The Vampire Compendium
Movie Dracula
“Vampirism is one of the most demonic outbreaks of mass hysteria ever to sweep the world. It’s origins are rooted at the beginning of time and almost all of them are founded on superstition.” – Anthony Masters
The phenomena we call vampires has existed across the world in a variety of cultures for a millennia. They have appeared in many shapes, but they always have the same connection – Blood. They are practically the definition of fear, an evil entity crawling into your house, at night, to feed on you as you sleep.
The concept of the vampire started in Mesopotamia though in it’s early forms it was attributed to demons before revenants. The mythology has evolved for thousands of years and continues today.
This article will delve into that evolution throughout the world and history. The purpose of this article is to get a glimpse at how diverse the global mythology and history of vampires is. It will get into the different and strange incarnations from all over the world then get into how the concept of vampires has affected our world today. In an attempt to fain order, this will be cut into categories.
Types of Vampires From Around the World
Europe and the U.K.
Central and South America, Mexico
Africa
Asia
Australia
Modern Vampires
Non-Human Vampires
Vampire Hunters
How to become a Vampire
How to Detect Vampires
How to Protect yourself from Vampires
How to Kill Vampires
How to Reverse Vampirism
Vampires in Culture
Vampires in science
A Vampire by any other Name…
Traits of Vampires
Conclusion
Types of Vampires from Around the World
Europe and the U.K.
Hollywood Vampire
Many of the modern myths surrounding vampires have originated from Europe, especially Eastern Europe. Most likely born from the spread of the folklore from the many bands of traveling gypsies from eastern Europe that were prevalent at the time, like…
Romania is strife with vampiric legends like the strigoi, described as a witch during life. Has red hair, blue eyes and two hearts. It can also leave its body at night in the form of an animal or a small spark of light that can be seen flying through the air. The varacolaci is said to be attached to it’s coffin by an invisible (astral) thread and can go wherever it wants as long as the thread is not broken. It is said to have the ability to cause both lunar and solar eclipses. They fall asleep when they cause the eclipses. Is said to be the most powerful of all the undead.
Bosnia has the Blautsauger which is a hairy vampire with no skeleton. It can turn into a rat or a wolf.
Russia has it’s own myths about vampires, like the Siberian Vampire which is an ethereal vampire that desires human blood for sustenance and warmth. They live in the stars and on cold nights, fall back to earth as shooting stars. They are strangely afraid of a wakeful human. There is also the Wampir which looks exactly like a regular person with the only exception of a stinger under their tongue. If burned, the body will explode with vermin (bugs, bats, maggots, rats, etc) and if any animal or insect escapes, the Wampir can return to life.
Albania has the Kukuthi which is a reasonably harmless vampire that feeds briefly on its victims without killing them. It returns to its grave until it reaches maturity, after thirty years it may travel as a merchant. They also has the Sampiro which are Albanians of Turkish descent that were said to return in a shroud and high heeled shoes. And the Sriz which, during the day, would climb to the top of the village church steeple and called out names of villagers. If a persons name was called they were to be a victim that night.
The Bulgarians have the Obur, a gluttonous, invisible, vampire That would create loud noises and throw objects if not given offerings. They also have the Ustrel, a newborn that died on a Saturday before being baptized usually turned into this type of vampire. After the 9th night of burial, it would rise again and attack livestock. If enough blood was consumed, it would grow strong enough stay out during the daytime. There is also the ubour which is a vampire created by a violent death or the spirits refusal to leave the body. The corpse remains buried for forty days and then rises to cause mischief. It generally won’t drink blood until its other sources of nourishment are gone, and as these include regular food the attacking of humans rarely occurs. It is said to create sparks by its movement.
The Czech Republic has the Olgolgen, a roaming vampire that travels naked with dirt from it’s tomb in it’s navel. They also have the Upír, this vampire was born of the thought that a person had two souls, and a vampire was a corpse animated by one of the souls, the lesser soul, that remained in the body after death. It had two hearts, and was known to have its eyes open in the grave and two curls in its hair.
The Vampire Book
In Germany there is the Nachtsehrer which would psychically cause people to waste away by actually eating itself and it’s shroud while still in it’s coffin.
Poland had the Upier, a vampire that rises at mid day and returns to sleep at midnight. It has a barbed tongue and consumes large quantities of blood. It also sleeps in blood as well.
Hungary has the Nora, a bald man that crawls on all fours and sucks blood out of the breasts of women.
Greece has the callicantzaros, a person born between Christmas and New Years. This vampire, with long talons, would attack people and tear them to pieces on those days between Christmas and New Years. It is also said to constantly smile and spit acidic blood on it’s victims. There is also the lamia, a half woman, half serpent vampire that lives in caves, where she drinks the blood of children. She sometimes transforms into a beautiful maiden to seduce young men to drink their blood (this is just one description of the Lamia, many civilizations have different descriptions for this creature).
Among the many kinds of vampires borrowed from surrounding countries, Italy has the Stregoni benefici, a good vampire said to fight evil vampires.
Portugal had the Bruxa which were vampiric witches that assumed animal forms such as a duck, rat, dove or ant, would meet at crossroads and attack infants in groups.
Montenegro and Serbia has the Veshtitza, a spiritual vampire that possesses a hen or black moth. It then drinks the blood of infants. They then come together in trees to share what they caught earlier.
The Americas and Mexico
The Americas and Mexico have their own strange forms of vampires. Like…
The Cherokee had the U`tlûñ’tä, a shape shifting ogress, with rock hard skin, who slaughters people and eats their livers. on her right hand is a stony forefinger made from hard bone, shaped like the head of a spear used to stab her victims.
Vampires in the Rocky Mountains sucked the blood out of its victim’s ears using its pointed nose.
Mexico has the Tlaciques which are vampiric witches who can turn into a ball of flame or a turkey, in which they can feed unnoticed. They also have the Tlahuelpuchi, a witch which detaches it’s legs and turns into any animal it chooses, to attack women.
In South America, Brazil has Lobishomen, a vampire that attacks women and turns them into nymphomaniacs. Columbia has the Tunda, a shape shifting vampire that usually appears as a loved one or beautiful woman to lure her victims into her forest home. She then feeds her victims shrimp she has farted on to keep them complacent. Also prevalent among South America is the Asema which would remove it’s skin at night and fly around as a gaseous ball (This is also very similar to the Haitian Loogaroo).
The Aztecs have the Tlacteulty which was in the shape of a huge frog and would cause mayhem. It’s main source of sustenance was blood.
Africa
Africa is rich in folklore and legend.
The Ewe tribe of Ghana have the Adze which is a vampire spirit that dwells in tribal sorcerers among the Ewe. The Adze flies around in the form of firefly but, if caught, changes into a human which is a small hunchbacked, misshapen humanoid with jet black skin that does not fit it. The Asiman for the Ashanti, also known as Obyifo to the Dahomey people, are known to possess people and animals and are described as having shifty eyes and are obsessed with food. While traveling, they are described as emiting a phosphorescent glow from their armpits and anus, and can also travel in a ball of light. They kill children from remotely sucking their blood from afar. They also suck the life from crops, especially the cocoa plant.
Also in Ghana is the Ashanti tribe which has the asasabonsam which lives in trees and has iron fangs with hook like legs used to catch it’s prey. They also have the Obayifo, a witch that would magically leave it’s body by night in the form of a glowing ball to suck the blood of children.
The country of Guinea has the Owenga which is the reincarnation of evil sorcerers, had books for feet and sucked blood from the thumb of a sleeping person.
Asia
Asia has a very diverse mythology. Collected into it are many beliefs including Arabian, Buddhist, Chinese, Hindu and Japanese.
China has the Kuang-shi which is a vampire caused by the demonic possession of a recently deceased corpse. Said to have a terrifying appearance, as it matures it gains new skills. The older among them rumored to have the ability to fly.
Japan has the Kappa, a vampire that lived in water, it attacked livestock and would drag them into the water and devour them. It has a dent in it‘s head, filled with water, and the only way to defeat it is to spill the water.
Japan also has the Rokurokubi. It is a Yokai, a Japanese spirit or demon. In the daytime, the Rokurokubi appear as a regular human but at night, they will stretch their necks to extraordinary lengths. Just like a human, they have different personalities. Some will be nice while others can be mischivous and evil. They usually hide their long neck from the general public, only showing them to drunkards or the blind. They were once normal human beings but were transformed by karma for breaking various precepts of Buddhism and like to drink blood.
The Philippines have the Manananggal which is a female vampire that would separate it’s upper body from it’s hips and flew with wings. They also have the Aswang, a witch who, after rubbing on a magical ointment, would appear as a beautiful woman. At night, she would fly to the roof of a house and would send her long tongue through an open window to pierce the throat of a sleeping victim and drink the blood. When fully fed she appeared as a pregnant woman. It is believed that if the aswang were to lick someone‘s shadow, they would die soon after.
Malaysia has the Langsuir which is a mother who has died in childbirth. The langsuir has long sharp nails, black, “weightless” hair and green robes. On the back of her neck is a second mouth used to drink the blood of infants. Is said to be able to fly and shape shift into an owl. They also have the Toyol, a still born baby brought back to life by a sorcerer to do his bidding. It is kept in a jar during the day and demand an offering of blood. If there is no blood, the sorcerer soon withers and dies.
India has the Brahmaparush, a vampire that would cheerfully drink a victims blood through its skull, than eat the brain and wrap the victims intestines around its body and perform a ritualistic dance. And the Chedipe which would ride a tiger naked. At night she would enter a household and suck the blood from the man through his big toe. And the Churel, a woman vampire with feet turned backwards. She is described as a hideous creature with long, sagging breasts and unkempt hair or a beaufiful young woman with a long thick black tongue. She is said to have died during childbirth or while menstruating, and preys on young men. There’s also the Vetala which is technically a spirit but once possessing a corpse it will roam the earth drinking the blood of the living. The Baital is half human, half bat, stands four feet tall and drinks the blood of children, and the Masani is a female vampire that is said to be the spirit of burial grounds, is black in appearance, from ash, and emerges from a funeral pyre at night to hunt.
Burma has the Thaye which are disembodied spirits that appear as tall dark people with huge ears, a long tongue and tusk-like teeth.
The Malay Peninsula has the Penanggalan, or Penanggal. It is a woman who either has made a pact with the devil, was cursed, or was startled so much that her head fell off. By day they appear as a normal, maybe even beautiful, woman. But at night she will remove her head and, with her entrails hanging from her neck, will fly around looking for victims. Her main prey is pregnant women and children who she feeds on with a long invisible tongue. It is usually followed by an odor of vinegar.
Australia
Australia is both the worlds smallest continent and the largest island. Early in it’s history it had a great diversity between different Indigenous inhabitants.
Australia has the Garkain which is a half man, half bat with a deadly stench, the Garkain would hide in mangrove trees and swoop down on it’s forsaken victim, wrapping them tightly in it’s wings. They would at first choke on the stench then suffocate. The Garkain would then begin to feed.
Also prevelent among aboriginal tribes is the Yara-ma-yha-who which is a four foot tall red man with a big head and large mouth. It lives in fig trees and leaps onto it’s victims and sucks their blood through suckers on the tips of it’s fingers and toes.
The Talamaur is a living vampire. It could communicate with the spirit world, making one of these spirits its servant which it would send out to suck the life essence out of a fresh corpse.
The nearby Melanesian Islands have the Abere. Described as a beautiful, wild, woman with female servants. She draws people into the marshes inwhich she dwells to devour them.
Modern Vampires
Dracula
The concept of vampirism has evolved in recent decades. They have grown from recent novels and films and advances in science.
Romantic Vampires – Romance has been part of vampire history for hundreds of years but only recently was shown in a lighter way. There are many mythical vampires that will seduce or lure a victim to their death. But starting with Dracula, by Bram Stoker, this was the first story in which the lust from his potential victims was not shown in a bad light. Portrayed as suave and charismatic, they tend to lure their victims more than sneak up on them and are seen as sympathetic. This can later be seen in Anne Rice’s Vampire Chronicles and more recently in the Twilight series.
Scientific Vampires – This being the newest form of fictional vampires. Starting, roughly, within the last sixty years. With the advent of the Atomic Age and scientific advances, modern vampire stories would change from gothic European castles to cities and suburbia. This type of vampire would usually be seen in comic books, novels, television and film. The vampire strain usually being attributed to a virus or mutation.
Non-human Vampires
Maneden – A Malaysian creature that lived in a wild pandanus plant. If a human harmed the plant, the creature would attach itself to a mans elbow, or a woman’s nipple, where it sucked their blood until they gave something in substitution, such as a nut.
Polong – A witch’s familiar (helper, usually an everyday animal or imp), from Malaysia, that would do the bidding of the witch in exchange for small amounts of blood taken from a cut in the witches finger.
Chupacabra – A Latin American creature reported to suck the blood of live stock. Usually attributed to be a scientific experiment or an alien (sometimes, the pet of an alien). Usually described as being reptilian in appearance. Stands three to four feet tall and is said to hop like a kangaroo. The attribute that sticks out to many are it‘s eyes which are very large with a red or black appearance.
Liderc - A Hungarian creature that can be one of three forms. One is a magical chicken whose egg, which is sometimes black, has to be placed in manure to hatch. The second form is a tiny imp like creature that can also be hatched in a black egg or found in inanimate objects (old clothes, trash, cans, etc). The third is a human sized satanic creature or sometimes a dead relative. No matter the form, they all bring good luck and riches and performs tasks for it’s owner, yet eventually grows bothersome and will have to be given an impossible duty to be ridden of. Sometimes drinks the blood of it’s owner.
Vampiric Pumpkins (aka Mullo) – Roma folklore states that a pumpkin left to rot will drink the blood of it’s owners. (This myth can basically be added to anything left to rot).
Man-eating trees – A tree from Madagascar that looks like a large pineapple and exudes an addictive drugged liquid. Once a victim goes far enough inside it, it closes and squeezes all juices out of the victim.
Impundulu (aka Izulu, Inyoni and Yezulu)- A South African creature of the Pondo, Zulu and Xhosa peoples. Translated to “Lightning Bird”, it is described a a black and white, human sized bird that can summon lightning and thunder. It is the familiar (helper) of a witch or witch doctor and ravenously craves blood. It is also said to sometimes take the form of a handsome man to seduce women.
Indonesia has the Jenglot. It is described as looking like a mummified doll with long claws and fangs along with long blond or black hair. It stands 12 to 15 centimeters tall and can sometimes have a snake or mermaid appearance. Jenglots are often sold to tourists and is claimed to only appear dead. These are usually the mummified remains of a dead monkey. If a drop of blood is placed near it, it reportedly will somehow obsorb the nutrients in an unseen manner. They can be found in tree trunks, underground and in the roof of an old house.
Wak Wak – A Philippino bird/bat-like creature that comes out at night looking for victims. It is named after the sound it’s wings make while flying and is said to have sharp claws and wings.
Vampire Hunters
Dhampir – A half vampire, half human said to have all of the vampires strengths and none of their weaknesses. The signs of a dhampir is usually ugliness- snub-nose, large ears, teeth or eyes, paleness, blackness under the eyes, bow-legged ,and sometimes a tail. They can see invisible vampires (sometimes vampires in general) and are, in Bulgaria and Serbia, usually the only hope in fighting the undead. A Dhampir can enable others to see invisible vampires by taking off his shirt and letting them see through the sleeves. Some myth further states that they have soft, gelatinous skin and sometimes even no skeleton.
Djadadjii – A Bulgarian vampire hunter who bottles vampires. The hunter would fill a bottle with blood and leave it alone. The vampire would eventually be drawn to the blood filled bottle or be chased into it by the hunter. The bottle would then be corked and thrown into a fire.
Vampire Slayer – A human vampire hunter. They may have similar abilities to Dhampir’s but are not half vampire. It is said that they like to eat the meat of a sheep ekilled by a wolf and can entice vampires with music and kill them, or throw their hat in water, telling the vampire to fetch it, and drown in the process.
How to Become a Vampire
Along with the myths themselves, how to become a vampire is very diverse. Some of these are…
In birth, being born on a religious holiday, being born the seventh child (and sometimes being the seventh child of a seventh child), being born the illegitimate child of parents who were themselves illegitimate, being born with red hair and blue eyes or dark hair and dark eyes, being cursed either in the womb or at birth, being born with the caul on the head, being born with traits like teeth, extra hair, a tail and two hearts.
In life you may become a vampire if you eat livestock killed by a wolf, if you are a thief or prostitute, die unbaptized, die between Christmas and Epiphany, are a witch, wizard or werewolf, are excommunicated by the church, had a wound that was not treated with boiling water, die alone, are killed by an animal, commit suicide or are murdered.
After death you can become a vampire if a cat, dog or wolf jump over the body before burial, if a chicken flies over your body before burial, a person were to give someone an object or shake hands over the body, a candle is passed over the body, religious burial rites are not given or if the deceased’s brother sleepwalks.
How to Detect Vampires
Along with everything else, how to detect a vampire is very diverse.
Some ways to detect a living vampire are fangs, red eyes, a tail, long nails, has really bad breath, no appetite, paleness, cold skin, hairy palms, has no shadow or reflection in a mirror, unable to enter a house without invitation, aversion to bright lights or fire, has quiet footsteps, possesses remarkable strength (though not always the case), extensive knowledge about botany, a large collection of soil in a house or in the vicinity, deemed evil by others, strange clothing habits, are considered an outcast, emits unusually large sexual appeal, friends and family of them frequently die, and they rarely, if ever, discuss religion.
The signs on a victim are sleeplessness, nightmares, anemia (blood loss), paleness, exhaustion, sleepwalking, difficulty in breathing, heightened sexual apatite, nervousness or irritability, weight loss, aversion to garlic, gaps in memory, strange dental growths, random mood swings, no appetite, photosensitivity, bite marks, usually on the neck, sexual organs, over the heart, the breast, the nipple, between the eyes or the feet.
Signs of a vampire in a cemetery are constant mists, disturbed earth, finger-size holes, moved, broken or fallen crosses, disturbed coffins, footprints leading from a grave, a blood trail leading to a grave, no birds singing, dead animals, a constant quiet stillness, dogs barking (or refusing to enter cemetery), wolves howling, horses shying from grave, nearby poltergeist activity, and groaning, screaming and scratching sounds heard from under the earth.
The signs once the body has been exhumed are open eyes, fangs (though not always the case), healthy complexion, bloated body, growth of nails and hair, long, talon-like nails, flexible limbs, lack of decomposition, half devoured shroud, “new” skin, sense of impending doom about the corpse, other similar corpses nearby, white liver, open mouth and blood in the mouth, coffin or tomb.
How to Protect Yourself from Vampires
The most common way to protect yourself from the undead is an Apotrope, an object used to ward off evil. These consist of holy water, rosary beads, crucifix, silver, salt, roses, holy, garlic, amulets, sacred objects, etc. For the Strix, the common form of protection was the sacrifice of a pig as an alterative source of food. Because of it’s association with Jesus Christ, hawthorn is used as protection in Europe, China and the Americas. You may also place a block of wood or stone in the mouth to keep it from chewing it’s way out of it’s coul and coffin. You can also place a sickle in front of the neck in the coffin to keep the vampire from rising.
In many cultures it is commonly believed that vampires suffer from obsessive compulsive disorder and one way to take advantage of this was to distract the vampire. This was usually done by sprinkling seeds, beads, or rice around the grave or suspected place of attack. The vampire would either be compelled to count each grain until dawn arrives or count one grain per year. Another way to exploit this obsessive activity is to sleep with your shoes on. The vampire would be so compelled to untie knots that they may be kept busy until dawn. Fire is usually the best form of protection against vampires but not exactly a good idea if you want to keep them out of your house. In the end, the best defense is a good offense.
How to Kill Vampires
The only good vampire is a dead vampire. When a bloodsucker has been identified, the best thing to do is to put it out of it’s misery, and there are many ways to do that. Drive an aspen, hawthorn, ash or silver stake through it’s heart, shoot it with a silver bullet, decapitation, pour boiling water, oil or holy water into the grave and cremate the corpse, pour the ashes into water and drink it.
Some other methods of disposal are placing coins, lemons or garlic in the mouth, burying the body facing downward, hammering an iron nail into the corpses temple, cutting off and burning the head, boiling the head in vinegar, bury the grave at crossroads, nail down the lid with silver or iron nails and chain the coffin shut.
How to Reverse Vampirism
Though there aren’t many ways for vampirism to be reversed, there are a few. In Europe and early America, drinking the blood of the vampire before it bites you, is one. Myth says it avoids it’s own blood. It can be baked into bread, smeared onto a potential victim, or mixed with brandy or water. Another way is to remove and burn the heart of the vampire and inhale the smoke.
Vampirism in Culture
Even though vampires are assumed to be only legend, they have still strongly impacted our history and culture. Starting in 1721, various “vampire outbreaks” broke out around Europe. These events would include a death in a village and soon after more deaths would follow. Usually starting with the family members of the deceased and eventually spreading to the rest of the village. Soon after, there was a frenzy of potential vampires being dug up and bodies mutilated. These incidents only slowed when Empress Maria Theresa of Austria sent her personal physician, Gerard Van Swieten, to investigate the claims of vampiric incidents. After investigating hundreds of claims he concluded that vampires do not exist. Soon after, Theresa passed laws prohibiting the disinterment of graves. Even though the hysteria died down, the myth of the vampire lived on.
Starting with the “age of enlightenment”, legends of vampirism was pushed to the side, reverting from isolated monster stories to international romanticism. Stories of paranoia and laissez-fair ghost stories were replaced by intelligent, romantic, epic tales. But, in 1897, author Bram Stoker authored his most famous novel, Dracula. Combining the genres of the old legends and the then modern romanticism into a story revolving around a diplomatic, charismatic character that was more handsome and intelligent than what has been described in the past. Blending the old legends with the new genre, Stoker created a tale of passion, horror, mystery and action into a compelling and classic story. Upon it’s release it was met with luke warm reviews and sales, only gaining popularity with a stage adaptation in 1924, although the novel’s influence on the popularity of vampires has been singularly responsible for many theatrical, film and television interpretations throughout the 20th and 21st centuries. It has become one of the most adapted stories with up to 649 films with Dracula in the title. Dracula has become one of the most used characters in stage or film, only seconded by Sherlock Holmes. Stokers novel has had such an impact on the genre that most peoples conceptions of the vampire are from Dracula.
Despite the general disbelief in vampiric entities, occasional sightings of vampires are reported. In 1970, rumors spread of a vampire lurking in the High Gate Cemetery in London after many sightings of a gray skinned being seen gliding through the cemetery. The mystery deepened on August 1st when the charred decapitated corpse of a woman was discovered in the cemetery. The claims culminated a few days later when a local vampire hunter, named Sean Manchester, was arrested attempting to enter the cemetery with a crucifix and stake.
Superstitions of vampires are still seen around the world. In Malawi, Africa, in 2002, residents stoned government officials, some to death, for allegedly colluding with vampires. In Romania, 2004, the relatives of Tom Petre exhumed his body, ripped out his heart and burned it to ashes. They then put the ashes in a glass of water and drank it. In 2007, self-proclaimed vampire hunters broke into the tomb of former president, of Serbia and Yugoslavia, Slobodan Milosevic, and staked his body through the heart into the ground.
Mostly stemming from the romanticism started by Stokers landmark novel and the Goth subculture, many people have been drawn to the perceived lifestyle of the undead. These people claim to be crave the consumption life giving properties and can be divided into many categories. Sanguinarian vampires are people who consume human blood. This is done by a willing partner and is usually highly ritualistic. Psychic vampires report to absorb metaphysical, life, energy through touch. Empathic vampires “psychically” feed on the emotional energies of others and soul vampires feed directly from your soul either psychically or through touch. Though it can not be explained by science, the practitioners of theses activities claim to benefit from the regular consumption of human blood and life energies and appear to suffer from withdrawal-like symptoms when deprived of it. Vampyres are individuals who are attracted to modern vampire lore. They tend to be wear gothic attire and prosthetic, elongated, teeth yet do not drink blood.
Vampirism in Science
Vampirism isn’t just connected to myth and legend. In science, the habit of drinking blood is called Hematophagy, and since blood is full of proteins and lipids (fats, etc) it can be a very nutritious meal. The most famous animal connected to vampires is the vampire bat. The vampire bat will fly around hunting for prey. Once the host is found (usually sleeping cattle or birds) they land, and if there any hair, they will use their teeth to shave the area and begin to feed by making an incision with their upper incisor teeth. The bat will inject an anticoagulant called draculin (no joke) and proceed to drink the blood. The Paracanthopoma vampyra (vampire fish) is a small fish, about 25 mm long, that would swim through the gills of a larger fish and suck it’s blood. The mosquito will find it’s hosts location by following carbon dioxide and body heat. Once it lands it will bite and inject various anticoagulants and feed. Only female mosquitoes feed on blood, which is only needed for protein and iron to develop eggs. Other insects that feed on blood are Assassin Bugs, Black Flies, Bed Bugs, Ticks, Mites and Fleas.
The drinking of blood is not limited to animals and insects. The feeding on blood by people is usually done in a ritualistic way. For instance, cow blood mixed with milk is a mainstay food in the African Maasai. Black Pudding is eaten in many places around the world and the Mongols are known to drink the blood of their horses. The Norse Berserker warriors were also reported to drink the blood of their slain enemies.
In the past, anything not able to be explained at the time was usually attributed to God or Satan but with the advent of the scientific age, the explanations for the unknown has turned into a scientific search for the truth. Stories of vampirism are no longer explained by undead creatures from beyond the grave but by well known diseases and disorders. Porphyria has been an explanation brought forward by biochemist David Dolphin. Porphyria is a inherited disorder of certain enzymes in the body. Since it is treated with intravenous heme, Dolphin suggested that the vampires drinking of blood was a search for heme. This claim is dismissed by the scientific community as a misunderstanding of the disease.
Another explanation is a contagion. This hypothesis came about because of the many stories of deaths of family and friends of the reported, deceased, vampire. One last possible explanation is rabies. Rabies is a viral disease, commonly transmitted by the bite of an infected animal and causes inflammation of the brain. Symptoms, if not treated, include headaches, fever, pain, hypersensitivity, violent movement, depression, mania and lethargy. Soon after the infected will fall into a coma and then die within days. Due to hypersensitivity, the victim may show a susceptibility to garlic and light and develop nocturnal habits due to a disturbance of sleep patterns.
Many stories have been told of a suspected vampire being disinterred with a healthy and plump complexion with blood seeping out of their mouth and newly grown hair, nails and teeth, or signs that the coffin has been disturbed from the inside. The most common explanation for this has been as a misunderstanding of decomposition. The bodies rate of decomposition can be greatly affected by temperature, minerals in the soil, and preservation techniques. As the bodily fluids dry up, the soft tissues will retract giving the illusion of freshly grown nails, hair and teeth. The internal organs will later begin to putrefy, caused by bacteria, and the abdomen will begin to swell from the decomposition gases, which then push the liquefied organs out any open hole in the body like the mouth, nose and anus. The distended abdomen will eventually explode, damaging the inside of the coffin, giving it the appearance of being clawed at. Gases escaping out of the mouth or anus would seem like the corpse is taking a breath or “passing gas”. Another explanation for the disturbance of the coffin is grave robbery. (interesting note, a corpse takes more time to decompose now than it did years ago because of all the preservatives consumed during our lifetime).
A Vampire by any other Name…
The word “Vampire” is a relatively new term. The common concept of the vampire has been known by many names. This is just a few.
Aluka
Prikosac
Asra-pa
Sooder folley
Betails
Strigoaica
Bluatsauger
Strix
Craitnag folley
Tenatz
Danag
Tenjac
Dearg
Upierczi
Dybbuk
Upierzyca
Empusai
Upiór
Kosac
Upiorzyca
Kukuthi
Upirina
Kyuketsuki
Uppyr
Lampir
Upiribi
Lugat
Vampir
Mandurugo
Vampyres
Moroaica
Vapir
Moroi
Vepir
Mulo
Vetalas
Nachttoter
Vieszcy
Neuntoter
Vipir
Njetop
Vjesci
Nosophoros
Vjeszczi
Nosufuratu
Vrykolakas
Opiri
Vukodlak
Opyri
Wupji
Oupire
Pamgri
Traits of Vampires
Besides the consumption of blood, vampires around the world do have some similarities, though with the diversity of legends, these similarities are limited.
Vampires are usually considered to have a pale complexion, though this is technically not always true.
Conclusion
As you can see, the affect vampirism has caused on our history is vast. The fact that they are the most used monster in film shows how they have had such staying power. In all incarnations they are always the most terrifying creatures any civilization has. Sometimes they can leave popular insight into our times. Stoker’s Dracula dealt with the pasts conflict with the present, the folklore of the past vs. the technology and speed of the present times, at it’s core it is the struggle between tradition and modernity. The vampire has been the primary explanation for disease and contagion until Empress Maria Theresa of Austria outlawed the disturbance of the dead. This prompted a search for an alternate explanation which led to modern medical practice. Vampires can fulfill our dreams of immortality yet at the same time explore our fears of the unknown inconceivability of it. History has shown that they will never leave and will continue to evolve with our times and, personally, I can‘t wait to see what else they will be shown to do.
Written by “Bracket”, Copyright 2009 VampireTruth.com
Hey Bracket! I would have to say that this is one of the best articles on Vampires that I have read. I expect this article to be quite popular and I really look forward to the interesting comments that will be made here.
Caretaker
Thanks. The funny thing is, the biggest problem i had was figuring out a title. I’ve got a question though, why is the entire texts for Africa and Australia highlighted?
Thanks for adding the picture. I was thinking of doing it but wasn’t sure if i could.
Bracket,
I’m impressed with the sheer volume of information. I knew about a few of these vampires, but had no idea there are so many. I enjoyed references to some historical figures, and the part they played in affecting the evolution of vampire tales. Excellent work!
Bracket – no problem. If you have any specific images you would like to use you may email them to me.
sweet
This is an awesome article
I learned heaps on it!!!!
You really brought out the correlation in vampires distributed globally and on the historical context of vampires
nicely done
this is awsome bracket well donee xx
Wow , this is a lot of information, very interesting reading, especially the part about corpses taking longer to decomposed because of all the persevatives we consume. But I’m still wondering why vampires are afraid of roses!
Caretaker
To your comment above- thanks, if i think of anything i’ll send it to you but also, i forgot a vampire i wanted to put on here. It apparently got lost in the confusion while compiling my info. So, can i type it up and email it to you so that you can add it?
Bracket – of course you can, anytime
Caretaker
Thanks. Instead of emailing it i’ll put ot on here since i’m already here. I’d like this to be placed under Australia.
Also prevelent among aboriginal tribes is the Yara-ma-yha-who which is a four foot tall red man with a big head and large mouth. It lives in fig trees and leaps onto it’s victims and sucks their blood through sucker on the tips of it’s fingers and toes.
bracket – New text has been added
Caretaker
Thanks.
Karen M.
They’re afraid of roses because they symbolize the Virgin Mary. Which makes them an Apotrope.
What woulld be an apotrope in other religions? If vampires exsit in all parts of the world would, say for example other cultures have another method of warding off the evil? I know that christians have the cross and there is that garlic thing but what about the others?
Karen M.
Yes, basically any religious object would work in any given region. Star of David, Ankh, Lingham, etc. An Apotrope is anything that wards off evil.
Oh, yes now I think I know what you’re saying there was this old vampire movie, I can’t remember the name but when the ‘vampire” was in the coffin they put roses all around him! That is so interesting I never knew that ………..THANKS
Really well written bracket,I’ve never heard of some of that stuff before.
Thankyou
Karen M.
I find it funny that the most interesting thing to you about this article is the fact about decomposition. I just threw that in as a afterthought.
Just out of curiousity, whats everyones favorite vampire mentioned in this article?
Lobishomen is interesting…..has the more appealing after effects,LOL.
The Australian ones are interesting to me too,especially the Garkain.I’ve not come across that one before.
I just love the vampiric pumpkin!! Don’t go into the pumpkin patch alone at night!
thanks I better get rid of these peaches here that are rotting in a bowl, will give a new meaning to cling peaches!
to be honest i dont have a favorite vamp, but if i had to choose it would be the modern vamp
They all seem pretty crazy! great article bracket. there was so much information i never knew. i was getting pretty bored reading the replys for “do vampires exist” and you brought back my interest. Thanks!
maryfey
Yeah, if i met a woman bitten by the Lobishomen i wouldn’t complain.
Karen M.
Yeah, that would probably be a good idea.
rebecca
There are 2 modern vamps listed. Is it that you like both of them? And, to your last comment- you’re welcome.
bracket:
lol…I don’t think the woman would be complaining either.
Just a heads up for anyone who wants further information on vampires,
I composed an article about the science behind vampires (different species of vampires existing, evolution of vampires and the future for the vampire species, etc) existing today and the different vampires people have encountered. If you also have any general queries on the science of vampires, or have encountered a vampiric like creature, be sure to post a reply on my article and i’ll try and catch up on it.
http://www.vampiretruth.com/do-vampires-exist/
This is also a link to an article i wrote on werewolves (kinda like the one on vampires) and the general science behind them and the types of werewolves existing today and whether we can transform into one.
http://www.trueghosttales.com/paranormal/werewolves-do-exist/
Nice article…but i still liked Alpha’s better.
You article imposes literary misconceptions about vampires that were propagated through popular culture and historical contexts. It detracts from the true existence of vampires out there.
Vampire sightings are real and from various accounts/descriptions from people, they are nothing liking the popular culture and historical vampires you promote in this article.
Sorry, but the information in this article may suffice people who are wound up in the whole literary connotations for vampires but there are people out there who want the truth!
Learning about the mythology and the historical background of Vampires is also very important to understanding the entire picture. Bracket’s and Alpha’s articles compliment each other rather than compete.
Under the heading of “how to become a vamire”, they have the superstion here also about the animals jumping over the dead person, but here they say it has to be a black cat that jumps over your grave. Kenny Kingston of the psychic hot-line is 7 of 7 in his family, I’ve always had my suspicions about him, but he’s old probably has dentures, maybe he has his normal ones and ones with fangs.
bracket-
i like both modern vamps.
Dawson’s Creek
Thats the point of this article. It gets into the global MYTHOLOGY of vampires, and how that mythology has impacted the world. Like Caretaker says, it’s meant to compliment Alphas article. In fact this was Alphas idea.
rebecca
Oh, just wondering.
Alpha
Are you trying to steal my thunder or something?
Bracket, I don’t think Alpha is trying to steal your thunder, you’re right it’s him who suggested that you write your own article, but to be honest your’s is a little dry, it’s more like a dictonary, I know that you put alot of work into this,and it is interesting.
this was very interenting. i love vampires and even belive in them! i am very interesting in it so if u could write more that would be good 2 but u dont have 2 if u dont want 2
Karen M.
I know he’s not trying to steal my thunder, i was just kidding. I just find it funny that it was his idea for me to write it, i do and then he advertises his own story on it. Though, to be fair, i did the same thing on his.
I know the article may sound a little bland but that’s because i was trying to keep it short. Imagine if i was cracking jokes throughout the whole thing. It would be twice as long.
zoe
What more do you want to know?
I think the beauty about this article is that it can be constantly evolving and added to, if Caretaker is willing to do that. It could become the ultimate vampire encyclopedia.
Caretaker
What do you think about my last comment? When i was compiling the information for this i never saw this much info in one place so this could already be one of the largest compilations of vampire lore out there and if it’s constantly evolving, it really could be the ultimate vampire encyclopedia. If somebody adds something, in the comment section, about vamps thats not in the article already, i’ll do all the investigation about the claim and type it up to be added and all you’ll have to do is add it.
bracket
I would have no problem at all with that and agree that it would be a good idea. Just let me know and I will add any edits you choose. A “living” growing Compendium on Vampire Mythology and History.
Alright. Now i’m pumped, this could be really cool. Is there a way that this could be “advertised” on the site?
This article is displayed at the top of our main Vampire page at http://www.trueghosttales.com/vampires.php < -- this is the 6th most popularly visited page on the entire website.
It is also featured in the most recent newsletter and on our Squidoo pages at (Much appreciate if anyone would pay a visit here and post your comment.) http://www.squidoo.com/vampirestories
Ok. Thanks.
Could you expain Nachtsehrer a little more? I’m not really getting why it eats itself, it does’t really sound like a vampire.
Steal your thunder?
No
My article has had a good run but as with all things, it has to come to an end
oh and sorry if you got the wrong impression about me posting the link to my article in this blog. Like caretaker said our articles compliment each other.
putting that aside….i’ve never been into the whole propaganda business
By the way guys if you want more info on vamps just head over to my article
Ok, I get your comment on cracking jokes, I’ve always loved the paranormal and things that can’t really be explained, but I just don’t believe in vampires, you’re article was well written,I just have a curious mind,but that doesn’t mean that I have to believe in what I’m reading! I understand that there are stories,myths,superstions on vampires all over the world, that’s the part that interests me is that the whole world has some opinion/history about these creatures of the night.
Alpha
I was just screwing with you on the stealing the thunder thing.
And to tell you the truth, i don’t think your articles run has come to an end. I think mine could get a little tedious and people could get bored with it.
But this article will be growing so if there is a type of vampire you’ve heard about that not on here, bring it up.
Karen M.
The myth of the Nachtsehrer only says that it feeds on itself and causes others to wither and die. Basically it psychically drinks peoples blood by eating it’s shroud and itself.
The ancient Indian goddes Kali, with fangs and a garland of corpses skulls, was also intimatlely linked with drinking blood.
Karen M.
Thanks but i was trying to stay away from gods and demons. I might type up a section for it at some point though.
Wouldn’t gods and demons some how be associated with the whole vampire myth?
Karen M.
They started out that way but they eventually became the blood drinking undead, and thats what i was focusing on. Some of the myths say that they are possessed by demons but they are still undead.
Karen M.
Yeah there are
Supposedly there were biblical allusions to vampires before they were removed (if ever such a thing occurred).. These linked vampires as being creations and servants of satan.
Bracket, I did go on google and put in “blood” like you said and in the vampire part there was also gods and goddesses mixed in with it, that’s why I mentioned Kali. I’m still leaning toward myth, I did spend 3 months in the island of Trinidad once, where it’s 90% hindu religion, when someone dies they take them into a field and burn the body, believe me I saw it!
Hey, Nicely done! I enjoyed this article very much. Alot of things that I didnt know. I liked the party about the vampire fish…I would have never thought of that…Its kind of scary! Lol. I enjoyed it Bracket.
Karen M.
Like i said, i was trying to focus on human based vampires while writing this. I was thinking of writing up a section to add to this about vampiric gods and demons because there are plenty of them like in Egyptian and Incan mythology. I’m also going to write up a section about how to detect vampires, i felt this was missing that.
AngelsDeath
Thanks. If theres anything you think it’s missing, bring it up. I’ll do the research and possibly add it.
Bracket, some really in depth researching you did, my husband is from Longobucco the cosenza province of calabria , and he never heard of Stregoni benefici.
that was a compliment!!
as i am writing i am watching a documentary about vampires/dracula and certain rituals that are performed in some countries. the one they are speaking about now is Romania and their rituals on exhuming bodies. Check it out! Travel channel!
Karen M.
Thanks….. i think.
Anonymous
Your comment was posted a day late. But thanks anyways.
Bracket, seriously there are alot of vampires here that I’m sure not too many people have ever heard of, that’s why it was a compliment………I’ve never heard of half of them either ,to be honest I didn’t know so many different varieties exsisted!
Karen M.
Thanks.
Hey, jumped over here because my computer won’t let me on to talkparanormal.
Bracket, just wanted to say, I hope my computer gets back on track so I can enjoy your movie trailors again!
Again, you do your research well. I have to wonder why the belief of sunlight being damaging only came about in the last century? I always thought it was that way. Of course I haven’t been around for a whole century, so I guess I wouldn’t know, would I?
Thanks for the great article. Tell Caretaker, I’ll be back on the forum as soon as my computer will let me in. I’m surprised I got into this site!
scarygirl67
I’m guessing this is because they have always had a connection to the dark, so damage from the sun logically followed in modern myth.
Hope you get back to the forum soon.
That’ because they’re “creatures of the night” sounds more logical and scarier in the night than in the day!
For anybody who has read this previously and is posting now, there’s a few minor updates and the addition of a new section, How to Detect Vampires. I’d like to thank Caretaker for adding them by the way.
Bracket – No, I should thank you for the new information.
You’re welcome.
Hello, I have a picture of a black cat in this cemetary here in France, there is also a big iron cross that is kind of tilted to one side, I’m going to see if I can put the pictures on my computer then send to caretaker,if anyone would like to see them!
Karen M:
I’ve heard of the Stregoni benefici,it’s in the Twilight book.The only place I’ve come across it myself.
Maryfey, I’ve never read that book.
hi…im from Greece and in my county we haven’t got any stories about this theme…but i would like to talk about this cause i find it very ENTERTAINING…have you ever listen about the qualitte legends?? {or something like that..never mind}….did enybody had a research sbout that??..
irine
I write about species of vampires in Greece under “Europe and the U.K.”.
Bracket, you see what I was trying to say before, alot of people never heard of half of them even if they are in the country they’re living in.
Karen M.
Yes i see that. Thank you.
maryfey
There’s been a new vampire added under Australia. Just thought you’d be interested.
This is the best thing i have read about vampires.
yes i could learn about myself by being a vampire good thing i search this so i could learn about myself hello im just a boy just learning vampires and just having fun with my life.Well im happy that theres many people keep beleiving vampires welll i have talk many peoples they said they dont beleive in vampires welll i kept telling them that vampire do exist.well they kept saying that the word of vampire is just a legend well im not shure if it is a legend or it is true that vampires are just lvivng with the humans?.WELL DO U BELEIVE IN VAMPIRES?
Well, I really like the asian ones the one from India who eats brains, is pretty sick, I wonder where half of these myths came from? Not too long ago I saw something on CNN where they found a real chupacabra.
Anna B
Thank you. If there’s anything you think is missing, bring it up and i’ll look it up and possibly add it.
!-Masterman1-!
I’m willing to believe in vampires.
Karen M.
What did it look like?
Bracket, this was a while ago and maybe 2 years but i’m sure if you go to cnn. com and look in the archives it will come up
hi, i`m interested in real facts about vampires.
is it really or not?
These are the real facts!
archangel
These are from mythology from around the world, so if you’re asking if these are real myths, the answer is yes, but if you’re asking they they are actually real, probably not. If you want an article about more believable vampires, read Alphas article, “Do Vampires Exist?”.
Hey, bracket. Your article is awesome. Very nice. Credits to you!
But wait there is something i’d like to tell you. Im a filipino. And you mentioned here about the manananggal and aswang. I know its kinda hard to believe that they do exist but it’s true, they really. I have lots of experience from them. One is from my cousin(she is pregnant), it seems that the creature that we encountered is the one called “aswang”.
The father of my cousin(she is pregnant) is a taxi driver, it is his routine to go home at 5:00 am, whenever he feels sleepy, he is sleeping on the living room. My uncle leave the house after dinner, to get some money. That night there is a very loud noise from our roof as if there is something that land there. They are all asleep except me. Then my cousin go to the c.r. to pee. Then she saw his father at the living room. Its strange ’cause it was just 12:00am. My uncle never did that except that night. The husband of my cousin was fast asleep and i couldn’t even were in 1 room still i couldn’t ’cause im afraid from the noise. His father has no bedroom but he always sleep at the living room. I saw my uncle in the door of our bedroom and staring at my cousin, his eyes are focused on the infant. But i know his father noticed that im awake im afraid of what will happen next. Its 1:00am theres someone knocking on the door but my uncle is doing nothing its kind a strange. Then the husband of my cousin was awaken by the knockings. He raise from the bed and walk to the door of our room and said good morning to my uncle. Then he opened the door that leads outside. Its hard to believe that the husband of my cousin saw my uncle also the same from the door of our room. When he gaze from our room he couldn’t see the dopple image anymore. But i saw the dopple fade slowly. We are confused from the situation that happened that night. Then we figure out that it was a aswang that shaped into my uncles identity.
It is my vacation to our province. I have a nephew there. 1 night at 10:00pm this nephew of me is washing his clothing. I told him to do that tommorow. But he hesitate so i did not insist it. I asked him why is he doing washing late night. He told me “cause uncle i couldnt do it afternoon, well im busy playing with my playmates that moment”. Then while were chatting, suddenly he points his finger to the roof of their one neighbors house. Both of us saw the manananggal that night, we stared at it for only 3sec. Then my nephew screamed that there is a manananggal to their neighbors. The manananggal transformed into a big bat and flew away in our place. Its too late for the elders to resemble because the creature escaped already.
I never thought that this aswang and mananangal are also vampires. Well base on their needs from the human is the same as vampires. They suck the infants(infants are still in a form of blood right?).
I just have one question to all. Pls i need an answer. Im just wondering, freaky creatures are undead ryt(not only pertaining to the vampires)? Why do they have to feed they are already dead?
JPS
Thanks for the compliment and the stories. Just so you know, i don’t think i actually say that they don’t exist. And to your question, to tell you the truth, i don’t know.
http://www.vampiretruth.com/do-vampires-exist/
http://www.vampiretruth.com/a-theory-on-vampire-formation/
Information on vampires that actually do exist today in a physical form.
Bracket,
Beautiful job on the article. I’ve been MIA for a bit…Still trying to catch up with all the new articles & comments. Great job though.
Amatrix
Thanks, how long have you been gone anyway?
Bracket,
I don’t know…Apparently before your article posted….lol
Amatrix sobs because Bracket never noticed…hahahaha!!..
What kind of “Friends” were you around at the young age of 19?…Most teens experience promiscuity, & beer drinking at that age..not blood drinking….lol…
Always with respect.
Amatrix
I wasn’t really into that stuff at that age ( except for the promiscuity part). They were more friends of friend. I didn’t directly know them very well. I’d meet them every once in a while at a party or something.
i drink blood! does that make me a vampire?
Sarina
No, probably not.
I have to say I have read both Alpha’s and Brachet’s posts/stories. I really like them both. Very interesting. I too did not know that there were so many different names and myths about vampires. It gives me a lot to think about. Thanks!
http://www.vampiretruth.com/do-vampires-exist/
http://www.vampiretruth.com/a-theory-on-vampire-formation/
INFORMATION ON VAMPIRES THAT EXIST TODAY!!!
THEY ARE OUT THERE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
FIND OUT HOW TO DETECT ONE AND DIFFERENTIATE THE NUMEROUS SPECIES OF SUCH, THROUGH THE LINKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Bracket or Alpha
I understand that the vampire theory is conjecture so to speak, but never the less I would love to know how and where you find your information from.
I myself look for such information but never seem to be sucessfull in my search.
Can you plz give me some pointers on researching this subject as I am very, very interested to delve further into this.
Thanx
Get back to me on it on my article
http://www.vampiretruth.com/do-vampires-exist/
http://www.vampiretruth.com/a-theory-on-vampire-formation/
Bracket,
Love it!!
WOW! This is truely Amazing! I did not find this boring at all!
Barb
Sorry i haven’t answered you until now, i haven’t been on here in a while. This will sound obvious but you can find alot of stuff on the internet, you just have to be specific and patient because you’re probably gonna go through alot of **** before you find what you’re looking for.
kayla18
Thanks. If there’s anything you’ve heard about that’s not on here, bring it up and i might add it.
Will do Bracket
I do have a question.. If vampires are dead in a way can they produce babies?? I know that is random but thats just something ive been wondering about…
kayla18
Well, it depends on the legend. Some vampires in some regions can, but there’s also the dhampir which is the child of a vampire and a human. There’s practically a 50/50 chance that it will either be half vampire or full vampire.
Thats interseting..Thank you Bracket.
Thats really werid..I mean if they are dead then shouldnt their bodies be shut down?? Dead people (men) cant produce sperm…but vampires can…so weird and cool in a way. haha. Thanks again.
kayla18
Well, when you’re thinking of vampires, you’re not exactly thinking in scientific terms now are you.
Bracket
Im not sure if that was ment to be a question?
kaylya18, no one knows because no one knows if they really exsit! I sincerely doubt it!
kayla18
It wasn’t a question. Basically, when you’re talking about vampires, you’re not talking with scientific ideas in mind, because they’re supernatural creatures.
Bracket
nevermind i understand what your saying. took me a second to understand what you saying.:) No your not.
Karen M.
you doubt what? That Vampires can produce babies?
I doubt the exsistance of vampires therefore yes I don’t belive that something that isn’t real can produce babies!
Karen M. I may not know for a fact that vampires are out there but I truly believe they are. There is so much stuff out there that we dont know about. ANYTHING is possible.
Kayla18, you are intitled to your opinion, but I’m just speaking for myself, that I don’t believe in vampires, but if they are real they would probably “do it the normal way”!
Karen M.
I am not trying to be rude or anything but if you doubt the exsistance of vampires why did you come on here? ae you looking for answers or something? or mabey a part of you does believe a little bit??
Kayla18, if you have noticed half of the people here don’t believe in vampires, it’s just a discussion on everyones opinions, I submitted a story her called “The Mason and his wife” about the haunted house that I grew up in, yes, I believe in ghosts, cause I’ve seen them but as far as vampires go, I guess I wouldn’t believe till I saw one.
The Mason and his wife ~ http://www.trueghosttales.com/paranormal/the-mason-and-his-wife/
I’ve been coming to this site and this article has a lot of info in it that I can use to write my book. And a lot of this is great info. Nice job.
Hello Icis,
Dont forget to mention TrueGhostTales.com and the writer of the article (Bracket) in your book
Icis
What kind of book will it be?
Oh, and thanks (forgot to mention that).
Karen M.
I see where your coming from. Im gona read your story. i didnt knw you had one..
caretaker
thanks for the info for the mason and his wife.
Caretaker-
In fact, I mention it frequently. Though I’m not even sure if I’m willing to do anything with the story. Publishing it and such. But the main focus of it is vampires so I’m looking for information that could hold true by searching the folklore and myths from different cultures and groups of peoples. But yes, of course I shall mention it.
bracket-
It’s mainly about a family of haunted people who have lived with seeing demons, ghosts, werewolves and then vampires. They get caught up in a blood-feud between two vampires, one turned the other but never took care of him to show him what to do so he has a vengence against the one who attacked him and turned him into a vampire. So I thank you for the information and again say it is a very good article.
Icis
The background reminds me of Dark Shadows for some reason.
Just out of curiousity, what part of the article helped you out, the first half with different kinds of vamp’s from around the world, or the other stuff like the science and how to detect and protect yourself from vampires?
It’s not often that people say i really helped them out with something.
And thanks again.
Bracket-
All of it actually. I’ve been making up my own scientific vampire but mixing it with a bit of myth so I’ve been looking for all kind of myths and I’ve read all kinds of books. (Twilight did not aid me in my search whatsoever) Personally, I’ve never really liked the myth about how vampires not liking garlic or holy objects so I’ve tried to explain it as best as I can. Such as the fact that vampires cannot be around garlic is because they have a hightened sense of smell, supposedly, and therefore do not like strong odors. That’s the sort of thing I’m doing, morphing the legends to make my own because no one likes to read stories that say pretty much the same thing. No garlic, no sunlight, coffins, etc. Oh, and I’ve never even heard of Dark Shadow. What is it?
Icis
Sorry i haven’t gotten back to you sooner, computer troubles.
Sounds interesting. If you decide not to publish it and it’s not TOO long, maybe you can submit it to the fiction story contest this site is conducting.
Dark Shadows is an old show. It was basically a paranormal soap opera. Tim Burton has signed on to direct a movie version with Johnny Depp attached to play the vampire lead.
bracket-
Oh. Maybe I should see it sometime. And I think the story is too long, though. On Microsoft word 2007, it is 166 pages and over 100,000 words. I’ve been working on it for around two years and just finished it, sort of. I’m not sure if I’m finished. I might add more to it. I am not quite certain yet.
Oh. ok. Well, good luck with it. Keep us informed if you decide to do something with it.
Absolutely.
bracket
I want to tell u, there are many vampire like creatures at indonesia
They are PARAKANG, PALASIK, KUYANG, JENGLOT, but they are just human/people who sell their soul to demon for money, power, beauty face, etc
One more thing it’s TUYUL NOT TOYOL
zaman
Out of all those names, the only one i could find was Jenglot. I will add it. For Parakang all i could find was Cape Parakang. For Kuang, all i found was a series of caves called (obviously) the Kuyang Caves. The only thing i could find for Palasik was last names of a bunch of people.
Could you possibly be more specific. Can you check to see if you spelled them right, and if you did, could you give more info on them?
Also, it can be spelled Tuyul or Toyol.
bracket
parakang/kuyang: human who separate his/her head and internal organs such as lung, heart, liver, etc from his/her body (i have see this thing) and drink blood from pregnant women
palasik: it is just a head flying around and drink blood from human and livestock
jenglot: mini human sized like a barbie doll. it has long hair, sharp long nail, and fang. some people keeping this creatures in a box and feed it with blood, they think this creature is a richness amullet . u could find this creature at graveyard.
btw sorry ’bout the toyol thing
zaman
“parakang/kuyang” sound alot like a Penanggalan, which i could have sworn i had on here but apparently i don’t. I might add it soon.
I got Jenglot and it has been added, it’s in the Asia section but it may be moved to the Non-human section.
Bracket
Are you going to be writing anymore articles?
maryfey, pardon me for jumping in but Bracket recently wrote a new article about Ouija Boards. It is at http://www.trueghosttales.com/paranormal/the-truth-about-ouija-boards/
that’s cool Caretaker..thankyou
I have been reading a book called The Field Guide to Vampires and there is a lot of stuff in that book that Bracket has been talking about here. Its a cool book for anyone interested in things Vampire. I will be posting a review of the book soon. (Or you can check it out at http://www.redwheelweiser.com )
this is an interesting article…..
i’m wondering if anybody knows where i can find some of the actual folklore about people who have seen vampires particulary the african adze, obyifo, asiman and asasabonsam…
I BELIEVE THAT VAMPIRES AND OTHER SUPERNATURAL THINGS EXSIT CAUSE I’VE SEEN MANY GHOSTS
i believe in vampires so much and I know there out there they may not be what everyone exspects them to be but I know there out there along with everything else like werewolves and bigfoot. People may not believe in them but i do and i’m so interested because of my dreams ive been having since i was five and the things i use to see as a child that would give anyone a heart attack. but i do believe
if vampires dont exsist how do u think the legends came up ? and sont give me some kind of diease i heard that stuff when i was a child and even online now. people dont understand it so they try to make excuses. if you dont believe in vamipres because u havent seen one well do u believe in god or the devil ? u cant see them but even one says there real. its not any different. i believe in everything my mind is open to all . maybe u dont see them but if i was a vampire i wouldnt want u to see me either. so give it a thought u never know what u might end up with .
Thanks! This has really helped with my research for my project(production of dracula the musical)
This stuff is awesome. At least someone believes me about the vampires. Nothing can bo unreal if you know they are true. And i like vampires more than my life so thx. Love the website. =)
im a vampires but i can control it
aluka – Perhaps you could write about your experiences as a Vampire and submit it here for publication. I am sure a lot of people would be interested in reading about it.
I love that other people belive in Vampires just like me. and if aluka you are vampire thats cool with me
wow…this is VERY informative
people need to get help if they think they are a so called “Vampire”. It is starting to freak me out. Ever since Twilight came out people come up to me and say “hey i am Vampire” or “I will turn you in to a Vampire.”People,this has to stop
A lot of stuff i didn’t know, this has helped me out a lot. I am trying to write a story, but with TRUE facts, not like media movie view facts. You know what i mean? but thanks a lot.
hi just wondering why there isnt realy anything on the UK?
Hi, I loved this article and I usually don’t read things word for word but I did read this every word. It just captured me that there are so many types with so many different traits. I have always had a thing for vampires and creatures of the night , and the undead, so this was good reading for me. I do have a question though, Can you become a vampire by choice if a vampire was to bite you?
Vampires Dont Exist
Vampire Books Exist
Read Richelle Mead’s Vampire Academy Series its one of my favourite series and its about dhampirs more for girls though…
W-O-W! This is the most awesome story/posting/article I have ever seen on this site. I noticed from the scroll bar on the side that it currently takes up 1/3 of the page! You should have this published as an article or something somewhere else too. Of course, pobody’s nerfect. I noticed that the part titled “Traits of vampires” seemed to describe some myths and stories rather than the actual traits. Also, the part titled “How to reverse vampirism” was about how to avoid being turned into one. I think it should have been about how to reverse becoming a vampire and “change back”. But it’s still awesome and I love the fact that you had pictures. You should do similar postings on other websites and see what others think. You should also comment often on the other stories. I’m sure others would like to hear what you have to say. Bye now. ^,.,^
i baleve humans think of us as gods but that is not true it is a not i would die again and again to be human i am one how will swop my life for me to be free and have a life day see the world in light i am pure i want you too know we are real Cabreso triyed but the olders banished him i shell prouve to all my fathers and mothers that me are free not night walkers ….. i am coming i will be free ….
well, one of my friends says that besides Vamps, other supernaturals exist..and that he has had expirence and that in some part of Kenya(where he is from)many ppl have had encounters with them(supernaturals)..i would love to kno more bout them, cause he tell me only so much….
the history of vamp. has made me more intrested in knowing more pls let me know more if there is something new…. thanks for the info
I dunno If this is a repost…. I didnt read the rest of the comments…. ^^” Sorry >3<
I just wanted to mention cutaneous prophyria! This is a disease which causes extreme hypersensitiveness to light. If exposed to the sunlight, the sufferer's skin will develop terrible blisters, the gums will receed, and in some cases… their pee would turn purple OoO~ People with cutaneous prophyria were beleived to be vampires waaay back when, because of the reaction to light. The gums receeding, would cause the teeth to appear as though they're growing, and the gums would also bleed, giving the illusion of blood drinking. I'm sorry for making you read this all ^3^ <3~ Baibai nao :3
i think vampires r real
The article is great. I believe that they are existed from so while. and i was try to search because i want to meet them. I 9 that they feed blood. But i think there is some vampires are good and they know that people also have to stay in this world that why we are alive.
i was looking for some information about vampires…….when i read your blogg…….it has really helped e a lot……..i jst wana know that from where did you manage to get this information?
I have to admit, I never read this article until today.. Bracket has done an excellent job with his research, I applaud him for that. I did read another article that was also written by Bracket, and it is just as good as this one, although I can’t remember which one it was now.. Great job Bracket! Not sure if you are still around the site or not.
this is the biggest load of bull i have ever heard! you people have to grow up and get a life!!
..oh..this article is awesome..to the who did this ..you had done a great job..j3j3..
i am a vampire you want to no the truth you mear mortals cant handle the truth!
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Note from Admin – you may be a ‘real’ vampire but the next time you use profanity in a comment it will be deleted!
@Bracket
“I think the beauty about this article is that it can be constantly evolving and added to, if Caretaker is willing to do that. It could become the ultimate vampire encyclopedia.”
I have for a while now been collecting Vampire mythology, its good to see someone doing this. Theres a wiki article called List_of_vampires_in_folklore_and_mythology and I have been adding to it for a while now, it badly needs citation, perhaps you could help?
“If somebody adds something, in the comment section, about vamps thats not in the article already, i’ll do all the investigation about the claim and type it up to be added”
Heres the list of vampires from mythology that I have found on, I made sure that mythology of the creature is vampire like.
Apotamkin – Native American (It’s a legend of the Maliseet-Passamaquoddy tribe).
Llugat and Sampiro – Albania
Shtriga – Albania
Bruxa (female) or Bruxo (male) – Portugese
Lobishomen – Brazil
Jararaca – Brazil
Strigoi (plural: Strigoi) – Romania
Moroi (plural: Moroii) – Romania
Varcolac (plural: Varcolaci) – Romania
Pricolic (plural: Pricolici) – Romania
Striges – Rome
Lamiai – Greece
Empusai – Greece
Mormolykiai – Greece
Vrykolakas – Greece
Baital – India
Bhuta – India
Rakshasa – India
Brahmaparusha – India
Kali – India
Pacu Pati – India
Vetala (was also called Punyaiama) – India
Churel or (Churail) – India
Masan (male) Masani (female) – india
Gayal – India
Cundalai MadaN – India
Ghoul (male) ghulah (female) (It was known as Algul) – Arabia
‘Vampire of Berwick’ – British
Boabhan – British (a female ghost but there are very stricking similiarities to the vampire in the story)
Croglin Vampire – British
Arnold Paole – Austra (a story of a man)
Dearg-due – Ireland
Leanansidhe or Leanhaum-shee – Ireland
Soucoyant – Trinidad and Tobago
Ol’ Higue – Jamaica
Loogaroo – Grenada and Haiti
Jiang Shi – China
Kappa – Japan
“Vampire Cat of Nabeshima” – Japan
Manananggal – Philippine
Wak Wak – Philippine
mullo (muli: female, Mulo: male) – Gypsy
‘Sara’ or ‘the Black Goddess’ – Gypsy
dhampire – Gypsy
Nosferatu – Germany
‘Nachtzehrer’ – Germany (northern Germany).
Blautsauger – Germany (southern German)
Tlalteuctli – Aztec
Coatlicue – Aztec
Cihuacoatl – Aztec
Itzpapalotl – Aztec
Cihuateteo – Aztec
Camazotz – Mayan
tlahuelpuchi – Mexico
Drauger – Norse
Aptranger – Norse
Haubui – Norse
yara-ma-yha-who – Australia
Garkain – Australia
Talamaur – Australia
Abere – Australia
Jenglot – Indonesia
Langsuyar – Malaysia
Pontianak – Malaysia
penanggalan – Malaysia
polong – Malaysia
pelesit – Malaysia
maneden – Malaysia
Veshtiza – Serbia
Vlokoslak – Serbia
Vlkodlak – Serbia
Vukodlak – Montenegro
Upir/Upyr – Russia
Upierczi (Upier in Polish) – Russia
Myertovjec – Russia
Eretica (female) Eretik (male) – Russia
Vjesci – poland
Njetop – poland
Wupji – poland
Ohyn – poland
Upier – poland
Mukasa – Africa
Dogirs – Africa
Biloko – Africa
obayifo – Africa
asasabonsam – Africa
asema – Surinam
sukuyan – Trindad
Sekhmet – Egyptian
Six monkeys – Tibet
“Scroll of the Words of the King” – Tibet (tells of flesh eating creatures)
Lillu – Sumerian
Lilitu – Sumerian
Ekimmu (Edimmu)- Assyrian (Utukku were a spirit or a demon, that could be either benevolent or evil. The evil was known as Edimmu or Ekimmu)
The Seven Demons – Sumerian
Lilith – Jewish
yas
thanks for this.its best article,story of vampire i ever read.wonderful