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Vampires

Stakes are high as twilight descends on village with a bloodthirsty history


GET your garlic, crosses and stakes ready: a bloodsucking vampire is on the loose.

Or so say villagers in the tiny western Serbian hamlet of Zarozje, nestled between lush green mountain slopes and spooky thick forests. They say rumours that a legendary vampire has awakened are spreading fear - and a potential tourist opportunity - through the remote village.

The local council has warned villagers to put garlic in their pockets and place wooden crosses in their rooms to ward off the vampire, although the warning appears designed more to attract visitors to the impoverished region.
An old watermill located on the Rogacica river, believed to have been Sava Savanovic's home

Spooky ... Sava Savanovic's old shack in the dense oak forest. Photo: AP

Many of the villagers are aware that Serbia's most famous vampire, Sava Savanovic, is a fairytale. Still, they say, better to take it seriously than risk succumbing to the vampire's fangs.
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''The story of Sava Savanovic is a legend, but strange things did occur in these parts back in the old days,'' 55-year-old housewife Milka Prokic said, holding a string of garlic in one hand and a large wooden stake in another. ''We have inherited this legend from our ancestors, and we keep it alive for the younger generations.''

Vampire legends have played a prominent part in the Balkans for centuries, most prominently Dracula from Romania's Transylvania region. In the 18th century, the legends sometimes triggered mass hysteria and even public executions of those accused of being vampires.

Sava Savanovic reputedly drank the blood of those who came to his small shack in the dense oak forest to mill their grain.

The wooden mill collapsed a few months ago, allegedly angering the vampire, who is now looking for a new place to hang his cape.

''One should always remain calm. It's important not to frighten him. You shouldn't make fun of him,'' villager Mico Matic, 56, said.

His house is not far from the collapsed mill.

''He is just one of the neighbours, you do your best to be on friendly terms,'' he said with a wry smile, pulling garlic from his pockets.

Some locals say it is easy for strangers to laugh at them, but they truly believe. ''Five people have recently died, one after another, in our community, one hanging himself,'' council member Miodrag Vujetic said. ''This is not by accident.''

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/world/strangebutt ... z2E2YqVjeE
 
Has anyone heard anything about the Lochmaben vampire? In particular, anything that doesn't come solely from Tom Robertson and somehow involve Raelians and Michael Jackson? :roll:

(Link to news article: http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/u...rders-vampire-brought-me-into-contact-1071369)

I happened across this story a while back, and I'd love to find out whether or not he was building on some established-if-obscure bit of local folklore, or whether this was cut from whole cloth, but I'm not having a lot of success. I did get hold of a copy of the book Mr. Robertson wrote about his experiences, and while they're certainly entertaining stories, I think they are, in fact, just stories.

But somehow I can't quite let it rest there; I feel like there's this broad continuity in (the few) English vampire tales over... we'll say the past 100 years or so, in which the stories themselves, and particularly the description of and explanation for the vampire itself seem linked to or informed by some common source - that does not match up with Stoker. Hare's Croglin Grange tale is just weird enough, in certain particulars, to qualify as an example of what I mean, and Elliot O'Donnell's scattered mentions of 'elementals' are definitely part of this pattern. So I've been looking into it here and there, but don't have much to report yet except, once again, that sort of vague intimation that we're looking at an identifiably separate folkloric tradition, which might borrow elementals of Hollywood at times, but is very much its own thing.
 
A bit more on the story on The Lochmaben Castle site

The photographs which are online are not very convincing. One has a tall skinny figure in profile - looks like a very skinny goth-type youth or woman. Pale, certainly, but the complexion is not exactly as described! The other is a more hunched, shambling figure entirely draped in sacking?

The castle site says that rumours of the vampire have been known for only ten years or so. :?
 
Yeah, those photographs are a bit... well, I mean, you can literally see that the 'vampire' is wearing one of those short plastic rain capes, for heaven's sake. It even looks new! Charge me with lacking an open mind, I suppose, but I'm more than a little skeptical about the idea that a shambling corpse fuelled by demoniacal bloodlust regularly browses the foul weather gear at World of Camping. :lol:

I found an interesting website for translated source material, however: http://www.shroudeater.com/anewburg.htm. That's a direct link to the William of Newburgh stories that have been mentioned, but clicking around on the main site, it appears to be a nice little compilation of vampire-related links, and I even found an article that traces the different versions of another, much more recent, English vampire legend - that of William Doggett of Dorset.

Link: http://www.shroudeater.com/cdorset.htm

It was really fascinating to see the evolution here from what was likely a rather generic 'memory of local baddie inspires ghost story' situation into a 'possible English vampire' one, courtesy (apparently) of Peter Underwood. (And maybe a little misinterpretation of 18th century men's fashion.)
 
Mighty_Emperor said:
FL: LOL - I'm afraid its far too late to start getting worried about such things the damage was done a long time ago :)

I suppose I'm more concerned about wasting my time. Lets be honest Barber has written the best book on vampires so where do you go from there? Tell everyone that crosses and garlic are just recent additions to the mythos (no sh*t sherlock) and then rehash a vast range of myths (that have been done to death by now surely - if you'll excuse the pun) that are only linked by blood drinking - the differences far outweighing the similarities? You'd be better off getting a book with a wider spectrum (e.g. Funk and Wagnall's Standard Dictionary of Folklore, Mythology and Legend?) and examine the interlinkings between a broader range of legends.

Then again these vampire studies/encyclopedias have always mystified me - how one would get a better understanding of e.g. the Aswang by also studying European vampires (and vice versa) rather than studying other Philipino folklore to see the variety and interconnections between local myths is a mystery.

That said (and now I have said my piece ;) ) I'll probably sneak a peek at some point (if only to annoy myself). :)
I recall there being a thread on the aswang, but can't find it. After WW2, the CIA faked aswang attacks as part of their strategy in the Phillipines.
http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=...onepage&q=In the midst of wars asuang&f=false

Strangely, I found this via a humor website article. http://www.cracked.com/article_20518_the-6-most-outrageous-bluffs-in-history-war.html
 
Pictured: “Vampire” skeletons unearthed in Poland

Four skeletons unearthed in Poland appear to have been buried in a “vampire” ritual designed to prevent them returning from the grave.

Archaeologists believe that the bodies - buried with their heads between their legs - may have been hung on gallows to rot before they were buried.

The “vampires” were unearthed during the construction of a ring road in Gliwice - each had been buried with their head chopped off and without possessions.

“These ‘vampires’ from could have been condemned to death by beheading - or had their spine broken on the gallows,” says Dr Jacek Pierzak, whose team is still working to date the remains.

“In the Middle Ages the condemned would hang on the gallows in public view as they decomposed - but would be taken down before they fell down due to decomposition. Then the body would be buried with its head between its legs.”

Vampire rituals were common in Slavic areas in the early Christian period, Pierzak says.

“Those suspected of vampirism were buried face down, sometimes they were tied hand and foot, and sometimes hands upon the cross on the chest,” says Pierzak. “In other cases, such as in Gliwice, the “vampire’s” head would be cut off and placed in between the legs. Sometimes a heavy stone would be placed on top of the tomb - or the “vampire’s” chest would be pierced, pinning them to the ground. All this would prevent the vampire returning from the grave.”

The team have also not ruled out the idea that the tomb may be a relic of human sacrifice from the early Middle Ages.

“Nothing is really certain,” said Dr Pierzak, in an interview with the Dziennik Zachodni newspaper. “A vampire burial is one of the hypotheses that we are considering.”

“We found absolutely nothing on the skeletons, so it is difficult to say what period the skeletons are from. This is a special case.”

“Vampires” in Polish culture weren’t the bloodsucking immortals of popular culture, Dr Pierzak says - often the term was used to describe people with pagan beliefs, or even people suspected of pagan practices such as leaving food on loved ones’ graves.

The beliefs are deep-rooted in Polish culture, Pierzak says - the last known case of such “anti-vampiric” practices was reported in 1914.

“In 1914, in the village of Old Mierzwice delay in Mazovia, a body was dug out of his grave, and they cut off his head, which was then placed at the foot of the deceased,” says Pierzak.
http://uk.news.yahoo.com/pictured--%E2% ... ml#SvTHUvW
 
Up to 17 skeletons found now...

Roll Over Dracula: 'Vampire Cemetery' Found in Poland

A chilling find has been made in Poland: at least 17 skeletons buried with the skulls severed and placed between the knees or hands. That, say archaeologists, is how vampires used to be interred, to stop them rising from the dead.

Construction workers building a road near the town of Gliwice in southern Poland this month came across four skeletons buried in a bizarre way. Their skulls had been cut off and placed between the knees or hands of the dead. LAdding to the mystery, nothing -- no jewellery, remains of clothing or coins, not even a button -- was found on the bodies.

Archaeologists now believe that the bodies date from the 15th or 16th centuries, when the fear of vampires was widespread in Eastern Europe. Lukasz Obtulowicz, an archaeologist from the monument protection office in the nearby city of Katowice, said there were clear indications that this was the site of a vampire burial, noting that stones had been placed on the skulls. "All this served to prevent the vampires from returning to life," he said in a television interview.ater, a further 13 skeletons arranged in a similar way were found.

Graves Close to Former Execution Site

The office's chief archeologist, Jacek Pierzak, told Polish newspaper Dziennik Zachodni: "It was one of the most common forms of burying vampires." The office could not immediately be reached for comment.

It can't be ruled out that the dead were executed, because the site lies close to where a gallows used to stand. So far, a total of 43 graves have been unearthed there, and historians hope to learn more about the skeletons by studying court files and church logs on executions.
The skeletons are being removed for tests to ascertain ther age and the possible causes of death.

In 2012, archaeologists in Bulgaria discovered two medieval skeletons that had been pierced through the chest with iron rods -- another popular way to prevent suspected vampires from rising from the dead and gorging themselves on the blood of the living.
http://www.spiegel.de/international/zei ... 12363.html
 
The secret of eternal youth, according to the Independent, it's all true and it's about to become the next health crazy, apparently.

Stolen youth: Younger blood can reverse 'many of the effects of ageing'
New research has found that blood from young mice can improve the health of older ones. So is the centuries' old idea that youth can be sacrificed to prevent ageing more than a pipe dream? Jess Zimmerman sorts the science from the scary stories


Countess Bathory, Pope Pius XII and Mr Burns from the Simpsons, must be a slow news day. :vampire:
 
It is not easy being a vampire, and even harder to come out of the coffin to a physician or therapist for fear they will misinterpret the habit of ingesting the blood of willing donors or succumb to stereotyping, a study finds.

Research led by D.J. Williams, director of social work at Idaho State University, indicated that people who identify themselves as “real” vampires – that is, needing others’ blood to gain energy – would not disclose their practices to those in the helping professions and risk reactions like ridicule, disgust and possible diagnosis of a mental illness.

The paper, published in the latest issue of Critical Social Work, a peer-reviewed journal based in Canada, found that authentic vampires as opposed to “lifestyle” vampires – black-clad figures with phony fangs – might be stereotyped by clinicians whose fields discourage biases.

http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/offbe...ark-for-fear-of-stereotyping-study/ar-AAcGJKl
 
A new book has claimed the blood-sucking demon was not in fact from Romania - but instead hails from the seaside resort of DEVON in the UK.

Writer Andy Struthers insists that rather than Vlad the Impaler, author Bram Stoker took his inspiration for the famous virgin killing vampire from a priest based in the West Country.

Andy's new book says the Gothic character is actually based on the works of Sabine Baring-Gould from Exeter - who would have much preferred drinking cider to blood.

He claims Stoker created the character Dracula after reading Baring-Gould's 'Lycanthropy: the study of Werewolves' and a vampire story called 'Margery of Quether'.

He adds that it also explains why in the famous 1897 text solicitor Jonathan Harker leaves from Exeter's Cathedral Close to make his perilous journey to Transylvania, saying Stoker included the reference as a secret thank you to Baring-Gould and acknowledgement that he was inspired by him.

His book ''Dracula Incarnate : Unearthing The Definitive Dracula''will be released later this year.

Andy, 49, from Warrington, Chesire, said: "The book of werewolves and the vampire tale provided Stoker with elements of his story, and virtually everything he needed for the creation of his vampire Count, possibly including the voice of his vampire, which was female.

"Stoker was fond of tipping his hat to friends and acquaintances who had either helped him in researching his novel, or perhaps, even inspired the characters within it's pages.

"Exeter was included in the novel as a way of saying thank you to Baring-Gould, and the masses of material that he had provided the Irish author with."


http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/weird-news/real-life-vampire-count-dracula-7308712
 
I was recently interested to discover that Chinese (hopping) 'vampires' (Jiang-shi/Goeng-si) are, like their western cousins, kept away by garlic. While there are some parallels with the western version, there are also quite a lot of differences, and I thought it was interesting that this specific trope exists in both legends.

Yithian, I understand that Korea has Gangshi - do you know if they are also averse to garlic?

mr_vampire.jpg
 
I was recently interested to discover that Chinese (hopping) 'vampires' (Jiang-shi/Goeng-si) are, like their western cousins, kept away by garlic. While there are some parallels with the western version, there are also quite a lot of differences, and I thought it was interesting that this specific trope exists in both legends.

Yithian, I understand that Korea has Gangshi - do you know if they are also averse to garlic?

mr_vampire.jpg

Chinese vamps also green and furry hair.

http://www.ancientpages.com/2016/01/12/jiangshi-terrifying-ancient-chinese-vampire-in-disguise/
 
Vampire hysteria in Malawi.

The United Nations has pulled staff out of two districts in southern Malawi where a vampire scare has triggered mob violence in which at least five people have been killed.

Belief in witchcraft is widespread in rural Malawi, one of the world’s poorest countries, where many aid agencies and NGOs work. A spate of vigilante violence linked to vampire rumours also erupted in Malawi in 2002.
“These districts have severely been affected by the ongoing stories of blood sucking and possible existence of vampires,” the UN Department on Safety and Security (UNDSS) said in a security report on the Phalombe and Mulanje districts that was seen by Reuters.

The acting UN resident coordinator, Florence Rolle, said in an emailed response to questions that based on the report “some UN staff have relocated while others are still in the districts depending on locations of their operations”. ...

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/oct/09/un-moves-malawi-staff-vampire-scare?CMP=share_btn_tw
 
Vampire hysteria in Malawi.

The United Nations has pulled staff out of two districts in southern Malawi where a vampire scare has triggered mob violence in which at least five people have been killed.

Belief in witchcraft is widespread in rural Malawi, one of the world’s poorest countries, where many aid agencies and NGOs work. A spate of vigilante violence linked to vampire rumours also erupted in Malawi in 2002.
“These districts have severely been affected by the ongoing stories of blood sucking and possible existence of vampires,” the UN Department on Safety and Security (UNDSS) said in a security report on the Phalombe and Mulanje districts that was seen by Reuters.

The acting UN resident coordinator, Florence Rolle, said in an emailed response to questions that based on the report “some UN staff have relocated while others are still in the districts depending on locations of their operations”. ...

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/oct/09/un-moves-malawi-staff-vampire-scare?CMP=share_btn_tw

Curfew declared.

At least five people have been killed in southern Malawi after they were accused of behaving like vampires.

Malawian President Peter Mutharika has vowed to launch an investigation into the killings.

A night-time curfew has been imposed by the government to prevent vigilante mobs from killing more people.

The UN says it has pulled staff out of two districts as the vampire scare swept the south of the country.

The people killed were suspected of drinking human blood as part of magic rituals.

The government-imposed curfew restricts movement to ten hours from 07:00 until 17:00 local time (05:00 to 15:00 GMT) .

Meanwhile, the president's office said in a statement: "This development has been of grave concern to the president and the entire government." ...

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-41574608
 
Police are taking this seriously, cracking down on the lynch mobs.

Police in the south-east African state of Malawi say they have arrested 140 members of lynch mobs who attacked people suspected of being vampires.

At least eight people are believed to have been killed, including two men on Thursday in the second city, Blantyre.

One was set on fire and the other stoned, according to police.

Two others were arrested for threatening to suck people's blood but police say have no medical reports of any actual bloodsucking.

Vigilante mobs started attacking people suspected of drinking human blood as part of magic rituals in September. ...

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-41692944?ocid=socialflow_twitter
 
The Damned star Dave Vanian reveals he's behind Welsh vampire myth
The Damned star Dave Vanian has exploded a 38-year-old Welsh vampire legend by revealing he was the mysterious figure who made the local headlines back in 1980.
The punk legend was recording the band's Black Album at Rockfield Studios in Monmouth when he decided to step out for a breath of fresh air one night and take a stroll to a nearby cemetery.
"There was a full moon and Monmouth in the full moon... you can see everything," he tells WENN. "It was very bright because there's no city there; it's just countryside.
"So I went for a walk to the local graveyard, which was, like, a mile down the road... and I walked around and as I left and started heading back up the lane to the studio, I was caught in a Mini's headlights as I was coming out of the cemetery, and the car veered off the road almost and then screamed round the bend.
"The local newspapers, the next few days, had a thing, where a woman claimed she had seen the ghost of a vampire coming out of the local cemetery. It became a big deal and I decided to say nothing."
Vanian, who has always enjoyed a good vampire tale, admits he was dressed like a creature of the night: "It was very chilly and I was wearing an ankle-length wool cloak to keep warm," he laughs.
"I became entrenched in a ghost story. I've become an urban legend down there. I guess the locals will read this and realise they've never had a vampire ghost haunting the cemetery."


https://www.star-magazine.co.uk/cel...he-damned-star-dave-vanian-reveals-hes-behind
 
I became a vampire in my early teens by forming a summoning circle and invoking the name of a powerful saint to trap a demon into the circle I then asked the saint to weave the demons essence into my flesh then two days later after suffering extreme flu like simptoms I had a vision I was being thrown into the river styx I couldn't move water filled my lungs then I felt a boney hand grab me by my right ankle the only bone I had ever broken a year earlier I then woke up coughing up water that smelled like death ever since then I've been exploring what I'm weak to and what strengthens me weakness onions I'm attracted to the sweet taste of raw onions when I cut them it feel like tear gas and I can't digest them diarrhea for a week I have panic attacks near natural rivers more than 4 feet deep my left sock always wears a hole in it within a week I studied Chinese vampires to defeat one permanently you must get their left sock tie a rock into it and throw it into a river I found I have a luck ability when I link to a human they gain immense good luck by me draining the luck of everyone else around them when I feel hungry I can gather energy through eating like a human or in a pinch focus on the energy around me and breath it into myself I found I can soak up the abilities of people around me by either consuming afew drops of their blood or by being their luck talisman for a month my hair and nails grow ten times faster than normal leaving me with 2in claws if I don't trim them every other day but I haven't been sick except for those dam onions haven't been able to break a bone wounds from plants and animals heal in a week but any human intervention will make it take months to heal if that occurs I must find grave dirt reopen the wound and pack in the dirt in a week I'm fine that's how it is for me being a vampire I've gathered an ability from someone along the way the unkillablity of Rasputin
 
I type how I think I find if I don't think and type fast I end up just counting my words
 
Sorry if I think and and type fast I won't get stuck counting my words I apologise I just found out I can edit it's like that old myth about counting grains of rice if I see it as a whole not just individual pieces of rice I don't get stuck counting them
 
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