Vampires

[PeniG]

I expect she saw his fangs, or the voices in her head told her. Very handy, those voices.

How did people suddenly get all the way back to my STD rant from September? And inquiring minds want to know -- how weird do y'all feel that you learned that particular alternate meaning for "tea room" from someone who writes books for young people? (It should not surprise you that such a person cares so much on the subject of sex miseducation, however.)

Although I think there are places in like, New York, that still use "tea room" for a legitimate business, if you want a nice cup of tea and a biscuit, you'd better ask the policeman for a "tea shop" to fend off misunderstandings. And then order tea and cookies when you get there.

 

[locussolus]

I know there is a Tea Room in Greenwich VIllage, where a woman literally reads your tea leaves. I thought that's what she did.....

There are many "Happy Ending Massage Parlors" in the city, know enough to stay away from those. One has been turned into a fancy Norwegian Cocktail Bar......they kept the sign and the back room intact for novelty.

 

[Zilch5]

I still don't that tea room business - I suppose we must call them something else here...

I once had dinner in the Russian Tea Room in Boulder, Colorado. It was lovely and no one wanted to grab my crotch for money.

What am I missing here?

 

[escargot]

The tearoom trade as described by Humphreys was about recreation, not money, though. The term 'trade' here means 'business', as in monkey business.

What Humphreys found was that some ostensibly straight men knew where to go for impersonal homosexual contact with minimum risk of discovery, at a time when these acts were still illegal. They were in it for fun, not money.

Of course, the 'tearooms' are actually public lavvies, so there's little danger of being served the wrong type of sticky buns.

 

[OldTimeRadio]

Exactly my first thought - she didn't stop to talk, so what was the giveaway? A face that looked pale in her headlights? Hardly conclusive evidence, is it?

Well, I was going to suggest that it was the fangs, save that Peni stole my thunder there.


But of course vampire fangs can be purchased at any novelty shop year-'round or indeed at any large American chain drugstore during the month or so before Halloween, and for 50 percent off the week after.

Or maybe it was simply the fact that the vampire had great black bat wings and was hovering four feet above the ground?

 

[Spudrick68]

I don't want to derail this thread again, but I wish to reply to PeniiG tat I find your education beautfully ironic. I genuinely had no idea what it meant. Thank you for educating me.
Now, back to vampires...

 

[ramonmercado]

Yeeaaaa! Shes left the Dark Side!

Top author opts 'to quit being a Christian'

ALISON FLOOD

Sat, Jul 31, 2010

TWELVE YEARS after choosing Christianity over atheism, bestselling author Anne Rice has “quit being a Christian” because of the religion’s attitude to birth control, homosexuality and science.

In a message posted on her Facebook page, Rice said she was “out”. “In the name of Christ, I refuse to be anti-gay. I refuse to be anti-feminist. I refuse to be anti-artificial birth control. I refuse to be anti-Democrat. I refuse to be anti-secular humanism. I refuse to be anti-science. I refuse to be anti-life. In the name of Christ, I quit Christianity and being Christian. Amen,” the author wrote.

An atheist for decades, Rice returned to her childhood faith of Catholicism in 1998. In 2002 she “consecrated her writing entirely to Christ, vowing to write for Him or about Him”. She began to write novels about the life of Christ, completing Christ the Lord: Out of Egypt in 2005, and publishing Christ the Lord: The Road to Cana in 2008 when she also released the memoir Called Out of Darkness: A Spiritual Confession , about her conversion at the age of 57.

Rice posted on Tuesday revealing her distress about a news story in which an American “punk rock ministry” said that “executing gays is ‘moral’”.

“No wonder people despise us, Christians . . . I don’t blame them. This kind of thing makes me weep. Maybe commitment to Christ means not being a Christian,” she said.

Later, she linked to a report about the Westboro Baptist church in Kansas, which “spreads the message that because the United States condones homosexuality, abortion and divorce, all Americans are going to hell”, according to the story.

“This is chilling. I wish I could say this is inexplicable. But it’s not. That’s the horror. Given the history of Christianity, this is not inexplicable at all,” Rice wrote, pointing to Gandhi’s statement: “I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.” – (Guardian service )

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/wor ... 06275.html

 

[OldTimeRadio]

This doesn't surprise me very much, since Rice's "Christianity' was heterodox at very best.

For one thing she seems to have taken seriously the old Gnostic "gospels" (!!!) which portrayed the child Christ as a noisomely-evil little monster whose chief delight lay in murdering his playmates....and their parents, too, when they objected to such shenanigans.

I can tell you from personal experience that it's difficult to leave any belief-system you never joined in the first place.

As for Fred Phelps, a leading Conservative Christian cult-watch list describes that man as "an enemy of the Cross." Does Rice think this description was intended as a compliment?

 

[ramonmercado]

'Vampire' skeletons found in Bulgaria near Black Sea
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-18334106

People believed the rod would pin the dead into their graves and stop them from becoming vampires

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Archaeologists in Bulgaria have found two medieval skeletons pierced through the chest with iron rods to supposedly stop them from turning into vampires.

The discovery illustrates a pagan practice common in some villages up until a century ago, say historians.

People deemed bad had their hearts stabbed after death, for fear they would return to feast on humans' blood.

Similar archaeological sites have also been unearthed in other Balkan countries.

Bulgaria is home to around 100 known "vampire skeleton" burials.

Searchers stumbled across the latest two specimens, dating back to the Middle Ages, in the Black Sea town of Sozopol.

'Terrorise the living'
"These skeletons stabbed with rods illustrate a practice which was common in some Bulgarian villages up until the first decade of the 20th Century," explained Bozhidar Dimitrov who heads the National History Museum in the Bulgarian capital Sofia.

People believed the rod would pin the dead into their graves to prevent them from leaving at midnight and terrorising the living, the historian added.

Archaeologist Petar Balabanov, who in 2004 discovered six nailed-down skeletons at a site near the eastern Bulgarian town of Debelt, said the pagan rite had also been practised in neighbouring Serbia and other Balkan countries.

Vampire legends form an important part of the region's folklore.

The myths directly inspired Bram Stoker's legendary gothic horror novel, Dracula, which was first published in 1897 and has since been turned into numerous filmic versions.

 

[krakenten]

To Howard 'Anne' Rice: Fangs for the memories!

 

[ramonmercado]

Think this will fit in here. Now vampires are being blamed for abandoned dogs.

Vampire film link to abandoned wolf-like dogs
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-ox ... e-18958591

Blue is one of the Alaskan malamutes now at the charity's Burford centre

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Vampire-themed films and TV shows may be to blame for an increase in wolf-like dogs bought and then abandoned, an Oxfordshire charity has said.

The Blue Cross has released figures showing a five-fold rise in some species being handed to their centres.

In the first six months of the year 43 needed rehoming, compared with 15 in the same period of 2011.

Wolves have played a prominent part in recent films Breaking Dawn and The Grey, and TV series True Blood.

"The fashion for vampire-themed TV series and films may be a feature of their increasing popularity," the charity said.

'Rocketing trend'
The Alaskan malamute, Siberian husky and Utonagon are particularly popular because of their wolf-like appearance, and are putting "extra strain" on the animal charity.

It said that while the actual numbers were relatively small, the overall trend was "rocketing".

Continue reading the main story
National figures - First six months of 2011 / 2012

Alaskan malamute 2 / 10

Siberian husky 13 / 30

Utonagon 0 / 3

Animal behaviourist Claire Stallard said: "These beautiful and distinctive breeds have become fashionable over the years, but unfortunately they may be chosen on their looks alone.

"If not given enough exercise, these dogs can become extremely frustrated which may manifest in all manner of problem behaviours.

"This is why we urge people to do lots of research before taking on any dog, to find a breed that is suitable to your living conditions and lifestyle."

A recent addition to the rehoming centre in Burford, Oxfordshire, is Blue.

Centre manager Aly Jones said the distinctive Alaskan malamute, which has one blue eye and one brown eye, had a "great personality".

"He needs someone who can invest the time to take him on daily long walks to keep him happy and healthy" she added.

 

[George_millett]

They might want to add the Song of Fire and Ice to the list of culprits, as the Dire Wolves are Wolfdog Hybrids aswell.

Is this really news though as it has been going on for decades, new popular film/series comes out featuring and animal and sales of that animal as pets sky rockets.

It happened with the various finding Nemo films and clown fish, Turtles and Terrapins with the Teenage mutant ninja turtles in the 80's and 90's. To be honest the only time that I can remember that it hasn't caused an issue in rescues is Ratatouille.

 

[Zilch5]

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

 

[AtomicBadger]

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?

(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.

 

[JamesWhitehead]

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. :?

 

[AtomicBadger]

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.)

 

[kamalktk]

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

 

[sherbetbizarre]

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

 

[sherbetbizarre]

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

 

[Pietro_Mercurios]

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:

 

[Naughty_Felid]

Noticed this from a journal that Ramonmercado posted the Easter Island article from

Researchers Investigate 'Vampire' Remains in Polish Cemetery

Turns out the suspected vampires were all locals.

http://popular-archaeology.com/issu...nvestigate-vampire-remains-in-polish-cemetery

 

[ramonmercado]

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

 

[AgProv]

http://www.sciencealert.com/there-a...medium=Website&utm_campaign=InArticleReadMore

People who take Anne Rice literally?

 

[Tribble]

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

 

[Anonymous-50446]

http://www.sciencealert.com/there-a...medium=Website&utm_campaign=InArticleReadMore

People who take Anne Rice literally?

I'm reminded there is little provision for mental health care in the USA.

 

[Acheron101]

'Vampires' may have been real people with rare blood disorder...

https://archaeologynewsnetwork.blog...een-real-people-with.html#VtLiD67IK47wXSjo.97

 

[Frideswide]

interesting Acheron101 thank you!

 

[James_H]

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?

 

[Naughty_Felid]

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?

Chinese vamps also green and furry hair.

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

 

[ramonmercado]

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