called S!ri"oi based on !he Roman !erm s!ri, %or screech o&l &hich also came !o mean demon or &i!ch' There are di%%eren! !y es o% s!ri"oi0 s!ri"oi vii are live &i!ches &ho &ill become vam ires a%!er dea!h' They can send o$! !heir so$l a! ni"h! !o mee! &i!h o!her &i!ches or &i!h S!ri"oi mor! &ho are dead vam ires' The s!ri"oi mor! are !he reanima!ed bodies &hich re!$rn !o s$c# !he blood o% %amily. lives!oc#. and nei"hbo$rs' A erson born &i!h a ca$l. !ail. born o$! o% &edloc#. or one &ho died an $nna!$ral dea!h. or died be%ore ba !ism. &as doomed !o become a vam ire' As &as !he seven!h child o% !he same se, in a %amily. !he child o% a re"nan! &oman &ho didn;! ea! sal! or &as loo#ed a! by a vam ire. or a &i!ch' And na!$rally. bein" bi!!en by vam ire. mean! cer!ain condemna!ion !o a vam iric e,is!ence a%!er dea!h' The Vircolac &hich is some!imes men!ioned in %ol#lore &as more closely rela!ed !o a my!holo"ical &ol% !ha! co$ld devo$r !he s$n and moon and la!er became connec!ed &i!h &ere&olves ra!her !han vam ires' The erson a%%lic!ed &i!h lycan!hro y co$ld !$rn in!o a do". i". or &ol%' The vam ire &as $s$ally %irs! no!iced &hen i! a!!ac#ed %amily and lives!oc#. or !hre& !hin"s aro$nd in !he ho$se' Vam ires. alon" &i!h &i!ches. &ere believed !o be mos! ac!ive on !he Eve o% S! *eor"e;s Day 8A ril << -$lian. May 7 *re"orian calendar:. !he ni"h! &hen all %orms o% evil &ere s$ osed !o be abroad' S! *eor"es Day is s!ill celebra!ed in

E$ro e' A vam ire in !he "rave co$ld be !old by holes in !he ear!h. an $ndecom osed cor se &i!h a red %ace. or havin" one %oo! in !he corner o% !he co%%in' +ivin" vam ires &ere %o$nd by dis!rib$!in" "arlic in ch$rch and seein" &ho didn;! ea! i!' *raves &ere o%!en o ened !hree years a%!er dea!h o% a child. %ive years a%!er !he dea!h o% a yo$n" erson. or seven years a%!er !he dea!h o% an ad$l! !o chec# %or vam irism' Meas$res !o reven! a erson becomin" a vam ire incl$ded. removin" !he ca$l %rom a ne&born and des!royin" i! be%ore !he baby co$ld ea! any o% i!. care%$l re ara!ion o% dead bodies. incl$din" reven!in" animals %rom assin" over !he cor se. lacin" a !horny branch o% &ild rose in !he "rave. and lacin" "arlic on &indo&s and r$bbin" i! on ca!!le. es ecially on S! *eor"e;s = S! Andre&;s days' To des!roy a vam ire. a s!a#e &as driven !hro$"h !he body %ollo&ed by deca i!a!ion and lacin" "arlic in !he mo$!h' By !he 43!h cen!$ry eo le &ere shoo!in" a b$lle! !hro$"h !he co%%in' >or resis!an! cases. !he body &as dismembered and !he ieces b$rned. mi,ed &i!h &a!er. and "iven !o %amily members as a c$re'

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// *YPSIES AND VAMPIRES0 Even !oday. *y sies %re?$en!ly %ea!$re in vam ire %ic!ion and %ilm. no do$b! in%l$enced by Bram S!o#er;s boo# @Drac$la@ in &hich !he S2"any "y sies served Drac$la. carryin" his bo,es o% ear!h and "$ardin" him' In reali!y. *y sies ori"ina!ed as nomadic !ribes in nor!hern India. b$! "o! !heir name %rom !he early belie% !ha! !hey came %rom E"y !' By 4555 AD !hey s!ar!ed s readin" &es!&ard and se!!led in T$r#ey %or a !ime. incor ora!in" many T$r#ish &ords in!o !heir Romany lan"$a"e' By !he 47!h cen!$ry !hey &ere all !hro$"h !he Bal#ans and &i!hin !&o more cen!$ries had s read all across E$ro e' *y sies arrived in Romania a shor! !ime be%ore Vlad Drac$la &as born in 47A4' Their reli"ion is com le, and varies be!&een !ribes. b$! !hey have a "od called O Del. as &ell as !he conce ! o% *ood and Evil %orces and a s!ron" rela!ionshi and loyal!y !o dead rela!ives' They believed !he dead so$l en!ered a &orld similar !o o$rs e,ce ! !ha! !here is no dea!h' The so$l s!ayed aro$nd !he body and some!imes &an!ed !o come bac#' The *y sy my!hs o% !he livin" dead added !o and enriched !he vam ire my!hs o% H$n"ary. Romania. and Slavic lands' The ancien! home o% !he *y sies. India has many my!hical vam ire %i"$res' The Bh$!a is !he so$l o% a man &ho died an $n!imely dea!h' I! &andered aro$nd anima!in" dead bodies

a! ni"h! and a!!ac#ed !he livin" li#e a "ho$l' In nor!hern India co$ld be %o$nd !he brahma ar$sha. a vam ire/li#e crea!$re &i!h a head encircled by in!es!ines and a s#$ll %rom &hich i! dran# blood' The mos! %amo$s Indian vam ire is 9ali &ho had %an"s. &ore a "arland o% cor ses or s#$lls and had %o$r arms' Her !em les &ere near !he crema!ion "ro$nds' She and !he "oddess D$r"a ba!!led !he demon Ra#!abiBa &ho co$ld re rod$ce himsel% %rom each dro o% blood s illed' 9ali dran# all his blood so none &as s illed. !hereby &innin" !he ba!!le and #illin" Ra#!abiBa' Sara or !he Blac# *oddess is !he %orm in &hich 9ali s$rvived amon" *y sies' *y sies have a belie% !ha! !he !hree Marys %rom !he Ne& Tes!amen! &en! !o >rance and ba !ised a *y sy called Sara' They s!ill hold a ceremony each May <7!h in !he >rench villa"e &here !his is s$ osed !o have occ$rred' One *y sy vam ire &as called a m$llo 8one &ho is dead:' This vam ire &as believed !o re!$rn and do malicio$s !hin"s andCor s$c# !he blood o% a erson 8$s$ally a rela!ive &ho had ca$sed !heir dea!h. or no! ro erly observed !he b$rial ceremonies. or &ho #e ! !he deceased;s ossessions ins!ead o% des!royin" !hem as &as ro er': >emale vam ires co$ld re!$rn. lead a normal li%e and even marry b$! &o$ld e,ha$s! !he h$sband' Anyone &ho had a hideo$s a earance. &as missin" a %in"er. or had animal a enda"es. e!c' &as believed !o be a vam ire' Even lan!s or do"s. ca!s. or %arm animals co$ld become vam ires' P$m #ins or melons #e ! in !he ho$se !oo lon" &o$ld s!ar! !o move. ma#e noises or sho& blood' To "e! rid o% a vam ire eo le &o$ld hire a dham ire 8!he son o% a vam ire and his &ido&: !o de!ec! !he vam ire' To &ard o%% vam ires. "y sies drove s!eel or iron needles in!o a cor se;s hear! and laced bi!s o% s!eel in !he mo$!h. over !he eyes. ears and be!&een !he %in"ers a! !he !ime o% b$rial' They also laced ha&!horn in !he cor se;s soc# or drove a ha&!horn s!a#e !hro$"h !he le"s' >$r!her meas$res incl$ded drivin" s!a#es in!o !he "rave. o$rin" boilin" &a!er over i!. deca i!a!in" !he cor se. or b$rnin" i!' In s i!e o% !he disr$ !ion o% *y sy lives by !he vario$s eas!ern E$ro ean comm$nis! re"imes. !hey s!ill re!ain m$ch o% !heir c$l!$re' In 433< a ne& #in" o% !he *y sies &as chosen in Bis!ri!2. Romania'

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// BATS0 No disc$ssion o% vam ires is even !hin#able &i!ho$! !al#in" abo$! ba!s' They are in!e"ral !o !he modern day conce ! o% !he vam ire. b$! !his &as no! al&ays !he case' Many c$l!$res have vario$s my!hs abo$! ba!s' In So$!h America. )ama2o!2 &as a ba! "od

o% !he caves livin" in !he Ba!ho$se o% !he Dnder&orld' In E$ro e. ba!s and o&ls &ere lon" associa!ed &i!h !he s$ erna!$ral. mainly beca$se !hey &ere ni"h! crea!$res' On !he o!her hand. !he *y sies !ho$"h! !hem l$c#y / !hey &ore charms made o% ba! bones' And in En"land !he Ea#e%ield cres! and !hose o% some o!hers have ba!s on !hem' So ho& did ba!s end $ becomin" associa!ed &i!h vam iresF There are only !hree s ecies o% vam ires ba!s in !he en!ire &orld. all o% &hich occ$r in )en!ral and So$!h America' D$rin" !he 4G!h cen!$ry !he S anish con?$is!adors %irs! came in!o con!ac! &i!h !hem and reco"ni2ed !he similari!y be!&een !he %eedin" habi!s o% !he ba!s and !hose o% !heir my!hical vam ires' I! &asn;! lon" be%ore !hey be"an !o associa!e ba!s &i!h !heir vam ire le"ends' Over !he %ollo&in" cen!$ries !he associa!ion became s!ron"er and &as $sed by vario$s eo le. incl$din" -ames Malcom Rhymer &ho &ro!e @Varney !he Vam yre@ in !he 4175;s' S!o#er cemen!ed !he lin#a"e o% ba!s and vam ires in !he minds o% !he "eneral $blic'

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// EI*HTEENTH )ENTDRY VAMPIRE )ONTROVERSY0 Today everyone is %amiliar &i!h vam ires. b$! in Bri!ain very li!!le &as #no&n o% vam ires rior !o !he 41!h cen!$ry' Eha! bro$"h! !he vam ire !o !he a!!en!ion o% !he "eneral $blicF D$rin" !he 41!h cen!$ry !here &as a maBor vam ire scare in Eas!ern E$ro e' Even "overnmen! o%%icials %re?$en!ly "o! dra""ed in!o !he h$n!in" and s!a#in" o% vam ires' This con!roversy &as direc!ly res onsible %or En"land;s c$rren! vam ire my!hs' In %ac!. !he &ord Vam ire only came in!o En"lish lan"$a"e in 4HA< via an En"lish !ransla!ion o% a *erman re or! o% !he m$ch $blici2ed Arnold Paole vam ire s!a#in" in Serbia' Ees!ern scholars serio$sly considered !he e,is!ence o% vam ires %or !he %irs! !ime ra!her !han B$s! br$shin" !hem o%% as s$ ers!i!ion' I! all s!ar!ed &i!h an o$!brea# o% vam ire a!!ac#s in Eas! Pr$ssia in 4H<4 and in !he A$s!ro/H$n"arian em ire %rom 4H<6/4HA7' T&o %amo$s cases involved Pe!er Plo"oBo&i!2 and Arnold Paole' Plo"oBo&i!2 died a! !he a"e o% G<. b$! came bac# a co$ le o% !imes a%!er his dea!h as#in" his son %or %ood' Ehen !he son re%$sed. he &as %o$nd dead !he ne,! day' Soon Plo"oBo&i!2 re!$rned and a!!ac#ed some nei"hbo$rs &ho died %rom loss o% blood' In !he o!her %amo$s case Arnold Paole. an e,/soldier !$rned %armer &ho had been a!!ac#ed by a vam ire years be%ore. died &hile hayin"' A%!er dea!h eo le be"an !o die and i! &as believed by everyone !ha! Paole had re!$rned !o rey on !he nei"hbo$rs' These !&o inciden!s &ere e,!remely &ell doc$men!ed' *overnmen! o%%icials e,amined !he cases and !he bodies. &ro!e !hem $ in re or!s. and boo#s &ere $blished a%!er&ards o% !he Paole case and dis!rib$!ed aro$nd E$ro e' The con!roversy ra"ed %or a "enera!ion' The roblem &as e,acerba!ed by r$ral eo le havin" an e idemic o% vam ire a!!ac#s and

di""in" $ bodies all over !he lace' Many scholars said vam ires didn;! e,is! / !hey a!!rib$!ed re or!s !o rema!$re b$rial. or rabies &hich ca$ses !hirs!' Ho&ever. Dom A$"$s!ine )alme!. a &ell res ec!ed >rench !heolo"ian and scholar. $! !o"e!her a care%$lly !ho$"h! o$! !rea!ise in 4H7G &hich said vam ires did e,is!' This had considerable in%l$ence on o!her scholars a! !he !ime' Even!$ally. A$s!rian Em ress Marie Theresa sen! her ersonal hysician !o inves!i"a!e' He said vam ires didn;! e,is! and !he Em ress assed la&s rohibi!in" !he o enin" o% "raves and desecra!ion o% bodies' This &as !he end o% !he vam ire e idemics' B$! by !hen everyone #ne& abo$! vam ires and i! &as only a ma!!er o% !ime be%ore a$!hors &o$ld reserve and mo$ld !he vam ire in!o some!hin" ne& and m$ch more accessible !o !he "eneral $blic'